HAWTHORN Coach Alastair Clarkson has thrown his support behind defenders Ryan Schoenmakers and Josh Gibson after the acquisition of former Bulldog, Brian Lake.
Lake joined the Club on the first day of the AFL’s exchange period, with the Hawks sacrificing its first and second round selections in the 2012 National Draft, for the dour defender and the Bulldogs’ second round pick.
With defenders Schoenmakers and Gibson outsized by some of the competition’s biggest forwards, Clarkson believes Lake will complement his current key position backs.
The Hawks coach was complimentary of the duo’s fortunes this season, but admitted at times they were undersized against power forwards.
Tom Hawkins and Travis Cloke are two players who performed well against Hawthorn this year, booting a combined 18 goals in five matches.
But Clarkson says Lake isn’t a savior, but rather a player who will complement the Hawks’ current defensive set up, and conceded Lake was no guarantee to take the opposition’s number one forward
“We’ve been able to cope with Schoenmakers and Gibson down there and we were able to win ourselves into a prelim last year and a grand final this year,” Clarkson said at the Ricoh Centre on Tuesday.
“[But] there have been times where we’ve given away just too much height and bulk down there.
“We’ve got by in a lot of the games and they’ve done a magnificent job for us but we just need a bigger, stronger brute that can handle some of those big lads.
“Hopefully Brian can help us out in that regard.”
Rather than bracing for a match-up with Lance Franklin or Jarryd Roughead, Lake will instead be playing alongside the dynamic duo in 2013, a prospect that excites the 30 year old.
He believes lining up alongside the pair on the training track rather than the field of battle will improve his already strong defensive game, taking it to another level.
“It’s very exciting,” he said of playing alongside Franklin and Roughead.
“On the training track as well, no doubt it’s going to improve my game as well, with my body work to be practicing on those guys at training every day.”
Lake wasted no time too, in outlining why he decided to join the Hawks.
“The opportunity this year was too good to refuse,” he said.
“You can have all your individual awards but to be playing on that Grand Final day (is what it’s all about).
“I’m here to win a premiership.”
Kate Salemme is a member of Hawthorn Football Club's Digital Media team reportining exclusively for hawthornfc.com.au from the Ricoh Centre.
Brian Lake and his wife Shannon with children Mylee, Bailee and Cohen purchase a 2013 Family membership.
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