Hawthorn (5-6, 11th)
What's gone right: Hawthorn has managed to show some promising signs so far in their 2019 campaign. While the loss of Tom Mitchell seemed a daunting prospect, the Hawthorn midfield has been able to salvage something of their season minus the Brownlow Medallist. Ricky Henderson has been a star in the middle for the Hawks, while young gun James Worpel has continued his progress in the brown and gold.
What's gone wrong: The Hawks have largely been inconsistent this season, with a string of underwhelming performances leaving them sitting outside the eight as things stand. It's been a changing-of-the-guard type scenario at Waverley Park as well, with former captain Jarryd Roughead finding himself demoted to the VFL. Star recruit Chad Wingard has failed the set the world on fire so far, which is to be expected thanks to an injury-interrupted pre-season.
Best and fairest: At this point, you would think that Ricky Henderson will be hard to beat for the Peter Crimmins Medal. The 30-year-old has been enormous for the Hawks this season, averaging 26.9 disposals over the course of the season, with his valuable decision making and impeccable ball use making him a constant presence in the Hawthorn midfield.
Season grade: D
The Hawks are probably on par with expectations heading into the season. Losing Mitchell in the pre-season was never going to be easy, and their inconsistent efforts so far this season have probably highlighted that. While there have been many positives the Hawks can draw from 2019 so far, a finals birth might be a bit too much to ask of them for this season. But you certainly couldn't rule them out by any means.
