They dominated the competition for three straight years and overcame a dismal start to 2017 to narrowly miss out on finals football but SEN Afternoons host Andy Maher believes the Hawks are a big chance to take out the 2018 premiership.
โThey can easily make the eight, so much so that I wouldnโt be overly surprised if Hawthorn won the flag this year,โ Maher said.
Despite a mini roster overhaul over the last 24 months, the Hawks remain one of the most potent sides in the competition, and Maher believes should their stars stay fit, there's no reason why they can't claim their fourth flag in six seasons.
โWhat if they have a good run with injury? What if their forward line collectively has an outstanding year? What if Jarryd Roughead, Cyril Rioli, Jack Gunston, Luke Breust and Paul Puopolo, they all play most of the season?
โBen McEvoy, who was in the All-Australian 40 last year, what if he has another year like last year and Jaeger OโMeara gets to where we think OโMeara can be?
โThen they get solid seasons again from their starting midfielders Tom Mitchell, Isaac Smith, Liam Shiels, Ryan Burton and Daniel Howe, who I reckon they are keen to throw into the middle. They have Jarman Impey who did some stoppage clearance work for them the other night and signs are really positive.
โJames Frawley has to be back to close to All-Australian formโฆ back to where he was two to four years ago. What if James Sicily continues to develop as a defender and Grant Birchall and Ben Stratton get back to somewhere near their best?
โShaun Burgoyne is the best 35-year-old bloke in the competition. They can use him wherever they want.
โIf all of that falls in to place, how far can they go?โ
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson added he was new recruit Jarman Impey to assert himself in 2018, saying he sat behind Port Adelaide's superstars throughout his time at the Power.
โHeโs probably been a guy that quite naturally has probably sat behind Robbie Gray and Travis Boak and Chad Wingard, those sorts of guys," Clarkson told SEN Mornings with Kane Cornes.
โWhat weโre asking him to do is push himself forward and donโt succumb to the pressures of seniority. Donโt say โIโm not going to go in to a centre square because it should be Tom Mitchell or Cyril Rioli in there.
โWe recognise heโs got some significant strength around his speed and raw power and we want to see that in the forward line, midfield and when we need it, in the back end. Heโs played all those positions but because he has bowed to seniority too much, thatโs why he has been held back as a B or C-grade player.
โIf he gets that exposure, confidence in himself, belief and impact in the manner weโd like, then he can become an A-grade player for us.โ
