There seems to be a blueprint to follow if you’re chasing the Most Consistent award at Hawthorn.
Last year’s winner Grant Birchall did not miss a game throughout season 2016.
The same went for Shaun Burgoyne when he won the accolade in 2014.
While Ben Stratton played all 25 games in 2013, the year he took out the honour.
The only winner of the past four years who didn’t play every game of his respective season was Luke Hodge in 2015.
But he is Hodgey.
There were six Hawks who played all 22 games this season: Jarryd Roughead, Tom Mitchell, Ben McEvoy, Shaun Burgoyne, Isaac Smith and Jack Gunston.
Naturally, this group seem the most likely in contention for this year’s Most Consistent award.
Here is an argument for each player’s claims to the trophy.
Jarryd Roughead
In his first year as captain of the club, Roughead averaged 17.8 disposals, the second highest mark of his 13-year career. Winning the Hawks leading goal kicker award for the third time, the 30-year old had only five games without kicking a goal and 13 games kicking multiple majors. Roughy’s influence also extended to his ability to find the ball, never falling below 12 disposals in a game this year. To put this in perspective, West Coast Eagle and All Australian full-forward Josh Kennedy averaged 11.8 touches this year.
Tom Mitchell
When you average 35.8 possessions per game and have a league record 20 games with at least 30 disposals, it is fair to say you have had a very consistent season. Mitchell’s lowest touch tally for the year was 26 in Round 19 against former side Sydney, a figure that would register as many players’ best for the year. Defensively, Mitchell was a leader as well, laying the most tackles of any Hawk for the year and never finishing with less than three tackles. Furthermore, not known for his scoreboard presence, there were only six games throughout the year where the 24-year old did not have a scoring shot.
Ben McEvoy
McEvoy took the sole ruck duties like a duck to water this year. He averaged a career-high 32.4 hit-outs, with at least 20 taps in all but one match. McEvoy’s aerial supremacy also incorporated his contested marking prowess, taking a contested grab in all but four games this year. Interestingly, in the five games McEvoy took at least three contested marks, the Hawks were victorious on four of those occasions. The 28-year old’s follow-up work was a feature of his season, laying multiple tackles in 20 of his 22 games. The former Saint also proved a reliable scoring source for the Hawks this year, kicked a career-high 14 goals.
Shaun Burgoyne
No one could argue against this man’s consistency. Over the last three seasons, Burgoyne’s three disposal averages have a range of just 0.98 of a touch! Burgoyne only fell below 15 touches once in 2017, in Round 21 against North Melbourne when he kicked two goals in the Hawks’ win. One of the Hawks’ premier ball-users, Burgoyne had double-digit uncontested possessions in 17 of his 22 outings this year.
Isaac Smith
In his first year as vice-captain of the club, Smith gave the Hawks a very consistent level of production, gathering 20 possessions in all but three games. This included at least 14 uncontested disposals in every match bar one. The wingman hit the scoreboard in 10 games this year, kicking six goals across the final three games of the year. Smith’s work ethic is also illustrated by the fact he did not play a game without an inside 50 delivery in 2017 and failed to register a rebound 50 on only two occasions.
Jack Gunston
Gunston recorded a new career-high disposals average this year with 18.9. Given that the 25-year old split his time between the forward and back lines, it is difficult to depict the consistency of his season. But, impressively, Gunston either kicked a goal or had 15 disposals in 20 of the 22 games this year. Another area of reliability for Gunston this year was his effort, recording a one-percenter in 21 games, contributing towards a career-high 2.5 per game.
