Dear members,
Football, as I have said before, is an extraordinary game.
It can lift you to heights, then crush you on the rocks of despair.
Yesterday I witnessed perhaps the worst quarter of football of the last five years, and then three quarters which, as they unfolded, filled me with great pride.
Against St Kilda, we lost Gilham to a knee injury in the early part of the first quarter, and were outscored five goals (plus) to one point.
But the second quarter saw a total reversal of form, as Hawthorn scored five goals to St Kilda’s one to lead at the half-way turn.
We lost David Hale to a knee injury, and Jarryd Roughead was called upon to ruck.
He was relentless, he was strong, he was not for turning, and we started to break away from St Kilda.
There was a Roughead kick on the member’s wing in the third quarter - a high pass to Michael Osborne that was marked and converted to a goal - which was as good a passage of play as I have seen for some time.
By game’s end not only had our senior players risen to the task, but so had our younger and newer players.
Savage, Suckling Shiels and first timer Luke Breust made wonderful contributions.
Many players stayed on the field carrying injuries. A truly great effort by all.
Now the challenge is to play like that over four quarters, and if we can, we will be a serious contestant at the end of the year.
However good our performance was yesterday, it will count for naught if we cannot take that form to Sydney on Sunday.
We have not beaten Sydney in Sydney for years, if we can do so next week we will have every reason to be quietly optimistic about finals football. No more, just the chance to compete.
Congratulations to all in the football department and the players today. It was a gutsy effort, where we played as a team, we were prepared to tackle, and from the second quarter when we started kicking the ball long we created opportunities that win games.
There are still many members who have not renewed their membership from last year.
Could I please ask you to do so urgently. While we have just recorded our largest membership ever, we do not like not being able to have you on board from year to year.
Not only do we want your membership, we need your support and voice at games.
We need you to continue to lift the players as we members did today.
Now for Sydney!
Stay well happy Hawkers,
Jeff Kennett
President
