All signs were suggesting an unusually quiet trade period for Hawthorn as the league entered the final hour of exchange on Thursday night.

The bulk of the Hawks’ action occurred early on in the piece, with Isaac Smith opting to head to the Cattery on day one of free agency.

Smith’s move saw the club receive a third-round compensation selection, Pick 42 at the time of the transaction.

The club then moved to add to its key defensive stocks by bringing Kyle Hartigan across from Adelaide.

The Hawks gave the Crows a future fourth round selection in a trade that saw the 29-year-old Hartigan sign on with the brown and gold for two years.

An update from the CEO

Speaking to the Hawks Talk Trade podcast, GM – Football Graham Wright said the recruitment was an important one for the Hawks.

"The main reason in bringing Kyle in is to obviously bolster the depth at the key defender position which he has played for a long period of time now at the Crows," Wright said.

"Considerations such as whether we want to play Ben McEvoy in the ruck, James Sicily being out for probably most of next year and obviously James Frawley retiring, so, from that perspective, we felt like somebody else from a depth point of view was going to be really important.”

Hartigan was signed with a week remaining of trade period, but the majority of those ensuing seven days saw little emerge from the Hawks camp.

But Graham Wright and his team have forged a reputation for keeping their cards close to their chest and the 2020 trade period was ultimately no different.

Tom Phillips had been a name loosely linked to the Hawks throughout the two weeks but the silence from the Hawks’ end hosed down any real attention.

Speaking to Trade Radio at the conclusion of Thursday night’s trade period, Wright explained the negotiations had extended longer than what some may have expected.

“It was a drawn-out process over a couple of weeks when it became obvious Collingwood wanted to move a number of players.”

Wright said he and his team were all too pleased to land Phillips who he saw as an exciting young talent to add to the Hawks midfield mix.

“I’m very happy about it.

“We have ended up with a 24-year-old who has played 80-odd games of AFL footy.

“He will play a lot of footy at this football club so we’re really excited to get him across the line.”

Wright also made mention of the importance the club placed on maintaining its draft hand ahead of next month’s draft.

As the club looks ahead to that next stage in the off-season process, it now holds Picks 4, 24, 45, 46, 49 and 72.