Hawthorn’s plan to climb 2024 draft, Lloyd Meek and James Worpel begin contract talks

Hawthorn cashed in its assets in this year’s draft to snare Tom Barrass, but is still plotting how it can move up from pick 33. Plus, two big names have started discussing new contracts.

Hawthorn is open to trading up to improve its No. 33 draft pick in November 20’s national draft as the Hawks prepare to open contract talks with Lloyd Meek and free agent James Worpel later this month.

The selflessness of Jack Gunston agreeing to move onto the rookie list will allow the Hawks to take two picks at the national draft, with the current draft hand 33, 71 and 77.

Hawks list boss Mark McKenzie said on Sunday the acquisition of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle would give coach Sam Mitchell new-found versatility, with defenders Blake Hardwick, Battle, James Sicily, Josh Weddle and Changkuoth Jiath able to play multiple positions.

Sicily and Battle could play forward at times, Weddle could continue to play second ruck, forward, wing and back, while Jiath can play wing and defence.

Hawthorn will move to lock Lloyd Meek in after a breakout 2024. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

McKenzie confirmed that the Eagles had been given a choice of whether they took Carlton’s future first and second-round picks or Hawthorn’s future first and second-round picks as part of the Barrass trade.

The Eagles chose Hawthorn’s selections, effectively predicting Hawthorn will finish below Carlton in 2025 despite Mitchell’s side having a better 2024 season.

The Barrass trade still allowed Hawthorn to keep pick 33 and a full draft hand next year, with Hawthorn intent on keeping a first and second-rounder next year.

It means the Hawks will look at moving up from pick 33, having done so to masterful effect when they traded an extra future selection to nab the No. 18 pick that got them Weddle in the 2022 national draft.

“We will take two picks. They are the positions we have got available,” McKenzie told the Herald Sun.

“We are open to looking at possibilities to trade earlier but it really depends on the assets you have to do that. Others might have a bit more than us potentially but you never shut the door on that,

“We will just take the two picks and because of the balance of our list we will take the best available but we also look at positional types. There are a few more talls in this year’s draft. “The other important thing at the trade period was to keep a first and second rounder for next year. We have got Carlton’s first and Carlton’s second so to be able to keep a first and second for next year was important for us, which provides the opportunity to potentially look at trading them if we really wanted to.”

Hawthorn triumphed in a week one final while the Blues lost to Brisbane, but the Eagles clearly believed a more mature Carlton had greater upside in 2025.

“As part of the negotiations we said you guys choose. We have got two firsts and two seconds. You guys choose which one you want,” McKenzie said of handing West Coast those options.

“It’s an interesting one. Teams could have gone one team for the first pick and one for another but as part of it we said go through the analysis and choose what is best.”

Hawthorn will get through the draft period before commencing talks on deals that will hopefully take restricted free agent Worpel, fourth in the best-and-fairest, and emerging ruck Meek off the market before deals expire at the end of 2025.

Hawthorn retained Sam Frost despite interest from St Kilda and believes key back Jack Scrimshaw has a huge future but it remains to be seen if all of those players can fit into the backline.

“Bringing Battle and Barrass in, it just provides that versatility,” McKenzie said.

“Whether it’s Hardwick, we have seen him going forward, we have seen it with Sicily going forward, we have seen it with Weddle playing second ruck and on a wing, even Battle has versatility as a forward.

“He can even play wing at times because he does have a huge engine.

“They are all options that it gives not just our backline, but everywhere else on the ground

We think it was important to add some more versatility to the group, which it does.”