Rodney Eade: What's the pass mark for the 2022 Hawks?

In the first of his exclusive columns, four-time premiership Hawk Rodney Eade lays out how this season shapes for the club.

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Attempting to predict how teams will perform is fraught with danger. Especially teams that are transitioning their list and are in a development phase.

None more so than Hawthorn.

Hawthorn’s list is too top heavy, with “older” players and not enough top-end young talent having come through the draft. The club’s list management strategy has caught up with it. Success with Josh Gibson, Shaun Burgoyne and Brian Lake drove a continued policy of recycled players, which is not a great long-term strategy.

Sam Mitchell has landed in the job with a clear vision that the list needs to be invigorated with youth. Development of the list is a priority. There will be short-term pain for long-term gain.

So how will Hawthorn go in ’22?  How this is viewed at the end of the season will be inextricably linked with expectations.  What do the football club, its supporters and players expect?