AFL 2023: Every Hawthorn player’s contract and future assessed as Sam Mitchell looks ahead
He’s become an important member of Hawthorn’s forward line, but Tyler Brockman continues to be linked with a move west. What would he command in a trade? See our full Hawks list analysis here.
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How much brighter is the outlook at Waverley now compared to the start of the season?
Hawthorn was hit by accusations of tanking over the off-season after embarking on a scorched earth rebuild, trading out Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara as high-profile moves to open up space for younger players.
Those moves not only helped the future, but may have helped the Hawks in 2023 as well.
Jai Newcombe is an All-Australian calibre midfielder, Will Day could be anything and Conor Nash is immovable in the centre square.
James Worpel has returned to his best and on Monday ended an empasse on his contract, signing a two year deal in an important win for the Hawks.
With Josh Ward, Connor Macdonald and Cam Mackenzie developing the midfield looks deep for the next half decade.
It is at either end that the Hawks have work to do.
Mitchell Lewis desperately needs a fellow big target in the forward line, while another key back would allow James Sicily to be at his intercepting best all year round.
A few key players come out of contract at season’s end with the Hawks looking to lock in Worpel and hoping small forward Tyler Brockman fights the urge to return home.
An achilles injury to Chad Wingard throws his career into jeopardy.
Exciting youngsters Ned Long and Jai Serong are still without a deal for 2024 but should sign soon, while the Hawks have some tough calls to make, including on Jacob Koschitzke.
Pick three is all but confirmed for the Hawks, with versatile forwards Zane Duursma and Nate Caddy expected to be considered as that long-term partner for Lewis.
There will be further cuts to the list as the club aims to bring in more draft guns, with 13 players without a deal for 2024.
The Hawks won eight games in 2022 and have won seven this year, but the fans are on board with the rebuild and know the direction the list is headed and Sam Mitchell has impressed to no end so far this year.
Here is where every Hawthorn player sits as the club begins its path back towards the finals.
1. Harry Morrison
Age: 24 Games: 89 (2023 games: 11) Contract ends: 2024
Morrison was rewarded for a breakout season in 2022 with a two-year extension but hasn’t had the season he would’ve hoped this year. In and out of the senior side, Morrison is one of the team’s better ball users, and has improved in the back-end of the year.
Status: Likely staying
2. Mitch Lewis
Age: 24 Games: 66 (2023 games: 15) Contract: ends: 2026
Perhaps the most important part of Hawthorn’s future, the key forward continued his emergence in 2023. Lewis missed the first six games of the season due to a pre-season knee injury, but quickly highlighted his importance upon return. With another key forward to help him, Lewis could be the cornerstone of Hawthorn’s next premiership. Taken with the 76th pick back in 2016, Lewis is one of the best-value selections in recent memory.
Status: Staying
3. Jai Newcombe
Age: 22 Games: 50 (2023 games: 21) Contract ends: 2026
Runner-up honours in last year’s best-and-fairest established the mid-season draftee as Hawthorn’s best midfielder in just his second season and that has continued into 2023, he is surely in contention for All-Australian honours. A career-high 40 disposals against the Western Bulldogs in round 22 highlighted a strong season for the young gun.
Status: Staying
4. Jarman Impey
Age: 28 Games: 170 (2023 games: 20) Contract ends: 2026
Impey became one of the Hawks’ most experienced players when Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara departed the club at the end of 2022. Signed a three-year extension midway through the season and remains a key cog in their back half, with the Hawks bemoaning his missing leadership when he was injured this year.
Status: Staying
5. James Worpel
Age: 24 Games: 100 (2023 games: 21) Contract ends: 2025
With Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara out of the way, Worpel has gotten back to his best-and-fairest form and been one of Hawthorn’s best midfielders. He signed a two-year deal on Monday night that will take him to free agency at the end of 2025.
Status: Staying
6. James Sicily
Age: 28 Games: 132 (2023 games: 17) Contract ends: 2027
The Hawks are a far better side when their captain plays and Sicily has backed up his best and-fairest from 2022 with another outstanding season and is surely locked in to the All-Australian team. Possibly the most important player to any side in the competition, his only blight was missing four games through suspension, all of which his side lost. The Hawks will target a key defensive partner for Sicily this off-season.
Status: Staying
7. Ned Reeves
Age: 24 Games: 36 (2023 games: 19) Contract ends: 2026
Signed until 2026 pre-season and has had a solid year in the ruck with new partner Lloyd Meek. The Hawks made the call midway through the year to play just one ruck and Reeves is probably ahead of Meek for now.
Status: Staying
8. Sam Frost
Age: 29 Games: 159 (2023 games: 18) Status: Contract ends: 2024
He makes you shake your head and is often a whipping boy for Hawks fans but Frost again proved to be a solid component of his side’s defence. Will look to do so again in 2024 to earn himself another deal. The Hawks are looking for a long-term key defensive A-grader, putting Frost’s future into question. Teams are always on the lookout for backup defenders, so Frost could have some currency.
Status: Likely staying
9. Changkuoth Jiath
Age: 24 Games: 45 (2023 games: 8) Contract ends: 2024
The most frustrating season of the fan favourite’s career to date, playing just eight games so far as he battled with calf and abductor injuries, with the running machine shut down early this year. Will look to put a more consistent season together in 2024 and the Hawks will want to lock him away early.
Status: Staying
10. Karl Amon
Age: 27 Games: 143 (2023 games: 19) Contract ends: 2026
Crossed over from Port Adelaide at the end of 2022 in a signing that raised some eyebrows but Amon has added some class to the Hawks’ outside rotation. Took a little bit to get going but his second half of the season has shown why he polled 15 Brownlow votes last year.
Status: Staying
11. Conor Nash
Age: 25 Games: 71 (2023 games: 21) Contract ends: 2024
A career-best season for the Irishman, becoming one of the best centre clearance players in the game and showing his brutality around the ground. Collected 32 disposals in round 18 against the Kangaroos and had 31 against the Pies. His size around the contest has stood out. Will be due a pay rise.
Status: Staying
12. Will Day
Age: 22 Games: 52 (2023 games: 19) Contract ends: 2027
The off-season moves of Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara pushed Day into the middle and he has shown glimpses that he could become one of the league’s best midfielders. Signed a massive extension until 2027 in a show of faith to coach Sam Mitchell and looms as a key part of the Hawks’ future.
Status: Staying
13. Dylan Moore
Age: 24 Games: 73 (2023 games: 21) Contract ends: 2026
Moore just keeps growing as a leader and as a dynamic part of the Hawks’ forward half. Ranks elite in disposals and tackles as a small forward and took on the captaincy during James Sicily’s absence throughout the season, seems a long-term key part of the rebuild.
Status: Staying
14. Jack Scrimshaw
Age: 24 Games: 81 (2023 games: 14) Contract ends: 2024
Out of favour at times throughout the season, Scrimshaw has been a curious watch. While a good ball user, the left-footer doesn’t fit Sam Mitchell’s attacking game style that’s being implemented. Contracted for one more year, he could be used as trade bait come October.
Status: Staying
15. Blake Hardwick
Age: 26 Games: 145 (2023 games: Contract ends: 2024
One of the most reliable players on Hawthorn’s list, Hardwick was again a solid part of their back six in 2023. Looking for the first Brownlow votes of his career after he had 38 disposals against Gold Coast in round 15. Seems to be a Hawthorn lifer so will likely begin talks on an extension.
Status: Staying
16. Lachlan Bramble
Age: 25 Games: 30 (2023 games: 11) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
Bramble has played close to half the year in the VFL where he looked a class above, and averaged 24.4 disposals a game. The out of contract midfielder is on the edge whether he earns a new one-year deal, with the Hawks looking to clear space for the draft and trade.
Status: Likely going
17. Lloyd Meek
Age: 25 Games: 30 (2023 games: 15) Contract ends: 2024
Spent a couple of games in the VFL but has had a fairly solid debut season for the Hawks overall. Only has one year left on his contract so will look to establish himself in tandem with Ned Reeves in 2024 but the Hawks have been disappointed with Meek’s work when resting forward.
Status: Staying
18. Max Lynch
Age: 24 Games: 11 (2023 games: 1) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
Lynch was told not to play contact sport again by a concussion tribunal after a series of headknocks. Beloved around Hawthorn and Collingwood, the ruck announced his retirement recently.
Status: Retired
20. Chad Wingard
Age: 30 Games: 218 (2023 games: 14) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
Wingard’s future is uncertain as the Hawks weigh up whether the forward has any trade value at 30 years of age and he now battles an achilles injury. Overcame a bizarre injury of a lacerated tongue early in the campaign before he spent two weeks in the VFL for the first time in his career. Had a huge month before the injury and showed what he can still bring to the table as a classy finisher and ball user forward of centre. Sam Mitchell has backed Wingard publicly but does he explore moving elsewhere? Much of that will depend on when he can get back from his achilles injury. Teams like Gold Coast, Carlton, St Kilda are looking for class at half-forward.
Status: Likely going
21. Cooper Stephens
Age: 22 Games: 7 (2023 games: 0) Contract status: 2024
Crossed over from Geelong in last year’s trade period but has failed to crack into the Hawks’ best 22. A consistent ball-winner at VFL level but with only one year remaining on his deal, he will have to dislodge one of the Hawks’ mids to win a new one. Stephens is good on the inside of the contest but isn’t a high-quality user or a good coverer of the ground so 2024 is likely make-or-break.
Status: Staying
22. Luke Breust
Age: 32 Games: 279 (2023 games: 19) Contract ends: 2024
Ever-reliable and consistent, Breust went past 500 career goals in 2023 and was once again his side’s most damaging player up forward. Still appears to have multiple years in him and will go past 300 games next season provided he stays healthy. Turned down trade talk in the past and Breust extended his contract in September. He is still playing at such a high level other clubs should still ask the question, could a team closer to a flag like Melbourne, Richmond or Carlton make a play?
Status: Staying
23. Jacob Koschitzke
Age: 23 Games: 46 (2023 games: 10) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
As Sam Mitchell bemoaned the lack of impact his tall forwards were having, Koschitzke fell out of favour and was sent back to the VFL. Reeled in five contested marks against the Bulldogs in round 22 to show he still has the talent. Given the Hawks are so keen to find a second banana to Mitch Lewis, his future is in doubt.
Status: In the air
24. Denver Grainger-Barras
Age: 21 Games 27 (2023 games: 6) Contract ends: 2024
Another curious case for the Hawks, with the first-round draft pick not coming along in the way the club had hoped in his first three years. Was drafted as a key backman and played as one in the VFL for the majority of the year, before he was sent forward and booted nine goals in back-to-back VFL games. He earned a call up as a forward and had 10 touches in three games between round 17 and 19. A full pre-season as a forward could help him find his feet. But has an opposition seen something they like to snare him for a cheap trade? North Melbourne has been clear it is in the market for key defensive help.
Status: Likely staying
25. Josh Ward
Age: 19 Games: 28 (2023 games: 14) Contract ends: 2025
Another key part of Hawthorn’s future, Ward battled form and injury in 2023 but put together a solid season, averaging 21.8 disposals a game. The left-footer has class and composure on the outside and will look to transition further into the midfield next year.
Status: Staying
26. Fergus Greene
Age: 25 Games: 16 (2023 games: 11) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
Greene signed a one-year deal after a dominant season for Box Hill in 2022 and has shown some flashes as a marking forward. While not as prolific on the scoreboard, Greene has been solid support for Mitch Lewis but is now out of the team. His late season fade-out leaves him with a nervous wait.
Status: In the air
27. Ned Long
Age: 20 Games: 4 (2023 games: 3) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
The Hawks have big faith in the big-bodied midfielder, who has played three AFL games this year. Knows how to win the ball in close – as shown by a 38 disposal, 20 contested possession and 12 clearance domination over Essendon in the VFL in round 10. Still on the rookie list, a decision will come soon whether to elevate Long, but he has shown he deserves the chance.
Status: Likely staying
28. Cam Mackenzie
Age: 19 Games: 14 (2023 games: 14) Contract ends: 2026
Another important part of the Hawks’ future that is locked away for three more years. Pick seven in the 2022 draft, Mackenzie was immediately thrown into the deep end by the Hawks and showed the poise and skill that saw the Hawks use that pick on him. Plays with shades of his coach Sam Mitchell.
Status: Staying
29. Jai Serong
Age: 20 Games: 3 (2023 games: 0) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
The younger brother of Fremantle star Caleb was sidelined for the first half of the season after being diagnosed with a heart condition in March. Has shown some good signs, led by a brilliant game in round 15 against Port Melbourne, where he took six intercept marks. Should get another crack at it.
Status: Likely staying
30. Sam Butler
Age: 20 Games: 17 (2023 games: 8) Contract ends: 2025
Butler was in and out of the side at AFL level this season but has kicked 17 goals in 10 VFL games, proving his goal sense. Plenty to learn off Luke Breust and if Chad Wingard moves, Butler could easily soak up his minutes.
Status: Staying
31. Connor Macdonald
Age: 20 Games: 39 (2023 games: 19) Contract ends: 2025
A breakout season for the exciting Macdonald who earned more time through the midfield in 2023 and made the most if it. Had 28 disposals and two goals in Hawthorn’s upset win over Brisbane and has ridden that wave throughout the second half of the season. Another young gun the Hawks locked away earlier in the year.
Status: Staying
32. Finn Maginness
Age: 22 Games: 30 (2023 games: 11) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
What is the worth of a tagger in 2023? Maginness has done some terrific jobs this year, including hounding Collingwood star Nick Daicos in round 21 in a monumental upset win and blanketed Josh Kelly earlier in the year. There is no better tagger in the game right now. He hasn’t earned a new contract yet for 2024 but even as taggers fall out of vogue in modern football, he deserves a new deal.
Status: Likely staying
33. Tyler Brockman
Age: 20 Games: 26 (2023 games: 15) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
An intriguing case as the Hawks would love to keep him, but there is a strong lure back to Western Australia for the small forward. Would absolutely make sense as a young goalsneak with West Coast. The 20-year-old is the only father on Hawthorn’s list which contributes to his desire to return home, and he missed all of last season with shoulder troubles. He is dynamic when rolling so if he was to request a trade home, the Hawks probably ask for a second-round pick.
Status: In the air
34. Fionn O’Hara
Age: 21 Games: 0 (2023 games: 0) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
An Irish rugby star, O’Hara’s two year Category B rookie deal ends after this season. A prodigious athlete, O’Hara has battled concussion issues this year and may not play again this season while he sits out with the injury. A decision on his future is looming.
Status: In the air
35. Josh Morris
Age: 21 Games: 15 (2023 games: 0) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
No AFL games for Morris this year and he has only put up modest numbers in the reserves. Now four years into his stint at Waverly Park, the defender could be on the chopping block as the Hawks again look to bring new talent through the door in this year’s draft.
Status: Going
36. James Blanck
Age: 22 Games: 22 (2023 games: 13) Contract ends: 2024
The 2022 mid-season draftee’s form earnt him a new contract for one more year, which he signed in July. Blanck is another to graduate from Box Hill into Hawthorn’s AFL program and there is time for the big defender to become the James Sicily sidekick the Hawks are searching for.
Status: Staying
37. Josh Weddle
Age: 19 Games: 15 (2023 games: 15) Contract ends: 2024
Interestingly, no contract talks have started yet for the dashing Hawk, who was drafted last year. The Hawks coughed up a lot for Weddle – trading pick 27 last year as well future second and third round picks – for pick 18, which they gladly used on the young gun and he hasn’t disappointed in his first season. Expect the defender to be extended later this year.
Status: Staying
38. Max Ramsden
Age: 20 Games: 1 (2023 games: 1) Contract ends: 2025
The young ruckman made his debut against the Western Bulldogs earlier in the year after a strong start to the season in the VFL and was quickly signed up by the club until the end of 2025. A mid-season pick from 2022, Ramsden has big wraps on him and has put on significant size since arriving at the club, with his marking and poise in front of goal a feature of his game. He has played well both as a solo ruck and a ruck-forward in the twos so has adaptability to his game.
Status: Staying
39. Emerson Jeka
Age: 21 Games: 7 (2023 games: 0) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
Jeka’s fourth year on the rookie list hasn’t gone how he would’ve hoped, not earning an AFL call up and only showing glimpses in the VFL. Having signed two consecutive one-year contracts, Jeka might have reached the end of the road.
Status: Going
40. Seamus Mitchell
Age: 21 Games: 14 (2023 games: 14) Contract ends: 2025
One of the feel good stories of the year, Mitchell emerged as a dashing half-back flanker after being delisted and re-selected in the rookie draft at the end of 2022. Initially drafted as a small forward, Sam Mitchell has used the rookie’s speed off the back line. Snagged a rising star nomination in round 17 and signed a two-year deal the week before to cap off his breakout year.
Status: Staying
41. Joshua Bennetts
Age: 18 Games: 0 (2023 games: 0) Contract ends: 2024
Bennetts was picked up as a category B rookie in 2022 after a strong season for the Eastern Ranges. A small forward who is clean at ground level, Bennetts will use his pre-season to look to challenge for a spot in the Hawks’ forward line in 2024, having booted 13 goals in 16 VFL games.
Status: Staying
42. Bailey Macdonald
Age: 19 Games: 2 (2023 games: 2) Status: Signed until 2024
Macdonald was taken with pick 51 in last year’s draft and while he is raw, his speed has excited the Hawks. Made his debut as a late in against Port Adelaide in round 12 and came on as the sub against the Dogs in round 22 and played big minutes after replacing Chad Wingard. He puts up solid numbers from half-back in the VFL.
Status: Staying
43. Jack O’Sullivan
Age: 18 Games: 0 (2023 games: 0) Contract ends: 2024
A groin injury has the first-year Hawk out of action at the moment but he has shown good signs as a running half-forward in the VFL.
Status: Staying
44. Henry Hustwaite
Age: 19 Games: 0 (2023 games: 0) Status: Signed until 2024
Hustwaite was a slider in the 2022 draft with the Hawks swooping on him at pick 37. Hustwaite is a tall defender that can transition through the midfield. Games of 26 and 28 disposals in back-to-back weeks against Southport and Essendon in the VFL showed he knows how to find the footy.
Status: Staying
45. Clay Tucker
Age: 19 Games: 0 (2023 games: 0) Status: Signed until 2024
The Hawks picked up Tucker with their first pick in this year’s mid-season draft, acquiring the 204cm prospect from Eastern Ranges. Very much a player for the long-term, Tucker nominated for an 18-month contract before the mid-year draft and has already got to work on building his size.
Status: Staying
46. Brandon Ryan
Age: 25 Games: 2 (2023 games: 2) Contract ends: Out-of-contract
The gangly forward booted 26 goals in 12 VFL games to force his way into Hawthorn’s AFL team and he has looked a lively prospect at the top level. Sam Mitchell backed him in to become a crowd favourite and a big pre-season could see Ryan be a useful sidekick for Mitch Lewis. Expect him to earn a contract extension.
Status: Staying
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