Best 22 for '22: Ash Browne
With the trade period done, the Hawks Insiders team take an early stab at picking their preferred team for round one next season.
Who I grappled with
I’m not a Hartigan fan, but for the time being he is best equipped to handle the monster opposition forwards. Charlie Dixon and Tom Hawkins would lick their lips at taking on a Hawk backline without him. Conor Nash is unlucky here because his last month in 2021 was outstanding. I’m also a huge Tyler Brockman fan and it was tough to leave him out. Same with Jai Newcombe. Sam Frost gets in for now, but just.
Who should be best 22 by season’s end:
A bulked-up Denver Grainger-Barrass should not take too long to find a place in this side, while Connor Downie appears to have all the tools to be a decent outside midfielder. Emerson Jeka might be the best Hawthorn key forward option of them all. If Mark McKenzie and Nathan Foley know their stuff, you’d like to think and hope that Hawthorn’s first draft pick should be good enough to play senior footy by the second half of the season. If they can somehow wrangle Finn Callaghan, he would likely step right in.
Don’t sleep on:
Seamus Mitchell. We’ve hardly seen him, but as a line-breaking mid who can hit the scoreboard, he has attributes Hawthorn sorely needs.
Who might be in trouble:
Three-time premiership midfielder Liam Shiels is the heart and soul of the club, but hopefully there are better options next season. Hartigan could well make way for DGB at some stage, while Phillips might also be overtaken.
Backs Hardwicke Frost Scrimshaw
Half-backs Impey Sicily Jiath
Centre Bramble Mitchell Day
Half-forwards Wingard Jeka Gunston
Forwards Koschitzke Lewis Breaust
Ruck Reeves Worpel O'Meara
Interchange McEvoy Newcombe Moore
Brockman Sub Seamus Mitchell
Barrass plays. Nash worked so that should continue.i think jeka looks most likely so give him a real opportunity. Hartigan NO philips NO and maybe play big boy out of square. Maybe neither kosi or Lewis start?!