James Blanck and Hawthorn have agreed for the defender to extend his time at the club, with a new contract now set to expire at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Blanck had spent the majority of his time in the VFL for Box Hill but had made his way onto Hawthorn's senior list last year. He was taken at Pick 20 in the Mid-Season Draft and has been a key player for the Hawks since Round 9 this year, playing every game since.
Blanck came in as a quick defender that has had to play a strong role, especially without James Sicily after his suspension in recent weeks.
His ability to also play on some of the top forwards in the league has also bolstered his position on the team, losing only nine defensive contests from 32 so far. His speed has also allowed him to put on pressure on any ground ball with 69 pressure acts and 17 tackles currently in 2023.
National List and Recruiting Manager Mark McKenzie spoke about the club's excitement to keep Blanck on their list and how good of an inclusion he has been to the team.
"James is a talented young player with an exciting future ahead of him," McKenzie said.
"He has had some strong moments this year and has demonstrated his ability to perform at the level against some of the competition's best forwards.
"He's shown some rapid development over the last 12 months and we're looking forward to watching his craft develop further over the coming year."
Blanck currently averages 6.1 disposals and 5.5 spoils per game from his ten games so far in 2023.
Blanck isn't the only player from the 2022 Mid-Season Draft to sign-on, with ruckman Max Ramsden signing a two-year extension in April this year.
