Unofficial Preview Sam and Tom break WA's brain and other Trade discussions 2025

[tl92]

One thing I noticed in recent trade periods is that Sam Mitchell, Will Day, James Sicily

6

James Sicily

Age

30

Ht

188cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

5.7

4star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

MG

365.0

5star

D

19.4

4star

K

14.3

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.0

2star

MG

437.4

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

173.8

3star

and Dylan Moore

13

Dylan Moore

Age

26

Ht

177cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

5.1

2star

HB

6.7

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.9

4star

G

0.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

appear to be the guys the club roll out to potential targets. Of course Roughead and others are also part of this. If you track who these guys follow / are followed by on Instagram, you can often get a good sense of how live a target is. Was apparent with McKay, Barass, Battle. FWIW, butters follows all 4.

 

[Gaston]

Have heard recently that hawks are still quietly confident about a deal for butters, despite all the chat about butters and the dogs.

His family are diehard doggies supporters, so that is the ultimate destination.
How long the Hawks play the other woman for, is the question.

 

[Mercy Seat]

Have heard recently that hawks are still quietly confident about a deal for butters, despite all the chat about butters and the dogs.

Poster name checks out.

 

[smish]

One thing I noticed in recent trade periods is that Sam Mitchell, Will Day, James Sicily and Dylan Moore appear to be the guys the club roll out to potential targets. Of course Roughead and others are also part of this. If you track who these guys follow / are followed by on Instagram, you can often get a good sense of how live a target is. Was apparent with McKay, Barass, Battle. FWIW, butters follows all 4.

Interesting - those links are new as well.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Interesting - those links are new as well.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

 

[Books]

Butters would be awesome but I don't want to endure trade week of trying to do a deal with Port.

Remember the Wingard deal?
Them: Would you give us your first pick and ... Burton?
Us. Hmmm. Yeah, maybe... ok, I guess.
Them: Run to the media: They offered us Burton... and a first rounder... and we said no.

Absolute campaigners.

 

[MasterSamurai]

A grade talent like Butters and Harley are only going to look at cats , pies and hawks. Big clubs , big crowds, kind of relevant. And ironically, hawks have the healthiest age demographic out of those choices. Why the **** would any A grade player go to shit trucks like essdn, carlolton, st Kilda ??? Maybe the dogs at pinch, but those three I mentioned are the big mafia, people need to get used to it.

 

[TylerDurden]

A grade talent like Butters and Harley are only going to look at cats , pies and hawks. Big clubs , big crowds, kind of relevant. And ironically, hawks have the healthiest age demographic out of those choices. Why the **** would any A grade player go to shit trucks like essdn, carlolton, st Kilda ??? Maybe the dogs at pinch, but those three I mentioned are the big mafia, people need to get used to it.

Try telling that to the media.

 

[MazHawk]

Firstly I'll say that I have no info on what Harley is actually doing but from what my cousin over there tells me (she's involved with the club as I've mentioned during the Barrass trade) he is not happy playing there and feels there's a lack of leadership.
Those like her looking in from outside all see there's very little senior help being directed Harley's way. Again I'll reiterate she has no direct link to him but it's obvious he's not very happy and playing 'going through the motions' as they say.

Most over there believe he will want to leave but there's no other inside word yet.

 

[Brishawk]

Try telling that to the media.

They are all living in the 90s when those clubs used to be relevant. Times have changed!

 

[Ka Norkers]

this time last year, Brisbane was 13th. Sydney, Port, Carlton and Essendon were top four.
predictions of games that will happen in nine weeks times are made to fill paper space, nothing more.

 

[TylerDurden]

They are all loving in the 90s when those clubs used to be relevant. Times have changed!

No matter how irrelevant Essendon are, they still make them back page.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

His family are diehard doggies supporters, so that is the ultimate destination.
How long the Hawks play the other woman for, is the question.

Amon's family were big St Kilda folk, hell his mum even worked for them. He still chose to come to Hawthorn.

 

[The 80s]

I think we will give Serong and Frost the option to look for other opportunities. Scrim would be a big call - only 26 years old.

Absolutely no way we trade Scrimmers! Elite by foot, and can play tall and small. Him and Impey (both our for periods this year) were one of the main reasons we moved the ball so well from defence to attack last year.

 

[Bugs1977]

Amon's family were big St Kilda folk, hell his mum even worked for them. He still chose to come to Hawthorn.

His mum probably advised him to go to the HFC

 

[Lickmesocks]

I reckon we're desperately lacking an A Grade midfielder. It's even worse when we lose 1 (or 2) to injury/suspension.

Correct. Those that believe we have all the pieces are dreaming. Our midfield is workman like. We need Day and another star in there to compliment Newc, Worps Frenchie and Wardy.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Correct. Those that believe we have all the pieces are dreaming. Our midfield is workman like. We need Day and another star in there to compliment Newc, Worps Frenchie and Wardy.

I think we are currently susecptible to injuries because frenchie and wardy as still young. We definitely need Day. An extra star midfielder is always welcome

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

No matter how irrelevant Essendon are, they still make them back page.

Because most of the people who still buy newspapers are from that era.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Butters would be awesome but I don't want to endure trade week of trying to do a deal with Port.

Remember the Wingard deal?
Them: Would you give us your first pick and ... Burton?
Us. Hmmm. Yeah, maybe... ok, I guess.
Them: Run to the media: They offered us Burton... and a first rounder... and we said no.

Absolute campaigners.

I think it shows the importance of being first (and the value of family connections!) to control the media narrative.

Burton essentially found out from social media and 3rd parties. We were the last to talk to him and by then the "story" had already been told - we looked like we were telling lies to try and save face.

Burton was in the US with his GF at the time of the trade discussions. As we have always done - when a contracted player is brought up, we delay negotiations to talk with the player. (Never want another Croad situation, no matter how well it worked out).

We waited hours to call Burton to discuss his thoughts - from memory it was about 8am (US). Port, via his girlfriend's father rang them in the middle of the night (obviously you answer calls from family anytime day or night), telling her Hawthorn had offered him up for trade. It was all over social media before we had even made contact.

By the time we spoke to Burton to see if he was interested in going "home", it was already all over the media that WE had offered him, Burton was angry and the family had started planning moving arrangements.

That decision (to delay talking to a contracted player on holidays until a reasonable time) cost us significantly at the trade table IMO.

It might be "wrong" for the coach to approach players from opposition teams - but it's the way the industry operates and our "player-first" approach to negotiations hasn't helped us in the past.

 

[Yardie]

I think it shows the importance of being first (and the value of family connections!) to control the media narrative.

Burton essentially found out from social media and 3rd parties. We were the last to talk to him and by then the "story" had already been told - we looked like we were telling lies to try and save face.

Burton was in the US with his GF at the time of the trade discussions. As we have always done - when a contracted player is brought up, we delay negotiations to talk with the player. (Never want another Croad situation, no matter how well it worked out).

We waited hours to call Burton to discuss his thoughts - from memory it was about 8am (US). Port, via his girlfriend's father rang them in the middle of the night (obviously you answer calls from family anytime day or night), telling her Hawthorn had offered him up for trade. It was all over social media before we had even made contact.

By the time we spoke to Burton to see if he was interested in going "home", it was already all over the media that WE had offered him, Burton was angry and the family had started planning moving arrangements.

That decision (to delay talking to a contracted player on holidays until a reasonable time) cost us significantly at the trade table IMO.

It might be "wrong" for the coach to approach players from opposition teams - but it's the way the industry operates and our "player-first" approach to negotiations hasn't helped us in the past.

There a murmurings around the next players agreement to include trading without consent similar to other sports.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

There a murmurings around the next players agreement to include trading without consent similar to other sports.

Can't see the players association ever allowing it without some MASSIVE concessions coming with it. It would also be legally fraught so even if the AFLPA went for it I could see a jilted player taking legal action sometime with it.

 

[Hawkspot]

I think it shows the importance of being first (and the value of family connections!) to control the media narrative.

Burton essentially found out from social media and 3rd parties. We were the last to talk to him and by then the "story" had already been told - we looked like we were telling lies to try and save face.

Burton was in the US with his GF at the time of the trade discussions. As we have always done - when a contracted player is brought up, we delay negotiations to talk with the player. (Never want another Croad situation, no matter how well it worked out).

We waited hours to call Burton to discuss his thoughts - from memory it was about 8am (US). Port, via his girlfriend's father rang them in the middle of the night (obviously you answer calls from family anytime day or night), telling her Hawthorn had offered him up for trade. It was all over social media before we had even made contact.

By the time we spoke to Burton to see if he was interested in going "home", it was already all over the media that WE had offered him, Burton was angry and the family had started planning moving arrangements.

That decision (to delay talking to a contracted player on holidays until a reasonable time) cost us significantly at the trade table IMO.

It might be "wrong" for the coach to approach players from opposition teams - but it's the way the industry operates and our "player-first" approach to negotiations hasn't helped us in the past.

Our player first approach isn’t just about outgoing player trade negotiations though. It plays a massive role in recruiting from other clubs, and is why we’ve been so successful with it.

Treating players well is how we get players like Battle, Amon, Barrass, Chol, Meek etc.

We haven’t been pushovers with trades since Wingard anyway. That was 7 years ago under an entirely different group of people.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

With Fritsch if we can get the Melbourne out of him he would be a great pick up. Looks disinterested like the majority of Melbourne players. Agreed he can be selfish but IMO the best fowards are. You also have to imagine him in a functional foward line with decent delivery.

Kicked 6 in a GF. Talent isn't the issue it's his headspace and application.

 

[unitedhawk2]

Let’s not get carried away here, Scrimmers ain’t going anywhere.

He’s a Hawks nuffie and we know how good he is when he is fit (plus he’s entering his prime years).

I can see where you're coming from but given Carlton's turnaround in form and any F/S or Academy picks there might be, our first-rounder this year may not even be a Top 10 pick - and I don't think the other club would think our first-rounder will be a Top 10 pick in the 2026 draft either.

If we're going to net a big fish, we will, in all likelihood, have to give up a member of our Best 23 (in addition to draft picks) and it might well be a Hawks nuffie like Scrimmers or Frenchie or Wardy - or even Moorey, although Dyl's probably the least likely candidate in terms of whom we'll put on the trade table.