Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is hoping the pain of losing the 2012 AFL grand final to Sydney, coupled with the remaining hurt from losing in a preliminary final in 2011, will propel the club to a premiership in 2013.
However, when addressing club supporters at the Hawks official dinner at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium on Saturday night Clarkson warned there were no guarantees in football.
“Like last year, I can’t guarantee we’ll salute next year. We’d like to think that playing in the last two seasons will certainly make us stronger and help us in 2013 but there is no guarantee in this game.
“What we do know is if we present enough in preliminary finals and grand finals, then the door will open and we will win it again like we did in 2008.”
He said the club would have to go back to “square one” and commence all the hard work again.
Clarkson said while it was a “shattering experience” to lose a grand final, there could be no triumph without heartbreak.
“This is heartbreaking, but it’s not insurmountable that we can recover from this and go hard again next year.”
Clarkson paid tribute to the stability of the club, saying its culture would help it rebound from the hurt of the defeat.
“We’ve got a great group of players, great culture at the footy club and we’re very committed.”
Captain Luke Hodge told the crowd the players would fight hard again in 2013 to erase the pain of the 10-point defeat.
“We will stick together. We will come out fighting next year and hopefully we will be on the other end of it.”
President Andrew Newbold backed his skipper: “This defeat will test us but we welcome the test and we’ll make the right decisions to make sure we are better next year.”
In the aftermath of the death of Port Adelaide’s John McCarthy in Las Vegas at the start of September, Newbold took the unusual step of publicly pleading with the players to “make the right decisions” while they are away on their end of season trip.
“Travel safely, stick with your mates and above all make the right decisions when you are together.”
