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The hurricane of Hawks set to elevate midfield in 2026
Jaiden Sciberras • November 27th, 2025 8:49 am
Hawthorn might have missed out on their big fish in Zach Merrett, but don't sleep on their up-and-coming midfield core.
Remaining well and truly within the premiership window, the Hawks’ list is far from finished in its development, with several young stars still expected to experience significant growth over the coming seasons.
With an expected starting midfield of Will Day (24 years old), Jai Newcombe (24) and Josh Ward (22), Sam Mitchell’s engine room is bound for improvement, having already proven to be a strength of the side when in full health.
Hindered by Day’s absence in the latter stages of September, the Hawks fell just a game short of the big dance, and with another pre-season under their belts, assistant coach David Hale has ample faith in their core unit moving into 2026.
“We’re still really excited by a couple of our young guys,” Hale told SEN Afternoons.
“Ward showed some really good improvement last year. (Cam) Mackenzie, we thought played really well up until he hurt his hand around the middle of last year – we are excited about what he can do after another pre-season.”
Beyond the usual suspects, Hale has confirmed that the club is looking to reinforce their midfield unit within the four walls, identifying a trio of talented forwards that may make a move internal over the course of next year.
“We think we can add a couple of those guys that play high half forward for us – Connor Macdonald, Dylan Moore, even Nick Watson is keen to get some midfield time,” Hale stated.
“We still have a lot of quality in that part of the ground, and the guys that have been in there in the past can develop as well. A couple of those draftees have come in as well, so hopefully they can show some signs early that they are more than capable at the level.”
The aforementioned draftees include South Australian Cam Nairn, Vic Metro’s Jack Dalton and draft slider Ollie Greeves, all of whom have been selected with huge midfield upside.
Solidifying their young core over the off-season, the Hawks also picked up fellow South Australians Aidan Schubert and Matt LeRay, joining Nairn to form a trio of Central District talents in the brown and gold.
While their draftees may not be AFL ready come Round 1, Hale sees bucketloads of potential, noting their selection of Greeves as one for the future.
“I met Aidan the other day, he is actually 89kg and looks really lean – I was drafted at 79kg, so I can’t imagine how lean I must have looked!” he said.
“He can run, I think he was in the top few groups with us at 198cm, so I think the majority of our guys that we brought in this year have really good running capacity. Those guys will fit in really well.
“With Ollie, he came in and trained the other day, looks really polished with his craft and the time that he has with the ball. Hopefully with a pre-season under his belt, it gives him a base, even those guys like Mackenzie, (Henry) Hustwaite – who really developed last year in the VFL.
“It takes a couple of pre-seasons to realty get that base underneath you to be able to compete with the quality on-ballers and to be able to get from contest-to-contest which is really important.
“Very excited for what Hustwaite can do, and Ollie is another one that I think can develop over time with a couple of those under his belt.”
21-year-old Hustwaite faced a rather difficult off-season, used by the club as a sweetener in their unsuccessful trade offers for Merrett.
The 195cm on-baller put his talents on display in 2025, averaging 29 disposals, 10 clearances and five tackles at VFL level, while managing 24 disposals in his AFL debut, followed by 19, eight tackles and five clearances in his second senior game.
Having been cast out by the club, Hale has assured that his return for pre-season has been far from awkward or uncomfortable, with plans to roll him through the senior set-up at a more frequent rate in the coming years.
“Once everything ended, and the trade period is finished and you’re still on our list, once he walks through the door, he’s our player,” Hale said.
“He has come back in really good condition; he looks like he’s ready to go. His form in the VFL last year was too good for that level, and we’re excited for what he can bring.
“He has been clear, and we’ve been clear with ‘Hus’ in terms of what we wanted him to work on. His stoppage craft is really elite, and the rest of his game is starting to take shape.
“He is one again that with another two months of conditioning under his belt, will come in really hard for contention to be able to play.”
Finishing in eighth place in 2025, Sam Mitchell’s men will look to build in ’26.
Listen to Hale's full interview below:
