With pundits beginning to entertain the thought of a late run for finals, Hawthorn’s turnaround in form cannot be attributed to one thing alone.
A series of masterful ploys from Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson has meant his side still has a fighting chance in a season where all had appeared lost only a month ago.
Taylor Duryea’s employment to a defensive forward role is an example of one of the shifts Clarkson has made to cause this swing in form.
Speaking to SEN on Thursday morning, Duryea said that despite the new responsibility, his focus hadn’t really changed.
“I think if you put it in Clarko’s terms, I am still just a role player, so wherever I am needed, I will go but at the moment that’s been in a defensive forward type role,” the two-time premiership player said.
“Naturally I’m obviously a defender, so in some ways it hasn’t changed too much, I’m just at the other end of the ground and fortunately I’ve been able to get on the end of a couple of goals too.
“We’re in a position now where it’s like “why not try these things out”, and if it works then it’s a great thing that we’ve discovered.”
Write your letter to Luke Hodge
The 26-year old was keen to point out examples of role changes for his teammates, Jack Gunston and James Sicily, that had enjoyed similar levels of success.
“Someone like ‘Gunners’, we always knew that he could go up onto a wing but to have him as a half-back flanker in the absence of ‘Birch’ (Grant Birchall) has been great.
“Sicily has got that excellent set of hands and while he’s been down back he’s been able to manage that intercept role.
“So, I think everyone had that skill-set, it was just whether we could use it at the other end of the ground and fortunately it has worked.”
