ALASTAIR Clarkson's most recent overseas study trip might well have helped the Hawks land their 11th premiership.
The Hawthorn coach returned from a visit to the perennial NBA powerhouse San Antonio Spurs late last year with two ideas that he adopted for the AFL and which both played their part in the club's powerhouse 2013 season in which his side lost just three games and won the flag.
The first was the installation of a countdown clock in the Sir Kenneth Luke Stand, situated above the club's training base at Waverley Park.
Five-minute final: Hawks v Dockers
Close games were an Achilles heel for the Hawks in 2011 and 2012, with a 5-7 record in games decided by two goals or less, including the 2011 preliminary and 2012 grand finals, both heartbreaking defeats.
This year, the Hawks went 4-2 in games decided by less than two goals, thanks to several match simulation sessions at Waverley, where Clarkson would set the clock and give his players a limited time to either win the game or save the game.
The final margin in Saturday's Grand Final was 15 points, but the Hawks played for time superbly for about five minutes late in the final term after Fremantle had goaled twice to bring the margin back to an uncomfortable three-goal margin with seven minutes still to play.
Clarkson's other innovation in 2013 was the appointment of former Melbourne forward Adem Yze as an assistant coach whose brief was to work with the players on their set shot kicking. While at the Spurs, Clarkson learned that they have a full-time coach whose sole job is to work with the players on their free-throw shooting.
Every free throw taken by the players at every training session is watched, charted and displayed on a whiteboard in the players' locker room and Clarkson instituted a similar system at Hawthorn this year.
Whereas Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston and David Hale all missed critical shots during the 10-point loss to the Swans in last year's Grand Final, their conversion was much better in 2013 and both Gunston and Roughead negotiated the swirly winds at the MCG against Fremantle on Saturday to kick clutch goals for their side.
Innovation has always been one of Clarkson's strengths and his players lauded his forward thinking in the aftermath of the 16-point win over the Dockers that landed the club it's 11th premiership.
"His vision and foresight has kept in the position he has been in for nearly the last 10 years," said midfielder Brad Sewell. "He has been able to surround himself with really good assistants and technically, he has been able to keep up with trends in the game and forecasting where the game is going.
"He changes things every year," said veteran defender Brent Guerra. "He always seems to be up to date with where the game is going."
Hawks skipper Luke Hodge says Clarkson never stops thinking about the game. "That's the thing about him. He never rests and always wants his players to stay ahead of the game."
