Why Parkin thinks the Hawks are "going the right way"

Former Hawthorn coach and Australian Football Hall of Famer David Parkin believes that the Hawks are on the right track as they look to win an AFL premiership for a seventh straight decade.

While 2024 saw Hawthorn slingshot their way into the finals, 2025 saw them as a permanent fixture of the top eight despite finishing lower on the ladder.

But the finals experience from 2024 served the Hawks well, having been just one game away from a Grand Final after claiming wins against GWS and the minor premiers in Adelaide on the road.

With that in mind, it has seen Hawthorn rise as one of the premiership favourites for 2026.

And while Parkin acknowledges that they are a couple of players short, especially after Will Day’s injury, the four-time VFL/AFL premiership coach thinks that the side has what it takes to be a strong side till the end of the decade under coach Sam Mitchell.

“(They’re) probably three or four players (short) in terms of the depth you need,” he said on SEN’s Whateley.

“And with the young bloke (Will Day) injured again is sad because he’s the absolute end talent that they need to take them forward and his future looks quite undecided long-term.

“So, they’ve got to be a bit lucky and that’s where injuries come into concern.

“I think they are on the right tram going the right way.

“Mitch (Sam Mitchell) has shown himself to be one of the astute coaches of all time. I love the way he goes about his work, and I think the response has been good.

"The new venue (Kennedy Community Centre) out there (in Dingley) is just unbelievable.

“Things are coming together pretty well for that club, so I think they are for the next three or four years, one of the really strong and consistent teams in the competition.

Hawthorn is continuing their preparations for the home and away season with a match against the Western Bulldogs on Friday at Whitten Oval.

They’ll then head north to the Harbour City to play the Giants as part of Opening Round on March 7.