The foibles of others have attracted the white hot glare of the football world so far this season, but for the next few days it is Hawthorn's turn, and deservedly so.

The Hawks were pathetic on Saturday night, displaying none of the passion and urgency demanded of them by their members and supporters, for whom matches against Essendon are the most important of the season.

Lance Franklin and Luke Hodge are absolved from any criticism here. Both were super against the Dons and while this might be a slightly early call, Franklin is nearly back to his imperious form of 2008. We'll cut Cyril Rioli, whose mind is willing but body isn't, a little bit of slack and Brent Guerra did OK as well.

But you could ask questions of about just everyone else in the brown and gold, and not just the players. The rate at which this side has gone backwards since the 2008 grand final is remarkable. The likes of Rick Ladson, Xavier Ellis, Stephen Gilham and Campbell Brown, who were so good in 2008 and who appeared to be entering the primes of their career, appear to have regressed. Michael Osborne is back on the angry pills, which is what par for the course for him when things aren't working out for him on the field. Chance Bateman appears to have lost half a yard from that burst of speed that made him such a damaging player two seasons back. Jordan Lewis has done nothing since his sickening clash with Jarrod Harbrow in round three Jarryd Roughead's kicking for goal is an embarrassment for a club with such a rich heritage of crack full-forwards.

Tom Muphy's confidence is shot. Ryan Schoenmakers appears to be suffering from a similar malaise. The list goes on.

Who would have thought that Hawthorn's season would be shot just as the leaves are starting to turn?

There are question marks over the game plan. The handball happy Hawks tried more run and carry against the Bombers, but couldn't muster enough of either. Still too many handballs to stationery targets. Not enough blocking in the forward line to create space for Franklin or Roughead. Nobody to crumb when the ball invariably hit the ground. Too many Hawks appear to be going through the motions. Is talk about a rift among the players true?

Now the questions are being asked of the coach. Will Alastair Clarkson follow through on plans to shake up the side? Sadly, those left over at Box Hill would appear to offer more of the same. Garry Moss, Beau Dowler, Jarryd Morton and Beau Muston have been tried before and none are banging the door down demanding a game.

Now comes a trip to Perth to play West Coast. About the only positive for the Hawks is that the Eagles and the Dockers belted each other from pillar to post and that both teams traditionally struggle to come up the week after the derby. But Clarkson will be kidding himself if he attempts to take on Nic Naitanui and Dean Cox with just one recognised ruckman, particularly after last year at Subiaco when Hawthorn couldn't counter the West Coast pair, and that was with two ruckmen. Jordan Lisle might just have to debut this week even if he isn't yet ready or up to it.

No doubt, Clarkson's best-laid plans for the season included Josh Gibson to shore up the backline, Shaun Burgoyne for class and carry through the midfield, Rhan Hooper in the forward line to free up Rioli to play up the ground and a second ruckman. Through no fault of his own, none of these have eventuated.

But the Hawks have won just 10 of the 28 matches since they won the '08 flag. They can't lay a tackle and are being smashed in contested possessions. Clarkson needs to find a Plan B and if reports are true of club president Jeff Kennett summoning the coaching staff to a post-match crisis meeting immediately after the match, then such a course of action may already have been demanded.

But for the Hawthorn faithful, which includes this writer, the hope is that just like a horrible loss to Essendon in 2004 led to a marked change in fortune, the same will one day be said of a loss to the Bombers in 2010, another that was truly horrendous.