In a year mainly focused on development, Hawthorn has surprised many in 2022 under new coach and club great Sam Mitchell.
There has been plenty to like about this Hawks side despite sitting in 13th, with the rise of Mitch Lewis and Dylan Moore particular highlights, while the sensational return of James Sicily in defence has put him in All-Australian conversations.
They are a young, exciting team that is destined to go places in years to come should they develop like many are predicting and will have their eye on returning to the finals yet again in 2023.
It seems the approach at Waverley Park is to focus on youth within the team, which has heavily influenced who was picked in these five spots.
While they'll have plenty of players in mind, the Hawks would also be pretty keen to target other clubs' draft equity to continue blooding hidden gems in coming seasons.
Back to the list, and in no particular order, here are five players the Hawks could target this off-season heading into 2023.
TRADE TARGETS: ADELAIDE, BRISBANE, CARLTON, COLLINGWOOD, ESSENDON, FREMANTLE, GEELONG, GWS
5. Deven Robertson
The second Lions midfielder that appears on the outer, Western Australian youngster Deven Robertson will have rivals enquiring about his services this off-season ahead of next season.
At just 21 years old, Robertson has shown plenty of glimpses at Brisbane as a midfielder that can go forward when needed, despite the overwhelming stacks of talent in those areas of the field.
Robertson has only appeared five times for the Lions this year, including one as medi-sub, and could look for opportunities at rival clubs to add to his 22 career games.
In his five games, Robertson has averaged 10.4 disposals, 2.8 marks and 2.4 tackles and while they aren't outstanding numbers by any means - his talent is evident when you watch him play.
While he could look to move back to his home state, there will be plenty of Victorian sides looking at Robertson as a young, tough midfielder and the Hawks should be one of them.
While they've got plenty of talent in the middle with the likes of Jaeger O'Meara, Tom Mitchell and youngster Josh Ward, Robertson could become a key part of their midfield group and turn into the main man once O'Meara and Mitchell enter their final years.
Another that doesn't have much substance given the lack of official links to the Hawks, Robertson would be cheap to acquire and if he does depart from Brisbane, could be one of the pickups of 2023 once he gets regular opportunities.
