As Sam Mitchell plans his first season as Hawthorn coach, what won’t be causing him sleepless nights is his backline. It generally performed well for the club last season – often under duress – and is clearly the most stacked part of the ground.
And that was without James Sicily, generally regarded as behind only Tom Mitchell as the best player at the club. Sicily didn’t play at all last year as part of a slow and meticulous recovery from an ACL injury and the Hawks are licking their lips at having one of the competition’s best intercept marks and rebounders back in the side this year.
Eight or nine of Mitchell’s best 23 are defenders first and foremost, but they cannot all fit there, especially with Sicily back, so interest surrounds who will get pushed up the ground. Will Day, Jarman Impey, Changkuoth Jiath and Lachie Bramble are clear possibilities here.
The midfield has been rightly criticised as one-paced, but the Hawks took steps to address that with draft selections such as Josh Ward and Connor McDonald, who bring some tricks and flair with them. In match simulation last week, Ward and James Worpel were on one team, opposed to Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara. The younger duo dominated and some of the clearance work from Worpel to Ward was super-impressive. Ward should be a walk-up start for round one.
If the backline is set and the midfield is a work in progress, then the forward line remains a mystery. Jacob Koschitzke and Mitch Lewis are the incumbent key forwards, however Emerson Jeka might be the most talented of them all. Ben McEvoy has also been training primarily as a key forward with his days as the No.1 ruck at the Hawks now behind him.
Jack Gunston returns this year after just one game in 2021. Look for him to play as a high half forward, pushing into the midfield and to provide leadership and a steadying hand. Luke Breust, the vastly improved Dylan Moore and the electric Tyler Brockman will be the smaller forwards, while Chad Wingard, who finished 2022 in sizzling form, will provide the x-factor.
Max Lynch crossed to Hawthorn from Collingwood for more opportunities in the ruck and is in a neck-and-neck race with Ned Reeves to be the No.1 ruckman. We might not know who is leading until Round 1.
Defenders
James Sicily, Blake Hardwick, Will Day, Sam Frost, Jarman Impey, Changkuoth Jiath, Kyle Hartigan, Jack Scrimshaw, Lachie Bramble, Denver Grainger-Barras, Josh Morris
Midfielders
Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara, James Worpel, Liam Shiels, Tom Phillips, Harry Morrison, Conor Nash, Daniel Howe, Josh Ward, Jai Newcombe, Finn Maginness, Seamus Mitchell, Jack Saunders, Connor McDonald, Connor Downie, Ned Long, Fionn O’Hara
Ruck
Max Lynch, Ned Reeves
Forwards
Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Chad Wingard, Ben McEvoy, Jacob Koschitzke, Mitch Lewis, Dylan Moore, Emerson Jeka, Sam Butler, Jackson Callow, Jai Serong