The loss of Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis tears at the fabric of Hawthorn, but Hawks fans must trust Clarko
HAWTHORN fans have had a dream run but, for the first time, cracks are beginning to appear. Our resident Hawks supporter says the loss of two legends tears at the fabric of the club.
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“CLARKO, what are you doing?”
For the first time since Alastair Clarkson took the reins in 2004, Hawthorn fans like myself have had to ask the question.
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Let it be known that I’m prepared for the whack I’m probably going to get for this, but two of our legends are out the door and the court of public opinion is rubbing its hands with glee.
You might say “Oh, you poor Hawthorn supporter”, but we’ve got three 10ths of stuff all back in trade deals for Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis, men who deserved to retire in brown and gold.
That they won’t tears at the fabric of our club.
The Hawks say both of them are content with the decision, but that doesn’t change how the fans feel.
How could Clarko do it?
Mitchell, at 34, still one of the best in the game.
A bloke not blessed with the physical capabilities of his peers, but with a will to win and succeed few can boast.
His is a career that has overcome the odds. Passed over in the draft. Had to work for everything he has achieved.
And now I have to watch him go in-and-under in West Coast Eagles colours.
He’ll probably have 45 disposals the next time we visit Subiaco.
And then there is Lewis.
Aside from all the premierships, if there is one moment of toughness that sticks out in my mind, it is Lewis returning to the field after being ironed out by Jarrod Harbrow against the Western Bulldogs in 2010.
I was in the stands and I genuinely feared for him. He looked in all sorts of strife.
But, somehow, some way, he came back on to the ground.
It was spine-tingling stuff.
He has gone from being our potential next captain to playing for the enemy — a Demons side which beat us this season and, with the way things are going, are every chance to nick our spot in the top four.
So we’ve sold the farm for Jaeger.
This is a kid with supreme talent who I have always been high on.
He could be Scott Pendlebury ... and then again, he might be Frank Marchesani.
There’s a good reason you don’t know that name.
Marchesani, I’m reliably told by our walking sporting encyclopaedia Jon Anderson, was the Fitzroy star who was swooped on by Carlton after a stunning rookie season, only to fall victim to injury and then a mystery lung illness. And he was never the same.
Hey, the way things are going, O’Meara might never even wear Hawks’ colours.
Yeah, we know, we’ve won four flags and every one wants to see us fall, but you can understand why the emotions are running wild.
Clarko tells us to trust him.
We did that when he cleared out beloved veterans like Nick Holland, Nathan Thompson and Mark Graham in his first two seasons.
We did it when we somehow missed the 2009 finals after winning the 2008 premiership.
And we’ll do it again now, because he’s Clarko.
And, if it does all implode, like everyone is hoping, we’ll cry ourselves to sleep with our four premiership flags in the Clarko era.
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