Hawthorn vice-captain Isaac Smith can acknowledge his club has undergone considerable change over the past six months, but refuses to grant it as an excuse for the Hawks’ poor start to 2017.
Speaking to RSN on Thursday, Smith said that his side’s victory over West Coast on the weekend was a more accurate illustration of what expectations should be for the Hawks this season.
“We’ve been pretty disappointing in the first four weeks but what we dealt on the weekend, we were pretty impressed with,” Smith said.
“We’ve had a couple of changes and we’re trying to get that consistency, but is that an excuse to be losing? And losing by the amount of points that we have? Definitely not.
“I think we’re a lot better side than what we dished out in the first four weeks”.
Smith said that, given the Hawks’ winless opening month, they would have to employ a game-by-game approach now more than ever.
“It’s pretty boring, having to talk week to week, but that’s what it is, it’s about being consistent and being able to do it each week.
“Now we just have to back it up again this week”.
