Dear members and supporters,
Well the funny season, the pre-season cup is over. And now we await the commencement of the real competition.
The Football Department is in good shape with many of our players being tried during the funny season, and emerging from that, experience without injury.
In short - our pre-season has probably left us in better shape than at any time since the end of 2008.
Of course we now have to win games in the main competition to prove our worth.
Many of our newer players performed with great promise, and some of these players will apply real selection pressure on some of our more experienced players. That is a pretty good position to be in as it forces our older players to lift their performance to gain selection.
Importantly it gives our Coach as deep a playing list to select from for the start of the season.
Not only have our new players to the Club settled in well, but our two new assistant coaches have settled in well to Alastair Clarkson’s coaching group.
So in short, we are ready. Our first game on Saturday 26 March against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium will be a good test. I know those of you who can’t make the trip will be watching on television, but I encourage as many of you as possible to make the trip across the border to support our team.
As most of you know, when the time came for the Club to make its final rookie player selection for the season, from three possibilities Paul Johnson has been selected to give the team some extra height. We congratulate Paul and wish him a wonderful season.
Sadly that has meant Travis Tuck and Nathan Ahmat-Watkins have missed selection. That is tough for both guys and we thank them for their effort, and wish them well with their future endeavours.
Travis has had his challenges as we all know, but he leaves the Club in a substantially better place than he was only 6 months ago. He will decide on his future, but I hope he completes his apprenticeship and looks back on his time at Hawthorn with affection.
In particular, I thank our Football Manager Mark Evans, Coach Alastair Clarkson and Player Welfare and Development Manager Jason Burt for the considerable time they have spent with Travis in recent months, and I know the time they will spend in assisting Travis in his transition from Hawthorn.
I say again - the AFL’s Drugs Policy is wrong, terribly wrong that a Club is not informed of a player's transgression until the player’s third strike, when the player is publicly shamed and suspended.
What has impressed me since Travis’s situation becoming public was the way in which the entire Club, coaches, players and administrators rallied around Travis to help his recovery. Travis has been the beneficiary of great support, although such support would have been better if it was extended to him after the second strike.
Membership is continuing to build, and if you have not renewed please do so as soon as possible. We are in for an exciting year, not only throughout the competition, but competing in the 50th year since our first Premiership in 1961.
Do we dare to th…? No, let’s play each game week by week.
Be assured there will be many celebrations of our first premiership, and as a Hawthorn member you will get the opportunity to re-live that moment, meet many of that team, and share the stories that grow on each retelling.
So please call the membership department on 1300 042 957 or join online at membership.hawthornfc.com.au to get involved.
For those of you who can’t make it to Adelaide for our opening match, please join us for Round 2 against Melbourne on Sunday 3 April. I want to see the stands filled with the mighty brown and gold, and for the players to be lifted by your vocal support.
Football is back; and thank goodness for that.
Go Hawks!
Jeff Kennett
President
