New recruit Jack Ginnivan is a "perfect fit" to the Hawthorn's young list and attacking game style, according to the club's General Manager of Football Rob McCartney. 

Ginnivan, who kicked 58 goals across his 42 games with reigning premiers Collingwood, arrived to the Hawks following the final day of the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period on Wednesday.

McCartney acknowledged that while the club's midfield blossomed this season, and that its defensive unit had talent, the forward line hasn't been able to reach the same level of impact. 

"We get it in enough, but we haven't quite had the talent to score that allow us to be at front at the end of the day," McCartney said on SEN's The Run Home with Andy & Gazey.

"Jack is going to give us a really good look...he's shown that he has kicked 40-plus goals in a season before," McCartney added.

"We know that if you give him enough opportunities, he can be dangerous around goal.

"But, just like every player on our list, he's got to work hard, earn his spot and then he's got to perform on match day.

"But what I've seen from this young man already is that he has all the character and qualities to fit in really nicely with what we're trying to do."

McCartney added that the club was specific and targeted through this trade period, and that it recognised the need to recruit a "small clever forward".

"Realistically, it didn't look like there was perhaps going to be that chance this year, but we've openly said that over the next few years we'll be focused on filling in the missing pieces that we've got," McCartney said.

"But when Collingwood started their conversations around Lachie Schultz, we just thought, 'wow they've got an array of small forwards in their line up, could one fall to the side and maybe have an interest in playing elsewhere?'

"Jack and his management were having conversations, and we were too, but I'm not particularly sure who picked up the phone first.

"He barracked for the Hawks as a kid, so there was a little bit of a love for the brown and gold there too... the two worlds just aligned so beautifully that the connection happened pretty simultaneously."

McCartney said there was also enormous upside in fellow recruit Mabior Chol, stating the key forward would add value to the club right from Round 1 next year.

"One of the things that came strong across with Mabior is that he's getting to an age of 26 and he now really wants to forge a career in this next phase," McCartney said.

"He is really determined to work hard and establish himself in this game as a player that is respected for performance, not just occasionally but consistently. 

"We've got real confidence with what Mabior wants out of his footy career."

McCartney also spoke on premiership star Jack Gunston returning to the brown and gold after having spent the 2023 season with Brisbane.

"Jack did express post the grand final that there was an interest get back to Melbourne, and if he could get back to Hawthorn, but that wasn't us who was driving that initially," McCartney added.

"But like everything in this game, you keep your eyes open and consider your options, and that's exactly what we did.

"We we were honest with Jack that we had other priorities during this trade period that were always going to sit in front first.

"But if we got to the end of that period and there was an opportunity to consider it, we would, and that's exactly how it played out."

McCartney said the club envisions Gunston having a similar mentoring impact that co-vice captain Luke Breust has forged with some of the club's young forwards. 

"Breust is outstanding on game day, but what people don't know is the difference that he makes during the week," McCartney explained.

"The influence he has had on Dylan Moore, Sam Butler, Josh Bennetts, Jack O'Sullivan... the development they get from spending time with him and the investment he makes in them is definitely a rich part of why we are getting better.

"Jack has the same ability to do the same for our tall forwards, through our discussions he's actually committed and wants to play a part of that.

"He's still really determined to play well on match day, but we feel like he's got so much to offer a group that is the youngest in the competition by a significant margin.

"Before Jack comes in, we've only got three players aged over 30 in Sam Frost, Chad Wingard and Breust. If you do a comparison, Collingwood won the grand final with nine players over 30.

"Jack's on a one year contract, but he hopes he plays more footy than that. You look at Tom Hawkins, you'll play until 36 - if that happens with Jack we'll be pretty excited.

"He has plenty to add to what we're trying to do. We're trying to develop a playing group that's going to play in our next grand final, while Jack might not be there in the team at that time, he would've influenced that, which is pretty important for us."

Hear the full interview from McCartney on SEN below.