Hawthorn's domination shows up the other clubs Jake Niall
The Age
October 7, 2015 West Coast wasn't the only team that cannot have been happy with what happened on grand final weekend. Team AFL, too, can't have been jumping, as if in a Toyota commercial, over what transpired.
Hawthorn killed the suspense early in the grand final for the second season on end and, in a related development, the AFL was beaten in the television ratings by the NRL thriller between two Queensland clubs.
The Hawks know that the AFL Commission is less than delighted to see them winning a third flag, since the outcome runs contrary to the league's equalisation objectives. It is worth noting that since 2001, three clubs have won three premierships, albeit one of those clubs, the Brisbane Lions, have had sand kicked in their face in the past decade.
There is much discussion about "the problem" of Hawthorn's hegemony, which bothers football people more than Geelong's Ling dynasty. Among clubs, one popular theory for the lengthy reigns of the Cats and Hawks is that the expansion of the competition diluted the talent pool and made it harder for rivals to make up ground.
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Free agency is viewed as another bulwark against football socialism. On the day when Brian Lake and David Hale retired as triple premiership players, it's worth remembering that that pair, while not free-agent signings, were symptoms of a new culture in which players seek success; ex-Bulldog Lake finished his career – and re-defined his legacy – by his performances in winning grand final teams.
But if free agency and expansion have assisted the Hawks, those mechanisms were available to most clubs. While the AFL Commission can't be a happy team about Hawthorn's winning ways, the reality is that the problem lies with their rivals, who simply haven't kept up.
The extent of the Hawthorn dynasty is an indictment of sorts on most of the clubs. Geelong is exempted, because the Cats have merely declined in accord with the competition's rules and the life cycle of a champion team.
Hawthorn's success has involved some measure of luck – three of their past four preliminary finals were decided by under a kick – but the prolonging of their success is largely self-made. That the Hawks can maintain their standing for so long – in defiance of the draft and salary-cap system – is because they have been superior on multiple fronts.
Hawthorn is the clear market leader in coaching – the extent of that edge evident in the unexpected rises in West Coast and the Bulldogs under ex-Hawk assistants Adam Simpson and Luke Beveridge.
The Hawks were without peer in adding mature players to address needs, in fashioning new game plans, in their teaching methods for players, in conditioning – particularly with older players. The incredible output of Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgoyne, Josh Gibson, Lake and Hale easily surpassed what any other club has managed from veterans. In 2008, they were one of the youngest premiers; this year, they were the oldest on record.
Mitchell and Hodge play like million-dollar men, but have accepted significantly less than their market worth. The same applies to Cyril Rioli, Jordan Lewis, Grant Birchall, Jarryd Roughead and several others. As some player managers noted, this sacrifice hasn't necessarily happened elsewhere.
Even Sydney, which has a fine team culture, has paid excessive money to a small number of players, headed by Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett. Buddy's exit, clearly, has helped the Hawks in their retention and recruiting.
A bursting salary cap also conspired against Collingwood, which was one of the youngest premiers in 2010, runners-up the next year and has since embarked on a rebuild that is as much cultural as a re-stocking of cattle. Collingwood's top players have not accepted "unders" in the manner of Mitchell, Hodge et al and it is not surprising that they weren't in the market for A graders from 2011-14.
Essendon has squandered a potential contention period for reasons that need no elaboration, Carlton has been dismal in list management. Fremantle has lacked depth of talent and can't score enough to best the Hawks. The Tigers are simply coming off a low base and had little margin for error. North, a steady team, have struggled to draft or trade in game breakers. Adelaide has lost too much elite talent.
The Hawthorn empire has a shelf life, and everyone – besides their own – will hope the expiration date is imminent. But that one club has been so comprehensively superior is as much due to what other clubs haven't managed, as the winner's work.
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