WHILE the football world marvels at the feats of the Hawthorn forward line and to a lesser extent the midfield, spare a thought for the humble backline.
The Hawks defence has conceded only 969 points this season, the fourth-lowest in the AFL.
Emerging full-back Stephen Gilham says the defenders are happy for the spotlight to shine elsewhere.
“We like it that way. We just look to do our job and that is to make sure the opposition don’t score as many goals as our boys can,” Gilham told hawthornfc.com.au.
Gilham, who last year won Hawthorn’s most improved player award, says much of the credit for his success is due to former St Kilda full back and Richmond coach Danny Frawley, who has schooled Gilham in the finer points of being a tall defender.
“He goes through my game on the weekend and then later in the week looks at some tapes of the opposition. He’s very knowledgeable and always gives us a couple of key points which have definitely made a difference to all of us back there.”
Slipping under the radar is something Gilham has become accustomed to.
Drafted by Port Adelaide in 2002, he spent three years at the Power for a return of one game before he was delisted. Hawthorn coach and former Port Adelaide assistant Alastair Clarkson gave him a second chance through the Hawks’ rookie list and he is now an established part of the Hawthorn defence.
He said while he never considered throwing it all away, there were times where he would suffer homesickness while also worrying if he was ever going to get a chance at the top level.
“There were low points, especially in Adelaide where I was away from friends and family. Port were flying and not losing too many games so it was a happy place to be around but I was playing all my footy at North Adelaide in the SANFL. There were times where you’d wonder where the opportunity would come and what I needed to do,” he said.
“But I learned a lot of good things and good habits from people over there and I see my three years there as my apprenticeship.
“It was great that I got to move away from home and grow up really quick. To come home now to the family home in East Doncaster is great. Even though I was playing at Box Hill, I still had my network around me.”
The 23-year-old said making the transition from Port Adelaide to Hawthorn was made easier by the amount of familiar faces he found at his new club. Clarkson, assistant Damien Hardwick and fitness and conditioning coach Andrew Russell had all made the same switch, as have teammates Brent Guerra and Stuart Dew.
“I had two years knowing Alastair and his plans. A lot of the time I’d answer questions during meetings and found myself helping out the other players because I knew how Alastair worked,” he said.
“Also Andrew had three years with me so he knew my entire background and training history. It was definitely a huge bonus to have all those guys there.”
It has been an amazing journey so far for Gilham but you get the feeling it is just the beginning.
