Probably the hardest job in footy is picking the best 10 Hawthorn players from the past decade. Well, I gave it a crack!
Hawthorn played in four grand finals from 2012-2015, winning three of them, and made finals in every year apart from 2017 and 2019.
The Hawks have had many ups over the past 10 years and these 10 men have stood out from the rest.
Lance Franklin
Franklin’s four years at Hawthorn before going to Sydney assured him a place in the top 10 players of the last decade.
In the four years of 2010-2013, Buddy kicked 275 goals in 80 games for the club. Imagine if he stayed at Hawthorn, you get the feeling he would have been in the top two, and most likely at one.
Franklin’s achievements at Hawthorn were something special as he along with Jarryd Roughead formed one of the greatest ever forward duos in the past 30 years.
He was apart of the 2013 flag, made the All-Australian team in 2010, 2011 and 2012 along with winning one of his four Coleman Medals in 2011. His freakish ability to kick goals from impossible areas on the footy field will be remembered for decades to come.
Two goals that come to mind both won him AFL ‘Goal of the Year’ in 2010 where he outran Cale Hooker along the MCG boundary and slotted it from an acute angle and in 2013 against Collingwood when he jumped over Ben Stratton and booted it from 70 metres.
His 13 goals against North Melbourne in 2013 were alright as well! Footy fans better embrace the last few years of Buddy we have left because we aren’t going to see anyone like him again.
Franklin was there from 2004, debut in 2005, your article is wrong.
He’s referring to the years he played in this decade.
Title of the article is Top 10 of players of last decade, not from when they started. Maybe read before commenting.