For all the ‘never write off Hawthorn’ and ‘Clarkson is a miracle worker’ headlines posted through last pre-season, no one really expected the Hawks to figure prominently in 2018, yet come September there they were, and top-four no less!
However, even a double chance wasn’t enough to mask the differences between this brown and gold outfit and the ones that dominated the competition over recent years.
Tom Mitchell was his usual prolific self and Jaeger O’Meara started to find his feet, but the engine room isn’t the same as it once was. Whether it can get back to its best with the addition of a hobbled Tom Scully and a flashy Chad Wingard remains to be seen, but there’s definitely some talent around the ball.
Clarkson would have loved to add Tom Lynch to his list of ‘ins’, as the key forward post is Hawthorn’s biggest concern, but it wasn’t to be and Jarryd Roughead will once again lead an attack that lost a crucial piece of the puzzle when Cyril Rioli retired.
Hawthorn's pre-season was thrown into chaos when Tom Mitchell was rushed to hospital with a suspected broken leg. It is not yet known how long he is projected to be out of action for.
List changes
In
Jack Scrimshaw (Gold Coast), Tom Scully (GWS Giants), Chad Wingard (Port Adelaide), Jacob Koschitzke (Murray Bushrangers), Mathew Walker (GWS Academy)
Rookies
Damon Greaves (East Perth), Will Golds (Oakleigh Chargers), Tim Mohr (GWS Giants), Will Langford (Hawthorn)
Out
Ryan Burton, Taylor Duryea, Kurt Heatherley, Kieran Lovell, Jonathan O'Rourke, Brendan Whitecross, Dallas Willsmore, Cyril Rioli, Ty Vickery
Best Brownlow chances
Tom Mitchell $7, Jaeger O’Meara $51, Chad Wingard $101
The reigning Brownlow medallist is always going to be high in the betting and Tom Mitchell was the early favourite for 2019. However, Mitchell suffered a suspected broken leg in early January which could have a massive impact on his 2019.
Before getting 13 votes in 2018, Jaeger O’Meara’s best return was four, so he doesn’t seem a likely winner but things are heading in the right direction, whereas Chad Wingard who has never polled better than eight votes in a season so he is unlikely to trouble the scorers.
Interestingly though, the Hawks’ three best chances were all playing somewhere else just three years ago, which suggests the club is either trading really well or developing talent really badly.
Players to watch
Tom Scully, Jack Scrimshaw
Trading for Tom Scully was a calculated risk that seems impossible to lose considering the Hawks handed over a future fourth-round pick for the 2009 number one selection, but there’s also a sizable chunk of salary cap going to someone who may not play again. Scully will be given as much time as it takes to get over his ankle injury and, while 2019 may be spent mostly in rehab, he’s only 27 years old and has plenty of time to repay Hawthorn’s faith.
Jack Scrimshaw is another in the low-risk, high-return basket. 2016’s overall seventh selection hasn’t adapted to playing at the highest level, but a return to his hometown and with a kick-up-the-bum from a discounted trade, he may click into gear and become a valuable key defender for the Hawks in the future. But then again, he may not.
A last chance to watch?
Jarryd Roughead, Shaun Burgoyne
Each year the Hawks seem to lose another great or two from their recent golden era and 2019 could be the end for a few more, not least among them being Jarryd Roughead and Shaun Burgoyne.
Roughead’s effectiveness has been wilting and his returns diminishing since peaking in the three-peat premiership years, and 2018’s 1.5 goals-a-game average was big guy’s equal-lowest since 2006. The truth is that if Alastair Clarkson had another capable key forward at his disposal, ‘Roughy’s days may already be done.
Meanwhile, Burgoyne keeps going from strength to strength and enters his 18th season ready to make an impact yet again. However, at 36 the end can’t be far away, and while ‘Silk’ looks like he could keep cruising around the MCG for a few years yet, if the Hawks slip backwards and into ‘rebuild mode’ Burgoyne will be moved aside.
Pure Silk 🔥#AFLSaintsHawks pic.twitter.com/pWieHug5yW
— AFL (@AFL) August 18, 2018
Hawthorn Hawks’ 2019 list
| Number | Name | Games | Date of birth | Height, weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Birchall, Grant | 245 | 28 Jan 1988 | 193cm 89kg | Defender |
| 30 | Brand, Kaiden | 38 | 8 Apr 1994 | 198cm 96kg | Defender |
| 22 | Breust, Luke | 185 | 11 Nov 1990 | 184cm 84kg | Forward |
| 9 | Burgoyne, Shaun | 358 | 21 Oct 1982 | 186cm 89kg | Midfield |
| 18 | Ceglar, Jonathon | 61 | 14 Feb 1991 | 204cm 102kg | Ruck |
| 46 | Cousins, James (R) | 7 | 19 Mar 1998 | 185cm 80kg | Midfield |
| 12 | Frawley, James | 207 | 20 Sep 1988 | 193cm 94kg | Defender |
| 44 | Glass, Conor (R) | 10 | 28 Sep 1997 | 189cm 84kg | Defender |
| Golds, Will (R) | 0 | 183cm 72kg | Midfield | ||
| Greaves, Damon (R) | 0 | 186cm 75kg | Defender | ||
| 19 | Gunston, Jack | 172 | 16 Oct 1991 | 193cm 87kg | Forward |
| 41 | Hanrahan, Oliver (R) | 0 | 27 Aug 1998 | 181cm 70kg | Forward |
| 15 | Hardwick, Blake | 44 | 5 Feb 1997 | 181cm 78kg | Defender |
| 31 | Henderson, Ricky | 130 | 11 Sep 1988 | 188cm 91kg | Midfield |
| 17 | Howe, Daniel | 50 | 4 Dec 1995 | 191cm 85kg | Midfield |
| 4 | Impey, Jarman | 99 | 9 Jul 1995 | 178cm 82kg | Forward |
| 43 | Jiath, Changkuoth (R) | 0 | 13 Jun 1999 | 185cm 74kg | Forward |
| 40 | Jones, Harrison (R) | 0 | 15 Mar 1999 | 183cm 79kg | Midfield |
| Koschitzke, Jacob | 0 | 196cm 93kg | Defender | ||
| 29 | Langford, William (R) | 72 | 3 Jul 1992 | 187cm 83kg | Midfield |
| 39 | Lewis, Mitchell | 2 | 14 Oct 1998 | 198cm 92kg | Forward |
| 7 | McEvoy, Ben | 187 | 11 Jul 1989 | 200cm 102kg | Ruck |
| 42 | Miles, Teia | 12 | 2 Nov 1996 | 180cm 70kg | Forward |
| 41 | Minchington, Darren | 28 | 9 Dec 1993 | 179cm 81kg | Forward |
| 32 | Mirra, David (R) | 7 | 20 Mar 1991 | 186cm 90kg | Defender |
| 3 | Mitchell, Tom | 111 | 31 May 1993 | 182cm 84kg | Midfield |
| Mohr, Timothy (R) | 48 | 19 Oct 1988 | 196cm 103kg | Defender | |
| 36 | Moore, Dylan | 0 | 4 Aug 1999 | 176cm 66kg | Midfield |
| 35 | Morrison, Harry | 22 | 12 Nov 1998 | 180cm 73kg | Defender |
| 45 | Nash, Conor (R) | 5 | 28 Jul 1998 | 197cm 92kg | Defender |
| 23 | O'Brien, Tim | 46 | 28 Mar 1994 | 193cm 87kg | Forward |
| 10 | O'Meara, Jaeger | 71 | 23 Feb 1994 | 183cm 84kg | Midfield |
| 27 | Pittonet, Marc | 5 | 3 Jun 1996 | 202cm 105kg | Ruck |
| 28 | Puopolo, Paul | 168 | 2 Dec 1987 | 173cm 78kg | Forward |
| 37 | Ross, Jackson | 0 | 22 Jun 1999 | 193cm 74kg | Forward |
| 2 | Roughead, Jarryd | 275 | 23 Jan 1987 | 193cm 98kg | Forward |
| 25 | Schoenmakers, Ryan | 121 | 8 Nov 1990 | 195cm 93kg | Forward |
| Scrimshaw, Jack | 4 | 4 Sep 1998 | 193cm 84kg | Defender | |
| Scully, Tom | 152 | 15 May 1991 | 181cm 79kg | Midfield | |
| 26 | Shiels, Liam | 186 | 29 Apr 1991 | 183cm 84kg | Midfield |
| 6 | Sicily, James | 60 | 6 Jan 1995 | 186cm 83kg | Defender |
| 16 | Smith, Isaac | 181 | 30 Dec 1988 | 188cm 83kg | Midfield |
| 24 | Stratton, Benjamin | 169 | 1 Mar 1989 | 189cm 88kg | Defender |
| Walker, Mathew | 0 | 188cm 84kg | Midfield | ||
| Wingard, Chad | 147 | 29 Jul 1993 | 183cm 82kg | Forward | |
| 38 | Worpel, James | 11 | 24 Jan 1999 | 185cm 86kg | Midfield |
An incredible and humbling experience for our young players. Kokoda complete. 💛💪 #Always pic.twitter.com/9MawWsXZMm
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) November 27, 2018
Hawthorn Hawks’ 2019 Fixture
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saturday 23 Mar 4:05pm | Adelaide | Adelaide Oval |
| 2 | Sunday 31 Mar 3:20pm | Western Bulldogs | MCG |
| 3 | Sunday 7 Apr 3:20pm | North Melbourne | MCG |
| 4 | Sunday 14 Apr 3:20pm | St Kilda | Marvel Stadium |
| 5 | Monday 22 Apr 3:20pm | Geelong | MCG |
| 6 | Sunday 28 Apr 3:20pm | Carlton | UTAS Stadium |
| 7 | Saturday 4 May 1:45pm | Melbourne | MCG |
| 8 | Sunday 12 May 3:20pm | GWS Giants | MCG |
| 9 | Sunday 19 May 3:20pm | Richmond | MCG |
| 10 | Saturday 25 May 1:45pm | Port Adelaide | UTAS Stadium |
| 11 | Saturday 1 Jun 7:25pm | Brisbane | Gabbe |
| 12 | BYE | ||
| 13 | Friday 14 Jun 7:50pm | Essendon | Marvel Stadium |
| 14 | Friday 21 Jun 7:50pm | Sydney | SCG |
| 15 | Saturday 29 Jun 1:45pm | West Coast | MCG |
| 16 | Friday 5 Jul 7:50pm | Collingwood | MCG |
| 17 | Saturday 13 Jul 2:10pm | Fremantle | UTAS Stadium |
| 18 | Sunday 21 Jul 1:10pm | Geelong | MCG |
| 19 | Saturday 27 Jul 1:45pm | Brisbane | UTAS Stadium |
| 20 | Friday 2 Aug 7:50pm | North Melbourne | Marvel Stadium |
| 21 | Friday 9 Aug 7:50pm | GWS Giants | Canberra Oval |
| 22 | Sunday 18 Aug 4:40pm | Gold Coast | Marvel Stadium |
| 23 | TBC | West Coast | Optus Stadium |
Games played on
Friday: 5
Saturday: 7
Sunday: 8
Monday: 1
Teams played twice
West Coast, Geelong, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Brisbane
2019 Preview and premiership odds
Despite their quick exit from finals, Hawthorn are still in a strong position to challenge for a premiership according to the bookies who have them sitting equal-fifth favourite on $12.00.
A lot will come down to what they can get out of their old campaigners rather than the new recruits, although Wingard will add an x-factor to the midfield and Scully could conceivably be a bonus if he can get on the ground for the business end of the season.
A lot will rest on Roughead’s shoulders, with the veteran presenting as the Hawks’ sole key forward target. If, one way or another, he can get the ball into the hands of Jack Gunston and Luke Breust then goals will come, but if ‘Roughy’ slows down further then Clarkson may be better served taking a different option.
While Hawthorn has again been creative in its recruiting it’s hard to see them being a better side than the one that fell short in 2018, and in reality they were a lot further from the mark than their top-six finish suggested.