Clarko’s eyes on future
HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says he is taking a glass half-full approach to his side’s 32-point loss to premiership favourite West Coast on Sunday night.
The Eagles lacked their sharp edge but were never seriously challenged, building a 26-point lead in the first half before cruising home to win 12.9 (81) to 7.7 (49) and return to the top four.
The loss was soured for Hawthorn by a knee injury to defender James Sicily.
But Clarkson said there were positives for his team, which will play its next four games in a 15-day period.
The master coach flagged more players getting opportunities after selecting elevated rookie Changkuoth Jiath and Irishman Conor Glass for their first games of 2020.
Jiath was eye-catching early, providing run off halfback and commitment to the contest before fading to finish with 12 disposals.
Glass rotated between the midfield and half-forward, kicking a goal in the third quarter and finishing with 12 disposals and seven marks.
“We’re in a strange position where we’ve got an eye on the here and now, and an eye on the future,” Clarkson said.
“We’ll continue to play some of our younger players and see how they’re going.
“Particularly if by circumstance we have to because some of our more senior and seasoned players are unable to get on the park.”
West Coast also has injury concerns before its compressed period of the season, with confirmation midfielder Elliot Yeo will miss up to five games with a groin injury.
Yeo, who was withdrawn late against the Hawks and replaced by wingman Jarrod Brander, joined important pair Liam Duggan (hamstring) and Jake Waterman (broken hand) on the sidelines.
The Eagles are also monitoring ruckman Nathan Vardy, who is in hospital with compartment syndrome after a cork in Sunday’s scratch match against the Hawks.
Simpson said the compressed nature of the Eagles’ upcoming fixture meant Yeo could miss five of the remaining six home-and-away games.
“He got a little bit tight last week and we didn’t know how he would recover, so we gave him until today,” Simpson said. “It might be an osteitis type of issue, so we were hoping it wasn’t.
“It just hasn’t pulled up well, so he might be out for a few weeks, which might mean five games.”
West Coast plays its next five games in 19 days, taking on Greater Western Sydney at home in Round 13 before returning to Queensland, where it faces Richmond, Essendon, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.