Shane Crawford says the Hawks can save the season

HAWTHORN was historically awful against Port Adelaide on Thursday night, and two club legends have different views on what the future holds.

2017 has been grim for Hawthorn.

HAWTHORN legend Shane Crawford has a message for the AFL: Don’t write the Hawks off just yet.

The AFL powerhouse had a horrific night against Port Adelaide on Thursday, losing by 51 points, and all signs suggest life will get even worse.

Hawthorn was smashed by a rampant Port Adelaide in the opening half, confining Alastair Clarkson’s men to the club’s lowest ever half-time total, just three points.

But despite mixed results so far this season, Crawford says beware the wounded Hawk. The AFL competition is as close as it’s perhaps ever been in 2017, meaning Hawthorn is still within touching distance of the finals and should it land a spot in the top eight — can beat anyone.

“I’m still convinced they’ll do well in the second half of the year and as we know it’s been so even, so anything could happen,” Crawford told news.com.au.

“I definitely think they can still make the finals. I wouldn’t want to play them if they’re up and about and have their mojo, they’re going to be in any match they’re playing.

“The season is definitely not over yet.”

It’s a different view to that promoted by club great Jason Dunstall, who said after the match there is “plenty of pain to come” for the Hawks.

“If you understand where the list is at, there’s a realisation that’s going to happen a number of times this season,” Dunstall said on Fox Footy.

“You’re completely uncompetitive and you’ve actually got to make up excuses. The fact is there’s players missing through injury. There’s plenty of pain to come, but that’s the cycle you go through — they were at the top for so long, you have to come down at some stage.”

Crawford concedes the loss of senior players Sam Mitchell (West Coast) and Jordan Lewis (Melbourne) has shown on-field. But the Hawks great insists the talent that is to come can keep the club in the top rung of the AFL.

Port smashed the Hawks.

Hawthorn snared Ricky Henderson, Jaeger O’Meara, Tom Mitchell and Ty Vickery in the off-season, and is blooding a young crop of talent that needs games under its belt to develop.

Crawford concedes Hawthorn needed an injection of youth to freshen up things with an eye on the future, but he has faith that once embedded, the new-look Hawks can still have success.

“I know they’ve had some big losses which is very uncharacteristic, but I think initially at the start of the year they were really happy with pre-season and they were happy with the group that they had,” Crawford said.

“The word coming out of the Hawks was they were in a good place, it’s just going to take a little while because we have a lot of new guys in the team.

“It was going to take a little bit of work to get things going how they wanted it to.

“I think behind closed doors they didn’t want those losses, but they always thought the second half of the season was going to be strong, a lot stronger than the first.

“Alastair Clarkson is all about the 18 men out of the field in sync. It just requires everyone connecting and working together and having that amazing understanding.”

Crawford spent 15 years playing at the elite level and has some advice for two of the hottest commodities in the AFL world — Dustin Martin and Josh Kelly.

Both are the subject of million-dollar offers from a number of clubs, but Crawford has urged them to think carefully about the financial rewards.

Crawford himself spurned more lucrative offers from other clubs to stay at Hawthorn, which resulted in a farewell AFL premiership.

It’s not all doom and gloom.

“Good luck to them, I think it’s awesome. There’s only a short time in the game, but you’ve got to be happy too,” Crawford said.

“You’ve got to be in a nice, happy place and a good environment.”

Crawford warned clubs thinking they will quicken the evolution of their playing list by snaring a big name, saying such a move can also have a negative effect.

“You’ve got to be really careful paying big money for a couple of players. You really want to have a good team and you really want everyone to feel like they’re loved,” Crawford said.

“Sometimes when you pay good money for players, it can break the list up a little bit and it needs careful management and it needs consultation with the older players and the leaders around the club.

“It’s not just about paying big bucks it’s about ensuring everyone is happy.”

Crawford is an ambassador for the Milk Loves You Back campaign launched by Lion Dairy and Drinks — a behavioural change initiative aiming to increase awareness of the eight key nutrients in milk. Nine out of 10 Aussies don’t consume enough milk, but Crawford is not one of those people.

The Brownlow Medal winner puts his success down to a professional approach. While teammates were chugging beers, he was ordering milk. Perhaps it’s what is missing from Hawthorn’s season.

“I have no doubt being a milk lover and having it as very much as part of my diet helped,” Crawford said. “There’s definitely a connection. I know its building strong bones and it’s going to allow me to do whatever I wanted to do.”

Shane Crawford is an ambassador for the Milk Loves You Back campaign.