'Hawthorn 7' set to sign

[Tay_]

HAWTHORN has secured the signatures of a raft of players, including three premiership stars.

The Hawks are set to announce seven re-signings over the next seven days on their website, starting on Tuesday.

The club's teaser, released on Monday afternoon, said the combined achievements of the seven players included "five Peter Crimmins medals, three premiership medallions, 226 Brownlow Medal votes, eight All Australian nominations, four All Australian selections and four Rising Star nominations."

Hawthorn premiership players Brad Sewell, Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Chance Bateman, Michael Osborne and Clinton Young were all on the AFL's free agents list, released in March.

Hodge and Mitchell have both since said they have clauses for 2013 in their current deals.

Other members of the winning 2008 Grand Final team whose existing contracts are believed to expire at the end of this year include Grant Birchall, Brent Guerra and Jordan Lewis.

Shaun Burgoyne, also believed to be out of contract at the end of this season, played in Port Adelaide's 2004 premiership team.

The NAB AFL Rising Star nominees on Hawthorn's list are Shane Savage, Luke Breust, Ben Stratton, Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin, Osborne, Hodge, Young, Lewis and Burgoyne.

Mitchell won the Rising Star award in 2003.

Of those, Rioli, Franklin and Stratton's current contracts all run through to the end of 2013, and Roughead's to the end of 2014.

Others out of contract at the end of this year include second-year players Paul Puopolo and Isaac Smith.

Smith told AFL.com.au last month that he had started talks with the Hawks on a new deal.

Already this year Hawthorn has announced contract extensions for young midfielder Liam Shiels and key defender Josh Gibson.

The club is yet to lose a player to Greater Western Sydney under the expansion team's uncontracted player concessions

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsartic...8/default.aspx

[Tay_]

HAWTHORN speedster Isaac Smith has re-signed with the Club for two seasons, remaining a Hawk until the end of the 2014 season.

The 23-year-old is in his second season at the highest level, and is excited by the opportunity to play for the Hawks for a further two years.

“For the club to want to sign me for another two years is a great opportunity and hopefully I can deliver on it,” Smith said.

The 188cm midfielder said he is looking forward to expanding his role in the Hawks line-up, with an aim to become a key player in the make-up of the side.

“When I came into the club, I wanted to have an impact on the senior team, and I felt like I did that to an extent last year,” he said

“Hopefully I’m doing it a little bit this year, but each year I just want to keep building on that and provide the club and the team with a different look.”

Despite speculation in AFL circles that Greater Western Sydney were interested, the expansion side was never an option for Smith.

“I never heard anything of it, so there was nothing to consider,” he said.

“I love Hawthorn and hopefully they want me forever.”

Reflecting on the first half of his 2012 season, Smith said that despite being “scratchy early on”, he hopes to make an impact for the Hawks in the second half.

“I’m probably doing what I did last year, or maybe a little bit more,” he said.

“After having another pre-season and developing so many more aspects to my game, I probably should be impacting them a little bit more.

“I’m very excited for the second half of the season and look forward to really attacking it.”

Smith was drafted to the Hawks with pick 19 in the 2010 draft after a stellar season for VFL side, North Ballarat.

The left-footer said that despite his unique path to AFL football, the support of his family ensured he never doubted his ability to find his way into the AFL.

“It’s important to have a positive and energetic outlook on life and in elite sport especially,” he said.

“They (my family) were always pushing me to excel, whether it was in sport, education, life, or even social life.

“It has definitely paid off now but it was good times.”

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/ne...1/default.aspx

[Tay_]

DEFENDER Grant Birchall is the latest Hawk to commit to the Club, signing a three-year deal to remain at the Hawks until the end of the 2015 season.

Birchall, 24, is in his seventh season at the highest level, and is excited by the future at the Club.

“It’s fantastic, I think the Club is heading in the right direction and I’m really happy to have signed on for another three years,” he said.

“It’s a fantastic club to be a part of.”

The defender played in the Hawks’ 2008 premiership, in just his third year as an AFL footballer.

Adding a second premiership to his playing honours, and winning the Club’s eleventh is his aim.

“To try and win another premiership with the guys would be fantastic, that’d be the ultimate goal,” he said.

Despite being nominated for the All-Australian team last season, Birchall said that while recognition from the football community is humbling, he is focused on executing his role for the team.

“It’s nice to get a little bit of recognition here and there but what’s most important is what happens internally,” he said.

“Just as long as I’m doing all the right things internally, that’s the main thing.”

Harbouring leadership aspirations, the 193cm defender aims to improve on his leadership skills and cement a place in the Hawks’ leadership group.

Adding to those aspirations is becoming a mentor for his young defensive group and assisting them in their development.

“I’d like to get into the leadership group and start ramping up that sort of thing,” he said.

“I continue to work with the younger guys and I’ve really enjoyed that.

“We’ve got some great young defenders down there - they’ve picked things up really quickly and they’re going really well.”

At just 24 years of age, the 139 game veteran believes still has scope for improvement.

“Just trying to get better individually, I still believe I’ve got a bit to improve on,” he said.

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/ne...2/default.aspx

[Tay_]

HAWTHORN midfielder Sam Mitchell will remain at the Club until the end of the 2013 season after signing a one year extension on his current contract.

With family in mind, the decision for Mitchell to extend his contract before its expiration was a simple one.

“It’s nice to get an extra year on the contract and have a little bit more security for my family,” he said.

“There’s not that pressure of the end of a contract coming up.”

Despite having already won three Peter Crimmins Medals and earning an All-Australian guernsey in 2011, the Hawks’ hard man still relishes the challenge of playing AFL football.

Those challenges he said though, aren’t made easier by receiving accolades for performances on the field.

“There’s always a new challenge, regardless of where you’ve been and what you’ve done, and the challenge changes as the journey goes on,” he said.

“The beauty of elite sport is you get to continue improving and try to get better, regardless of what age you are, you try to get better every day, every week and every year.”

The Hawks clearance king has played 209 games at the highest level, and despite being one of his team’s most experienced players, he can’t see and end in sight.

Mitchell is conscious though, of continuing to play a vital role in the Hawks’ midfield machine.

“I’ll continue to play while I can play a role for the side and be worthwhile,” he said.

“I don’t want to be on my last legs and have my teammates carry me through, I’d like to contribute.

“(But) I feel exactly the same physically, as I did five years ago, so I don’t see the end coming any time soon hopefully.”

At 29 years of age, the Hawks’ 2008 premiership captain eyes a move into coaching once he does decide to give away the game he loves.

It is an aspiration that Mitchell is focused on and is committed to improving and learning his ability to teach and mentor players.

“I enjoy listening and I’m probably one of the few guys that enjoys meetings and listening to the way coaches coach and teach,” he said.

“I enjoy spending time with the young guys and trying to develop their skills as well.”

Proving that he could one day be another successful coach produced by the Hawks - following in the footsteps of names such as Leigh Matthews and Rodney Eade, his description of the ways he aims to improve shows his ability to understand the coach’s role.

“It develops as you get older, you get teaching styles,” he said.

“I understand the people I work with and try and have empathy for their situations and learning that every player and every person responds differently to different types of coaching and teaching.

“Learning styles and things like that are important so being able to take those things into account is something I’m learning all the time.”

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/ne...0/default.aspx

[Tay_]

RYAN Schoenmakers is the latest Hawk to commit to the Club, with the defender signing a new contract to remain at the Club until the end of the 2014 season.

The key position defender has played a key role in the Hawks’ season to date, and says that the trust and confidence the coaches have in him allows him to play his role.

“Absolutely, it’s a great feeling having the coaches believe in you, and it makes my job easier,” he said.

Originally from Adelaide, Schoenmakers is in his fourth season at the highest level.

Making the move from Adelaide to Melbourne when he was drafted by the Hawks as an 18-year-old was made easy by the welcoming nature and culture of the Club.

“It was a bit tough at the start, I was pretty lucky that I moved in with a host family for the first two years, which made the transition very easy,” he said.

“They’ve really embraced me as I’ve come over here and that makes it easier to do my job day-to-day.

“Then I had a few mentors in Stephen Gilham and Tom Murphy who helped me (develop) quickly with the defensive structure.

“It was a really stable foundation.”

Standing at 193cm, Schoenmakers has been entrusted with a key role by Coach Alastair Clarkson - to stand some of the best forwards in the game.

So far this season, the 21-year-old has enjoyed battles with Collingwood’s Travis Cloke, West Coast’s Josh Kennedy and Brisbane’s Jonathan Brown.

Playing on some of the best forwards in the game, Schoenmakers says has helped to fast-track his development at the highest level.

“I’ve played a handful of good games, but there’s obviously been a few games where I’ve had a few areas for improvement,” he said.

“That’s a good learning curve for me especially at this stage of my career.

“(My goal) definitely just to keep improving and do it on a week-to-week (basis).”

Fellow defenders Josh Gibson and Grant Birchall have also played a role in Schoenmakers’ development, with the trio forming an ever-improving backline.

“Josh Gibson is great, he’s just hard at the ball and at every contest, he attacks it 100 per cent so from that aspect, he’s great to watch,” he said.

“Grant Birchall, the way he executes his skills is fantastic.”

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/ne...3/default.aspx

[Tay_]

SHANE Savage hopes to repay the faith the Club has shown in him after signing a new three-year deal that will see him remain at the Hawks until the end of 2015.

The 21-year-old says that despite a slow start to his career, he’s starting to now feel part of the team, and the security of a new deal is a contributing factor.

“It’s always good to be secure for another couple of years, I’m happy to be here and hopefully I can repay the faith that they’ve showed in me,” he said.

“I’ve gotten some really good experience the last couple of years and I’m starting to feel a part of the team now.

“It was a slow start to my career, but I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

Shoulder reconstructions contributed to the slow start, as the midfielder played three games in his debut season, 2009 followed by no AFL matches in 2010.

Savage bounced back in 2011 though, playing 17 matches while averaging 17 disposals per game.

“Having a couple of shoulder reconstructions I had a pretty slow start in terms of my pre-season and I wasn’t able to get up to the required fitness to play at the top level,” he said.

“It came down to confidence and just having faith in my ability to play at the top level.”

The 185cm midfielder didn’t play any of the Hawks’ three finals matches last season, despite being a valuable contributor throughout the season.

Savage says that missing out on the Hawks’ finals campaign has served as his motivation to perform his role for the team in season 2012.

“It was pretty tough being dropped close to the finals,” he said.

“The injury didn’t help, and poor form as well didn’t help towards the end of the year but that motivated me over the pre-season to really train hard and cement my spot in the side this year.

“If I can keep playing my role for the side, then hopefully I can keep cementing my spot in the team.”

Despite having played 32 matches and every game this season, the New Zealand-born midfielder says he still gets a buzz running out onto the field as an AFL player.

“I still get that feeling every time I run out to every AFL game, especially the MCG,” he said.

“It’s always a great experience to play in front of a big crowd and play the game you love.”

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/ne...7/default.aspx

[Tay_]

HAWTHORN forward Paul Puopolo is the latest Hawk to commit to the Club, signing a two-year deal that will see him remain a Hawk until the end of the 2014 season.

Standing at just 173cm, Puopolo is excited by what the future holds for the Hawks.

“I was happy to get the contract done and I’m looking forward to the future, it’s an exciting time for us,” he said

Taking a unique path to AFL football, similar to Isaac Smith who also signed a new deal as part of the Seven in Seven campaign, Puopolo says he was focused on taking it one game at a time in his first year in the system.

“You still want to be playing the best footy you can, but just being a part of the team,” he said.

“I think I was just looking at each week as it came, and I was just happy to play every game (I could).

“Just fitting into the team was the exciting thing for myself.”

After missing the draft with a back injury, Puopolo said the introduction of expansion teams Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney opened the door for a spot on an AFL list.

That gave him the motivation to play harder and stronger.

“I thought that as I was getting older, but then the AFL brought out the two new teams and I ‘thought “they’re going to be looking for older blokes,’” he said.

“It spurred me on a little bit and drove me to train harder and play harder."

Puopolo reflected on his journey to the Hawks, which all began with a back injury that saw him miss months of football and ultimately miss a chance to become an AFL player.

“It’s the most important time as an 18-year-old, you want to make sure you’re playing good footy at that time (the draft),” he said.

“I had a setback with a back injury - I had a stress fracture in it and kept me out for three months, I couldn’t really do much.

“I put on a little bit of weight, and not the right weight in terms of muscle, I was a little bit chubby… I had to work that off.

“It was a little bit disappointing not to play my best footy then, but it’s paying off now.”

The 24-year old credits former Adelaide full back Nathan Bassett for his ability to make a name for himself in the AFL.

While playing for SANFL club Norwood, Bassett became a mentor for Puopolo, and gave him the belief he needed to make it at the top level.

“(He was) my main helper with that (breakout season), he drove me a little bit because of his AFL experience and he was fresh out of the system,” he said.

“He taught me all I needed in the backline and what I needed to do, he gave me great confidence in my ability.

“I backed myself in a bit more and it just paid dividends.”

Now Puopolo can play at both ends, this season making his name as a small forward whose forward pressure is vital in the Hawks’ ability to create turnovers.

“I’ve got the ability to play at both ends and that’s what the coaching staff want from me, but at this stage I’m playing more as a forward so I’ll probably try and learn a few things off (Cyril) Rioli,” he said.

“It’s been a good learning curve, playing a new role in the side.”

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/ne...7/default.aspx

[Pink]

Haha I'm related to jarrod roughead, he's like my 3rd cousin lol

[Tay_]

Haha I'm related to jarrod roughead, he's like my 3rd cousin lol

You are part of the Hawthorn family then I hope that he will be a Hawk for life!

[Pink]

Oh no I don't support hawks! I go for essendon

[CVM]

Bahahahahahahaha they can't even retain family as supporters

pink may you be guided to that which is right... Carlton... Lol

[Khaled]

I can't wait for this Friday when Hawthorn demolish Carlton. My whole family goes for Hawthorn and my wife and her family go for Carlton.. So gonna be a big match for everyone here!

[Tay_]

Oh no I don't support hawks! I go for essendon

[Pink]

Lol his own dad goes for Richmond. And as for carlton um NEVER going to happen! Lol

[Tay_]

HAWTHORN Captain Luke Hodge says he still has four to five years of AFL football left after extending his contract until the end of the 2013 season.

Hodge, 28, has played just two matches so far this season, after battling calf and knee injuries in the opening half of the 2012 season.

Despite his injury troubles though, the Hawks’ skipper is confident in his body’s ability to withstand the rigors of AFL football despite public opinion.

“People are paid to have an opinion on something and it’s interesting when people don’t know how your body is on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

“I’ve just turned 28, I think I’ve still got a good four to five years left in me I think.

“I’ve been relatively lucky with the injuries I’ve had, they’ve all been fairly minor.”

The former number one draft pick is in his second year as Hawthorn captain, taking the reins from 2008 premiership captain Sam Mitchell ahead of the 2011 season.

Hodge admitted though, that he’s still learning how to best lead his team.

“When you first get it (the captaincy), you try and do everything yourself - you just want to make sure you’re doing the best job you can,” he said.

“You find out the longer you do the job that it’s easier to sit back, relax, delegate a few jobs to people and overview everything to make sure it runs smoothly.

“It’s been a little bit more frustrating being injured this year, but it’s a learning experience and every year you do it, you will improve.”

Hodge's contract extension is the final announcement of the Club's Seven in Seven campaign joining Isaac Smith, Grant Birchall, Ryan Schoenmakers, Paul Puopolo, Shane Savage and Mitchell who all inked new deals.

The Hawks utility says the signing of key players illustrates that the players believe the Club is heading in the right direction, with a bright future ahead.

“We’re at a pretty exciting time at this stage, and we’ve had some great players who have signed over the past few days so it was a pretty easy decision,” he said

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/ne...5/default.aspx

[Tay_]

STAR midfielder Brad Sewell never seriously considered leaving Hawthorn after signing a new three-year deal this week, despite admitting to having had ``very, very faint discussions'' from rival interests.

This is despite admitting to having had ``very, very faint discussions'' from rival interests.

Sewell, 28, had the option of being a restricted free agent at the end of the season, but has now opted to commit to the Hawks until the end of the 2015 season.

``You would like to think so,'' the hard-working Hawk said this week of the prospect of him now becoming a one-club AFL player.

``You certainly wouldn't want to be changing clubs after three more years.

``Nothing was ever seriously considered. (There were) very, very faint discussions, and that was purely on the premise of free agency, I guess.

''That was just doing the due diligence and to be aware of the landscape.

``But to be able to be involved at Hawthorn for another three years, particularly with the direction we are going on and off the field is very exciting.''

Sewell, arguably having the most consistent of his AFL career, said this week that he was excited by the challenges that faced the Hawks into the future and would forever be grateful that they took a chance on him through the rookie draft in 2003.

``Everyone looks at the on-field and sees how exciting it is in terms of the potential for success,'' he said.

``But off the field the club is in a terrific position, without doubt, with the people we've got involved.''

Sewell said there was almost an unspoken pact by the senior Hawks to stick together.

``(To come to Hawthorn) is almost the most significant or influential period in your life,'' he said.

``To experience the values of the club and the people who make up the culture and history ... has been great.

``I guess to be a small part of that and to pass the baton on to the guys who are coming through is something that you start to think about and take pride in.

``You want to leave the club in better shape than when you got here and ensure the culture and values of what you are representing are instilled in the younger guys.''

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/brad...-1226453270528