Axed Hawthorn star’s secret Collingwood meeting revealed

Hawthorn’s gamble to de-list a star player has threatened to blow up in the club’s face after secret meetings with Collingwood coming to light.

Chad Wingard of the Hawks. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Collingwood has met with Chad Wingard twice since the end of the season, but the Hawthorn veteran wants to remain with the club as a rookie, despite his delisting, reports The Age.

The Hawks earlier this week confirmed dual All-Australian forward Wingard after and 2022 trade recruit Cooper Stephens had been delisted. The club, though, said it was committed to re-drafting the pair via the rookie draft.

Yet, because Wingard and Stephens have officially been delisted, they could receive a better contract offer from a rival club and walk.

The Age on Friday night reported Wingard had met with Collingwood twice. The first meeting came “hours before the free agency window closed”, while another meeting and a Magpies medical took place just after he was delisted by Hawthorn.

Despite Hawthorn’s risky list move — delisting Wingard and Stephens gives the Hawks more available list spots, so they can take more picks into the national draft to match father-son bids — as well as the Magpies’ interest, Wingard is keen to return to Hawthorn as a rookie.

Wingard is undergoing rehab for a serious Achilles injury suffered late in the 2023 season and will miss most of the 2024 campaign either way.

After playing 147 games for Port Adelaide, Wingard was traded to Hawthorn ahead of the 2019 season. But injury has restricted his continuity and form at the top level, while he was also dropped to the VFL in 2023.

Chad Wingard of the Hawks celebrates a goal. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

2024 AFL DRAFT ORDER CONFIRMED

Clubs will enter this month’s national draft with the same selections they had after the October trade deadline after the pick swap window closed on Friday.

All 18 teams had the ability to swap selections between October 23 and November 10, but no trades were officially lodged with the AFL.

It continues a trend that has grown in recent years, with clubs increasingly hesitant to part with selections during the pre-draft trade window and, instead, more comfortable trading picks live at the draft.

West Coast received offers from both North Melbourne and Melbourne for its Pick 1 during the trade window, but neither offer persuaded the Eagles to strike an official deal.

It appears increasingly likely the Eagles will hold Pick 1, with recruiters expecting them to select Bendigo Pioneers star Harley Reid.

The Kangaroos, Crows and Swans are all keen to move up the draft order using their mid to late first-round selections, while Geelong is open to offers for its Pick 8 for the right price. But it’s unlikely there’ll be too much trade movement in the top 10 considering the talent on offer early in the draft.

2023 AFL Draft order (as of 5pm November 10)

Round 1

1. West Coast Eagles

2. North Melbourne

3. North Melbourne (Ben McKay compensation)

4. Hawthorn

5. Western Bulldogs (via Gold Coast Suns)

6. Melbourne (via Fremantle)

7. GWS Giants (via Richmond)

8. Geelong

9. Essendon

10. Adelaide Crows

11. Melbourne (via Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs)

12. Sydney Swans

13. St Kilda

14. Adelaide Crows (via Gold Coast and Melbourne)

15. North Melbourne (via Port Adelaide)

16. GWS Giants

17. North Melbourne (via Carlton)

18. North Melbourne (via Gold Coast and Western Bulldogs)

19. Collingwood

20. Adelaide Crows (Tom Doedee compensation)

21. St Kilda (Jade Gresham compensation)

22. Carlton (via North Melbourne, from AFL assistance package)

Round 2

23. West Coast Eagles

24. Gold Coast Suns (via Adelaide and North Melbourne)

25. Geelong (via Port Adelaide, Fremantle and North Melbourne, from AFL assistance package)

26. Gold Coast Suns (via Carlton, North Melbourne, Sydney and Hawthorn)

27. Gold Coast Suns (via Adelaide, originally a Gold Coast pick)

28. Carlton (via Gold Coast, Melbourne and Fremantle)

29. Richmond

30. Brisbane Lions (via Geelong)

31. Essendon

32. Gold Coast Suns (via Adelaide)

33. Collingwood (via Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs)

34. Fremantle (via Collingwood and Sydney)

35. Essendon (via St Kilda)

36. Gold Coast Suns (via Melbourne)

37. West Coast Eagles (via Port Adelaide)

38. Gold Coast Suns (via GWS)

39. Brisbane Lions (via Hawthorn, Collingwood and Carlton)

40. St Kilda (via Western Bulldogs and Brisbane)

41. Richmond (via Port Adelaide and Collingwood)

42. Melbourne (James Jordon compensation)

43. GWS Giants (Matt Flynn compensation)

Originally published as Axed Hawthorn star’s secret Collingwood meeting revealed