As Hawthorn continues to look to youth for their future, they have further consolidated their list by re-signing youngsters Jai Serong and Josh Bennetts until the end of 2025 and 2024 respectively.
The Hawks made it clear to the AFL world in last year's trade period that they would be focusing on youth by trading out the likes of Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O'Meara, while targeting the draft heavily.
They appear to be going down a similar route this year, while also looking to make some free agency acquisitions should they fit the right age profile. Serong and Bennetts clearly fit the mould for their list strategy.
Serong re-signing, in particular, will be pleasing for the Hawks. The brother of Fremantle's Caleb, Jai overcame some health issues this year before showcasing his versatility by transitioning from the forward line to defence as part of his development.
Having played five games since being taken at pick 53 in the 2021 national draft, the Hawks have been encouraged by Serong's progress and hope to see him continue to develop over the coming two seasons.
Hawthorn List and Recruiting Manager Mark McKenzie spoke glowingly of Serong's character to fight back to high-level football this year.
"Along with his obvious talent, Jai showed great resilience to return to the top level this year after overcoming his early season health challenges," McKenzie said.
โBoasting an impressive work rate and strong overhead marking ability, Jai is a real competitor and exhibits an excellent willingness to learn and get better.
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As for Bennetts, despite not yet making his AFL debut he is well-regarded internally, with the club viewing him as one of their most exciting prospects after he took home Box Hill's Best First Year Player award and finished 6th in their best and fairest in just his first season.
"Josh is an incredibly gifted player who we are really excited about investing further time and development in." McKenzie said.
"He's shown plenty of promise during his short time at the club, with his footy smarts and agility creating regular scoring opportunities.
โWe're really pleased with both Jai and Josh's progress so far and look forward to seeing what they can deliver in the future.โ
With Hawthorn seemingly back on the right track, the pair of signings provide a further boost to their depth as they head into a big trade and draft period this year.
