On Saturday night, Hawthorn Football Club will hold its 2014 best and fairest awards, the Peter Crimmins Medal.
hawthornfc.com.au takes a look at who might be in contention to be crowned the winner in the Club’s back-to-back premiership year.
Jarryd Roughead
Another outstanding season from the power forward saw him named All Australian for the second straight year. Roughead again finished as Hawthorn’s leading goal kicker, booting 75 for the season – 62 of which came in the home and away rounds.
He was Hawthorn’s number one target inside 50 despite teammates Jack Gunston and Luke Breust also kicking over 50 goals for the season, averaging 2.8 marks inside forward 50 for the year.
Again he proved though that he’s more than just a goal kicker though, played in the midfield at times by Alastair Clarkson when needed and topped the Hawks this year for score involvements across the season.
He will score top votes in Round 12 when he bagged eight goals against the Eagles and given he was held goalless in just two of his 23 games this season, expect him to poll well.
Roughead will also come home strongly in the Preliminary and Grand Finals, kicking a combined 11 goals in the two games.
Jarryd Roughead celebrates a goal.
Jordan Lewis
What a year 2014 was for Lewis as he achieved his third premiership and was named All Australian for the first time in his career.
In the absence of veteran midfielder Sam Mitchell with injury, the Hawks vice-captain stepped up and led the midfield, becoming the side’s most outstanding clearance player and ball magnet.
He was ranked number one for clearances and centre clearances this season as well as disposals and contested possessions, while he was ranked second for inside 50s and fourth for tackles.
After a slow start to the year, expect him to poll well in Round 3 when he picked up 37 disposals against Fremantle and come home hard in the second half of the season where he averaged 29 disposals from Round 10 onwards.
That Round 10 game was his breakout one for the year, when he had 38 disposals and kicked two goals in the loss to the Power but was clearly Hawthorn’s best on the night.
He will definitely poll in the Grand Final too, where he picked up a game-high 37 disposals.
Shaun Burgoyne
One of Hawthorn’s most consistent performers, Burgoyne’s teammates and coaches know what they’ll get out of the three-time premiership player week in, week out.
Averaging 22 disposals this year, Burgoyne played every game this year and was outstanding for his team, which culminated in being named in the initial All Australian squad of 40.
Known best for his silky skills, one Burgoyne’s biggest assets is actually his tackling and pressure and was ranked third at the club this season for tackles with an average of 3.8 per game.
Used all over the ground again by Alastair Clarkson, Burgoyne was ranked fourth for clearances and centre clearances and fifth for rebound 50s.
He will likely feature heavily in the voting early, with one of his best games for the year coming in the thrilling Round 2 win over Essendon where he had 30 disposals and almost single-handedly dragged the Hawks over the line.
Luke Breust
Breust’s rise to stardom and into one of Hawthorn’s most important players in the last two seasons has been quite remarkable considering he was known as the ‘super sub’ just three years ago.
Named All Australian for the first time, Breust kicked a career-best 57 goals top finish third on Hawthorn’s goal kicking leaderboard and finishing in the top 10 of the Coleman Medal.
Remarkably, Breust was held goalless in just one game this season after playing every game and that one game was the Preliminary Final win over Port Adelaide.
Breust managed multiple goals in 17 of his 25 games and was of course astonishingly accurate, booting just 12 behinds for the entire season.
He also added to Hawthorn’s midfield depth by spending some time through the middle and averaged 15.3 disposals and 3.4 tackles per game.
He was also ranked second in the league for direct goal assists.
Luke Breust has had another outstanding year.
Jack Gunston
Unlucky not to be named All Australian for the first time, Gunston backed up his breakout season in 2013 with a better 2014.
Forming part of Hawthorn’s three-pronged attack, Gunston also achieved a career-best for goals kicked, finishing with 58 for the year.
At 193cm, the former Crow is athletic for his size and showed his versatility by pushing up onto the win and even down back when needed to bolster the defence.
His ability to chop and change roles throughout a game will probably net him some extra votes, particularly when he has also impacted the scoreboard.
A prime example is his performance against the Suns in Round 4, when he picked up 25 disposals and kicked five goals in a brilliant performance.
Gunston will be one of the few Hawks to poll in the Round 16 loss to North Melbourne when he was clearly best with six goals.
He finished strongly too, booting seven goals across the three finals and averaged 16 disposals.
Grant Birchall
Sometimes the damaging left footer is left out of calculations because he goes about his business quietly across half-back but Birchall had another outstanding season for the Hawks.
He’s one of those players coaches just loves – hard at it, good skills and isn’t afraid to take the game on or make his presence felt.
Unlucky not to be named in the All Australian Squad, Birchall played every game this year where he averaged 23.6 disposals and probably received less attention from the opposition than in previous seasons.
He was leading the Peter Crimmins Medal last year before suffering a knee injury and finished in the top five in 2012, so the coaches recognise his contributions.
Birchall will start the count strongly, opening the season with 31 disposals against the Lions in Round 1, while he was brilliant in the thumping win over St Kilda in Round 7 with 34 disposals.
From rounds 3-14 he was outstanding, averaging 25.4 disposals before finishing the season as the second-most prolific ball winner at the club behind Lewis and was ranked second for rebound 50s.
Grant Birchall in action.
Luke Hodge
Written off at the end of 2012, the Hawks skipper has silenced the critics and hit back with two outstanding seasons in 2013 and 2014, where he’s become a dual premiership captain and enhanced his standing in the game.
Playing 22 of a possible 25 games, Hodge started slowly with just 19 and 10 disposals in the opening two rounds before picking up 32 and taking nine marks against the Suns in Round 4.
He really hit his straps in the middle of the year, averaging 23.6 disposals between rounds 10 and 21.
But the beauty of Luke Hodge is in his leadership and when the coaches are voting, the skipper will receive votes not just for his performance on the stats sheet but also in his influence in directing and assisting teammates on the ground.
Hodge had an outstanding finals series too, picking up 22 and 27 disposals in the first two finals before that outstanding performance in the Grand Final where he won the Norm Smith Medal for his 35 disposals and two goals.
