For the second straight year, the secret to the season’s biggest story lies in the trade period. Plus why Fly’s SCG whinge was spot-on, the “beautiful-looking bust” on the market, and the top trade target a team is being told to ignore. The big issues from Round 22 of the 2024 AFL season analysed in If you were to name the top five recruits of 2024, you could argue the Hawks have multiple.
No other team has that claim, making Hawthorn the clear winner of the trade period - a period it brought in Jack Ginnivan, Massimo D’Amrbrosio, Mabior Chol and Jack Gunston on bargain deals to beef up their budding core. It’s so easy to get caught up in the most successful team that also brought in players. But in Hawthorn’s case, all four recruits have had strong seasons individually and helped fill specific roles to contribute to the team’s shock charge into the top eight.
Let’s run through them. Ginnivan’s influence has been much celebrated, from a cultural perspective as much as anything. In many ways the ex-Magpie is the face of this new-age Hawks ‘rascal pack’ - that are clearly having a lot of fun out there by backing up their exciting play with showman celebrations.
Fellow forward Chol is the club’s leading goalkicker with 32 majors to help offset the injury loss of Mitch Lewis. And don’t disregard what Gunston has provided either, with 22 goals from 14 games as a calm veteran presence to support his younger teammates. The aforementioned trio have combine.