Compare our list this year to Clarko and Hardwick's list in their 3rd year. They had far superior lists, much more quality and experience, mature bodies and an incredible run with injuries.
Hawthorn had Lewis, Mitchell, Hodge, Crawford, Sewell, Birchall, Guerra, McGlynn, Brown, Buddy, Joel Smith, Croad, Osborne, Roughead, Dixon, and Bateman. They had Clinton Young have the best year of his career, pre injuries. They still had leadership in the form of ex captain Vandenberg on the list. They had mature age roleplayers in Gilham, Ladson, Boyle, Taylor and Campbell. Taylor and Campbell played all 24 games and had over 700 hitouts between them. Buddy, Roughead and Boyle kicked 150 goals between them.
On top of all that they had a charmed run with injuries. Lewis, Mitchell, Hodge, Crawford, Sewell, Birchall, Guerra, Ladson, Young, McGlynn, Bateman, Brown, Gilham, Buddy, Croad, Campbell, Taylor, Roughead and Boyle missed a grand total of 24 games between the 19 of them for the entire season, including finals.
They added Cyril, Whitecross and Dew in the off season. We all know what Cyril and Dew did the following September.
Richmond in Hardwick's 3rd season had Cotchin, Deledio, Tuck, Grigg, Houli, Rance, Newman, Nahas, Reiwoldt, Morris, Maric, Ellis, Dusty, Edwards, Jackson, Conca, Grimes, Dea, Foley, King, Miller and Griffiths. Reiwoldt and Nahas kicked 100 goals between them.
Cotchin, Deledio, Tuck, Grigg, Houli, Dusty, Rance, Newman, Edwards, Jackson, Conca, Nahas, Reiwoldt, Morris, Ellis and Maric missed a total of 14 games between the 16 of them for the season.
They added Chaplin, Vlaustin and McIntosh in that off season.
Our top 19 players for games played this season have missed 54 games already and they don't include Kennedy who's missed - 7 of 17, Casboult - 7 of 17, Murphy - 9 of 17, Marchbank - 10 of 17, Lang - 11 of 17, Pickett - 13 of 17, Byrne - 15 of 17, plus Docherty, Williamson, Alex Silvagni and Macreadie that haven't played a single game.
We have 9 players on our list with over 100 games. Of those 9, Thomas, Murphy, Kreuzer and Wright have bodies that are cooked. Shaw and Casboult probably wouldn't get a game in any other team. That leaves a 34 year old Simmo, Ed Curnow and Jones who's played probably 25 senior games in his position. Our other players 27+ are Phillips who cant string 5 games together, Lobbe who had played 3 senior games of AFL footy in 820 days prior to Sunday, Rowe and Silvagni who are finished.
Add this to a club that had the lowest footy department spend in the entire competition, a rookie CEO coming on board and the football manager 'resigning' half way through the season.
But hey, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.
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