Hawthorn’s surge to AFL top leaves Tom Barrass move in doubt
Hawthorn’s incredible rise to the AFL top eight could have a disastrous impact on its hopes of landing West Coast defender Tom Barrass. MARK DUFFIELD explains why.
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There might be a groundswell of belief that Tom Barrass will be wearing a Hawthorn jumper in 2025 but the path for the contracted defender to get there looks like being a complicated one.
Barrass, who has three years of a deal still to run at the Eagles, is likely to command a price of two first round draft picks from West Coast, who sit in the driver’s seat in any trade negotiation that takes place because of the contract.
He had been courted by the Western Bulldogs earlier in the season and there was interest – either from he, Sydney or both at the end of last season but right now the Hawks appear to be the frontrunners for his services should the Eagles agree to a trade.
And that is where the problem may lay. As Hawthorn climbs the ladder rapidly at the end of this season — with the potential to go higher still in the finals — the task for them to satisfy the Eagles in any trade becomes more difficult.
Hawthorn’s first pick in this year’s national draft now sits just outside the top 10.
Industry sources believe it would take two first-round picks to turn West Coast’s heads – and even that may not get it done given the expected trajectory of Sam Mitchell’s young team.
A first-round pick this year with a future first thrown in does not sound anywhere near as attractive as it did a few weeks ago when Hawthorn was still well adrift of the eight.
Mitchell’s team looks set to play finals this year and has the look of a group that will improve again next year – putting a future first round pick somewhere around 15-20 rather than inside the top 10.
And the Eagles are playing things cool on this one. They know that their best strategy is to be disinterested until an offer comes along that has to interest them. There is no indication that has occurred yet.
“At this stage with Tom being our vice-captain and a premiership player, an All-Australian squad member in the past – he remains a contracted player. We haven’t had any conversations regarding that (a trade),” the Eagles general manager of football Gavin Bell told SEN on Tuesday.
“We understand there is interest from outside but nothing official as yet.”
Barrass has missed the last two matches – the clash against Gold Coast because of a concussion issue and he is now battling back and hamstring soreness in a bid to be fit for Andrew Gaff’s farewell game against Carlton this weekend.
“We will continue to work with Tom and hopefully give him the best chance to get back and play either this week or next and that is our focus right at the moment,” Bell said.
“It is not the concussion at the moment, it is an issue with his back and his hamstring area.”
“We will continue to give him the best chance to play. We would love to see him play again this year whether it is this week or next. We will work through our medical processes this afternoon and have a bit more of an idea towards the back end of the week,” Bell said.
Barrass has played 150 games for the Eagles after a debut in 2015. He was a star on grand final day in their 2018 premiership and won the club’s best and fairest in 2022 when he was also named in the All-Australian squad.
Originally published as Hawthorn’s surge to AFL top leaves Tom Barrass move in doubt
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