I don't think Hawthorn had another option than to do what they've done to win the cups. But the lack of under 25 talent and the trade rules as they stand mean the Hawks have extremely difficult choices to make about balancing the chance of a flag next year with Mitchell, Burgoyne and Hodge against the very real risk that it may jeopardise their list for the next 5 years.
I agree with all of this. The decisions they have made could well jeopardise their future, but do they really have a choice with the quality still on the list? They are still very much a live a chance to win a flag next year if a few things fall their way this offseason. Not time to tear it all down yet IMO.
I think they do everything they can to get Mitchell (in particular) and JOM, but they're going to have to recognise that at the end of next season if they finish about where they finished this season, then a lot of that over 25 talent is going to have to be traded for real quality picks to reset the list entirely and they'll probably miss the finals for a few years.
I don't necessarily agree with this however. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
I understand what you are saying. Trying to retool, not tumble all the way down the ladder and build through the draft, is a difficult thing to do, and ultimately may not work out. Quite clearly Hawthorn seem to be taking the retool on the run path. With the changes in the player movement system in recent years it certainly gives you a better chance of being successful at it, but it is bloody difficult to achieve, not impossible, just difficult. They will still have a reasonable core group in place once Mitchell, Hodge Burgoyne and Hodge go (no guarantee all 4 do, possible one or 2 have longer left in them). A lot needs to go right, but HFC have been getting a lot right in recent years. Geelong are an example of this approach being possible. Hawthorn are in a very similar position to what Geelong found themselves in 2 years ago IMO.
NM are a team who loaded up on experienced players to try and snatch a flag recently. Ultimately that didn't work out either, but I would still argue that they did absolutely the right thing
in their circumstances. They got close. If Hawthorn's retool build ultimately doesn't work out, I'm pretty sure I will sit down at the end of it all and confidently say that I still think they did the right thing
given their situation right now. Don't forget, each year there are 17 teams whose list build ultimately doesn't work out. Flags are bloody hard to win. You can do everything right and still not win one. Need a lot of things to go right. Need some luck. Impacted of course by what other teams are doing/achieving too.
Ultimately retooling may not work. But I still think it is the right approach in Hawthorn's current circumstances