Hawthorn has extended James Blanck's stay in the brown and gold, with the key defender signing on until the end of the 2024 season.
Blanck spent some time at Box Hill before finding his way on the club's AFL list last year.
The agile and athletic defender proved his abilities very quickly after the Hawks nabbed him with Pick 20 in the mid-season rookie draft.
Tasked with the toughest jobs of shutting down some of the league's best forwards, the young defender has flourished down back in the second half of the 2023 season, playing in every game since Round 9.
National List and Recruiting Manager Mark McKenzie said the club was delighted to have secured Blanck's services for a further year.
“James is a talented young player with an exciting future ahead of him,” McKenzie said.
“He has had some strong moments this year, and has demonstrated his ability to perform at the level against some of the competition's best forwards.
“He’s shown some rapid development over the last 12 months and we’re looking forward to watching his craft develop further over the coming year."
