They’re on the cusp of greatness, but Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says the prospect doesn’t motivate his AFL club.
Clarkson will deliver Hawthorn consecutive premierships with a win against Sydney in Saturday’s AFL grand final – a feat not achieved since Brisbane’s three in a row from 2001-03.
The only other club to claim successive flags in the past 35 years is Adelaide (1997-98) but Clarkson says his Hawks aren’t driven by joining such esteemed company.
“We haven’t really spoken too much about back-to-back throughout the course of the year,” Clarkson told reporters on Friday.
“Even in our initial planning, it was just like `gee, we have a long way just to get ourselves back into finals contention again’.
“You still have to do the hard work. It was always about just trying to secure a double chance.
“It has only been in more recent times you perhaps understand how enormous it would be for our footy club.
“The effort in the current era to win back-to-back premierships is very, very difficult.
“You look at the enormity of that challenge. But really it has been no motivation or inspiration to our playing group at all.”
Hawthorn’s path to the defend their premiership has been pockmarked by problems – not least the serious illness which forced Clarkson to miss five games this season.
Clarkson suffered from the rare Guillain-Barre syndrome, when the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system, but has fully recovered.
The Hawks have also had to cope with the defection of Lance Franklin, now Sydney’s potential grand final game-breaker.
And there have been serious injuries to key players including the hamstring tear to Cyril Rioli and long-term ailments to Sam Mitchell and Josh Gibson – though all are fit for the finale.
Clarkson admits taking a punt by selecting Rioli for the grand final – he only returned to action, in VFL ranks, last week after a three-month absence.
“There’s a level of risk in every player that runs out there tomorrow,” Clarkson said.
“But the reality of big games, big finals, you try to pick the best squad you can possibly pick and we think Cyril is right to go.
“We were running it a little bit fine in terms of time.
“But he ticked the box for us in a satisfactory enough way for us last week that said he’s ready to play some footy now.”
So how have the Hawks overcome the odds to reach their third grand final in a row?
“A good, strong, stable footy club and a great culture,” Clarkson said.
“If you travel back 100 years in league footy, you’ll find the same things in every two grand final sides that have run out there.
“(It’s) a reflection of their good boards, their sound administrations and the culture with which their players play their footy.”
