There was a very slim chance that Ned Reeves would depart Hawthorn in the latest off-season despite multiple rivals coming hard for his signature.
Reeves has been stuck behind the much-improved Lloyd Meek for the past two years, with coach Sam Mitchell opting to play one genuine ruckman in the senior side, and pairing them with back-up options Mabior Chol and Max Ramsden.
But the 27-year-old was reaffirmed as a key part of the club's future, penning a new deal until the end of 2029.
"It's humbling knowing that the club has that belief in me," Reeves told Zero Hanger.
"Even though sometimes, the last couple of years, when I haven't been playing as much, sometimes that feeling of being wanted could waver.
"But I think talking to the club, talking to Sam (Mitchell) and list managers, they were pretty firm that they didn't want to even look at any trade offers. They wanted me to stay, and hearing that makes you feel wanted, and it was nice to have."
Collingwood and Carlton were the two clubs coming hard for Reeves, given their off-season moves.
The Pies farewelled veteran and premiership player Mason Cox, while Tom De Koning took up a lucrative offer from St Kilda to depart the Blues, who Reeves held talks with amid strong interest.
"I spoke to a few clubs, those two kind of, but the Blues probably more," he added.
"I definitely contemplated having a look and seeing what was possibly out there. But to be honest, none of the opportunities that were there were really that appealing to me anyway.
"Then, Hawthorn being so keen, and their offer being good enough, was definitely enough to make me want to stay."
Reeves' 2025 season yielded one match, the lowest count across a campaign since he joined the brown and gold.
Despite spending most of the time in the VFL, he took it upon himself to play a selfless role within the squad, helping push Meek to greater heights, and taking on a mentoring role for the young talls and the on-ball brigade, which is something Mitchell noticed.
"The feedback I got was on the things I could control in the season, I was," Reeves said.
"I can't always control how Meeky plays. He was playing well. There's no reason to drop him. But what I could control was how I was playing at Box Hill or during the week, how I could help the mids through some coaching, watch vision, and help out the young rucks.
"Still contribute to the midfield even though I wasn't playing on game day with the AFL midfield, but still being able to help them, which Mitch really valued."
But the adaptation in ruck rules and the scrapping of the substitute could see the 208cm athlete return to the AFL side early in 2026.
It is largely viewed that the fifth position on the bench could be used for a tall prospect, for which Reeves is "very hopeful that's the case".
The removal of the centre bounce is "more in favour than against" for the Hawthorn ruck, who prefers utilising his jump to assert dominance over his opponent.
"What they want to do is the AFL wants to encourage the jumping because they like the spectacle of that, which has always been a strength of mine, especially around the centre bounce," Reeves said.
"If I can get back to being really good in that area and be able to have a significant point of difference, then hopefully it's enough to get me a spot back in the side."
Reeves has carved out an impressive career to date after signing at the club via the 2019 SSP. He's played 43 games in the brown and gold, and was selected in the 2025 VFL Team of the Year as the starting ruck.
The Hawks begin the 2026 campaign against GWS in Opening Round, played at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday, March 7.
