The recruits, who came to the Club either through Trade Week in October, the National Draft in November or the Rookie Draft in December finalised the 2012 playing list and have already developed a rapport amongst the playing group.
“The boys seem to be settling in really well.
“They had their induction camp last week in Cape Schanck where the new recruits spent time with the senior group and got to know ‘the Hawthorn way’,” said Hawthorn’s Head of Coaching and Development - Chris Fagan.
“(APY lands native) Amos Frank obviously finds things a little bit harder because of the language barrier (speaking relatively little English) but we think he’s picking things up well, and the other guys around the Club help him a fair bit.
“Broc McCauley, Adam Pattison, Jarrad Boumann, and Jack Gunston have all been on AFL lists, they’ve eased in really well, they understand the Club environment.
“These guys have all played at least the equivalent of VFL level and we’re looking forward to developing them further and watching their games improve.
“They still have a way to go in terms of adding bulk and developing their bodies to be ready for AFL football.
“With some of the younger guys, they’re only used to training three nights a week then playing on the weekend, so this kind of full-time commitment is a big change for them.
“We’ve got them training on a lesser schedule to prevent shock to their bodies which we’ll build up slowly and gradually.
“They’re participating in every session working on a 70 - 75 per cent workload at the moment.
“They’re learning new recovery techniques like being able to pace themselves throughout the week,” said Fagan.
The younger recruits have stood out in their physical ability and are so far impressing coaching staff with their willingness to learn and adapt.
“Andrew Boseley’s shown great competitiveness and we’re really hoping to add some bulk to his frame.
"Jordan Kelly has a great kick and can play well one-on-one.
“Bradley Hill was our number one pick in the National Draft - he’s an incredible runner and has shown great speed and endurance.
“In a lot of the training he’s already stood out -he’s confident when he’s got the footy and he really takes the game on.
“You can really imagine him playing on the wing at the MCG - breaking into open space and doing a bit of damage.
“We also see young Alex Woodward as a nuggety inside-player, a bit like a Sam Mitchell.
“He’s very mature - he’s 18 but he seems like he’s 26 - he knows the game plan, trains extremely well and seems to know what to do.
“You can imagine if Sewell or Mitchell were to run into any injury problems that Alex would come in and play a role,” said Fagan.
So when will Hawks fans see the Club’s newest recruits in action?
“We’ve got some big games early in the 2012 season against Collingwood and Geelong, and we’d like to have all of our senior players completely ready for them, so we’ll have a pretty full line-up in the pre-season cup.
“But having said that, some of our young guys will definitely get the opportunity to play - if not in the pre-season cup, then definitely in 2012.”
