By Marc McGowan
Hawthorn are confident they will retain contracted defender Sam Frost despite opportunistic rivals circling the veteran as the Hawks prepare to welcome Tom Barrass and Josh Battle.
Brokering a trade with West Coast for Barrass, who is contracted until 2027, and convincing Frost he remains part of Hawthorn’s plans are the biggest off-season tasks for Sam Mitchell’s side after a stunning return to September this year.
Josh Battle will exercise his unrestricted free agency rights to be a Hawk next season.Credit: AFL Photos
But the Hawks are out of the running for their other free agency target, Greater Western Sydney’s Harry Perryman, two sources familiar with negotiations confirmed to this masthead on the condition of anonymity.
The Hawks are in negotiations to re-sign unrestricted free agent wingman Harry Morrison, but Denver Grainger-Barras – the No.6 pick in the 2020 draft – faces a nervous wait through the trade period to discover his fate.
Grainger-Barras survived the initial delistings, with Hawthorn parting ways with mid-season draftee ruckman Clay Tucker and ex-Cat Cooper Stephens, who crossed to the Hawks in the three-club deal that saw Tom Mitchell traded to Collingwood and Ollie Henry join his brother Jack at Geelong.
Hawthorn soared from 16th to sixth this year, and won final, but again prioritised stiffening their defence after narrowly missing out on Ben McKay and Esava Ratugolea 12 months ago.
Battle has already announced he will exercise his unrestricted free agency rights to leave St Kilda and sign with Hawthorn for the next six years, while Barrass has requested a trade and nominated the Hawks.
Barrass, who turns 29 next month, will receive a four-year deal with a trigger for a fifth season, a well-placed source confirmed to this masthead.
Those arrivals, along with captain James Sicily’s defensive role and the impending return of James Blanck from his ACL rupture, left some doubt about Frost’s position in the team from next year after he performed a key role this past season.
This masthead revealed in July that Frost was nearing a contract trigger for 2025, which he subsequently reached before a foot bone stress injury ended his season after Hawthorn’s elimination final win over Western Bulldogs.
Sam Frost manned the AFL’s best key forwards this season.Credit: Getty Images
The Swans and Saints have expressed interest in the 31-year-old ex-Demon and Giant, who enjoyed a strong season in a lockdown role for the Hawks. Frost’s agent, Anthony McConville, was contacted for comment.
Frost would effectively be a replacement for Battle if he were to head to Moorabbin.
Speaking on SEN on Friday morning, coach Mitchell dismissed the potential of Frost leaving, saying the tall defender, whose closing speed is one of his strengths, was “one of my favourites”.
Mitchell and co. believe the positional versatility of the likes of Sicily, Josh Weddle and Blake Hardwick means Hawthorn will still be able to accommodate Frost in their line-up, even with the additions of Barrass and Battle.
Mitchell, Brett Ratten and defensive coach Kade Simpson relayed that to Frost in his exit meeting this week.
“There are a lot of positions on the field,” Mitchell said.
Tom Barrass wants to finish his AFL career with Hawthorn.Credit: AFL Photos
“I would have loved to have played Sicily and Hardwick a little bit more in different positions this year, but we were just really restricted. A lot of our injuries meant that we had a limited amount of flexibility with the side.
“Josh Weddle has got the chance to move around the ground at different stages – whether that’s next year, or in years to come. We’ve got some flexibility in the side that we haven’t been able to play with just yet. You could look at [Geelong star] Tom Stewart, and the way he’s been used this year.”
The Hawks’ incredible revival from 0-5 to winning a final means their first-round pick in this year’s draft is No.13, which has complicated the framework for a Barrass swap. There have not been any discussions yet between the clubs on what a trade would look like despite speculation West Coast would ask for two first-round selections in return.