Hawthorn’s 2020 list is starting to take shape, with five promising young Hawks signing new one-year deals this week.
The quintet consists of second-year players Jackson Ross and Harrison Jones, along with first years Damon Greaves, Will Golds and Ned Reeves.
The group follows a string of recent re-signings, including fellow youngsters Changkuoth Jiath, Dylan Moore and James Cousins, as well as reigning Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell.
GM-Football Graham Wright said it’s pleasing to see all the pieces of the 2020 puzzle slowly coming together.
“We’re obviously getting to the business end of the year in regards to player contracts and list decisions, so it’s great to get so many of these deals sorted early,” Wright said.
“Jackson, Harry, Damon, Will and Ned all represent the next generation of Hawthorn players coming through our ranks.
“They’re each still in the very early stages of their careers, but we’re hopeful they’ll go on to enjoy success in the brown and gold.
“We’re looking forward to witnessing their continued development over the course of the next 12 months.”
Selected with Pick 71 in the 2017 National Draft, Ross has enjoyed a breakout VFL season in 2019, booting 35 goals to finish runner-up on the league goal-kicking tally.
The 20-year-old has made 16 appearances for Box Hill this year, averaging 11 disposals, 3.5 marks and just over two goals a game.
Also from the class of 2017, Jones was knocking on the door for senior selection with some prolific performances at VFL level, before a PCL injury cruelly ended his campaign.
Having averaged 20.5 disposals and seven tackles across his 13 Box Hill games this year, Jones has cemented himself as a player to watch.
Greaves and Golds both joined the Hawks via last year’s rookie draft, playing 17 and 15 VFL games respectively and making a solid impact. Both are preparing to play their first final in the brown and gold when Box Hill takes on Werribee this Sunday.
Finally, Ned Reeves is the most recent player to join the Hawks, having been recruited during the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP).
Despite a couple of small injury setbacks across the season, the 209cm ruckman has since chalked up 10 VFL games, averaging 18 hit outs.
