Hawthorn’s rebuild has often been framed as one of patience and long term planning. Since taking over as senior coach, Sam Mitchell has overseen a list transition that has focused heavily on youth, development and the gradual construction of a new core capable of returning the club to sustained competitiveness. The Hawks have invested strongly in young talent and have shown encouraging signs that the club is moving in the right direction.
However, amid the optimism surrounding Hawthorn’s rebuilding phase, there remains a question that continues to surface whenever the Hawks come up against stronger opposition.
Is the club’s midfield strong enough?
The midfield battle remains the most influential area of the ground in modern AFL football. Winning contested possession, controlling stoppages and generating forward momentum are the foundation of successful teams. Clubs that consistently dominate the centre of the ground often control the tempo of matches and place enormous pressure on their opponents.
For Hawthorn, this remains an area of vulnerability.
While the Hawks possess several promising midfielders, the depth and experience within the group appear limited when compared with the stronger midfield units across the competition. In a league where many clubs rotate multiple experienced ball winners through the centre square and stoppages, Hawthorn’s midfield often appears to rely on a smaller core of developing players.
There is genuine quality within that group. Will Day has emerged as one of the most promising young midfielders in the AFL. His ability to accumulate possessions, link play through the corridor and contribute both offensively and defensively has made him one of Hawthorn’s most important players. Similarly, Jai Newcombe has developed into a reliable contested midfielder who thrives in the physical side of the game and consistently competes around stoppages.
These players represent an important part of Hawthorn’s future.
However, beyond those key figures, the depth within the midfield rotation remains less certain. Several players are still in the early stages of their development and are learning how to consistently perform against more experienced opposition. That learning process is a natural part of any rebuild, but it can also expose weaknesses when teams face opponents with more mature midfield structures.
Those concerns were highlighted during Hawthorn’s recent encounter with the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
Throughout the match, the Giants demonstrated the kind of midfield cohesion and depth that developing teams often struggle to match. Their ability to win contested possession and generate clearance dominance allowed them to control significant portions of the game. With experienced bodies rotating through the centre square and stoppages, GWS repeatedly forced Hawthorn onto the defensive.
Keep in mind, this club was able to do this without Tom Green and Josh Kelly in the mix.
The Giants’ midfield pressure created repeated forward entries and placed sustained pressure on Hawthorn’s defensive unit. While the Hawks continued to compete and remained committed to their game plan, the difference in midfield depth was noticeable.
Matches such as this reinforce the importance of maintained midfield strength during the rebuilding phase of a football club.
This context makes Hawthorn’s approach during the most recent trade period particularly interesting.
During trade week, the Hawks were strongly linked with Essendon captain Zach Merrett. From a football perspective, the interest was understandable. Merrett has established himself as one of the premier midfielders in the AFL. His work rate, leadership, and decision-making would make him an asset to any club seeking to strengthen its midfield.
For Hawthorn, the acquisition of Merrett would have provided immediate experience and class to a developing group. His presence could have eased the burden on younger midfielders while also providing valuable leadership within the centre square rotations.
However, as is often the case during the AFL trade period, negotiations did not result in a completed deal.
Trade discussions can be complex, involving contract considerations, player preferences and negotiations between clubs. In this instance, the proposed move never progressed to a successful outcome.
What stands out in retrospect is that Hawthorn appeared to place considerable emphasis on securing Merrett without ultimately adding another experienced midfielder when the deal did not materialise.
In many cases, clubs enter trade week with multiple contingency plans. Recognising the unpredictable nature of negotiations, list managers often identify several potential targets to ensure that improvements can still be made if primary pursuits fall through.
Hawthorn’s trade period concluded without the addition of an experienced midfielder, leaving the club to continue its development strategy with the existing list. And whilst they were chasing Merrett, they watched James Worpel wander off to the Cats.
This outcome raises a broader question about the balance between long term development and targeted recruitment.
The Hawks’ rebuild has been defined by patience and a commitment to nurturing young players. Allowing emerging midfielders to gain experience at the highest level can be a valuable investment in the future of the club. Many successful teams have been built through the gradual development of internally drafted talent.
At the same time, there are moments during a rebuild when strategic recruitment can strengthen key areas of the list without compromising long term plans.
Adding an experienced midfielder does not necessarily disrupt a youth focused strategy. In fact, such additions can often accelerate development by providing guidance, stability, and support for younger teammates.
The performance against the Giants, and a dynamic Geelong midfield in last year’s Preliminary Final, demonstrated how challenging the midfield battle can be when facing a deeper and more established opponent. When one team gains consistent control around stoppages, the effects ripple across the entire ground.
Defenders are forced to contend with repeated inside fifty entries. Forwards struggle to receive quality supply. Momentum shifts become difficult to achieve.
Midfield depth can determine whether a team is able to regain control during these periods or whether it continues to chase the game.
None of this suggests that Hawthorn’s rebuild is fundamentally flawed. The club has assembled a promising young list and there are clear signs that the team is developing under Sam Mitchell’s leadership. Rebuilding processes rarely follow a straight line, and young teams often experience periods of inconsistency as players gain experience.
However, the midfield remains an area that will continue to attract attention as the Hawks progress through the final stage of a rebuild that, to this point, has been very impressive.
If Hawthorn’s young midfield core continues to develop rapidly, the current concerns surrounding depth may diminish over time. Emerging players can take significant steps forward within a short period, particularly when given the opportunity to play consistent senior football.
On the other hand, if performances like the one against Greater Western Sydney become a recurring theme, scrutiny of Hawthorn’s list management decisions during trade week will inevitably intensify.
In modern AFL football, the teams that consistently control the midfield are usually the teams that control the game itself.
For Hawthorn, the long term vision appears promising. The challenge now lies in ensuring that the midfield engine room is strong enough to support the club’s ambitions as the rebuild concludes and the next era of success is expected to commence.
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