As far as milestones go, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson couldn't have wished for anything better.
Clarkson celebrated his 300th AFL game as Hawthorn coach with a 52-point trouncing of Fremantle in Perth on Saturday night.
The win was sweet, but perhaps even sweeter for Clarkson was the emergence of rookie Irishman Conor Glass, who tallied 15 disposals and five marks in his AFL debut.
The 19-year-old, who was a talented Gaelic footballer, got his lucky break when he linked with Hawthorn as an international category B rookie at the end of 2015.
Playing across half-back against Fremantle, Glass displayed composure that belied his inexperience in Australian Rules Football.
He was calm in the clinches, and read the play like a seasoned pro.
When he first trotted onto the field in the opening term, he immediately told his more seasoned teammates where they needed to be situated.
Clarkson was proud of what Glass delivered first up, and is confident the 189cm backman has a bright future.
"A lot of the Irish boys have a real strong resolve about them, and he's no different," Clarkson said.
"They make a decision they want to play the game and they work so hard. He has been one of the hardest workers at our footy club.
"It's difficult for any young player to come into a footy club, let alone a lad who has come from overseas and hasn't grown up with the game.
"He has watched a lot of tape and sat down with his coaches and studied a lot of players and how they have gone about it."
Clarkson was equally thrilled by another dazzling display from Jack Gunston in defence.
Gunston has played most of his 144-game career as a forward, but his recent move to the backline continues to pay dividends.
The 25-year-old tallied 35 disposals against Fremantle to rival Tom Mitchell (37 disposals) for best afield honours.
Hawthorn are one of the form teams after snaring three wins and a draw from their past five matches.
Their only loss during that stretch was a three-point defeat to heavyweights Geelong.
But despite the recent hot run, Hawthorn remain two wins adrift of the top eight and are almost certain to miss the finals.
The Hawks' resurgence will be tested when they take on the white-hot Swans at the MCG on Friday night.
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