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SHREWD CAP AND LIST CALLS<\/p>\n
Hawthorn (13-5-1) is flying towards a top-four ladder finish with a stable senior side and reasonably healthy injury list.<\/p>\n
But an underrated aspect of their 2026 rise has been their even spread of contributors.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Midweek Tackle, McFarlane said the Hawks had produced some of \u201cthe smartest\u201d list management and salary cap decisions in the AFL over recent years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at the CODE Sports \u2018Rich List\u2019 in recent years, there haven\u2019t been many Hawthorn players up at the top. It\u2019s been very limited in that sense.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve paid what they\u2019ve had to. They haven\u2019t overpaid \u2013 they haven\u2019t underpaid in that sense \u2013 but they haven\u2019t had a $2 million player like a Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera or a Harley Reid out at West Coast.<\/p>\n
Hawks secure dominant win over Bombers | 01:52<\/p>\n
\u201cThe players they\u2019ve actually put in contracts in recent times \u2013 (Tom) Barrass and (Josh) Battle, (Jai) Newcombe to 2032, Connor Macdonald and Nick Watson to 2029, Josh Weddle to 2030 \u2013 they left a little bit of money on the table, all those guys.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look at Watson \u2013 left money, could have taken mega money elsewhere, wasn\u2019t going to do it. Weddle didn\u2019t take the $10 million offer from Essendon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey pay their players well, but there\u2019s plenty of room left in that salary cap.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow Midweek Tackle panellist Josh Barnes said the Hawks had coupled \u201ca deep, deep list\u201d with \u201ca lot of really good players to offset that\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cJames Sicily is the only (Hawthorn) player in the last five years of our Rich List to finish in the Top 20 in any year, which is almost unheard of for a team that\u2019s performed this well in the last three (seasons),\u201d Barnes told Fox Footy. \u201cThey only have two players in the top 38 in the Coaches\u2019 votes at the moment for a top-four side.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got such an even balance, no real giant superstars \u2013 we think Nick Watson will be in a year or two, maybe even right now \u2013 but they have so many good seven or eight out of 10 players at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
AND THERE\u2019S MORE TO COME<\/p>\n
The club\u2019s strong cap and list position has it primed to be big players in the trade space this October.<\/p>\n
Coleman Medal contender Ben King is expected to exercise his free agency rights and leave the Gold Coast Suns, with CODE Sports journalist Jon Ralph reporting on Fox Footy\u2019s On The Couch on Monday night that King had told close confidantes he wanted to join the Hawks next year.<\/p>\n
And contracted Essendon champion Zach Merrett is also expected to request a move to Dingley \u2013 12 months after his bid to join Hawthorn fell through on deadline day as the Bombers and Hawks couldn\u2019t agree on a suitable trade.<\/p>\n
McFarlane and Ralph subsequently put together Hawthorn\u2019s best 23 for 2027 \u2013 a team that included King at full-forward and Merrett as rover.<\/p>\n
Hawthorn’s crazy 2027 possible team | 03:52<\/p>\n
Hawthorn\u2019s \u2018Best 23\u2019 for 2027<\/p>\n
B: J.Impey, T.Barrass, J.Battle<\/p>\n
HB: K.Amon, J.Sicily, B.Hardwick<\/p>\n
C: M.D\u2019Ambrosio, J.Newcombe, J.Weddle<\/p>\n
HF: D.Moore, M.Lewis, J.Ginnivan<\/p>\n
F: N.Watson, B.King, J.Gunston<\/p>\n
R: L.Meek, W.Day, Z.Merrett<\/p>\n
INT: C.Macdonald, J.Ward, C.Nash, C.Mackenzie, M.Chol<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a good look at it and be afraid. Be very afraid,\u201d McFarlane said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year they\u2019re shooting towards that 14th premiership. That\u2019s quite remarkable. Now imagine adding two A -graders in if you could (after) actually winning that premiership this year?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe left so many players out of that side, we found that very difficult to work through that. Conor MacDonald\u2019s starting on the bench. We thought briefly about starting Jack Gunston off, but we had to get him on the field there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barnes added the Hawks had \u201ccrazy depth\u201d.<\/p>\n
McFarlane explained why the Hawks were well placed to comfortably land Merrett via trade and King via free agency this off-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been able to do this exceptionally well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look at Zach Merrett, they almost got him last year, didn\u2019t happen. It\u2019s been a bonus that it didn\u2019t happen last year in that sense, because they\u2019ll be able to get him cheaper this year. They picked up some extra second-rounders last year, which they can use.<\/p>\n
Suns still hope Ben King will stay | 02:46<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd with Ben King, if Port beat GWS this week, the current (Gold Coast) free agency compensation for Ben King on a six-year deal of around $7 million would be a No.5 pick. Hawthorn for a period thought they were going to have to give up and trade for Ben King and that the Suns would match that. (But) they (the Suns) won\u2019t match that. That is outstanding.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt (the draft pick) may go back a little with Cody Walker and Dougie Cochrane (bids) \u2026 (but) there\u2019s no way they\u2019re not going to do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose players coming in are going to make a really, really big side for Hawthorn next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if the Hawks could also get Bailey Humphrey, McFarlane said: \u201cI\u2019m told a really good look at the salary cap, they\u2019ve got scope in the future. I don\u2019t think that\u2019ll happen this year \u2013 they\u2019ll obviously have a try and you can try and manipulate things \u2013 but I think you can lock in they\u2019ll go hard at another player in 2027. That\u2019s the plan at this stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cRetention is really important, but recruiting players from other clubs is going to be a part of that mantra going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
MASSIVE RE-SIGNINGS<\/p>\n
On top of landing some big fish from rival clubs, McFarlane reported three key Hawks players were set to re-sign.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one who\u2019s really exciting I think is Will Day,\u201d McFarlane said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen how outstanding he\u2019s been this year. He\u2019s been able to get back from that injury scenario as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can tell you that there\u2019s already some discussions going on. He is all in on Hawthorn going forward.<\/p>\n
Will Day of the Hawks. Picture: Michael Willson\/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re always worried about the South Australian connection and whether he could potentially go back there, (but) he\u2019ll end up staying (at Hawthorn). They\u2019re actually escalating talks as we speak, so I reckon that\u2019ll be done within the coming months.<\/p>\n
\u201cJack Ginnivan, Ken Hinkley\u2019s trying very hard to get him to Tasmania, isn\u2019t he? But that won\u2019t happen. Jack will end up staying.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the end of the year, the Hawks think they\u2019ll have James Sicily done and they\u2019ll have Jack Ginnivan done, certainly Will Day will be done as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
AND THE COACH?<\/p>\n
Despite noise in recent months around being sounded out by rival clubs, Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is set to stay loyal.<\/p>\n
McFarlane revealed on Tuesday night a fresh contract extension will lock away the head coach until the end of 2030 at Dingley, as his club continues its return to premiership contention.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is imminent, this contract extension, absolutely imminent. It will happen very soon,\u201d McFarlane said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis management were thinking about other clubs giving him a call \u2014 (but) he was always going to stay at Hawthorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll secure a multi-year deal that will end up being a three-year extension, with a significant pay rise. He deserves it, he\u2019s really put this team right back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell, who took charge of the Hawks at the beginning of 2022, has a win rate of 64.2 per cent since the start of 2024.<\/p>\n
Mitchell: “Jack joins a new echelon” | 07:43<\/p>\n
NEW MAJOR SPONSOR \u2026 AND \u2018LEBRON FACTOR\u2019<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s more good news off the field.<\/p>\n
The AFL in May booted the Hawks from Tasmania to give the incoming Devils a clean slate to grow \u2013 a decision that raised the ire of the Melbourne-based club.<\/p>\n
In a tersely worded statement on Tuesday, Hawthorn said it was \u201cextremely disappointed\u201d by the AFL\u2019s call to end the club\u2019s 25-year partnership in Tasmania at the end of next season, stating it had a loyal fan base in the Apple Isle.<\/p>\n
The Tasmanian Government currently pays Hawthorn an annual base funding amount of $4.5 million to host home games in Launceston.<\/p>\n
But McFarlane said the Hawks were confident they\u2019d be able to fill the shortfall. He added other off-field wins loom too.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really difficult economic climate right now to try and find new sponsors, but I tell you Hawthorn are close,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the end of this year, they expect to have a major sponsor locked away a year in advance of Tasmania (deal) finishing. They\u2019ve got the 26th season in Tasmania \u2026 they\u2019ll exit Tasmania the right way.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuite a few other things as well. Stage 2 of Dingley is looking like it\u2019s a possibility at this stage. That would include a medical centre, some community sports facilities as well \u2026 There\u2019s also some planning for wind protection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack Ginnivan of the Hawks with fans. Picture: James Wiltshire\/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Hawks, too, are due to break their membership record next month.<\/p>\n
And they\u2019re looking to capitalise and entice more younger fans to follow some of their star players.<\/p>\n
\u201cJack Ginnivan and Nick Watson, we know their marketing skills are second to none in a lot of ways,\u201d McFarlane said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHawthorn are going to break their membership record \u2013 more than 87,000 \u2013 in the next couple of weeks. What they\u2019ve looked into is the young members \u2013 certainly young members who\u2019ve never been members before.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat they\u2019re thinking is there might be a little bit of the LeBron factor that young supporters are actually switching teams now and they want to follow \u2018The Wizard\u2019 (Watson).\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hawthorn is humming ahead of another finals campaign. But it feels like the Hawks\u2019 surge is only just…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":830317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-830316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=830316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/830317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=830316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=830316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=830316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}