Former Hawthorn list boss Chris Pelchen has thrown his support behind the Hawks’ widely criticised experienced player cull, but predicts they may not contend for finals again until 2026.
Pelchen, one of the architects of Hawthorn’s 2008 flag triumph, said his old club waited far too long to re-invest in the national draft and had to cut deeply last year “out of necessity”.
Chris Pelchen, pictured in his Hawthorn days at the 2009 trade period, believes the Hawks are on the right path.Credit:Pat Scala
The Hawks parted ways with eight players – all with 96 games’ or more experience – last year, in a vicious cut that is being heavily scrutinised after consecutive hidings from Essendon and Sydney. The opening two rounds have left Sam Mitchell’s side on the bottom of the AFL ladder with a percentage of 42.1.
Up next is North Melbourne, coached by Hawthorn’s four-time premiership mastermind Alastair Clarkson, and with two of the Hawks’ discards in tow; Liam Shiels and Dan Howe.
“They had to do it, and there’s no real difference to what ‘Clarko’, myself and others involved in the club in 2005 did,” Pelchen told The Age.
“We openly discussed the approach we were going to take, knowing there would be some significant pain. Then, in 2008 we saluted before anyone thought [it was possible]. That was credit to many people, not least the coach, who affected game plans across the competition, especially with ‘Clarko’s Cluster’.
“There will be rough patches, but I encourage Sam and the people at Hawthorn to stay the course. Once the ship has left the pier, there is no turning back.”
Pelchen was one of the first to warn that the Hawks may live to regret their 2016 trade period, where they offloaded a bunch of high draft picks to bring in Jaeger O’Meara and Tom Mitchell, in a bid to remain a flag contender.
Ryan Burton (right) playing against his old side Hawthorn.Credit:AFL Photos
Those decisions came in what Pelchen described as an unprecedented eight-year stretch when Ryan Burton was Hawthorn’s sole top-20 draftee. They then traded Burton, too – plus another top-20 selection and a later pick – in 2018 for the older Chad Wingard, in a move Pelchen said “compounded the situation”.
“I fully appreciate they were coming off a three-peat of premierships, and that should always be applauded. But it shouldn’t come at the cost of the next decade of competitiveness for the footy club,” he said.
“To make just one top-20 pick between 2011 and 2018 was just too long of a period. List management is not just the draft … but it needs to be the first and foremost priority.
“It’s not a personal criticism, but they made a mistake. ‘Clarko’ has to own that, and [then-list manager] Graham Wright is at Collingwood now, but he contributed to the mistake as well. Both would acknowledge they went too long trading away top-20 selections, and that’s why they won’t do the same things again.”
The Hawks willingly traded O’Meara and Mitchell last year – to the point they will pay a sizeable chunk of their wages – begrudgingly sent Jack Gunston to Brisbane, and delisted Kyle Hartigan, Howe and Tom Phillips. Captain Ben McEvoy retired, and Shiels technically did as well, although Hawthorn were not going to offer him a contract, and he ended up reuniting with Clarkson at North Melbourne.
The Kangaroos, like the Hawks, copped searing criticism for their own brutal list cull, which began in 2020 with the trading of Ben Brown and Shaun Higgins, and delisting of Jasper Pittard, Jamie Macmillan, Marley Williams, Ben Jacobs, Majak Daw and Mason Wood.
North won nine (and drew one) of 61 games between 2020 and last year, and finished last in the past two seasons. But they have bounded out of the blocks to win their first two matches in 2023 under new coach Clarkson.
Pelchen fears Hawthorn faces a similarly difficult period ahead, even though he believes they are on the right path, echoing similar support from club legend Jason Dunstall.
“I think it’s going to be extremely challenging for them through to the end of 2025,” he said.
“But they need to maintain the course and not get spooked, or bring someone into the club who wants to change course again to be more competitive [quicker]. That’s not to say mature talent can’t complement youth with later draft selections or fringe players, but don’t deviate off course.
“I don’t expect them to contend for finals until 2026, but even then, it’s no certainty.”
Age columnist Kane Cornes believes the Hawks’ list-management strategy set Sam Mitchell up to fail, but Pelchen argues the approach can work if president Andy Gowers and his board stick by the second-year coach.
“I’m sure Sam, list manager Mark McKenzie and the recruiting staff would have preferred not to cut as deep as they have, but it was out of necessity,” Pelchen said.
“Sometimes, you have to take a path you would prefer not to. They’ve done the right thing, but it means they will get exposed in a graphic way at times, like the last two weeks.
“I expect that to happen throughout the course of this year and next. There will be some fairly demoralising defeats – but I believe they’re on the right track.”
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