The AFL trade rumours are beginning to ramp up, with the player movement windows set to open up in the coming weeks.

The year's free agency window runs from Friday October 1 to Friday October 8 and the Continental AFL Trade Period is scheduled for Monday October 4 to Wednesday October 13. 

So where does Hawthorn sit ahead of the upcoming hustle and bustle of the trade and draft period?

The 2021 NAB AFL Draft will be held on November 24-25, with the Hawks holding one first round pick.

It is the club's second consecutive top-six selection after taking young gun Denver Grainger-Barras at Pick 6 in the 2020 AFL Draft.

Incoming Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has previously spoken of the need to target the draft in the short-term.

Featuring on the Not For The Average podcast last month, Mitchell said he has enjoyed his involvement in building the Hawks future list alongside the club's List and Recruiting Manager Mark McKenzie and Head of Football Rob McCartney.

“The list management side of things is absolutely key,” Mitchell said.

“The recruiting is going to be very important; you can have cultural fits as much as you’d like, but if there's not the required level of talent, it’s going to be tough to go to the top end.

“We’ve got a draft coming up, free agency and a trade period and all these things - I’m certainly learning a significant amount at the moment, which has been brilliant for me as an individual.”

Here's all the key dates and details you need to know.

The breakdown:

  • Indicative draft picks: 5, 21, 24, 56, 62 
  • Delisted: Keegan Brooksby, James Cousins, Damon Greaves, Michael Hartley, Harry Pepper 
  • Retired: Shaun Burgoyne, Jon Patton, Tom Scully
  • Unsigned free agents: Tim O'Brien

Key dates to look out for:

  • NAB AFL Draft Combine: Wednesday September 29 - Thursday September 30
  • AFL Free Agency Period: Friday October 1 - Friday October 8
  • Continental AFL Trade Period: Monday October 4 - Wednesday October 13
  • Delisted Free Agency Period: Wednesday October 3 - Monday October 15
  • NAB AFL Draft: Wednesday November 24 - Thursday November 25
  • NAB AFL Pre-season and Rookie Drafts: Friday November 26
  • Pre-season training: First-to-four year players return on November 22, and all other players return December 6

You can keep up with all Hawthorn’s trade and draft news via our website at www.hawthorn.com.au and our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.