Hawks have big win over Crows in trade game

THE same expansion rules that savaged Adelaide have provided a massive boost to Hawthorn's premiership chances.

Lance Franklin

THE same expansion rules that savaged Adelaide have provided a massive boost to Hawthorn's premiership chances.

As the clubs prepare for battle in Saturday's preliminary final, the Hawks are still pinching themselves privately after being the big winners under the contentious compensation formula.

Adelaide lost two key defenders - Phil Davis and Nathan Bock - tailor-made to play on Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin and are yet to see the benefits of compensation.

In an extraordinary bonus for the powerful Hawks, they lost Campbell Brown to Gold Coast and immediately snared the player who will spearhead their ruck onslaught on Saturday.

Hawthorn received a generous pick No.27 as compensation for Brown and traded it and pick No.71 to North Melbourne to land Hale in the "big steal" of the Gold Coast/Greater Western Sydney assistance program.

Former Hawk and list management specialist Terry Wallace said the club had "absolutely" come out ahead.

"They would have liked to have kept Campbell Brown, but the reality now is we don't know if he would be in Hawthorn's best side or not," Wallace said.

"Where Hawthorn was placed, to get another player like Hale to assist them in their prime period has been perfect for them."

Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton said of Hale: "Gee, he's been pretty good for them - they've done very well out of it".

"He (Hale) is probably the best of the ruckmen (in the league) that can play forward," Brereton said.

Brown signed a three-year deal to move to the Gold Coast as a leader, and has one year left on his contract.

"Campbell was a wonderful soldier. He's such a great, typically Hawthorn person. He's holding his knee together, keeping it all together and securing his future - the benefit Hawthorn got was securing David Hale," Brereton said.

The Crows, now forced to use Ben Rutten on Franklin after the untimely injury to Daniel Talia, received an end of first round pick for Bock - the same category as Brown.

But Adelaide blew it, immediately using the compensation pick, and throwing in No.50 as well, to secure the bitterly disappointing Richard Tambling from Richmond.

The Crows last year used their mid-first-round-pick received as compensation for Davis to take strike a deal with GWS for 17-year-old Brad Couch.

Under the rules, he can not play until next year. It is impossible to judge yet.

In the meantime, Hawthorn which also dragged Jack Gunston, has a huge edge with Hale leading the ruck division and prowling forward as a marking option.

Brereton said Brown had been good for Gold Coast in setting the tone for "vigor and aspiration".