With the 2014 season now complete, hawthornfc.com.au will review the season of those who played a senior game for the Hawks in 2014 with the help of GM - Football Operations Chris Fagan.
Consistently, Grant Birchall produces top-class performances for the Hawks but somehow still manages to slip under the radar of opposition teams and fans.
2014 was another outstanding season for the 26-year-old Tasmanian, who justly finished runner-up in this year’s Peter Crimmins Medal.
Adding another premiership to his name, his third, Birchall was again a critical component in Hawthorn’s flag triumph.
One of just four Hawks to play every game this year, Birchall averaged 23.6 disposals while playing across half-back, 5.0 marks and 1.3 tackles.
A precise user of the footy, Birchall’s run and carry from the back half is one of Hawthorn’s biggest assets, particularly when it works in conjunction with the likes of Matthew Suckling, Shaun Burgoyne, Luke Hodge and Josh Gibson.
There was rarely a game in 2014 in which Birchall didn’t star, which is unsurprising given he finished just 22 votes behind best and fairest winner Jordan Lewis.
While he might be a quiet achiever outside the four walls of Hawthorn, inside them his value is enormous and he is judged as such by his coaches and his teammates.
At 193cm, Birchall could actually play key position but his athleticism allows him to play as a dangerous runner and attacking weapon both from defence and through the middle.
He rarely turns the ball over, operating at 81 per cent efficiency – the best rating of any Hawk in 2014 that averaged 21 disposals or more in 2014.
The Hawks like to set up attack from defence, and Birchall is critical to that style.
His teammates love releasing him into space, and he was again ranked number one for uncontested possessions (17 average) and also ranked second for rebound 50s (2.6 average).
Birchall started the season on fire with 31 disposals and eight marks playing in front of his home crowd in Tasmania against the Lions, before producing 29 disposals and a goal in the Round 3 win over Fremantle.
In fact, between rounds 3 and 14 Birchall played some of the best footy of his career, averaging 25.5 disposals and 5.2 marks.
The Tasmanian could have been one of several Hawks to win this year’s ‘Most Consistent’ award handed out by the coaches at the best and fairest because he rarely, if ever plays two poor games in a row.
In the Round 16 loss to North Melbourne, Birchall was heavily tagged by Brad Scott’s team and was restricted to just 11 touches in a disappointing night for the Hawks.
But the defender bounced back the next week to produce a stellar 25-disposal and five-tackle performance in the critical road-win over Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.
28 disposals against Collingwood in Round 23 set him up for a big finals series, where he produced one of his best performances of the year against Geelong in the Qualifying Final.
In that game he had 27 disposals and took eight marks.
He was targeted by Port Adelaide in the Preliminary Final as a key player to stop the Hawks and was held to just 16 disposals but he made his possessions count.
Birchall bounced back again though the next week, with 25 disposals and seven marks to be one of the best on ground in the Grand Final win over the Swans.
Given his outstanding contribution this season, Birchall could consider himself mightily unlucky not to have been made All Australian but you get the feeling the individual honours matter little to the quietly spoken Tasmanian.
He’d much prefer to have another premiership under his belt.
What GM – Football Operations Chris Fagan said: “It was another consistent year from ‘Birch’ and in our opinion, he was a bit unlucky not to be an All Australian again this year.
“He finished second in our best and fairest, which is testament to his consistency because he regularly gets 20-25 possessions per game.
“Sometimes I think he’s not as positively viewed by others because he performs at such a high standard every week and observers of the game take this for granted. He produces great stuff for us on a regular basis.
“He was a really important part of our premiership team.”
Grant Birchall in the news in 2014
- No Hawk complacency after big win: Birchall
- Young guns can cover missing stars: Birchall
- Gunston, Birchall poll as Cats dominate the votes
- Birchall nominated for Tasmania Athlete of the Year
Videos featuring Grant Birchall in 2014
- Birchall speaks after the premiership
- Birchall happy with his 2014 season
- #everymoment: Birchall
Grant Birchall celebrates his third premiership with teammate Jack Gunston and Hawthorn fans during the lap of honour after the Grand Final.
