Hawthorn has bolstered its Hawks Academy program with the appointments of Keegan Brooksby and David McKay.

Former Hawk Brooksby has landed the position of Hawks Academy Manager while retired Adelaide star McKay has been named as the Hawks Academy Coach.

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The duo will be working with father-son, father-daughter, Next Generation eligible and other identified players from the Hawthorn and Box Hill heartlands to develop the talent pipeline from local level through to the elite.

Brooksby spent the last two years on Hawthorn’s list after stints at Gold Coast and West Coast before that.

Throughout his AFL career he has spent time developing his sport administration skills which he will draw upon in leading Hawthorn’s academy space.

David McKay joins the Hawks after 248 games with the Adelaide Crows, returning to the state he grew up in with his wife and three children.

McKay will focus on coaching Hawthorn’s academy players while also playing a coaching role at Box Hill in the VFL program and contributing to the AFLW recruiting team.

Brooksby will start on 6 December 2021 and McKay will commence on 13 December 2021.