HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson remains resolute in his belief he has a list capable of winning a premiership in the near future despite the club posting its lowest first-half score in its history against Port Adelaide on Thursday night.
The Hawks were kept to 0.3 at half time and trailed by 59 points at the long break, but managed to win the second half and avoid humiliation.
The Hawthorn coach said his side failed to bring the energy required to compete with a ferocious Port early, but took solace from the fact it avoided a soul-destroying hiding.
"We couldn't have had a worse start really," Clarkson said.
"They won clearance, they won possession from congestion and when we did get it we gave it back to them. I think they took five marks off our boot in the first five minutes of the game…
"I was really pleased with the endeavour of our players. When you haven't kicked a goal at half time we could have easily turned our toes up... we hung in there and won the last half."
Five talking points: Port Adelaide v Hawthorn
Clarkson was reluctant to blame fatigue for the result but said back-to-back road trips off consecutive six-day breaks was tough.
"You don't usually get dealt that sort of blow in the course of a home and away fixture," Clarkson said.
"Every club puts in their request and I reckon there's not a club in the competition that would want two interstaters in a row. You've just got to deal with what you (get dealt).
"We weren't good enough tonight. It didn't have an enormous amount to do with the interstate travel. We just weren't good enough to have the energy to knock off Port Adelaide tonight."
WATCH: Alastair Clarkson's full post-match press conference
Clarkson's experienced players have been scrutinised for their form this season but he defended the effort of Josh Gibson, who was severely undersized against an in-form Charlie Dixon (four goals).
When questioned about the shape Hawthorn’s list was in, Clarkson likened the position of the club to where it was at the end of the 2008 premiership.
"We had a really, really young group in 2005 and after we won it in 2008 we had (Trent) Croad premature retirement, (Shane) Crawford retires, (Stuart) Dew retires, Mark Williams goes to Essendon.
"You almost recalibrate and bring in some younger players ... who help you with your next wave and you win premierships with that group and we're probably going to have to do exactly the same now.
"(Matt) Suckling goes through free agency, Brad Hill requests to go home through free agency, Sam (Mitchell) and (Jordan) Lewis get significant opportunities to go to other clubs. It's an opportunity for the next wave of players. What you are always trying to work out as a club is when your best opportunity is going to come to win silverware again."
Clarkson said the club got through the match without any major injury concerns. He said Grant Birchall (knee) was some chance to return against the Gold Coast on Saturday week but was likely to be rested until after Hawthorn's bye.
