Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has almost incredulously played the underdog card in the side’s gritty win over Carlton on Saturday.
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Not for the first time this season at Aurora Stadium, the adopted hosts battled hard and successfully held off a fierce challenge against gallant opposition.
But amid the 10.14 (74) to 7.13 (55) result, Clarkson was quick to praise the Hawks intestinal fortitude to remain two wins on top of the AFL ladder entering the final month before this year’s finals campaign.
“We’re a pretty young side in the sense of one-to-four year players; we had more playing in the game than what Carlton did in regard to Carlton being called a young side,” Clarkson said.
“We’re a little bit more inexperienced than what they are at the bottom end.
“We get an opportunity to give those guys some more footy and (Blake) Hardwick plays his first game for the club, which is exciting for us, and we should have (Cyril) Rioli and (Paul) Puopolo back in the side next week.”
But truth was Carlton had six players under 25 games to Hawthorn’s four; nine under 50 to the Hawks six.
The Blues certainly don’t have no Sam Mitchell (301), Luke Hodge (280) and Jordan Lewis (258) running around.
Nonetheless, Clarkson believes recent retirements and long-term injuries has paved the way for a new generation.
“It is a challenge, but it is exciting for our club,” he said.
“We’ve got a very proud group of players that want to continue to win, but we have also got these young players that come into a winning system, a winning culture and try and master their craft.”
Carlton’s effort appeared typified by a Silvagni.
This time third-generation Jack, still 18, in his fifth AFL match, contested, tackled and chased down everything.
The 191cm forward combined the usual marking and goalkicking prowess with defensive forward pressure, a favourite of all coaches including Carlton’s Brendon Bolton.
Talking of Silvagni, he suggested that he was what the Blues’ future was all about.
“It all needs typify our whole club, not only him,” Bolton said.
Bolton took a lot out of the loss against the perennial premiership favourite, but was adamant his team has a lot to learn still.
He said lessons must be learnt from honourable efforts against West Coast, then Sydney and now Hawthorn.
“We understand there’s progress – the gap’s been fairly close,” Bolton said.
“They feel a sense of growth and when you feel growth, you don’t get deflated.
“However, I must reiterate, we are not absolving ourselves from the responsibility of wanting to evolve into a team that not only tries hard and gets close, makes teams pay when we need to.”