Hawks struggle to plan

HAWTHORN hasn’t completely racked the cue for 2020 but with finals out of the picture will “trial some things” in the final five rounds to prepare for an uncertain 2021.

Coach Alastair Clarkson knows decisions are looming about the future of several older members of his playing list but says he can’t distract himself with those conversations because he doesn’t know what he’ll need next year.

The future of 37-year-old stalwart Shaun Burgoyne will be added to the discussion list at some time, but not now Clarkson says.

Ahead of Thursday’s clash with Essendon, Clarkson said it was a difficult climate for all clubs, particularly ones like the Hawks who can’t play finals this season, to start getting future plans in place.

“We’re still as an industry uncertain of what our list sizes will be (and) we don’t know what the second-tier competition is going to look like,” he said. “There’s not exact confirmation on what the whole structure of the (2021 AFL) season will be, and even the starting date for next year, so there’s a lot of things in the air.

“Once some of those things land we’ll be in a much better position to determine what 2021 looks like for all the clubs.”

Burgoyne turns 38 in October but has played 10 games this season and remains an important contributor. But his future is undecided.

“We’ll sit down and work that out. Part of it is seeing what Shaun wants to do, how his body is and how he finishes the season,” Clarkson said on Wednesday.

“Part of it is to do with our list and what our future is, too.

“We’ll sit down and work that out together. But now’s not the time to be discussing it.

“There’s five games to go of this season and then we’ll see where it all lands. We’ve got a lot to achieve over the next five weeks in terms of what we want to do and where we want to go and what that might look like for 2021 and beyond.”

Hawthorn could regain Jack Gunston (back), James Frawley (thumb) and ruckman Jon Ceglar (toe) for the clash with the Bombers in Adelaide.