Who do Hawks look to for midfield boost after failed Merrett trade play?

As Hawthorn sifts through the breakdown of the trade period, there is no doubting that Sam Mitchell and his football department will continue looking at ways to improve the list that made a preliminary final in 2025.

The Hawks, who host a myriad of young talent on their list, entered the trade period hoping to add an established quality midfielder to assist young gun Jai Newcombe and star midfielder Will Day, while also seeking a powerful forward who could play through the middle.

Despite their best intentions, they left Marvel Stadium last Wednesday night empty-handed, missing out on main acquisition Essendon skipper Zach Merrett, as well as Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca and Gold Coast young gun Bailey Humphrey.

In an arms race to stay competitive with opposition midfields, the Hawks were left behind as they failed to add to their centre structure while others strengthened their own.

Gold Coast added Petracca, and Brisbane will welcome another top young midfielder through the trade period, with Academy prospect Dan Annable set to join the club to complement the Ashcroft brothers, Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage in a talent-laden midfield.

Mitchell, while disappointed at not being able to add to his list, would be using his adage that things are never as good or as bad as they seem as he plots a way to make the Hawks' midfield competitive with the best in the competition.

After the Hawks' last game for 2025 — a 30-point loss in the preliminary final against the Cats — Mitchell spoke about the need to improve the list to allow the Hawks to remain at the pointy end of the competition and contend for the flag.

"I don't think it's any surprise that we're going to be aggressive in trying to make our list the best it can be, and I think every club's doing that," Mitchell said.

"So I'm not ready for this yet, but free agency, the draft, trade period—they're all ways we can improve our list and we're going to need to do that. Everyone is. The game doesn't stand still for anyone."

Hawthorn may have left Marvel Stadium empty-handed in terms of player acquisitions, but they didn't leave without options to bring in players who will help improve their list as they look to secure their 14th premiership.

In the delisted free agent period, the Hawks will be keeping an eye on a host of players who can add depth to their list, including Ethan Stanley, who had a stint in the AFL for Fremantle before suiting up for Hawthorn's VFL affiliate Box Hill this year, playing predominantly as a midfielder and impressing with his pace.

The Hawks will enter the AFL Draft with two first-round picks at 10th and 22nd overall, which they received from Carlton in a pick swap during the second week of the trade period.

With the midfield being an area for improvement, Ollie Greeves and Dyson Sharp will both come under consideration, with both having impressed during their U18 season.

While the delisted free agent period and the draft are avenues for Hawthorn to improve their list, natural development will be a card on the table that the Hawks are hoping will come to fruition.

With a bevy of young players on the list ready to fill the void and benefit the midfield, they're looking to keep pace with the likes of Brisbane and Gold Coast, who added key components and only got stronger during the trade and free agency period.

The Hawks, who have added Daniel Giansiracusa as their new head of development, will be looking at their draft acquisitions from the past four years to help step up and become the reliable midfield players the club needs to complement their impressive forward and backlines.

From the 2021 draft, the trio of Josh Ward, Sam Butler and Connor MacDonald are all ready to take their game to the next level, with all three having been impressive midfielders before being drafted to the Hawks.

Ward, who was a standout in the Hawks' victory in this year's semi-final against minor premiers the Crows, has shown he can perform on the bigger stages, having played 67 games for the Hawks, including five finals over the past two years.

After winning the most improved player at the Hawks' best and fairest this year, the former No.7 pick will be looking to solidify his position as a starting midfielder and show the consistency in his game that will help the Hawks vie for a top four position.

MacDonald and Butler, who both signed contract extensions to stay at the Hawks during the recent trade period, will be using the summer months to work with midfield coach David Hale to improve their midfield craft at the AFL level.

Both players have featured more heavily in the Hawthorn forward line during their careers to date, but are expected to transition into more prominent midfield roles, with their strong aerobic capacity to benefit them in this space.

Fellow young midfielder Cam Mackenzie, who was picked up in the 2022 AFL Draft, was approached by rival clubs during the season about making a move away from the Hawks, but will remain in the brown and gold for season 2026.

Mackenzie, who has drawn comparisons to his coach due to their similar playing styles, looms as a player the Hawks will be desperate to see improve and take his game to the next level.

The 21-year-old, who has played 46 AFL games in his career to date, started the 2025 season in fine form before a broken hand led to a form slump, which ultimately saw him miss a second consecutive finals campaign for the club.

Exciting small forward Nick Watson will likely spend time over the pre-season working on his combination with ruckman Lloyd Meek and developing his stoppage craft as he looms as a potential X-factor in the centre.

The 20-year-old, who has played 43 games since he was drafted with Pick 5 in the 2023 draft, has had a limited amount of opportunity through the midfield but has shown that his explosive pace and ability to weave through traffic will make him a handful for opposition teams.

With the loss of James Worpel from the starting lineup following his departure to the Cats, and with the aforementioned Day likely to spend more time in a variety of positions, including half-back and wing as he returns from a third navicular injury, the opportunity for spots in the Hawthorn midfield is there for the taking.

The young midfield cohort at the Hawks will be eyeing off a place in the midfield rotations in 2026, and will need to step up if the club is to back up their impressive 2025 season, which delivered 15 home and away wins and two cut-throat finals victories on the road.

For the Hawks to make it to a third consecutive finals campaign and go one better than this year to make a grand final — which would be the club's first since 2015 — they will need to rely upon natural progression from within.

There is plenty of work to do for Hawthorn over the off-season as they look to keep pace with the best midfields in the competition.

Still, with Mitchell as head coach and an impressive coaching department behind him, the club will leave no stone unturned as it looks to improve on its preliminary final appearance next season.

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