New Hawthorn recruit Lloyd Meek has detailed the reason behind his decision to nominate the Hawks as his preferred landing spot after requesting a trade from Fremantle at the end of last year.
Meek, who was contracted at Cockburn for 2023, began to gain interest across the second half of last season given his limited opportunities behind best and fairest Sean Darcy and last year's leading goalkicker in Rory Lobb.
The SMW Rovers product managed just six appearances in 2022, showing plenty of poise and control as a ruck option at AFL level, averaging 19.5 hit-outs and 11.5 disposals per outing.
While Meek was seen as a required player for the season ahead, the arrival of top-rated ruck-forward Luke Jackson posed further doubt over Meek's place in Justin Longmuir's side.
While Lobb would seek a move to the Western Bulldogs, little altered Meek's planning to secure a deal of his own with the Hawks.
Close to half of the competition were said to be showing some interest in Meek, but it was the Hawks who would win the race for the 203cm ruckman, securing trade that would see the Dockers land midfielder Jaeger O'Meara from Hawthorn.
Speaking to AFL.com.au,ย the 24-year-old believed he would still be on the fringes of Fremantle's best side, seeking a move to the Hawks for great opportunities at senior level.
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating," Meek said on the lack of opportunities with the Dockers.
"I think anyone in the same position โ there were guys in the same position with me playing at Peel โ and we were all frustrated.
"A lot of wanting to explore opportunities and a lot of wanting to come to Hawthorn initially was based around that, until I heard more about the exciting group.
"I was stuck behind Sean Darcy and Rory Lobb, and with talk of Lobby leaving and Jackson coming, it probably didn't change a heap.
"At the end of the day, I was probably not going to be in the mix really in the best 22.
"I think everyone reaches a point in their career where you've got to try and build your own career not based off other people's injuries; that's what I was ready to do."
Competition for a first-string ruck spot won't come much easier at Waverley, with the Hawks having invested in Ned Reeves, Max Lynch and Max Ramsden in recent years.
The trio, along with Meek, will be looking to cement themselves as Ben McEvoy's replacement after the veteran Hawk called time on his career in 2022.
While Ramsden is yet to feature for the Hawks after being taken in the 2022 Mid-Season Draft, Reeves and Lynch played 12 and seven games respectively.
For Meek, the familiar nature of selection competition is something that will only give him a greater drive to become a better player.
"The beauty of the sport is competition is everywhere," he said.
"If you don't love that then you go backwards, especially in the ruck space. I can't wait to go to work with the two Maxes and Ned. Hopefully we can build a partnership where we can all complement each other.
"Working on the forward craft is a part of my game I've really committed to in the past couple of years. Hopefully I can flourish in that area.
"We all want to be No.1 and I know the other guys are thinking exactly the same thing, but at the end of the day whatever team balance works best I will fully commit to that."
Should Meek find himself atop the pecking order come the opening round of the season, he'll line up against Essendon's Sam Draper to start his career in the brown and gold.
He'll have to wait until Round 8 to face his former club, likely going toe-to-toe with Darcy and Jackson at Optus Stadium on May 6.
