Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Hawthorn will be major players in this year’s trade period, including when it comes to which Hawks might spill out among a potential influx of talent as they go full throttle at trying to win a premiership.
Gold Coast’s Coleman Medal-leading spearhead and restricted free agent Ben King is at the top of Hawthorn’s wish-list, while they are also likely to again explore trading for ex-Essendon captain Zach Merrett, and have expressed interest in another Sun, Bailey Humphrey.
But the Hawks’ recruiting spree from two years ago, which netted them star defenders Tom Barrass and Josh Battle, could also have a flow-on effect.
Injured backman Jack Scrimshaw, who is contracted until the end of 2027, has emerged as a player of interest to rival Victorian clubs, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, but much will depend on whether he can re-establish himself in Hawthorn’s senior side.
His preference is to remain in brown and gold.
Scrimshaw has connections to North Melbourne and Carlton. Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson was still at the Hawks when then-GM of football Graham Wright, now the Blues’ CEO, recruited Scrimshaw from Gold Coast during the 2018 trade period.
Essendon also asked about Scrimshaw last year when Hawthorn made their bid for Merrett.
The 27-year-old – who twice went out of the Hawks’ senior side this season, including playing a VFL game in April then suffering a knee injury at training in mid-May – has had to adjust his playing style with Barrass and Battle joining the backline.
Scrimshaw plays his best football as an interceptor who can hurt opposing sides with his elite kicking skills, rather than being a lockdown defender.
Melbourne are also in the race for Humphrey, who is contracted until the end of 2028, and have more draft collateral than Hawthorn to try to convince Gold Coast to part with him, which they refused to do during last year’s trade period.
The Demons have two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, including the Suns’ top selection, after trading Christian Petracca to the Queensland club last year, and can also use future picks.
Two other Suns, Jed Walter and Joel Jeffrey, are also the subject of trade conjecture, but vice captain Touk Miller believes the speculation is not to blame for the club’s four-game losing slump.
Coinciding with Hawthorn’s King interest is a number of their own tall forwards – Mitch Lewis, Jack Gunston, Calsher Dear, Will McCabe and Max Ramsden – being without a deal beyond this season.
Another key forward, ex-Tiger and Sun Mabior Chol, is contracted until the end of next year.
The Hawks tabled a four-year offer to Lewis, an unrestricted free agent who is enjoying his most productive season in three years. However, they also presented an offer to James Worpel last year before he left for Geelong, and an industry source, speaking on condition of anonymity, described both as modest.
Meanwhile, Dear has played only 13 games across the past two seasons after kicking 25 goals in 17 games in 2024, and any decision on his future is not imminent.
Intrigue in the Giants’ list
There is interest across the league about which direction the Giants go with their out-of-contract players.
They don’t have the same volume of players without a deal beyond this season, but there is serious star power and young players with upside among the group.
Captain Toby Greene, an unrestricted free agent, headlines the crop, which includes Jake Stringer, ex-skipper Stephen Coniglio, Jake Riccardi, Jesse Hogan, Max Gruzewski and ruckmen Kieren Briggs and Nick Madden, who are both Giants academy graduates.
Greene turns 33 in September and is one of the club’s all-time greats, but is from Melbourne originally and has a significant decision to make. If he opts to depart at season’s end, he is most strongly linked to Geelong.
Greene has typically made re-signing decisions early in the year, but is yet to this time around.
There is a chance GWS might have to choose between Gruzewski and Hogan, as well as Briggs and Madden, both of whom have opposition suitors.
Fit-again Hogan, 31, reclaimed his spot in the senior side at Gruzewski’s expense, but his management has so far been unable to come to terms on a new deal. Gruzewski, an Oakleigh Chargers product, has pressed pause on contract talks as he weighs up his future.
The spectre of Tasmania is also hovering in the distance, with the AFL’s newest club making All-Australian midfielder Tom Green its No.1 recruiting target. Green is contracted until the end of the 2027 season, as is fellow Giants star Lachie Ash – both of whom are priority re-signings for the club.
The Giants are clearly building around their gun young core, also including Finn Callaghan and Aaron Cadman.
The Devils can sign up to 18 uncontracted players across the 2027 and 2028 player movement periods, but a maximum of one player from each club.
“We deal with it every year, so it’s nothing new,” Giants football boss Jason McCartney told Fox Footy.
“[Tasmania CEO] Brendon Gale, [and list management pair] Todd Patterson and Derek Hine wouldn’t be doing their job if they aren’t having chats to managers and players of the likes of Tom Green.
“Tom’s an outstanding player, a great person and an outstanding leader at our footy club, so we’re pretty confident we’ll be able to get something done in time, but obviously we’d love to be doing it sooner than later.”
The ruck merry-go-round
Briggs and Madden are not the only names to watch on the annual ruck merry-go-round.
Other big men signed until only the end of this season are Gold Coast’s Jarrod Witts, Brisbane Lion Darcy Fort, North Melbourne’s Callum Coleman-Jones, the Power’s Jordon Sweet, Tiger Oliver Hayes-Brown, St Kilda’s Alex Dodson, and Eagles trio Harry Barnett, Matt Flynn and Bailey Williams.
Williams was this year’s surprise restricted free agent on a back-ended contract.
Richmond are one club actively looking to improve their ruck division, given captain Toby Nankervis’ advanced age and the lack of proven options behind him, including Hayes-Brown and Samson Ryan. The Tigers are interested in both Madden and Briggs, but an industry source familiar with the situation told this masthead that Madden is the preference of the two.
Essendon could also be in the market for a ruck upgrade, while Carlton (Flynn Riley), Collingwood (Harrison Coe), Melbourne (Max Mapley) and Western Bulldogs (Caleb May) picked ruckmen in the mid-season draft.
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