# 2020 Hawthorn Football Club season

The 2020 Hawthorn Football Club season was the club's 96th season in the Australian Football League and 119th overall, the 21st season playing home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 20th season playing home games at the University of Tasmania Stadium, the 16th season under head coach Alastair Clarkson, and the 2nd season with Ben Stratton as club captain. With Jarryd Roughead and Grant Birchall departing this season will be the first to not have any player from Hawthorn's 2008 premiership team on the list.
On 16 March 2020, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan announced that the season would be shortened to 17 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During Hawthorn's round 1 match with the Brisbane Lions, it was announced that the season would be suspended following the conclusion of the round, with the suspension to last until 31 May 2020. The season recommenced on 11 June 2020. Due to COVID-19, Hawthorn would only play two matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and no matches at the University of Tasmania Stadium. From round 13 until the end of the season, the Hawks would base themselves in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, playing home games at the Adelaide Oval.
A 10–point loss to Port Adelaide in round 13 meant that Hawthorn would fail to win 10 games in a season since 2009.
Hawthorn finished in fifteenth–place with a 5–12 record. Meaning for the first time since 2006 the club would fail to qualify for finals in consecutive seasons. This was also the first time since 2005, Hawthorn would finish in the bottom four.

## Club summary

The 2020 AFL season was the 124th season of the VFL/AFL competition since its inception in 1897; having entered the competition in 1925, it was the 96th season contested by the Hawthorn Football Club. Tasmania and iiNet continued as the club's two major sponsors, as they have done since 2006 and 2013 respectively, while Adidas continued to manufacture the club's on-and-off field apparel, as they have done since 2013. Hawthorn continued its alignment with the Box Hill Hawks Football Club in the Victorian Football League, however due to COVID-19, the VFL season was cancelled.

## Senior personnel

On 26 August 2019, the club announced that assistant coach Darren Glass would be leaving the club to join West Coast as the club's list manager. A couple of days laters it was announced that former assistant coach and Carlton coach, Brendon Bolton would return to the club as director of coaching. On 23 May 2020, Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The club was forced to stand down all but 25 staff members. This included head of development and learning Damian Carroll, VFL coach Max Bailey, VFLW coach Bec Goddard and development coaches Torin Baker, Marco Bello and Brett Deledio.

## Playing list changes
### Trades

| 11 October 2019 | To HawthornSam Frost Pick 42, 2019 AFL draft Pick 61, 2019 AFL draft 4th round pick, 2020 AFL draft | To MelbournePick 50, 2019 AFL draft 2nd round pick, 2020 AFL draft |
| 15 October 2019 | To HawthornJonathon Patton | To Greater Western Sydney4th round pick, 2020 AFL draft (via Melbourne) |
| 16 October 2019 | To HawthornPick 54, 2019 AFL draft (via West Coast) Pick 63, 2019 AFL draft (via Sydney) | To CarltonMarc Pittonet Pick 61, 2019 AFL draft (via Melbourne) |
| 20 November 2019 | To HawthornPick 50, 2019 AFL draft Pick 73, 2019 AFL draft 2nd round pick, 2020 AFL draft | To North MelbournePick 30, 2019 AFL draft |
| 28 November 2019 | To Hawthorn3rd round pick, 2020 AFL draft (via Essendon) | To CollingwoodPick 43, 2019 AFL draft |
| 28 November 2019 | To Hawthorn4th round pick, 2020 AFL draft | To Western BulldogsPick 62, 2019 AFL draft |

### Free agency
#### Additions

| Date | Player | F/A Type | Former Club | Deal | Compensation |
| 29 November 2019 | Michael Hartley | PSD | Essendon | N/A | None |
| 29 November 2019 | Harry Pepper | CB | N/A | N/A | None |
| 6 March 2020 | Keegan Brooksby | SSP | West Coast | 1-year deal | none |

#### Departures

| Date | Player | F/A Type | New Club | Deal | Compensation | Ref |
| 10 October 2019 | Grant Birchall | Unrestricted | Brisbane Lions | Signed 1-year deal | None | |

### Draft
#### AFL draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Recruited from |
| 1 | 13 | Will Day | West Adelaide |
| 2 | 29 | Finn Maginness | Sandringham Dragons |
| 4 | 57 | Josh Morris | Woodville-West Torrens |

#### Rookie draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Recruited from | ref |
| 1 | 9 | Emerson Jeka | Western Jets | |

### Retirements and delistings

| Date | Player | 2020 team | Reason |
| 29 October 2018 | Will Langford | — | Retired |
| 12 August 2019 | Jarryd Roughead | — | Retired |
| 17 October 2019 | Kaiden Brand | Sydney | Delisted |
| 17 October 2019 | Teia Miles | — | Delisted |
| 17 October 2019 | David Mirra | — | Delisted |
| 17 October 2019 | Tim Mohr | — | Retired |
| 18 October 2019 | Ryan Schoenmakers | — | Retired |

## Marsh Community series

| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Venue | Report |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Report |
| 1 | Thursday, 20 February (7:10 pm) | St Kilda | 17.9 (111) | 13.12 (90) | Lost by 21 points | RSEA Park | Report |
| 2 | Friday, 6 March (7:40 pm) | Melbourne | 6.13 (49) | 12.9 (81) | Lost by 32 points | University of Tasmania Stadium | Report |

## Home & Away season

| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Venue | Record | Report |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Record | Report |
| 1 | Sunday, 22 March (3:20 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 14.6 (90) | 9.8 (62) | Won by 28 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 1–0 | Report |
| 2 | Friday, 12 June (7:50 pm) | Geelong | 17.6 (108) | 7.5 (47) | Lost by 61 points | GMHBA Stadium | 1–1 | Report |
| 3 | Thursday, 18 June (7:40 pm) | Richmond | 5.9 (39) | 11.5 (71) | Won by 32 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 2–1 | Report |
| 4 | Sunday, 28 June (6:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 8.10 (58) | 8.6 (54) | Won by 4 points | Marvel Stadium | 3–1 | Report |
| 5 | Sunday, 5 July (6:10 pm) | Greater Western Sydney | 13.5 (83) | 7.7 (49) | Lost by 34 points | GIANTS Stadium | 3–2 | Report |
| 6 | Friday, 10 July (7:50 pm) | Collingwood | 8.11 (59) | 3.9 (27) | Lost by 32 points | GIANTS Stadium | 3–3 | Report |
| 7 | Sunday, 19 July (3:35 pm) | Melbourne | 7.6 (48) | 14.7 (91) | Lost by 43 points | GIANTS Stadium | 3–4 | Report |
| 8 | Saturday, 25 July (3:35 pm) | Sydney | 9.6 (60) | 7.11 (53) | Lost by 7 points | Sydney Cricket Ground | 3–5 | Report |
| 9 | Friday, 31 July (3:40 pm) | Carlton | 9.4 (58) | 14.5 (89) | Won by 31 points | Optus Stadium | 4–5 | Report |
| 10 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 11 | Monday, 10 August (6:40 pm) | Fremantle | 7.6 (48) | 4.8 (32) | Lost by 16 points | Optus Stadium | 4–6 | Report |
| 12 | Sunday, 16 August (4:10 pm) | West Coast | 12.9 (81) | 7.7 (49) | Lost by 32 points | Optus Stadium | 4–7 | Report |
| 13 | Saturday, 22 August (4:05 pm) | Port Adelaide | 9.14 (68) | 9.4 (58) | Lost by 10 points | Adelaide Oval | 4–8 | Report |
| 14 | Thursday, 27 August (4:10 pm) | Essendon | 10.11 (71) | 13.9 (87) | Lost by 16 points | Adelaide Oval | 4–9 | Report |
| 15 | Tuesday, 1 September (5:10 pm) | Adelaide | 7.6 (48) | 12.11 (83) | Lost by 35 points | Adelaide Oval | 4–10 | Report |
| 16 | Sunday, 6 September (1:05 pm) | St Kilda | 11.14 (80) | 9.12 (66) | Lost by 14 points | Metricon Stadium | 4–11 | Report |
| 17 | Sunday, 13 September (3:05 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 6.4 (40) | 11.10 (76) | Lost by 36 points | Adelaide Oval | 4–12 | Report |
| 18 | Sunday, 20 September (12:35 pm) | Gold Coast | 17.6 (108) | 8.9 (57) | Won by 51 points | Adelaide Oval | 5–12 | Report |

### Ladder

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Port Adelaide | 17 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1185 | 869 | 136.4 | 56 | Finals series |
| 2 | Brisbane Lions | 17 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1184 | 948 | 124.9 | 56 | Finals series |
| 3 | Richmond (P) | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1135 | 874 | 129.9 | 50 | Finals series |
| 4 | Geelong | 17 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1233 | 901 | 136.8 | 48 | Finals series |
| 5 | West Coast | 17 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1095 | 936 | 117.0 | 48 | Finals series |
| 6 | St Kilda | 17 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1159 | 997 | 116.2 | 40 | Finals series |
| 7 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1103 | 1034 | 106.7 | 40 | Finals series |
| 8 | Collingwood | 17 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 965 | 881 | 109.5 | 38 | Finals series |
| 9 | Melbourne | 17 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1063 | 986 | 107.8 | 36 | |
| 10 | Greater Western Sydney | 17 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1007 | 1053 | 95.6 | 32 | |
| 11 | Carlton | 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 1017 | 1078 | 94.3 | 28 | |
| 12 | Fremantle | 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 866 | 924 | 93.7 | 28 | |
| 13 | Essendon | 17 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 938 | 1185 | 79.2 | 26 | |
| 14 | Gold Coast | 17 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 996 | 1099 | 90.6 | 22 | |
| 15 | Hawthorn | 17 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 1004 | 1194 | 84.1 | 20 | |
| 16 | Sydney | 17 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 890 | 1077 | 82.6 | 20 | |
| 17 | North Melbourne | 17 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 858 | 1205 | 71.2 | 12 | |
| 18 | Adelaide | 17 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 826 | 1283 | 64.4 | 12 | |

## Awards, records and milestones
### Awards

Club Awards
* Peter Crimmins Medal: Jack Gunston
* Most consistent player: Jack Gunston
* Most improved player: Jack Scrimshaw
* Best clubman: Paul Puopolo
* Best first year player (debut season): Will Day

### Records
#### Club records

* Most tackles: 1,288 – Liam Shiels
* Most goal assists: 199 – Luke Breust
* Most games coached: 368 – Alastair Clarkson
* Most victories coached: 221 – Alastair Clarkson
* Most home and away games coached: 342 – Alastair Clarkson
* Most home and away victories coached: 205 – Alastair Clarkson

### Milestones

Round 1
* Tim O'Brien – 50th AFL goal.
* Sam Frost – Hawthorn debut.
* Jonathon Patton – Hawthorn debut.
* Jonathon Patton – 1st goal for Hawthorn.
Round 3
* Jack Gunston – 350th goal for Hawthorn.
* Chad Wingard – 250th AFL goal.
* Jaeger O'Meara – 50th game for Hawthorn.
Round 4
* Tom Mitchell – 50th game for Hawthorn.
Round 5
* Harrison Jones – AFL debut.
Round 6
* Will Day – AFL debut.
* Josh Morris – AFL debut.
Round 7
* Darren Minchington – Hawthorn debut.
* Josh Morris – 1st AFL goal.
Round 8
* Jack Gunston – 200th AFL game.
* Keegan Brooksby – Hawthorn debut.
Round 9
* Luke Breust – 400th AFL goal.
* Sam Frost – 100th AFL game.
* Jaeger O'Meara – 100th AFL game.
* Will Day – 1st AFL goal.
Round 13
* Shaun Burgoyne – 300th AFL goal.
* Ben Stratton – 200th AFL game.
* Michael Hartley – Hawthorn debut.
Round 14
* Darren Minchington – 1st goal for Hawthorn.
Round 16
* Damon Greaves – AFL debut.
Round 17
* Finn Maginness – AFL debut.
Round 18
* James Frawley – 100th game for Hawthorn.