Hawthorn has further strengthened its draft hand ahead of next week’s 2024 AFLW Draft and welcomed two new players to the club as a result of the trade period.

Keely Coyne was picked up by the Hawks as a delisted free agent, the 20-year-old bodes as a versatile small who will be utilised in defence and on the wing.

The Hawks first trade saw inaugural Hawk Charlotte Baskaran head to St Kilda as well as Pick 32 while the Hawks received Picks 26 and 44 in exchange.

Following that it was a straight swap for the Hawks with Najwa Allen being traded in, while Lou Stephenson departed to the Western Bulldogs as part of the four-club deal.

Lastly the Hawks farewelled Mattea Breed and Pick 26 to Collingwood, obtaining Picks 22 and 28 in return.

AFLW List Manager Keegan Brooksby summed up the club’s acquisitions following the end of the trade period.

“The trade period presents opportunity for us to bring players into the club and equally we know there’s going to be some players that seek greater opportunity elsewhere and also attempt to strengthen our draft hand as well,” Brooksby said.

“We get to the end of it and look at it and go well we’ve bought two players in who we think can contribute really strongly to our football club next year and beyond. We also had some players leave who sought greater opportunity elsewhere and we were able to facilitate trades for them as well, whilst strengthen our overall draft hand which we think is really important heading into the first national draft and to walk away with three picks in the top 30 we sit really comfortably with where that’s at.”

Brooksby spoke to what 20-year-old Coyne will offer the Hawks.

“Well Keely is a small utility who’s played inside mid, she’s played a bit on the wing, she’s played a bit at half back and a little bit at half forward as well in her first couple of years at the Bulldogs,” Brooksby said.

“We see her being able to play a role in our back line and definitely on the wing as well to start with. But we think her skillset is quite transferable across multiple positions and we’re excited to get her into the program to see what we’ve got to work with firsthand and we think we’re going to get a pretty good player there.”

He also detailed what premiership player Allen will bring to the brown and gold.

“Najwa’s a great competitor and leader both on and off the field,” Brooksby said.

“Speaking to her, she just competes so hard all of the time and in the backline, we’re looking for a bit more experience to be able to help and lead some of our younger players and we think she’ll compliment that group really strongly.”

New players means the Hawks also farewell a few, with the trio of Breed, Stephenson and Baskaran all departing the club during the trade period.

“Obviously farewelling some Hawthorn people is always a difficult thing to do, Mattea, Lou and Charlotte have all added immensely to our program. Lou and Charlotte from the first year, Season 1, they’ll always been inaugural Hawks and then Mattea in the last two years and we wish them all the best at their new clubs and hopefully they continue their careers,” Brooksby said.

“The outcome for us means that we take a stronger hand into the draft which we’re really excited about. So three picks in the top 28, we’re pretty excited about what we’re going to be able to bring in, I think everyone views this draft quite strongly and it’s the first national draft as well. It puts us in a strong position and gives us plenty of options as we enter Monday night.”

Watch Brooksby’s full interview on the trade period below.