It was a happy team at Hawthorn in their final hitout of 2020 against the Suns, as they put on a clinic to send off several of their retiring stars and take the momentum of a win into the offseason.
However, a couple of defections and a forced list cleanout due to list size cuts left Hawks impresario of recruitment, Graham Wright, with a task ahead of him and an unaccustomed high draft pick.
The reversal of James Frawley’s retirement and Isaac Smith’s departure via free agency didn’t hurt the club as much as losing a pair of premiership heroes would normally set back a list, especially given Hawthorn’s preference for moving players on a season or so before their time.
So it was a significant coup that Kyle Hartigan was able to be traded in for a future fourth-rounder on the second day of trade, which filled an immediate position of need for the undermanned Hawks defence in the key position stocks.
Then, on the final day of the trade period, Hawthorn was able to trade for a plug-and-play wingman, Tom Phillips, who came cheaply from Collingwood for pick 65 and a renegotiated contract.
After remaining quiet through the final weeks leading up to the draft, the Hawks became very active with live pick trading, finishing with three pick trades for the night that gave the club the four selections they wanted while negotiating around having to match an expected bid for their NGA-tied player.
As these frantic trade machinations were going on, the Hawks were hovering to strike as the big names came off the board and their pick came at five, where they made an audacious bid on Swans Academy wunderkind, Braeden Campbell. Yet although Sydney had just picked at four and matching such a high bid cost them dearly, they matched and Hawthorn was back on the clock with pick 6.
With five of the highly touted best seven players of the 2020 draft gone from the board, it was really only down to two players and the Hawks went with Western Australian tall defender from Swan Districts, Denver Grainger-Barras.
Despite the flurry of pick trades, the Hawks were getting out of the draft rather than into it, so when the sixth-fastest 20m sprinter from the AFL draft combine and Bendigo Pioneers small forward, Seamus Mitchell, was there at pick 29 early in the second round, the Hawks snapped him up.
As with many clubs in this draft with tied players, Hawthorn developed a draft strategy that revolved around matching a bid whenever it came for Connor Downie, while still being able to go after another target without having to wait until the end of the draft.
So when they matched their Eastern Ranges NGA-tied boy at pick 35, after he’d slid past their second pick, they were also able to pick Tyler Brockman from Subiaco, Western Australia, with pick 46 ending their night on a high note.
Coming back the next day to collect Jack Saunders in the rookie draft was the final player Hawthorn was to add, although they’ll still have a spot to fill as the preseason supplemental period gets underway in January.
Hartigan and Phillips are not trades that will get Hawthorn back into grand finals any time soon, but they are just the kind of grand final experienced veterans that the club needs to have for depth as they return to the draft in order to gradually turn over the list.
Grainger-Barras provides a new dimension in defence where he should slot straight in as the second key defender having cut his teeth on senior football this season, where he will fit in very well with other Hawks first-round talent.
Mitchell may have been a bolter into the early second round, but if he can fulfil his promise then the Hawks may be able to develop him into another speedy small forward as they renew that part of the list.
Downie has long been touted to get to the Hawks, although given their history of passing on NGA and father-son bids, it was a relief to fans when the outside midfielder slid out of the first round and well into the second because he could very well be playing in Round 1.
Brockman was the main beneficiary of the late NGA bid-matching because it gave the Hawks a late third-round pick to snatch him before the Western Australian teams could get him in the fourth round, with Wright identifying small forward as a priority position to fill.
Saunders is another small forward bolter, this time taken in the rookie draft with the fourth selection. He’s able to go through the middle and can find the goals, so he will be among three new players looking to claim the spot vacated by Paul Puopolo’s retirement.
Graham Wright can rightfully be regarded as a genius, with his ability to assemble one of the very best lists of the modern era and continue to keep it capable of winning without having to go to the draft too often, however, this year was different in many more ways than just the disrupted season, with the Hawks list losing some serious talent and experience.
Yet, with a modest draft hand that really only took shape due to some well-placed trades and the club’s poor ladder position, along with a third-round compensation pick for Smith in free agency, the recruiters can be happy with their haul.
Jimmy Woods
Roar Rookie
Planets aligning for a stint with the pies? Be a great way for Eddie to exit.
Dean
Guest
Hopefully that might be Magginess, Downie or Cousins if he got a regular game.
Bagley
Guest
Agree, worpel may come on enough to replace sheilds, but they still need someone with a bit of pace who can get it 30 times and kick a goal a game!
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
BTW FG, I do agree that often clubs have to strike quickly make on the spur of the moment decision's pending on what's available. But this isn't one of those situations. Hawthorn are in great need of a reliable key forward & Patton hasn't been that at either GWS or Hawthorn in 2020.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
I read back in June 19 that Hawthorn were talking to Patton. It definitely wasn’t a spur of the moment decision to sign Patton. They knew they needed a tall forward to replace Roughead. Tim O’Brien is being retained by the club as a stop gap tall forward. Look at the key forwards at Hawthorn? Very thin if they cant keep Lewis & Patton on the field. I think they are too smart a club to believe they are going to re-enter the premiership window without a major key forward.
Footyguy
Guest
A lot of afl is kind of is saying setting up the club long-term, let's sign up this player till 2025 whatever But the truth is a lot of these draft and recruiting decisions are more in the spur of the moment than clubs make them out to be. Take for example at the Brayden press situation At the end of 2018 Brayden Preuss was struggling for a game at North request's a trade to Melbourne. Melbourne have pick 3 at the draft the next year after a garbage 2019 season what do they do they are defiant go against the classic convential wisdom of the first 10 picks of the draft are only for midfielder and draft a ruckman Jackson who likely could go back home to western Australia in 4 ot 5 years time
Footyguy
Guest
This thing about down back they are weak the problem the best thing about their list is their key defensive options Sicily, Hardwick, Kozitzche, Hartigan, Denver Grainger Barrass they have good key defensive depth Key forwards Mitch Lewis, Jack Gunshot, Luke Breust can play tall, Tim O Brian, Jon Parton still not that bad O Brian I am sceptical on but I'm more worried about the midfield they didn't really address the issue
Dean
Guest
Disagree about the list being very old Chucka. At seasons end Smith, Henderson, Puopolo, Frawley and Stratton all retired or moved on. I like the Hawks picking up DGB as he was considered by a few clubs to be the best player in the draft after hagle. It's a pick the Hawks needed and he will fit into the right age demographic down back that will hopefully form a defensive unit for years to come. Sicily, Frost, Hardwick, Scrimshaw, Day, Kosi if he gets fit, Impey and DGB. There is a good core group that has a lot of flexibility, with talls, smalls and pace.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Dave, I don’t believe Clarko does rate O’Brien that highly. If he was a shoe in, why did the club take the chance in signing Patton with his long-term injury history? O’Brien played 16 games this season. Lewis only 8 & Patton 6. This wasn’t due selection preferences; this was purely due to injuries. Lewis & Patton struggled to put two games together. Tim O’Brien has been a stop gap & I’m glad we had him to draw upon. If Paton’s body doesn’t hold up this year, the Hawks will have to get serious about signing a major key forward at most likely a major cost. It’s no use winning the clearances, kicking the ball into the forward 50 & not having a key forward to bring it to ground at a minimum. We got out-marked in the forward-line way too often in 2020. Also, I think Lewis needs to put on some weight. I saw him get pushed out too easily in the marking contests on the occasions that he did play in 2020.
Bagley
Guest
Clarkson has already presided over a rebuild, that's probably what made him a great coach.
Cracka
Roar Rookie
I guess every club would look at him even Geelong if they again failed in 2021 to win the flag.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
They can't lose with DGB, but time will tell with Logan McDonald and Elijah Hollands, both of who were touted as number ones. What a draft to be so right or wrong, yet be either right or easily be forgiven assuming the data.
Luke
Guest
Actually, he also played for Melbourne and they have all the ingredients for a tilt at a flag, but question marks on the coach. And he also played for them. So they could come calling if the dees underperform again. Just my thoughts
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Cos wingard is going through the guts, while poppy has retired and Breust is the wrong side of thirty
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Not quiet, while yes you need talent in those positions otherwise you don’t win, I consider a contested beast to be as important as those positions if not more so. Take essendon as an example they’ve had hooker, Hurley, Daniher and bellcho, while it may not have been enough to win a flag I do think that list make up is enough to win at least one finals but the bombers are so lacking in that inside midfielder role that as soon as they come up against a pressure based team like Richmond or western bulldogs they panic
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Hawks obviously disagree with you because they chose someone else
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
If Elijah Hollands can play 200+ games with 400+ goals at almost 2.1 per game with almost 1 goal assist per game it will be more than worth passing over Nik Cox, who I was massively into leading up to the draft.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Yep,KPP players are hard to find,grab them when good one's come along ,think your one will be a goody
Cracka
Roar Rookie
Well North will be 2 years into a rebuild by then, but hey your right 100% maybe Carlton, Essendon, Gold Coast, I guess take your pick at the time that it happens, IF, it does at all. I only say North as he played for them…
Luke
Guest
You say that Clarkson is wasted on a rebuild and then suggest North. They are even deeper behind in a rebuild. It doesn’t make any sense