Hawthorn’s game style under coach Alastair Clarkson is in a “dreadful space”, according to Kane Cornes.
It comes after Clarkson said the game as a whole was in a “dreadful space” after the Hawks’ Round 4 win over North Melbourne in what he described as a “terrible spectacle”.
Hawthorn have lost two straight games and averaged just 38 points per match since the four-time premiership coach made those comments.
The Hawks scored a paltry 27 points in Friday night’s loss to Collingwood – their lowest score under Clarkson and their smallest tally since 1964.
“The game of AFL is not in a dreadful space to use Clarko’s term – Hawthorn’s game style is in a dreadful space,” Power champion Cornes told Channel Nine’s The Sunday Footy Show.
“If you’re going to have a sook and have a whinge and have a complaint about the state of the game, you might have to look in your own backyard.
“And the way that Hawthorn are playing the game at the moment is absolutely dreadful.
“They play boring, slow, sideways football. Their handball receives are down, their metres gained is down, they are in the bottom four or five for scoring in the competition.
“I just think you’ve got to be very careful when you have a crack at the AFL when your team plays like this and since he made those comments a couple of weeks ago, he (Clarkson) has been made to look a little bit foolish unfortunately.”
Hawthorn will look to bounce back against Melbourne at Giants Stadium next Sunday.
"They play boring, slow, sideways football."@kanecornes whacks Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, saying the game isn't in a 'dreadful' space', it's the Hawks' game style that is.#9AFLSFS | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/8645Ade5tJ
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) July 12, 2020