Will they improve? Will they regress? The big questions facing Hawthorn in 2025
Yesterday at 03:54 PM
SEN Breakfast hosts Kane Cornes and Sam Edmund have run their eyes over the Hawthorn Hawks and how they're shaping up for the 2025 campaign.
With the trade and free agency period now complete, Cornes and Edmund discussed how the club may improve in 2025, how they may regress if things go wrong and the big questions facing the club next season.
The Hawks finished 7th at the conclusion of the home and away season and were perhaps the league's most in-form side before losing to the Power in finals week two.
How can they improve?
"Clearly personnel wise they've set some targets and hit those targets, Tom Barrass comes in, Josh Battle comes in, and I'm not sure where Mitch Lewis comes in with his recovery, but he must be due for a return soon as well," Edmund said on SEN Breakfast.
Cornes added: "I think they would hope Mitch Lewis comes in and takes the Mabior Chol position.
"They've got time to be patient with him (Lewis) because they've got Sicily and Weddle who can evenly spread the forward options, Calsher Dear looks as though he will continue to improve, he had a pretty big finals series, especially against the Bulldogs, which was so impressive and his season as a whole.
"They're in as good as a position as anyone to win the premiership next year."
How might they regress?
"They will get a tougher draw, there is no element of surprise, more teams will go to work on them, all the other things that have hit teams who have popped in a year can find it hard the next year, Edmund said.
Cornes added: "Can they cope with the expectation? Are they satisfied with what they've done? They haven't really done anything and they might think that it will flow on and automatically happen, and it doesn't, it's going to take a lot of hard work to get themselves back in that positon.
"I can't see a way that their not there on Prelim Final weekend, and of course a bit of luck needs to be involved and some health, but they are going to be a tough team to beat."
The other 2025 burning questions
"The question is how will they handle a different level of expectation, now that their honeymoon period is done?" Edmund asked.
Cornes added: "Are they one really damaging midfielder short? Will Day is the one he is their most damaging midfielder but history would say his body doesn't stack up to play 20-plus games every year and that's the reality for him.
"He'll need to go to work on building his body up again because often that let's him down, but if you get a full season from him (it will be huge), Jai Newcombe has his limitations but he's a star, James Worpel is now paying is role, Conor Nash is playing his role, and there's some youngsters like Josh Ward and Cam Mackenzie who can spread the load in there."
