Never have Hawthorn been better placed to cover for Lance Franklin in an AFL finals series, says Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson.
It’s a bold statement which appears certain to be tested on Friday night after Franklin’s late, high bump on Sydney’s Nick Malceski earned him a one-match ban for the Hawks’ qualifying final against the Swans at the MCG.
Franklin’s one-match suspension from the match review panel comes attached to an early guilty plea, with potential dire consequences of the ban being raised to two matches if the Hawks fight and fail at tribunal.
But Clarkson is comfortable his side is now far less Buddy-centric, and carries far more player depth into this year’s finals.
“The benefit of our squad this year is we’ve got greater depth in terms of the type of players we can bring in to replace a whole manner of positions, but in particular if Bud was to miss,” Clarkson said on Monday.
“We’re not saying we don’t need him. He’s obviously a very important player for our side.
“But we have worked particularly hard over the course of the last 12 months to try to spread our load … so that it doesn’t just fall to the same three or four important players for us to perform well and win finals.”
Statistics bear out Clarkson’s claim.
Hawthorn have won 13 of their past 14 matches minus Franklin, though several were against struggling sides in which the superstar forward was not risked with minor injury concerns.
Clarkson believes he has potential replacements for Franklin.
The most likely is ruckman Max Bailey returning from injury and David Hale being freed to play alongside Coleman Medallist Jarryd Roughead in the goalsquare.
The Hawks are also likely to have forward Cyril Rioli available after an ankle injury kept him out of last week’s match.
They have until lunchtime on Tuesday to decide whether to contest Franklin ruling at the AFL Tribunal that night and attempt to free him to play the Swans.
Hawthorn must also bear in mind that if they contest the charge and lose, Franklin would face a two-match ban which in reality could stretch to three weeks without football.
That would happen if Hawthorn beat the Swans, and headed straight to the preliminary final a fortnight later when the remaining match of Franklin’s ban would be served.
In other match review panel findings, the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne were hit with more than $14,000 in melee fines after their halftime altercation in Sunday’s match at Etihad Stadium.
Ten players face fines, with Melbourne’s Jordie McKenzie hit hardest with a $2700 sanction for allegedly starting the melee.
St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna and Essendon’s Jake Melksham face delayed starts to the 2014 season after bans for striking in their weekend matches.
Montagna has been handed a one-match suspension for striking Fremantle’s Ryan Crowley, while Melksham was hit with a two-match ban for his forearm to the head of Richmond’s Daniel Jackson.
