It wasn't a great year for the Hawks. They looked incapable of moving the football at times and seemed lost at sea at different points. Hawthorn didn't have a clear way of winning games and a loss to Adelaide was the lowlight of a poor season.
It was the sign that a rebuild was on its way and there is simply no avoiding it this time around.
Ins: Kyle Hartigan (Adelaide), Tom Phillips (Collingwood), Denver Grainger-Barras (Draft), Seamus Mitchell (Draft), Tyler Brockman (Draft), Jack Saunders (Pre-season draft).
Outs: Ben Stratton (Retired), Paul Puopolo (Retired), Conor Glass (Retired), Ricky Henderson (Retired), Darren Minchington (Delisted), Jackson Ross (Delisted), Will Golds (Delisted), James Frawley (St Kilda), Isaac Smith (Geelong), Tom Scully (Retired)
Off-season Grade: C+
Hard to analyse it any differently really, they lost some experience which was fine and they drafted well. They did however miss an opportunity to strengthen their draft hand for either 2020 or 2021 by not trading away more experienced players with some currency.
The likes of Jack Gunston and Luke Breust were wanted by other clubs but the Hawks stuck fat and didn't cash-in. Hard to see both players with similar currency next trade period, looks like an opportunity missed.
Tom Phillips' inclusion is a strong addition for the Hawks, who got the speedster on the cheap and firms to be a viable suitor to Isaac Smith and Tom Scully.
The Hawks' season will be defined either side of their bye. They meet the Suns the week before the break and then return with a clash against the Swans at the SCG.
They then go up against arch-rivals Essendon in Round 14, with all three of these games crucial as they come against sides likely to be around the same part of the ladder and battling for much-needed wins. Just where they'll finish will be defined by how they go against teams around them.
B: Sam Frost, Kyle Hartigan, Blake Hardwick
HB: Jack Scrimshaw, Ben McEvoy, Jarman Impey
C: Tom Phillips, Tom Mitchell, Jack Saunders
HF: Chad Wingard, Jack Gunston, Shaun Burgoyne
F: Tyler Brockman, Mitch Lewis, Luke Breust
FOLL: Jon Ceglar, James Worpel, Jaeger O’Meara
I/C: Liam Shiels, Will Day, Denver Grainger-Barras, James Cousins
The Hawks best 22 is it a bit of here-and-there without being one or the other, there's some kids but there is also a lot of age and experience - some of which was recruited at the end of 2020, meaning their list is yet to fully commit to a rebuild.
New recruits Phillips and Kyle Hartigan will slot straight into the side. Draftee Denver Grainger-Barras simply must slot in if he's fit as the Hawks need to start injecting youth and showing they are ready to commit to developing young players.
The Hawks have a good ball-winning midfield group, led by Tom Mitchell who is as good as anyone at collecting the ball. Jaeger O'Meara is a star of the game and is a genuine match-winner, while James Worpel adds plenty of grunt throughout the engine room.
Their weakness is up forward. The future of spearhead Jon Patton remains a mystery as he looks doubtful to return to the AFL stage ever again. Mitch Lewis is yet to take the strides needed for Alastair Clarkson to be able to trust him to lead the forward line. Luke Breust is their most genuine goal-scorer but you can't rely on small forwards to carry the load. Gunston will miss the start of the season, hopefully meaning someone steps up in his absence.
16th
It's going to be a grim year for the Hawks. They are rebuilding but you get the feeling they haven't yet committed to it. Which usually means more pain is on the way before the light is seen.
They don't have an obvious way to win games and they seem to have holes across the board. Clarko will keep them off the bottom of the ladder with some of his usual magic but it won't be enough to see Hawthorn anywhere near the top-eight.