One Pick From A Premiership: Hawthorn Hawks
Hawthorn have been able to find star player from every state in Australia. They have also been one of the best at scouting talent in Tasmania, but they missed a player in one of the very first drafts. The ironic thing is that the team he was playing for was called the Hawks, the Burnie Hawks. The player was Brendon Gale.
In 1987 the Hawks drafted Grant Williams and Damien Trezise with picks 12 and 25. Gale would be taken by the Tigers with pick 27. Hawthorn then took John Polkinghorne, Anthony Dessent and Peter Nunn with their remaining selections.
In the very first AFL draft the Hawks did find a future star from Tasmania. Darrin Pritchard was drafted by Hawthorn at pick 26 in 1986. Pritchard would play over 200 games and help Hawthorn to several Grand Final wins.
Brendon Gale played his first game in 1990. That was the year that broke the Hawks' streak of 7 consecutive Grand Final games. Hawhtorn would win again in 1991 but then experience a big slip to 6th spot the next two seasons. During those years the Hawks would lose several of their key players to retirement and would also have players that were not as effective as they once were.
Brereton was a player who had injuries take away from his ability to dominate. The Hawks expected Paul Dear and Stephen Lawrence to become future stars but they never got to the level that their 1991 Grand Final games showed was possible. Gale would have been a player who could play centre half forward or in the ruck for Hawthorn.
Over the next few seasons the Hawks would still have Dunstall, Langford, Platten, Jarman and Allan on their team and another big body like Gale might have kept them playing deep into September for 1992 and for several more years. The Hawks would reload with Holland, Graham and Crawford at that time so they would have been very competitive.
The Hawks could have drafted a Hawk in 1987, continued their success with Tasmanian player recruitment as well as their success in Grand Finals. While one player may not have kept the Hawks as dominating as they were, the addition of Gale at that time would have solved several problems for Hawthorn. Maybe Brereton's time at Hawthorn, and his fitness, would have been extended with Gale taking some of the load. Hawthorn would have also been much stronger in the ruck then with Gale and Lawrence, instead of teaming Lawrence with players like Crawshay and Jason Taylor.
Of course, Hawthorn and Tasmania will always be linked due to Peter Hudson. The Hawks are very much a part of Tasmanian football once more as they will play many home games there over the next few years, and they might even tap into the football talent there again in the draft with one of Thorp, Riewoldt or Hislop a chance to be taken in the National Draft. But one more Tasmanian player, Brendon Gale, might have changed things for the Hawks in the early to mid 90s.
Tomorrow: The Kangaroos
In 1987 the Hawks drafted Grant Williams and Damien Trezise with picks 12 and 25. Gale would be taken by the Tigers with pick 27. Hawthorn then took John Polkinghorne, Anthony Dessent and Peter Nunn with their remaining selections.
In the very first AFL draft the Hawks did find a future star from Tasmania. Darrin Pritchard was drafted by Hawthorn at pick 26 in 1986. Pritchard would play over 200 games and help Hawthorn to several Grand Final wins.
Brendon Gale played his first game in 1990. That was the year that broke the Hawks' streak of 7 consecutive Grand Final games. Hawhtorn would win again in 1991 but then experience a big slip to 6th spot the next two seasons. During those years the Hawks would lose several of their key players to retirement and would also have players that were not as effective as they once were.
Brereton was a player who had injuries take away from his ability to dominate. The Hawks expected Paul Dear and Stephen Lawrence to become future stars but they never got to the level that their 1991 Grand Final games showed was possible. Gale would have been a player who could play centre half forward or in the ruck for Hawthorn.
Over the next few seasons the Hawks would still have Dunstall, Langford, Platten, Jarman and Allan on their team and another big body like Gale might have kept them playing deep into September for 1992 and for several more years. The Hawks would reload with Holland, Graham and Crawford at that time so they would have been very competitive.
The Hawks could have drafted a Hawk in 1987, continued their success with Tasmanian player recruitment as well as their success in Grand Finals. While one player may not have kept the Hawks as dominating as they were, the addition of Gale at that time would have solved several problems for Hawthorn. Maybe Brereton's time at Hawthorn, and his fitness, would have been extended with Gale taking some of the load. Hawthorn would have also been much stronger in the ruck then with Gale and Lawrence, instead of teaming Lawrence with players like Crawshay and Jason Taylor.
Of course, Hawthorn and Tasmania will always be linked due to Peter Hudson. The Hawks are very much a part of Tasmanian football once more as they will play many home games there over the next few years, and they might even tap into the football talent there again in the draft with one of Thorp, Riewoldt or Hislop a chance to be taken in the National Draft. But one more Tasmanian player, Brendon Gale, might have changed things for the Hawks in the early to mid 90s.
Tomorrow: The Kangaroos
