HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has backed his team to stop playing "rubbish" football, but admits he doesn't know when the change will come after its horror start to 2017.
Clarkson was at a loss to explain his team's dreadful skill level in its 86-point loss to Geelong in the annual Easter Monday clash at the MCG, which included conceding 11 goals in the final term.
It followed an 86-point drubbing at the hands of Gold Coast last week, which has left the Hawks winless and on the bottom of the ladder. Extra scrutiny has been placed on the club after its surprising trade period last year, in which it moved on club champions Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis to rivals.
The four-time premiership coach said the heavy defeat at the hands of the Cats would "probably" make him need to reassess his side's standing, but that he remains optimistic the Hawks can turn the "significant down" around.
"I don't know whether it's going to come next week, or (in) three weeks. I'm hoping like hell it's not a whole season of this sort of rubbish we're playing at the minute, but what we do know is that it's going to be hard to keep us down for a long, long period of time," he said.
Despite the Hawks' bleak on-field situation, Clarkson declared he still had faith in his players, and urged supporters to follow his lead.
"If me or we as a club are guilty of having confidence in our group then that's a good guilt that I sit with, because it is the only way forward for us: to look at our group and understand they have significant capabilities and we'll find a way..." Clarkson said.
"This is the most significant down we've had for a long time as a footy club. Whether it's our supporters, our members, coaches, admin people, players – we've all got to band together and fight our way through what's a pretty tough time for our club."
WATCH: Alastair Clarkson's full post-match press conference
The club's winless beginning to the 2017 campaign, which comes on the back of their straight sets exit in last year's finals series, leaves them suffering their worst start to a season since 1998 – well before Clarkson took over in 2005.
He said one of his biggest tasks was bringing back the self-belief to his players.
"When I entered the footy club at the end of 2004 that was a significant challenge. We were second-last on the ladder and had a long, long way to go," Clarkson said.
"With this current group of players I see a group that's devoid of confidence. That's a responsibility that sits heavily with me as a coach.
"Why is it? I need to look at myself in terms of what we're doing, and also the players need to work out a way to move our way forward."
Hawthorn has been renowned for its sharp ball use during its era of dominance, but again was let down by sloppy kicking and simple mistakes against the Cats, who eventually made their rivals pay after a sloppy start themselves.
Clarkson pointed to the Hawthorn line-up, featuring seven All Australians on Monday, as being uncharacteristically poor with the ball so far this season.
"Our skill level is just nowhere near the level [required]. Some of our players, you'd think they were different players, and that can come and go with footy," he said.
"We know these guys have got the quality and have been able to produce good football, but right at the present time the cohesion amongst our group is nowhere near as strong as it should be.
"Some of that is basic skill execution, some of it is to do with the coaching, and some is to do with the playing. We share the responsibility and we try to dig ourselves out of this hole we're in."
The Hawks face West Coast next Sunday at the MCG, with the club hopeful Jaeger O'Meara will return from his knee injury. Ty Vickery, who was a late out against the Cats with back tightness, may also be available for selection.
