Hawthorn are in the eight – for now.

After an emphatic win over top four aspirants West Coast, the Hawks climbed into finals contention and now rely on Adelaide beating the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. 

But for proud Coach Alastair Clarkson, the win was about much more than September action.

“Irrespective of what happens, it’s about the long game for us,” Clarkson said after the match.

“We’re finding some players, like Hanrahan, Scrimshaw, Worpel, Nash and these sorts of guys.

“They’re not household names by any stretch of the imagination at the present time, but six or seven or eight years ago, neither was Breust or Smith or Puopolo or these sorts of guys.” 

“We need to continue to work out ways to continue to improve the quality of our playing list and also the method with which we play.”

Read: Our Round 23 win in pictures

Despite Hawthorn winning their final three home and away games of the season, Clarkson still believes his side has some ground to make up. 

“There’s a gap between us and the top sides.

“We sit where we do on the ladder for a reason and that’s because we haven’t been good enough or consistent enough in big moments throughout the course of the year and we need to rectify that. 

“We’ll work really hard over the summer to get that better.”

But the Hawks have every reason to be proud; while many wrote them off, Alastair Clarkson’s men have shown time and time again why they are one of the most successful teams of the modern era. 

“I hope the supporters back home are proud of the efforts of our boys,” Clarkson said. 

“I hope they’re starting to see that some of the young guys that are running around for us have a big future at our footy club.”