One down, 22 to go.
The first eight games of the 2021 AFL season didn't just provide us with our initial set of winners and losers, it raised another series of questions.
With each of the league's 18ย clubsย set to do battle again this weekend, we attempted to answer the major issues facing their playingย listsย andย coachesย alike.
Hawthorn
Which half was the real Hawthorn?
Facing a 39-point deficit at half-time, punters quiet rightfully gave the Hawks as much hope of victory as Bill Collin's did Kingston Town in the 1982 Cox Plate.
Despite a swathe of flags under Alastair Clarkson within the last decade, Hawthorn's comeback victory over old-rivals Essendon was also doubtlessly one of their finest in recent years.
There were few people happier at the final siren last night than this man. ๐
Hear what Clarko had to say about the stunning tale of two halves.
๐: https://t.co/2nzyMCHwRi pic.twitter.com/i7LJecsPSi
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) March 20, 2021
However, just the Bombers, Hawthorn produced one half of smoldering football and another of borderline landfill, So their slide must also be placed under the microscope.
Widely tipped to finish in this season' bottom four, Clarkson has been tasked with coaching a team is both older (24.6 years of age) and more experienced (71.8 AFL games) on average than their opponents on Saturday night. For this reason, Hawthorn cannot be extended as much slack for their slack first half performance. What they can be afforded are the plaudits for flexing this experience by clawing back from nearly eight goals down.
With a list that ranks inside the top half of the competition in both of these aforementioned categories, Hawthorn's list appears neither here nor there. However, with a myriad of talented names still calling Waverley home, should punters and pundits alike be expecting more from Clarkson's roster?
As just a tiny sample size has been offered so far, we will have to wait and see, but with the four-time Premiership coach at the helm, the sublime play of the second half may be back on the birds of prey's menu.
Still, after last season's dismal 5-12 record in 2020, brown and gold barrackers may need to get used to what was dished up early as the entrรฉe on Saturday night rather than the palate cleansing dessert.
