HAWTHORN
2007 in brief
Played: 24
Won: 14
Lost: 10
Drew: 0
Finished: 6th
Played every game (24 games)
Brad Sewell
Brent Guerra
Luke Hodge
Jordan Lewis
Robert Campbell
Stephen Gilham
Grant Birchall
Simon Taylor
AFL debuts
Round 1, No. 32: Xavier Ellis (13)
Round 7, No. 37: Garry Moss (1)
Round 15, No. 31: Mitch Thorp (1)
Round 16, No. 28: Matt Little (1)
Round 17, No. 38: Travis Tuck (1)
Best and Fairest Award
1 Brad Sewell - 173
2 Campbell Brown - 172
3 Luke Hodge - 161
4 Jordan Lewis - 154
5 Sam Mitchell - 137
Leading goalkickers
Lance Franklin - 73
Jarryd Roughead - 40
Tim Boyle - 32
Ben Dixon - 24
Luke Hodge - 23
All-Australians
Campbell Brown (half-back flank)
Departures
Retired: Ben Dixon, Joel Smith, Richie Vandenberg, Danny Jacobs
Delisted: Matt Little, Josh Thurgood
2008 in brief
President: Jeff Kennett
Chief Executive: Ian Robson
Coach: Alastair Clarkson
Captains: Sam Mitchell
Coaching staff: Chris Fagan (head of coaching and development), Todd Viney, Damien Hardwick, Ross Smith, David Rath, Geoff Morris, Barry Mitchell (Box Hill Hawks), Danny Frawley (part-time), Alex Ishchenko (part-time).
Arrivals
Rookie elevation: Luke McEntree (North Adelaide, SANFL)
NAB AFL Draft: Cyril Rioli (12, St Mary’s, NT), Brendan Whitecross (29, Zillmere, Qld), Stuart Dew (45, Port Adelaide, AFL)
NAB AFL Rookie Draft: Alex Grima (Tasmania U18s), Hugh Sandilands (Oakleigh U18s), Cameron Stokes (Darwin), Tom Walsh (Port Adelaide, SANFL), Matt Suckling (Wagga Tigers, NSW).
The year ahead
All eyes will be on the fast-tracked and fast-improving Hawks in 2008. President Jeff Kennett says Hawthorn will win the flag this year, coach Alastair Clarkson is sticking to his hard-nosed processes and skipper Sam Mitchell is trying his best to keep the lid on bubbling expectations.
Whatever the results and outcomes – Hawks fans are in for an exciting journey over the next couple of years.
There are a couple of keys for the Hawks. Up forward, there’s the star quality of Buddy Franklin, Jarryd Roughead and Tim Boyle. Throw fast-leading full-forward Mark Williams and the super-boot of Stuart Dew into the “box”, and it makes for a goal-scoring cocktail of riches.
Hawthorn’s midfield is honest and reliable. Never write-off old-stager Shane Crawford and his influence at centre bounces and stoppages. Brad Sewell is one of the hardest workers in the game, Sam Mitchell relentless, Chance Bateman all class, Jordan Lewis offering quality support and Luke Hodge, well, he’s a match winner, no matter whether he’s playing the role of rebounding defender, play-making midfielder or dangerous goal kicker.
Defence could be a potential weak link, but Trent Croad and 2007 All-Australian Campbell Brown offer some class down back. The versatile Roughead might be thrown into defence as well if Williams can get over his knee troubles.
Premiership readiness
The clock is probably at 15 minutes to midnight. Very soon, the Hawks will be within striking distance at having a real crack at winning the premiership. If troubles strike Geelong and St Kilda, the Hawks loom as a real threat at the business end of the season.
Are they ready to win a flag in 2008? Perhaps not right now, but they may mature over the course of the season into a force to be reckoned with.
Predicted ladder finish
Sixth. The first month of football will be the truest test for the team with the quartet of Hodge, Lewis, Brown and Crawford all missing varying amounts of game time. If they can get through unscathed, it’s a great sign.
Betting:
$12
Who to watch:
Cyril Rioli. Blessed with an impeccable football pedigree, expect the Northern Territorian to be a lively showman in front of goal. A strong and agile crumbing forward - a rare fixture at Hawthorn in recent years - he has the full gambit of attacking and defensive qualities. If Rioli's s NAB Cup form is anything to go by, fans are in for an entertaining season.
From the club:
“We’ve still got a little bit of work to do in terms of the structure of our list, but we’ve worked really hard over the past three years to put in the types of players that we think can go on and deliver our club its tenth premiership.” – Alastair Clarkson.
The final word
The excitement surrounding the Hawks is now being met with expectation, with many pundits tipping them to take the next step and crack the top four after finishing sixth last year.
They’ll be looking for no less than a spot in the preliminary finals and there’s plenty to suggest they can go a little bit further if the cards fall their way.
