This week’s Message From The President was written on Sunday evening following Hawthorn's win over Melbourne at the MCG.

Well on completing this note to you all I know I will sleep well.

Having been at the match today against Melbourne, having I must admit feeling nervous before the game - not helped by the first half - I returned home having watched another extraordinary game by the boys.

Last week against Adelaide a wonderful first half, and then a fade out. Today a slow start and a desire to kick a record number of points, we returned after the half-time break, with a few Alastair Clarkson-engineered changes which produced an electric third quarter. And turned a real deficit on the scoreboard into a significant lead.

The fourth quarter was not as intense, but the team acquitted themselves well enough to deliver the Club its first four points of the season. 

So we are on our way, but there are 20 games to be played.

Game by game I hear ringing in my ears. Correct I know, but I thought as I drove home from the ground, what a team we might be if we could put last week’s first two quarters against Adelaide and our third quarter today against Melbourne into the one match. Then deliver the average of the first three quarters into the fourth quarter.

Now that would be a dynamic team.

And it is possible. This is early days into the season. Every game brings experience to those on the field, growing as a team.

Our mature recruits Shaun Burgoyne, Cameron Bruce and David Hale all contributed today, while some of our younger boys are coming into their own. Together with our leaders, this is an exciting prospect for the weeks ahead.

Next week we face Richmond, who have performed well in their first two games and will be keen to once again demonstrate they are rebuilding at a pace.

Can I therefore again call on all members to turn out in force next Saturday at the MCG.

What was obvious today was the brown and gold on display around the ground. Not to mention your voices lifting our players to their first win of the season. I cannot tell you how important your attendance is to the players.

They exist to play for us, the members; they do better when we turn out to support them.

Let’s make sure next week we are more obvious around the ground than our opponents.

Go Hawks!

Jeff Kennett
President

PS: Many of you today mentioned my appearance on the Footy Show next Thursday night. Can I just explain the circumstances; I have been regularly asked to appear on the show but have refused. I do not think it necessary for a President to be part of that model of entertainment.

However my friend Sam Newman has also been asking me to appear, and I gave him my word three years ago that before my term as President ends I shall make that one appearance.

So I am honouring a commitment given to a friend. And better I do it early in the year than at the business end of the season.