Liam Shiels has penned a letter to members as the pre-season comes to a finish and the side sets its sights on Round 1. 

Footy is a funny game.

No year is ever the same and that seems especially the case at the moment as we head into the 2021 season.

Our list has changed a fair bit over the summer, I think we lost five 30-plus-year-olds as well as welcoming in a new crop of youngsters.

That level of change around a footy club is always going to take a bit of getting used to, but the excitement around the group, knowing the opportunities and experiences that are around the corner for so many of us, has been really energising to be around.

All of a sudden, we have quite a young list (if you ignore Shauny, of course!) and it’s amazing to see how quickly some of these guys are jumping on this upwards trajectory of improvement.

Five youngsters with game-high stats against North

Clarko has been big on looking forward over the pre-season – don’t forget the lessons of the year just past, but let’s get our mindsets on 2021 and beyond.

We’re obviously still very disappointed with how last season panned out on a number of fronts but I think, the positive of this, is that the frustration over how 2020 went down has really driven us over the summer.

We don’t want another year like that, and I think we’ve done everything in our power to ensure that’s not the case.

I think what we have seen over the summer is young guys really identifying that they’re now a pivotal part of our club and our on-field improvement is going to be driven by them.

That goes not only for those in their first or second years, but also those that have been here five or six years now – guys like James Cousins, Harry Morrison, Daniel Howe, Tim O’Brien and Conor Nash.

If those sort of blokes can take another step in their consistency at AFL level, it will really fast-track this regeneration period that the club currently finds itself in.

With less of those experienced guys around to just lock down a spot in the best 22, a lot of guys are sniffing the chance to make a place in the senior side their own this year – it’s made for a really competitive vibe in training.

From a personal point of view, I’ve really enjoyed this new environment around the club and stepping into a bit of a mentor role with some of our younger fellas.

Accepting I am one of the older players now is something that I am continuing to work towards getting used to!

Pre-seasons usually consist of spending a lot of time in your positional divisions, so I’ve been able to work with a few of the boys I just mentioned in Cuz and Harry as they look to spend more time in the midfield, as well as guys like Connor Downie and Finn Maginness who are keen to stake their claim.

There’s a real hunger to learn from these younger fellas and it’ll be exciting to see them get a call-up to the senior side throughout stages of this year.

Seeing things like Harry racking up 30 touches and CJ with a number of intercept possessions against North on the weekend, we haven't seen those guys do that sort of stuff at AFL level before so they're the sort of things the group is going to get really excited for this year, those little milestones in games. 

I hope these sort of performances instil some belief in these guys that they can really thrive at AFL level because I know, as a teammate, that's exactly how it makes us feel when we see that stuff. 

So, we're nearly there! Round 1 is in 10 days, it comes around quick!

There’s going to be some bumps in the road ahead but I really do believe Hawks fans should be excited about what we’re building here.

As we now put the full stop on what I think has been a pretty successful summer, I think I speak on behalf of all the boys in saying we can’t wait for all that’s to come in season 2021.

And, one of the best bits of all, is knowing we will have you by our side again this year!

Bring it on!