Former Collingwood premiership player Mick McGuane has urged Hawthorn to pursue Greater Western Sydney's Lachie Whitfield, after the club missed out on Stephen Coniglio.
Although the Hawks were without star midfielder Tom Mitchell for the entire season through injury, McGuane believes Alastair Clarkson should look to add Whitfield to provide extra "oomph".
“The midfield group didn’t have the oomph I thought it would this season, but the absence of Tom Mitchell hurt,” McGuane wrote in his Herald Sun column.
“James Worpel was a positive and Jaeger O’Meara was strong, but they just ran out of numbers there.
“They desperately need another midfielder and they should make a strong pitch for Lachie Whitfield.
“He complements their age demographic and that group of midfielders can grow together.
“He is a star and gives them that outside influence.”
Hawthorn have been linked to signing fellow Giant Jon Patton this off-season, with GWS looking to move the key forward's lucrative contract off the books to free up cap space.
Whitfield has played 130 games for the Giants and will come out of contract at the end of next season.