Hawks go big in the MSD
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Hawthorn went into the mid-season draft with a ‘go big or go home’ mentality. They followed that up by going big. Very big.
Entering Wednesday night armed with two picks, sitting at 3 and 12, the Hawks were well placed to add further young talent to a list that is starting to come together and show signs of long-term promise.
The talk in the lead up to the draft was that Hawthorn’s ideal target was eventual first selection Ryan Maric, and it was easy to see why. Maric — who is headed out west to play for the Eagles — has played well in his recent outings for Box Hill and will be given opportunities at AFL level in the back half of this season, especially with the Eagles incredibly large injury list.
The Hawks were on the clock when Maric and Subiaco speedster Robert Hansen Jnr — who got picked up by North — were off the board. As it turned out, Eastern Ranges ruckman Clay Tucker was the man that Mark McKenzie landed on with the Hawks first pick.
Tucker, who was viewed as the leading young ruck prospect in the mid-season draft, has averaged 20 hit outs a game in the Coates Talent League this season, and had just recently debuted with Box Hill in the VFL. Prior to the draft, he was among a number of prospects who trained at Hawthorn, so McKenzie and his team had plenty of insight into Tucker’s raw talent and ability to adjust to football at an elite level and in a professional environment.
The 204cm Tucker comes in on an 18-month contract and will be given time to develop his skills at Box Hill, in tandem with Max Ramsden. Tucker’s strength is his ruck work, despite only being a ruckman for the last couple of years, as well as his athleticism for someone his size. His ability to cover the ground and push forward and impact the scoreboard are seen as some of Tucker’s other positive attributes.
After taking Tucker with pick 3, which threw a spanner in the works of both the Giants and Geelong, the Hawks would have been hoping for fellow Box Hill teammate Ethan Stanley to be available when the club picked in the second round.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, Stanley rightly didn’t make it out of the first round, eventually snapped up by Fremantle at pick 8. That means three Box Hill Hawks were selected in the mid-season draft, an incredible effort by the club and their talent identification and development.
With Tucker in the bag and Stanley off the board, the question around who Hawthorn would take with pick 12. That player ended up being Northern Bullants spearhead Brandon Ryan.
Ryan, the cousin of Fremantle gun Luke Ryan, is a 200cm key position forward who has been a shining light in a struggling Bullants team, averaging 2.6 goals, 14 disposals and 5 marks per game across the 2023 VFL season, his first at the level.
An athletic tall who has starred up forward but can also play down back to in the ruck, Ryan spent last year playing for Maribyrnong in the Essendon District Football League before joining the Bullants in the offseason.
Ryan’s path to the AFL has been anything by a smooth ride. Having spent two years in the rehab group while on North Melbourne’s VFL list as a 19/20-year-old, Ryan went back to local footy just as COVID hit, meaning he was unable to play any real football for a number of years.
The Hawks spoke to Ryan in the lead up to the draft, and pounced on him with pick 12, adding the dominant key forward to their key forward stocks. Ryan will be looking to push for an AFL debut in the back half of the 2023 season. He will put pressure on Jacob Koschitzke as the second key forward and partner for Mitch Lewis in the Hawks forward set up.
Let’s take a closer look at our MSC pick ups.
Clay Tucker
Eastern Ranges, Coates Talent League
Ruck | 204cm, 99kg | 18 years old
A fine exponent of tap ruck work, Tucker finds ways to place his taps to the advantage of his teammates, whether that’s to the inside midfielders or over the top to the outside runners. A raw prospect with plenty of development and experience required, it’s easy to see why Hawthorn took a punt on Tucker. His imposing 204cm 99kg frame allows him to dominate his opponent physically, while his athleticism and mobility allow him to move well across the ground.
Brandon Ryan
Northern Bullants, VFL
Key Forward | 200cm | 25 years old
An athletic, late developing key forward who has made a major impact on the VFL in his first full season at the level, Ryan has shown AFL like attributes that will have attracted Hawthorn’s recruiting team to take a flier on him in the mid-season draft. Ryan moves well is good below his knees, while also being a strong aerial threat. Ryan comes in on a six-month contract and it will be up to him to prove he is worthy of staying on past the completion of the 2023 season.
The Verdict…
Hawthorn will be happy with their successful nights work at the mid-season draft, bolstering their ruck and key forward depth with one for the future (Tucker) and one who is ready to contribute now (Ryan). The next month at Box Hill and at the selection table will be an interesting watch.
How highly do the Hawks rate Ryan? Do they want to see him at AFL level before the season closes? Watch this space.
Agree with Danny and thanks for the article mate. It's interesting with Jeka, as in the back half of last season, he showed some real potential playing as a key defender with both Box Hill and the Hawks. When Lewis got injured in the pre-season, that was abandoned and he reverted to the forward line. The recruitment of Tucker and Ryan gives Jeka the opportunity to return to a key defensive role, where he seemed more suited. On a side note, the recruitment of Tucker (on an 18 month contract) is perhaps an indication of the long-term prospects for Max Lynch which is very disappointing, especially for Max, but also for the Hawks.
In an interview on SEN this morning, Ryan's agent had an idea that he could go at 12, but no promises and it sounded as though Hawthorn was the only club to give him any sort of indication indication. https://megaphone.link/NTETP6277391531
The picks are interesting for BH and the AFL player development - with Tucker, it should allow Ramsden to play more time forward which looks to be his more natural position, as well as Ryan. With Greene, what will this mean for the return of Jeka? At the AFL level, do we need another back half option? As for Thorpe, as a BH player, does he become the last player in/out?
(Both trained today.)