ON the eve of Wimbledon, former champ and Aussie icon Pat Cash talks to Leo Schlink about former greats, the modern trend of ‘super coaches’ — and his beloved Hawks.

LEO SCHLINK: Hawthorn has won seven flags since you won Wimbledon in 1987. Safe to say you get more satisfaction from Hawks flags than your own success?

PAT CASH: Hawthorn winning flags by a long way, but Hawthorn winning flags doesn’t put my kids through college. I’ve never really watched the Wimbledon win. Of course, achieving a goal you dream of since you’re a kid is huge, but the footy is always fun ... as long as Hawthorn wins every year, I don’t mind (laughing).

SCHLINK: Did beating Ivan Lendl in the final give it even more meaning?

CASH: Not really. Whoever was there was to be beaten. I didn’t spend time with Lendl or get on with him, but I didn’t dislike him as some players did. I would’ve been just as happy to beat Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg, Jimmy Connors or any other player.

SCHLINK: What do you think of the super coaches cult with Lendl, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic, Sergi Bruguera, Michael Chang and Carlos Moya out there coaching now?

CASH: In the short-term, it’s a bit overplayed, almost pointless. If players can get a few things out of it, that’s great. It’s good if a player wants to learn but if you gave me a player and want me to make them a better player on grass, that should’ve happened six months ago.

SCHLINK: Is there a collective impact?

CASH: Yeah, the net game is coming back — and I knew it would. It had to unless you want to be out there for six hours. You’d better learn to volley because there’s Rafael Nadal and another 30 Spanish guys out there ready to grind you into the ground. That’s a tough way to make a living. I think Edberg and Roger Federer almost amplified the need to improve the volley, as great as Roger already was.

SCHLINK: Has the “super coach” worked for some players more than others?

CASH: Yep, Chang and Nishikori. and Goran and Cilic. The one who I still scratch my head about is Boris and Novak Djokovic but it obviously works phenomenally well.

SCHLINK: Who’s the John McEnroe you know?

CASH: One of the more complex characters I’ve ever met, if not the most complex. Can be the nicest guy in the world one minute and then a complete nightmare the next. The good thing is he’s straightforward and truthful with the way he sees it.

SCHLINK: Boris?

CASH: He’s the other really intriguing character. I like Boris, he’s quite charming. He’s been through one heck of a life. I don’t think anybody can understand what it was like to be 17 and win Wimbledon for a country dying for sporting heroes.

SCHLINK: Goran?

CASH: Great guy. I have a lot of laughs with him. He’s pretty tough as a coach which is probably why he suits Marin Cilic, who’s a relaxed type of guy. Probably one of the three best servers I’ve ever faced.

SCHLINK: Who are the other two?

CASH: Pete Sampras, Richard Krajicek. Andy Roddick came along after I retired, thank God.

SCHLINK: Why aren’t you part of the super coaches cult?

CASH: I’ve had a few people come to me and they’ve been big names. If you can make a difference, it’s worth doing. But I’m not going to sacrifice my career in media and on the legends circuit, which I really enjoy, for somebody who’s not gonna listen.

SCHLINK: Does Djokovic win Wimbledon again?

CASH: I think so unless something exceptional happens.

SCHLINK: Back to the Hawks, is it Fourthorn or not?

CASH: We’ve got a chance but not having Brian Lake and with Roughy out, we’ve lost a couple of big bodies. Tim O’Brien, I like a lot, he wears No.23 — Dermie and Don Scott — he’s got to be tough and there’s got to be some psycho in there somewhere. I think Geelong is going to be tough, along with five or six other teams.