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This is to thank all those selfless contributors to Hawthorn's
premiership success that didn't get a mention in the acceptance
speeches.
To the Richmond football club, we thank you. Not only did your shameful
tanking in 2004 prevent our ordinary Schwab-led side from the indignity
of a wooden spoon, but your swift action in appointing Terry Wallace
would bare further dividends in the drafts to come. Congratulations on
achieving your goal and being the best team outside the eight this
season.
To Terry Wallace and Greg Miller for overlooking the talented players in
the 2004 draft. With over 180 goals between them, our two 21 year old
key forwards have proven that you can't succeed without a dominant
forward structure.
To Dean Laidley and the Kangaroos football club. We thank you for
accepting our gifts of Nathan Thompson and Jonathan Hay and for granting
us young premiership stars Grant Birchall and Jordan Lewis.
To the Fremantle football club. We thank you for gifting us our
premiership captain and north smith medallist with your farcical trading
in 2001. And we thank you for returning Croad to us at a basement price
two years later.
Your role in this premiership will not be forgotton.
To the Melbourne football club and their heartless members. We thank you
for your determined efforts to merge with us some 12 years ago. Without
that scare, we would not be the financial powerhouse we are today. You
never got that merger your collective hearts desired, but your role in
putting together the most advanced football department in the land is
eternally appreciated.
To the Geelong football club and Messrs Taylor, Mooney and Chapman. We
thank you for defecating your footy shorts as the Hawthorn juggernaut
closed in. We congratulate you on stealing a cheap flag a year before
the Hawks were ready and offer our commiserations to those responsible
for your laundry this weekend.
We must also acknowledge Geelong and their individual brilliance. Thank
you for being a team of individuals. Congratulations on your dominance
of the All Australian side and bad luck to Gary for missing out on the
Brownlow and Norm Smith. It was enough to make a grown man cry.
To the Collingwood football club, we thank you. Sure, you're no good but
we thank you for exposing Geelong's soft underbelly. Hit them hard, hit
them often and watch them fall to bits.
To the St Kilda football club, we thank you for Brent Guerra. We
apologise for taking your single tough player and realise this was
telling in a preliminary final. In true Michael Rix and Nick Stone
fashion, please accept our humble offering of Zac Dawson in appreciation
for your efforts.
Thank you to Brisbane for holding onto Leigh Matthews for the right
amount of time, preventing the temptation of us taking him as coach
instead of Clarkson. It would have been awesome to have Lethal as coach,
but I don't think he would have been able to do the wonders with our
list that Clarko did.
Thank you to West Coast and Fremantle for failing to effectively keep
Buddy Franklin hidden from public view so you they could steal him with
their first picks.
And of course thank you to Carlton, Richmond, West Coast, Melbourne,
Western Bulldogs, Essendon, Fremantle, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney for
overlooking Cyril Rioli in last year's draft, for that, we are eternally
grateful. Good luck to them and their stat magnet midfielders. May their
pointless 30 possession games forever see them watching on as Cyril
Rioli wins Hawthorn premierships with 10 of the greatest touches ever in
football.
We must also thank the media for overlooking our injuries throughout the
year. We knew we only lost to the Bulldogs because of injuries and were
accused of making excuses. Fools suggested our challenging Geelong in
round
17 should be discounted as Ablett, Ling and Milburn did not play.
Instead, the result should have been discounted as Dew, Young and
Crawford didn't play - all dominated on grand final day. Hell, even with
a stack of injuries we were too strong on the biggest stage.
That is all
premiership success that didn't get a mention in the acceptance
speeches.
To the Richmond football club, we thank you. Not only did your shameful
tanking in 2004 prevent our ordinary Schwab-led side from the indignity
of a wooden spoon, but your swift action in appointing Terry Wallace
would bare further dividends in the drafts to come. Congratulations on
achieving your goal and being the best team outside the eight this
season.
To Terry Wallace and Greg Miller for overlooking the talented players in
the 2004 draft. With over 180 goals between them, our two 21 year old
key forwards have proven that you can't succeed without a dominant
forward structure.
To Dean Laidley and the Kangaroos football club. We thank you for
accepting our gifts of Nathan Thompson and Jonathan Hay and for granting
us young premiership stars Grant Birchall and Jordan Lewis.
To the Fremantle football club. We thank you for gifting us our
premiership captain and north smith medallist with your farcical trading
in 2001. And we thank you for returning Croad to us at a basement price
two years later.
Your role in this premiership will not be forgotton.
To the Melbourne football club and their heartless members. We thank you
for your determined efforts to merge with us some 12 years ago. Without
that scare, we would not be the financial powerhouse we are today. You
never got that merger your collective hearts desired, but your role in
putting together the most advanced football department in the land is
eternally appreciated.
To the Geelong football club and Messrs Taylor, Mooney and Chapman. We
thank you for defecating your footy shorts as the Hawthorn juggernaut
closed in. We congratulate you on stealing a cheap flag a year before
the Hawks were ready and offer our commiserations to those responsible
for your laundry this weekend.
We must also acknowledge Geelong and their individual brilliance. Thank
you for being a team of individuals. Congratulations on your dominance
of the All Australian side and bad luck to Gary for missing out on the
Brownlow and Norm Smith. It was enough to make a grown man cry.
To the Collingwood football club, we thank you. Sure, you're no good but
we thank you for exposing Geelong's soft underbelly. Hit them hard, hit
them often and watch them fall to bits.
To the St Kilda football club, we thank you for Brent Guerra. We
apologise for taking your single tough player and realise this was
telling in a preliminary final. In true Michael Rix and Nick Stone
fashion, please accept our humble offering of Zac Dawson in appreciation
for your efforts.
Thank you to Brisbane for holding onto Leigh Matthews for the right
amount of time, preventing the temptation of us taking him as coach
instead of Clarkson. It would have been awesome to have Lethal as coach,
but I don't think he would have been able to do the wonders with our
list that Clarko did.
Thank you to West Coast and Fremantle for failing to effectively keep
Buddy Franklin hidden from public view so you they could steal him with
their first picks.
And of course thank you to Carlton, Richmond, West Coast, Melbourne,
Western Bulldogs, Essendon, Fremantle, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney for
overlooking Cyril Rioli in last year's draft, for that, we are eternally
grateful. Good luck to them and their stat magnet midfielders. May their
pointless 30 possession games forever see them watching on as Cyril
Rioli wins Hawthorn premierships with 10 of the greatest touches ever in
football.
We must also thank the media for overlooking our injuries throughout the
year. We knew we only lost to the Bulldogs because of injuries and were
accused of making excuses. Fools suggested our challenging Geelong in
round
17 should be discounted as Ablett, Ling and Milburn did not play.
Instead, the result should have been discounted as Dew, Young and
Crawford didn't play - all dominated on grand final day. Hell, even with
a stack of injuries we were too strong on the biggest stage.
That is all
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