Commonwealth Games
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Sport Nation
Racing
Motorsport
Netball
Combat Sports
Basketball
Other Sports
Why Lyon would “100 per cent” be advising Dear to leave Hawks
SEN • July 23rd, 2026 11:51 am
Garry Lyon thinks that Hawthorn forward Calsher Dear should request a trade at season’s end.
The 20-year-old has played just the five AFL games in 2026 after featuring 17 times in 2024 and nine times in 2025.
While he’s had some injury struggles throughout his three years in the system so far, he’s been largely overlooked this campaign, featuring on nine occasions in the VFL for a return of nine goals.
Already on the outside of the best 23, the likely arrival of Gold Coast's Ben King via free agency and Jack Gunston’s recent one-year extension for 2027 means Dear could even be further back in the pecking order next campaign.
With that in mind, Lyon told SEN Breakfast’s Sam Edmund that he thinks the best move for the young forward could be to look elsewhere for more senior opportunities.
Edmund: “Calsher Dear is struggling for a game, and he's had his injury problems too.
“He’s only young, a father-son pick, but he would want to play. He'll be looking at a Hawthorn magnet board next year that has (Jack) Gunston, (Mabior) Chol, (Mitch) Lewis, and Ben King on it as forwards.
“Would you be advising Calsher Dear to take his talents elsewhere?”
Lyon: “Yep, I would be… 100 per cent.
“I think that's the thing you’ve got to get your head around. I was thinking about this on the drive in, this is less about loyalty… you're loyal to the club that you're at, and Calsher Dear would be (loyal).
“But Jack Steele was as loyal as anyone, he was the captain of that football club, and look what happened when he went.
“Both he (Steele) and the club (St Kilda) looked at it and went, ‘Yeah, it's probably better that you go’, and he went, ended up being convinced, and he's had an unbelievable year (with Melbourne).”
Dear has found some solid form in recent weeks at VFL level, averaging two goals and five marks across his last three games.
The son of Paul, Hawthorn's late Norm Smith Medallist, is out of contract this year.
