We're not comparing a spineless Gold Coast team full of undisciplined kids to the Hawks machine are we?
The reality is that Lewis is ineffective (I don't care for the bnf results) and Hill is average (with Hartung being the natural replacement). Mitchell hurts but that's the sacrifice they make to pursue an immediate rebuild.
It's excellent list management. Whether Hawthorn can manage the emotions of their players is another matter.
Yes, we did see something similar when our non-Dynasty of 2000 ended but that was both a miss-management of the list and the players. At least Hawthorn can sell a future based on the presence of three players who are as structurally important as anyone on the list as opposed to the inflated contracts of Mercuri and Hird.
I think you guys are both wrong. This is a consequence of how good the Hawks have been but it has ironically worked out badly for them. They chased Vickery, Titch, and JOM. But they never would have expected all three.
Problem is you can't court a player, have him leave their club and nominate you and then turn around and renege on the deal because no player would ever leave to play for you again.
So they initially would have expected to have to find a few draft picks and ask a few players to take minor pay cuts but instead they had to lose practically all their draft picks and jettison important players. It isn't their fault - it is actually them doing what they wanted far too well - but they wouldn't have wanted it to work out this way.
They will be without high value draft picks for then next two years and they lost Mitchell. We and the Crows have shown that isn't a death sentence but when you take into account the fact that they didn't have a lot of high quality young talent to begin with they will be desperately hoping JOM isn't just good but a star.