FOOTBALL
AFL EXPORTS
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
OUT of favour Hawthorn utility, Morwell’s Changkuoth Jiath has moved to Melbourne on the final day of the AFL Trade Period.
Jiath agreed to a three-year deal with the Demons, after using the offseason to look for a new club despite having two years remaining on his contract with the Hawks.
Hawthorn have received Pick 42 in exchange for Jiath – a compensation draft selection which was obtained by Melbourne when losing Charlie Spargo to North Melbourne.
Channel Seven’s Mitch Cleary reported in the days prior that “there is a mutual understanding with the Hawks that he (Jiath) explores the market.”
The 26-year-old arrived at Hawthorn in 2017 as a category B rookie after seasons with Gippsland Power and Xavier College, Melbourne.
While it was clear that Jiath had lost some confidence within the coaching staff at the Hawks, he still managed the most games in his career for a single season (20 games inclusive of finals).
The two seasons beforehand Jiath had been plagued with injury setbacks.
Having played 76 games in total for his AFL career, the Morwell export still has plenty to give with a rebuilding Melbourne side.
The Demons still secured the signature of at least one Latrobe Valley player, having also pushed hard over the trade period to grab Moe’s Bailey Humphrey from Gold Coast.
Jiath joins a trio of Latrobe Valley exports who have realised a change of scenery during the trade period, with Suns pair, Morwell’s Ben Ainsworth moving to Carlton and former Moe junior and Fish Creek’s Sam Flanders arriving at St Kilda.
