Jarman Impey re-signs with Hawthorn until end of 2026 season

A re-signed Indigenous star has revealed he would’ve asked for a trade if he did not feel safe at Hawthorn. See the list of nine guns who are all-in on Sam Mitchell’s long-term rebuild.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 27: Hawthorn Indigenous players Tyler Brockman, Jarman Impey and Karl Amon of the Hawks poses for a photo after the round 11 AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Hawthorn Hawks at Marvel Stadium, on May 27, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Re-signed Hawthorn defender Jarman Impey says he would’ve requested a trade to a third AFL club if he did not feel safe at Waverley as the racism scandal simmers in the background.

The Herald Sun can reveal the Indigenous star and member of the Hawks’ overhauled leadership group has signed on until the end of 2026 in the latest show of faith in coach Sam Mitchell’s rebuild.

The Shepparton boy who is now settled in Melbourne with fiancee Annabelle was chased by Western Bulldogs when he left Port Adelaide as a 22-year-old in 2017.

But Impey said he chose Hawthorn because he wanted to play under “the great man” Alastair Clarkson.

“At the time you had the great man ‘Clarko’ who had a lot of success and he was probably the best coach in the league at that point,” Impey, 27, said.

“To go and play alongside Shaun Burgoyne and Cyril Rioli and Jarryd Roughead and so many premiership players it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

“So we’re trying to build some success now and hopefully get us back to some glory. It was great club with great personnel – and it’s still that way now.”

Jarman Impey (right) wanted to play with Cyril Rioli. Impey, a proud Yorta Yorta man, helped design Hawthorn’s 2023 Indigenous Guernsey.

Impey said he hadn’t read too much about the “sticky situation” that was the racism furore, where Clarkson and Rioli are central figures.

“But the best lawyers are involved and I hope for both parties that they can settle it and find peace.

“That’s totally fair to say (that I feel safe at Hawthorn). That’s for sure, or else I’d be seeking to go elsewhere if I wasn’t happy, clearly.

“As I keep referring to, the personnel is what I’ve really enjoyed most. Especially connecting with players and everyone so I’m in a happy space.”

The Hawks have called their leadership group ‘Moorditj Kuda’, which translates as ‘solid’ or ‘excellent’ (Moorditj) and ‘brothers’ or ‘mates’ (Kuda) in Noongar language.

“None of the boys have been in a leadership group before, so I think that gives us a good perspective and our strength is our innocence,” Impey said.

“Everyone’s got their own strength as well, everyone is different in our Moorditj Kuda group.

“For example, Sam Frost has been really good at delegating meetings and getting us organised and creating conversation and dot points throughout meetings.

“I bring a lot of love and energy along with Mitch Lewis, and ‘Sic’ (captain James Sicily) is on the direct side, but obviously loving and caring well.”

Jarman Impey, pictured celebrating a goal in the jumper he helped design, has kicked a booming major in each of the past two weeks.

Impey ruptured his ACL in 2019 and suffered a nasty injury in 2021 when he landed on Jaeger O’Meara’s ankle at training and snapped his own.

Mitchell threw Impey forward last year to restore some enjoyment through kicking goals and then had an honest conversation before last pre-season.

“He was like, ‘Where do you want to play?’ I said, ‘Look, I play my best football down back, I want to play down back’,” Impey said.

“I wanted to return the favour, play good football and made sure I had a good pre-season.”

In the past fortnight Impey has had 59 disposals and kicked two goals and the speedster is likely to sit in the top five of Hawthorn’s best-and-fairest this year.

Impey identified Josh Weddle, Will Day, Jai Newcombe, Dylan Moore, Josh Ward and Cam McKenzie as future guns and said Seamus Mitchell had “popped out of the blue”.

“There’s a few there behind the scenes that people don’t know about and hopefully in the next year or two you know the boys will be playing some really good consistent football,” Impey said.

“I can’t wait for the for the future. I really feel like we’re stepping in the right direction. Against GWS we were within two points and then the Crows was three points.

“So we could’ve been 3-3 early in the season and then for us to get West Coast and Saints, there’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel.”

Originally published as Jarman Impey re-signs with Hawthorn until end of 2026 season