Best 22 in 21

[tonyo]

yes but how many of them are key position players?
Gibson 189cm
Stratton 189cm
Birchall 193cm

The rest are a similar sized bunch of midgets.  We don't need to find the next big thing to help out our defense.  We wouldn't want to go in without Liam and Jacob very frequently but hawthorn managed to win 3 flags in a row because they had consistency in their lineup, consistency in how players played roles, and a bit of luck (which all successful teams need) that breakdowns were few and far between.  There were quite a few unsung heros in their teams.  We have a few players that fit that bill if they could stop breaking down.

The point in making is that without Brian Lake hawthorn were a team of short defenders and we are not.

Defenders' lives are so much easier when they are playing behind a strong and ruthless midfield and forward line who don't let the ball travel down the ground with any speed.

The Hawthorn midfield and half forward line of that era were a dominant bunch who made sure that the ball was more likely to go forward at each stoppage.  Once it was in their forward half, Hodge martialled a wall to keep it that way.  And if they didn't have the ball, they squeezed super hard until a mistake was forced.

Accordingly, Gibson, Stratton, Birchall et al didn't have to contend with the ball sky-rocketing into their zones with a bunch of one-on-ones.  It was far more controlled than that, and easier to group-defend (Gibson's favourite job was third man up...).

Defence is not just about defenders -  it's about forwards and midfielders putting pressure on their respective opponents and covering each other's butts.  When that doesn't happen, the defenders are faced with an avalanche that is almost impossible to stop. 
.