2005 record and ladder position: 5 wins, 17 losses - 14th
What went right: The Hawks were too one-dimensional when going forward in 2005 and a stated aim this year was to discover other avenues to goal, other than just Mark Williams. This was achieved, with Ben Dixon booting 39 goals and Lance Franklin 31 majors from just 14 matches. Jarryd Roughead spent much of the year in the backline, but moved forward with promise late in the year. Yet Williams still booted 60 goals for the year - an outstanding achievement from a small forward - which included two bags of eight. Coach Alastair Clarkson would be delighted with the form of his forwards.
Hawthorn tinkered with its game-plan for much of the year. The Hawks won four of their first five games, but with a game-plan that featured lots of numbers behind the ball. A few mid-year thrashings convinced the coaching staff to change things and instead more pace and run was injected. Not only did the Hawks finish the year with four straight wins, but they featured an impressive and entertaining attacking style that supporters would like to see repeated from round one, 2007.
What went wrong: For 13 matches (rounds six to 18) Hawthorn achieved just one win - a 41-point win over Richmond in round 12 - which was a far cry from its fine start and finish to the 2006 season. The Hawks had an average losing margin of 45.25 points during those 13 matches, with several drubbings coming along the way. This drop in form resulted in Hawthorn falling from fourth on the ladder after round four to 14th in round 14. It remained in that position until the last two rounds when it bounced back with some impressive late season form.
Although not decimated by injury to the extent of some other clubs, Hawthorn did have its own injury problems during 2006. The Hawks could not afford to be without key players during the year, particularly in their rebuilding phase. Shane Crawford missed seven matches for the season, Trent Croad (four), Peter Everitt (eight), Danny Jacobs (13), Richie Vandenberg (six), Brent Guerra (six), Michael Osborne (18), Tim Clarke (four), Tom Murphy (six), while Lance Franklin's start to the season was hindered by injury and form.
Most improved players: Robert Campbell played just one match in 2005 - the opening round of the season - yet missed the rest of the year with a knee injury. But in 2006, Campbell bounced back to play every match, while he started the season as the club's first ruckman, due to the limited pre-season suffered by Peter Everitt. Campbell also spent time in key defensive posts as the season progressed and displayed some encouraging signs. The 24-year-old should continue to blossom over the next few seasons, given that he has rebounded strongly from his knee injury. He now has 54 matches under his belt. Mention must also be made to Rick Ladson, who played all 22 matches for the season, after four injury-riddled seasons. Like Campbell, Ladson cracked the half-century - he has now played 52 matches - and should only continue to forge on from this point. Brad Sewell is also an underrated, yet integral part of the Hawthorn team. Either in defensive jobs or run-with assignments in the midfield, Sewell continues to improve and impress.
Most disappointing players: Ruckman Peter Everitt is one of the finest ruckman of his era - and should continue to be in 2007 barring any mishap - but it won't be at the Hawks. Everitt parted ways with the club just two days after Hawthorn's season concluded, after both parties were unable to see eye-to-eye on a new deal. His future has been strongly linked with Sydney. It was a disappointing end to a four-season union with the Hawks, as 'Spida' won the club's best-and-fairest award in 2004, finished second in 2005 and was also All-Australian last year. But a interrupted pre-season entering 2006 and just 14 matches for the year - his second half of the season was ruined by an ankle injury - was not the note that all concerned with the brown and gold was hoping for when Everitt joined the club, after 180 matches with St Kilda from 1992-02. Also, midfielder Nick Ries could only add nine matches to his 81-game career - his sixth listed season at the club - as others were clearly favoured ahead of him. He was an emergency on nine occasions. Forward/midfielder Harry Miller was only able to add four matches, after playing 14 matches in his debut season in 2005. And despite regularly being named among Box Hill's best, Matt Ball, did not crack anymore than three matches in 2006.
Rising Star: Hawthorn had two NAB AFL Rising Star nominations in 2006. Emerging wingman Clinton Young received a gong in round 12, yet it was the nomination in round 14 that the Hawks are really licks their lips about - Grant Birchall. The Taswegian made his AFL debut in the opening round of the season and by the conclusion of Hawthorn's year, Birchall had 16 matches under his belt. Yet it was his last four matches that made the football community take note. He notched up 110 disposals in his final four rounds, which included a stunning 36-disposal performance against Geelong in Hawthorn's last home-and-away match of the year. He can play in a number of positions and standing at 192cm, his versatility is an enormous asset to the club. Birchall is one of the most promising youngsters in the game.
Best win: Hawthorn's round three win over Geelong at Skilled Stadium was one of the initial upsets of the season. The Cats had not dropped a match at that point of the year, after winning the pre-season competition and smashing the Brisbane Lions and the Kangaroos in the opening two rounds of 2006. Yet the Hawks produced a stunning performance against the Cats - winning by 52 points - which was also the start of Geelong's slide in 2006. Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Brent Guerra shone for the Hawks, while Campbell Brown and Mark Williams booted three goals each. Interestingly, Hawthorn's greatest winning margin of the season was against Geelong in the final round of the home-and-away season, when it thrashed the Cats again by 61 points at Telstra Dome.
Worst defeat: Hawthorn suffered several thrashings throughout 2006. Statistically, its worst loss was against Port Adelaide in round 11, when the Power won by 96 points. But the one loss that really hurt the Hawks was against St Kilda in round 13. Hawthorn went down by 70 points to the Saints, yet they had come off a 41-point win against Richmond at Aurora Stadium. Hawk fans went into the match expecting a much more competitive showing, yet the match failed to live up to expectation.
Shopping list: The Hawks could make up to 10 list changes, with several fringe players contracted before the Alastair Clarkson-era likely to be under the pump. Hawthorn will continue to inject exciting young talent into the club - as it has done in its past two seasons - and this trend will again be a priority in October/November. The Hawks are sure to be heavily involved in the trade period, particularly with the talents of list manager Chris Pelchen at the club, who was instrumental in the club gaining five selections in the top 22 of last year's draft, after some shrewd trading. Pelchen will again be one of the leading trade strategists in October. But with the likes of John Barker retiring and Peter Everitt moving on, the Hawks could opt for a mature age player in the exchange period. A mature ruckman from another club could come into consideration, with 'Spida' moving on. It's a cliché around draft time, but Hawthorn may well opt for the 'best available player' come November, as the past two years has addressed a number of key areas and it will only look to build on that.
What the coach says: "We'll go through a pretty extensive review, but you guys (the media) will do that better than me probably - we won a few early, disappointing in the middle and won a few late - it's pretty basic really," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said after round 22.
"No we didn't (set a number of wins for 2006) and I'm not sure that we'll have it next year either, because that then ties you in … and 'Bomber' (Geelong coach Mark Thompson) probably in the same situation that 'Schwabby' (former Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab) was in three or four years ago," Clarkson said.
"You build expectation by stating that you're going to win premierships and finals and it's just too much in its infancy, our whole growth as a footy club and back to being a competitor at finals level again, to put a tally of wins on it.
"But we did want to make sure that the worm was curved in the right way in terms of progression and that didn't necessarily always mean win/loss - it could mean getting more game-time into our young players."
What we say: Hawthorn's list will again make another significant transformation over the summer and in the long run - and all things being equal - the club will give itself the best opportunity of achieving ultimate success down the track. But first the club must remain patient. Stability is the key. The fact is these players drafted over the past two seasons are still only going to be 20 years old or younger and patience is a must. Although there is a chance that Hawthorn could push for a top eight berth next year, it's unlikely that that Hawks will be a genuine contender for at least the next three to five years. In today's football environment, that's light years away. The Hawthorn board and key executives must remain united and not be swayed into 'band-aid' pressures. If the club is serious about becoming a force again, it must give coach Alastair Clarkson and his charges the best possible chance of achieving success. That means backing him all the way. There are still going to be tough times for the brown and gold, but progress has been made in 2006 and the signs are there that improvement will again continue in 2007. The plan is in place - now see it through.
