There’s good reason why we crowned the Hawthorn Football Club ‘numero uno’ in our recent ‘Team of the Decade’ series. 

A hat-trick of flags, multiple Brownlow and Coleman Medalists, a league-high four players in our All Australian Team of the Decade, while coach Alastair Clarkson also cemented himself as one of the greatest tacticians of all time. 

The Hawks have however fallen somewhat in recent years. They haven’t won a single Final since 2015 and have missed September action in two of the past three seasons. 

Let’s check in and see just how the Hawks can get back on track and perhaps soon enough add a 14th premiership to their already glorious collection.

THE LIST

From an age and experience profile, the likes of Collingwood, GWS Giants, West Coast and Geelong bare the strongest resemblance to Hawthorn, yet all of those clubs have either won a flag recently or have at least gone mightily close.

Which makes the Hawks a very curious club from a list management point of view.  

The SI Player Ratings have them in the middle of the road with six players in the top 100, while more concerning is the presence of just two in the top 50, with James Sicily in at 18, followed by Ben McEvoy at 42, with the latter in the twilight of an excellent career.

The strength of the Hawthorn’s list can be found it its midfield which has been bolstered by the return of Brownlow medalist Tom Mitchell, and complimented by James Worpel who last season became the fourth youngest Hawk to win a Best and Fairest award.

Mitchell and Worpel are inside beasts who, theoretically, could form the pillars of the next great Hawthorn team considering the class and potential of the squad built around them.

While Mitchell and Worpel have unfortunately not had too many opportunities to pick up tools together, their ability to consistently win the ball at the coalface, and provide first use to their talented midfielders led by Jaeger O'Meara, Chad Wingard and Tom Scully could make them a potent force over the next five years. 

THE DRAFT

In recent years Hawthorn have taken a drastically different approach to their list, opting to import established talent in through trades rather than attempt to strike gold again through the draft. 

It's even more noteworthy considering how well the Hawks drafted in the previous decade, with their success providing the nucleus of its last four flags. 

It’s been a typically audacious plan by such a consistently progressive club. While yes, the Hawks effectively excused themselves from the cream of last decade's draft crop, an expanded league provided them with the opportunity to try something radically different. 

If the approach pays off, it'll be yet another feather in this club's proud hat. 

RELATED: The 'Crossover' Episode: If AFL Clubs were International Soccer Teams

THE COACH

Probably still the best in the business. What Alastair Clarkson has achieved as senior coach at Hawthorn has been profound. Not only has he added four premierships to the Hawk's trophy case and helped change the entire aesthetics of the sport, but his coaching legacy has been monumental as well. 

So many of Clarkson's assistants such as Luke Beveridge, Damien Hardwick, Adam Simpson and Leon Cameron have emerged as brilliant coaches in their own right, with three getting their own hands on a premiership cup, while last season Leon Cameron took the Giants to their inaugural Grand Final.

RELATED: The AFL Matchmaker: 18 Coaches, 18 New Jobs

THEIR ACHILIES HEEL

Health. 

While sure, the Hawks have assembled an intriguing, high-upside squad, it’s one which remains bedevilled by injuries. 

All of Hawthorn's high-profiled acquisitions have question marks surrounding them which has prevented them from all taking the field together in unison. 

Until they do, the Hawk's intriguing project will remain speculative. 

A further concern for Hawthorn is the make-up and production of their forward line, which has slipped markedly in recent seasons.

While Mitchell Lewis flashed enormous promise last year (20 goals form 12 games) and new recruit Jonathan Patton, if healthy, could provide them with a strong inside-50 option, it remains unclear how the Hawks can consistently post winning scores. 

While Jack Gunston and Luke Bruest once again combined for 60 goals in 2019, they have nearly a combined 400 games of tread on the tyres and with both approaching 30, are likely in the final years of their top-level brilliance. 

RELATED: AFL | Stats That Matter - The Changing Face of the Forward

THEIR BIGGEST WEAPON

It remains Clarkson. He’s our sport's most innovative mind, and while there's been plenty of upheaval and construction going on in regards to the list, the Hawks are fully aware of how fortunate they are to have Clarkson steering the ship. 

Another positive for Hawthorn moving forward is the continued excellence of its defence which remains a hallmark of so many Clarkson coached teams.

They ranked third in 2019 from a points conceded perspective, and top of the league with a +4.8 intercept possession differential, assisted greatly by James Sicily’s breakout campaign which ranked 3rd in the league for total intercept disposals and 9th for total marks. 

With James Frawley, captain Ben Stratton and Ben McEvoy anchoring the backline, coupled with the speed and penetration of the likes of Jarman Impey and Tom Scully, the Hawks, as always, are well positioned from a preventive point of view.

RELATED: AFL | Stats That Matter - Defence Wins Premierships

PREMIERSHIP PROSPECTS

Buoyant.

The return this season of 2018 Brownlow Medalist Tom Mitchell to a team who only narrowly missed Finals last season, and one coached by a genuine mastermind, suggests a fully-fledged Hawthorn revival is imminent. 

This is a group laden with absolute class and in an agreeable age bracket. So much however will come down to whether they can stay healthy and whether they'll be able to replace the scoring production of Gunston and Breust, two vital players whose careers are in the final straight.

Did you enjoy this article? Join our free mailing list to get the best content delivered straight to your inbox, or join the conversation by leaving a comment below or on the Stats Insider Twitter or Facebook page.