Over the 2026 home-and-away season, the Hawks got through 1,220 FUELR isotonic gels. That's 30,500 grams of carbohydrate, spread across 23 rounds of some of the hardest-working football in the competition.
Hawthorn finished 4th on the ladder at 15 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws (64 points, 120.1%). This is the story of what went into that season, and what came out of it.
The work it powered
Hawthorn's 2026 wasn't built on one headline stat. It was built on volume: winning the ball, going again, and doing it every week.
|
Season output |
Total |
Per game |
|---|---|---|
|
Disposals |
8,904 |
387 |
|
Contested possessions |
3,006 |
131 |
|
Marks |
2,279 |
99 |
|
Tackles |
1,350 |
59 |
|
Inside 50s |
1,312 |
57 |
|
Hit-outs |
997 |
43 |
|
Clearances |
857 |
37 |
Over 3,000 contested possessions is a season of putting bodies in the hardest parts of the ground. Add 1,350 tackles and 857 clearances, and you've got a team whose output depended on repeat efforts deep into the last quarter.
Why isotonic works for footy
An AFL game is 100-plus minutes of stop-start running, sprinting and contact. The fuel that matters most is muscle glycogen, and by the second half it's running low. That's when decisions slow, tackles slip and second efforts disappear.
Isotonic gels are made to close that gap without causing new problems:
- No water needed. An isotonic gel is already at the right concentration to absorb, so players can take one at quarter-time or half-time without chasing it with a drink.
- Easy on the stomach. Footy means contact and constant changes of direction. A gel that doesn't need extra fluid to digest is far less likely to sit heavy.
- Fast carbs when they count. 25g per gel tops up the tank before the third quarter, when games are so often won or lost.
Hawthorn's all-isotonic approach kept it simple: carbs in, no caffeine, nothing extra to manage. Fuel the work, and let the players get on with it.
Fuel your own season
You don't need an AFL list to fuel like one. Here's a gameday fuel guide to follow
- Pre-game: 1x caffeinated gel (15+) 30mins before, 1x isotonic gel 5mins before the bounce.
- Half-time: 1x isotonic gel more to top up before the third quarter.
- Big minutes: midfielders and high-running players can add 1x isotonic gel at three-quarter time.
Whatever your level, the work is yours. The fuel is ours.
