Recap pod: Mission accomplished in the West

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It was a strange way to finish a strange home-and-away season.

Hawthorn won by 62 points, Jack Gunston kicked five in his 300th, Nick Watson nearly produced Mark of the Year and, most importantly, the Hawks finished fourth. Let’s not lose sight of that, even though there was still a subset of Hawks fans disappointed we didn’t win by 100.

So Danny Prins and Darren Levin are here to offer some perspective. We finished eighth last year. We had nine debutants this year. We entered the season wondering whether we’d actually taken a small step backwards Now we’re heading to Perth with a double chance and a free hit at Fremantle.

• Whether Hawks fans need to stop pining for the lightning-in-a-bottle version of HOKball and appreciate just how far this team has come.

• Why finishing fourth has comfortably exceeded our pre-season expectations, even if it hasn’t always looked pretty getting there.

• The strange feeling of winning by 62 points in the wet and somehow being disappointed it wasn’t closer to 100.

• Why a qualifying final against Fremantle in Perth might actually be the best possible way for Hawthorn to start September.

• Max Beattie’s growing case for a finals spot after adding something to the forward line that we’ve been searching for all year.

• Whether Lloyd Meek has finally put the two-ruck debate to bed.

• Josh Ward’s breakout season and how comprehensively he’s answered the questions hanging over Hawthorn’s midfield.

• Why the numbers don’t tell the full story with Cam Mackenzie, or how this Hawthorn midfield actually works.

• Nick Watson’s completely outrageous hanger in the wet, the finish that followed and why he might be built for September.

• The players who used West Coast to rediscover some confidence at exactly the right time.

• Five goals in game 300 and a moment to appreciate just how extraordinary Jack Gunston’s Hawthorn legacy has become.

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