Hawthorn's "aggressive" draft gamble to acquire electrifying defender Josh Weddle last year is a move that has kept smiles on the faces of those behind the move at Waverley.
After taking Sandringham Dragons midfielder Cameron Mackenzie with their opening selection of the night at Pick 7, Hawthorn traded back into the first-round to move to the front of the queue to get immediate access to Weddle.
The Hawks traded Pick 27 in last year's count as well as their 2023 second-round and third-round draft selections (now Picks 24 and 45) to attain Pick 18 from Sydney on draft night last November.
That move has begun to pay dividends for list manager Mark McKenzie, with Weddle playing the last 17 games of his side's 2023 campaign after making his debut in Round 7.
A Round 10 appearance against West Coast would put the Templestowe junior on the map, picking up a Rising Star nomination for his 28-disposal and two-game outing against the Eagles.
Speaking on the decision to trade away a trio of draft assets for the promising teenager, McKenzie said the Hawks have been left more than satisfied with last year's trade play.
"Josh was fantastic for us this year. A bit more of a mature body who can play different positions," McKenzie said when asked byย Zero Hanger.ย
"I think the trade where we got a future second last year (via the Bulldogs) actually provided that ability to come back in and still have a second-round pick for this year.
"Once he got into the team, he didn't look like he was coming out and really started his career early. He could be someone that moves up to the wing or stays down back and plays different roles for us.
"We're definitely happy with what Josh has been able to produce.
"We wanted to be aggressive and we saw Josh was still there at the table and we were willing to make that move to get up to get him."
Weddle worked himself into an attacking role across Sam Mitchell's rearguard, learning alongside the likes of Changkuoth Jiath, Blake Hardwick and skipper James Sicily on the Hawks' last line.
McKenzie and his team had hoped to fine-tune their defensive engine this off-season with the pursuit of North Melbourne free agent Ben McKay, with their pursuit of the key defender falling short as the 25-year-old heads to Essendon.
The failed bid for the incoming Bomber won't force the Hawks to look at the next-best option on the open market, with McKenzie confident the club's current defensive stocks have them in good stead for next season.
"Probably unlikely for now," McKenzie said of potentially looking at other top-line key defenders this exchange window.ย ย
"I think from our strategy a couple of years ago, we definitely wanted to bring that Hawthorn group coming through so we invested heavily in the draft, Mid-Season Draft and SSP periods and we wanted to be selective in those positional needs, and Ben was a focus for us.
"Unfortunately, that didn't work out for us, but that doesn't mean that we'll just go and try to fill that void by just getting another key defender in.
"We think we've still got plenty of guys there that can rotate. We've got some guys down there in the backline that show some great versatility that can compete on the ground and in the air, so we'll probably stick with those guys."
One name Hawks fans will begin to become familiar with over the next month is Central Districts defender Will McCabe, who is available to Hawthorn as a father-son selection.
Potentially following in the footsteps of his father Luke, who played 138 games in the brown and gold between 1995-2004, McCabe could be the answer to McKenzie plans of filling the defensive void.
The 197cm talent, who is yet to announce his allegiance to the Hawks, firms as a likely first-round selection for November's draft following his impressive campaign with the Bulldogs and South Australia.
The 18-year-old is a promising intercept option who can also move into the forward line and have an impact on the scoreboard.
"There's still a lot to play out with Will," McKenzie said of the draft prospect.
"He developed nicely this year as a defender. He's played forward as well. So depending on where he goes in the future with that development, he has the variety to actually play some different positions.
"There's still plenty to play out with getting a bit more pointed over the next month or so about where he sits."
