The opening three weeks of the AFL season has proved to be a collective of sliding doors moments for Hawthorn, as defensive stars Tom Barrass and Josh Battle prove their worth.
On Friday at the MCG, Battle quelled two-time Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow within an inch of his life, limiting the Carlton spearhead to five disposals in his return from injury.
And as any onlooker would notice, Barrass' impact has been immense thus far, securing the back half without stuffing the stat sheet.
But what could've been if the Hawks' attempt to land both Ben McKay and Esava Ratugolea 18 months ago was successful?
For starters, there would be no chance Barrass and Battle would be wearing the brown and gold.
The Kangaroos were resigned to the fact that McKay was heading out the door as a free agent after eight years of service and, remarkably, only eight wins.
As for Ratugolea, his time at Geelong was fruitful, but toward the end of his time at Kardinia Park, Chris Scott played him in multiple roles that seemingly unsettled him, whilst also spending time in the reserves.
Hawthorn played strong hands in their attempts to lure the key defensive options to help bolster their backline, which at the time relied upon mid-season pick-up James Blanck, veteran Sam Frost and James Sicily.
The Hawks won seven games and had a percentage of 80.2, but conceded the third most scores for the 2023 campaign, sitting above bottom-dwellers North Melbourne and West Coast.
Ratugolea was reportedly offered a five-year deal well above $500,000 while McKay was presented with an $850,000 deal.
"He was a player I was disappointed that we weren't able to convince to come across to us," Sam Mitchell said of McKay nine months ago on SEN.
"I really liked him as a player at North and now he's gone to Essendon and he's doing what I suspected he would do."
Despite missing out on the now Power and Bomber defenders, the backline was still an area for improvement.
But how long is a year in football?
Throughout 2024, as the Hawks made their stoic run from 0-5 to three points shy of the penultimate week, they quickly became a destination club once again, albeit to the dismay of rival fans.
'HokBall' took the AFL world by storm, and with the war chest sitting idly by, waiting to pounce on players looking for a new environment, Mitchell and his team were poised once again to aggressively attack the player movement period.
Work into Battle and Barrass was noted throughout the season, as Mitchell made it known of his role in secret meet-ups with his targets.
The four-time premiership player flew to Western Australia to begin persuading the Eagles defender to head east while personally calling the Saints free agent to help make the decision surrounding his future became clear.
Cut to Friday, March 21, after Hawthorn's third game of the 2025 season.
A perfect start to a campaign where expectations are set at an all-time high, contributed by the acquisitions of the two Bs (Battle and Barrass).
Battle recorded his fourth-highest-rated (15.4) game in his career, gathering 21 disposals, nine intercept possessions), five marks, four inside 50s and four score involvements, all while tasked with manning Curnow, who went goalless for the third time in three years.
The former Saint has also yet to lose a one-on-one contest this year.
Barrass' influence also cannot be understated for what he allows Mitchell to work with.
Aside from his aerial prowess and strong reading of the play that hinders the opposition's thrusts forward, the ex-Eagle's signing has allowed greater flexibility in the senior side.
Time and time again rivals have been forced to deal with Sicily and Blake Hardwick up forward.
Josh Weddle's freedom to roam and play through the midfield has also been attributed to the Barrass investment.
On the flipside, Ratugolea featured 23 times for Port Adelaide last year, but struggled to make a meaningful impact across all lines, failing to cement a role under Ken Hinkley by season's end.
McKay also donned the sash on 23 occasions in 2024, but recorded a career-high contested defensive one-on-one loss rate (33 per cent), eclipsing his time at the Kangaroos.
Fortuitously for Hawthorn, it was a case of one door closing and another opening.
And in their instance, there'd be no doubt a wry smile has swept across their face, reminiscent of the healthy arrogance that has plagued the perpetually successful Hawks for decades.
