Vendetta Sports Media is once again covering Australian Rules Football in 2022. Today we continue our AFL season preview series with a a look at the rebuilding Hawks of Hawthorn.
After a dynastic run from 2008 to 2015, the Hawks have endured a longer rebuild than they would perhaps have expected, missing the finals in four of the past five seasons. With a raft of youngsters emerging in the back half of 2021 it will be interesting to see the Hawks can return to their finals perch, or if the rebuild continues to move in smaller steps.
For all of our previous season 2022 AFL team previews, click here.
Season 2021
14th position: 7 wins, 2 draws, 13 losses, 85.2%.
A genuine season of two halves for the Hawks. After hanging on to record an uplifting one point win over arch rivals Essendon in round one, Hawthorn reverted to type, losing nine of their next 10 outings. With most of the footballing intelligentsia bevelling the Hawks would finish in the bottom two (for the record, this writer tabbed them for 15th) thanks to top talents like James Sicily and Jack Gunston suffering injures, Hawthorn were merely meeting expectations.
The Hawks hit their mid-season bye round languishing at 2-10. Whatever the team did over the mini break should be bottled, because they were a different side in the back half of the season. Mid-season acquisition Jai Newcombe gave Hawthorn a much needed bolt of energy, reinvigorating some of the veterans and making the youngsters stand a foot taller.
Hawthorn debuted a number of intriguing prospects in 2021. In addition to Newcombe, the Hawks saw Lachie Bramble, Tyler Brockman, Jacob Koschitzke, Emerson Jeka, Ned Reeves, Connor Downie and the delightfully monikered Denver Grainger-Barras all take their first steps onto the AFL stage.
The last six weeks of the season saw Hawthorn take down eventual Grand Finalist the Western Bulldogs, defeat Brisbane and Collingwood as well as scoring draws with Richmond and soon-to-be-Premiers Melbourne. That finish gives the Hawks and coach Sam Mitchell – entering his first full season at the helm after a somewhat shoddy appointment process – something to build upon.
Key ins: Max Lynch (Collingwood), Josh Ward, Sam Butler, Connor MacDonald, Jai Serong, Ned Long (all draft)
Key outs: Jonathan Ceglar (Geelong), Tim O’Brien (Western Bulldogs), Shaun Burgoyne (retired) James Cousins, Keegan Brooksby, Damon Greaves, Harry Pepper, Michael Hartley, Oliver Hanrahan (all released)
An already thin list was devastated by injuries early in 2021. The silver lining, of course, was the ability to blood a host of young talent. With those veterans back on the park and a reasonable amount of game time pumped into the youngsters, is it conceivable that the Hawks suddenly have a solid, if extremely green, amount of depth on the list?
The return of James Sicily to the backline can’t be overstated. Hawthorn’s best pack mark, intercept mark and spoiler amongst the defense, he was sorely missed in 2021. He’ll combine with the veteran Kyle Hartigan and the emerging Changkouth Jiang to give the Hawks a trio of capable tall options in defense. The defense is rounded out by Jack Scrimshaw – who is turning into a solid player – Blake Hardwick and the still somehow only 26 year old (it seems as though he’s been around for ever) rebounding defender Jarman Impey. At times the Hawks were overwhelmed in defense last season, partly due to a meek midfield. The reintroduction of Sicily puts his backline mates into more appropriate roles.
That midfield was top heavy in 2021. Tom Mitchell looked like his old self after his horrific leg break in 2019, accumulating over 34 possessions a game. Alongside him, the oft-injured Jaeger O’Meara played 18 games at 26.3 disposals. He and the exciting James Worpel continually gave wonderful service to the Hawks young forwards.
Outside of those three the Hawks midfield was painfully inexperienced. As is often the case with immature groups, when things were going well the young Hawks midfielders looked like future world beaters. When they were not getting the rub of the green, their lack of resilience exposed an undermanned defense. The return of Will Day will be a boon for the Hawks. Still only 20, Day has missed significant time with foot and ankle injuries. He has all the makings of a first class wingman.
Of all of the exciting young players to emerge from Glenferrie in 2021, it the forwards that are generating the most buzz. Koschitzke was a revelation, kicking 27 goals as a rookie in a struggling side. He teamed well with the 23 year old Mitchell Lewis (23 goals in 14 games). Those two also combined well with the sharp shooting veteran Luke Breust and the enigmatic Chad Wingard. Inserting Gunston back into that forward line is almost a Back To The Future moment for the Hawks.
Gunston made his name through the Hawks dominant years as the player defenses would forget about. In their efforts to nullify two all time greats in Jarryd Roughead and Buddy Franklin, as well as a resting ruckman, Gunston would slip through the cracks in the defense, popping up with four or five of the quietest but most timely goals in key matches.
The addition of Max Lynch gives Mitchell a pair of genuine rucking options. With one of Lynch or club captain Ben McEvoy resting forward alongside Lewis and Koschitzke, Hawthorn’s forward structure could look an awful lot like the one that Mitchell himself used to deliver to back in his playing days.
Prediction: 13th
As this writer has said on many occasions: progression isn’t linear. The Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Hawks 2021 season proves that.
The team will certainly be far better than their moribund first half of the campaign, though expecting them to match, let alone better their run home is perhaps a bridge too far at this point on the lists development.
The Hawks will reintegrate some outstanding players into their best 22, as well as continuing the improvement of their young core. They’ll be a better team, but they’ll still miss the finals.
