FOOTBALL
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
HAWTHORN swooped into the region last week, providing some sought after star power ahead of the AFL season and anticipated AFL Origin match held last Saturday.
Across one day, Hawks players visited a staggering 27 regional schools, before finishing with a super clinic and signing session at Western Park, Warragul to wrap things up on Monday, February 9.
Some players even visited a Warragul retirement village, participating in a game of bingo with residents.
The squad was spread out during their Gippsland tour, with nine Hawks arriving to Trafalgar High School for a Q&A and signing opportunity.
Students of all year levels packed into the school gymnasium to converse with some of the Hawthorn stars, including Dylan Moore, Blake Hardwick, Josh Battle, Massimo D’Ambrosio and Nick Watson.
New draftees Aidan Schubert and Cameron Nairn, as well as seasonal Hawks Ned Reeves and James Blank also offered insight.
Photographs: Blake Metcalf-Holt
To no surprise, The Wizard (Watson) was bombarded with the most questions, as was pretty boy D’Ambrosio.
Some future sports journos could be coming out of the high school, as one kid stood up to ask the first, hard-hitting question to the group in regards to the Zach Merrett saga.
The Essendon star’s heavily publicised push to play for the Hawks ultimately proved unsuccessful during last October’s trade period.
While Hardwick and D’Ambrossio (former Bomber) heaped praise on Merrett and applauded the student’s efforts in asking the question, they predictably talked around the hot-button topic.
Even tougher questions followed from the Trafalgar students, including ‘what animal are you most scared of?’ – giving the group time to highlight Moore’s strange tuna fish phobia.
One kid cheekily asked The Wizard if he’d reached the height of five-foot yet, sending the crowd into hysterics and seeing his teammates hiding their laughs.
Watson seemed less enthused and referred to it as “a dog question”.
The players then spent upwards of 20 minutes signing memorabilia and posing for photos, as students lined up out of the door.
At the moment, the Hawks are a little short of Latrobe Valley representation, as the 2025 AFL Trade Period also saw the departure of Morwell’s Changkuoth Jiath, who joined Melbourne after eight years in the brown and gold.
Inverloch’s Jai Serong (brother of Fremantle’s Caleb) also left Hawthorn after four seasons and 10 games, finding a new home with Sydney.
The Hawks still have Churchill prodigy Calsher Dear (son of Norm Smith medallist Paul), who recently saw his sister Maya drafted to Hawthorn’s AFLW side, becoming the club’s first father-daughter selection.
Calsher has made the switch to the number 13 for the upcoming season, in honour of his late father.
Morwell’s Casey Sherriff is also currently with the Hawks AFLW.
Poowong’s Jai Newcombe was the recipient of the Peter Crimmins Medal (Hawthorn best-and-fairest) in 2024, and was this year announced as co-captain alongside James Sicily.
Last year’s preliminary finalists saw four players featured in the marquee AFL Origin match, as Victoria took on Western Australia for the first time since 1993 when they met at Optus Stadium, Perth.
Inverloch and Warragul’s Caleb Serong was the only Gippsland export to don the ‘Big V’ during the much beloved return of Australian rules state of origin football.
A grand contest took place, with ebbs and flows throughout, shooting down any discussions that competition would be inadequate for the occasion.
Victoria shot past Western Australia on its home ground, winning 18.17 (125) to 15.11 (101).
AFL boss Andrew Dillon has already confirmed AFL Origin for 2027, with the potential inclusion of other states such as South Australia and Tasmania.
The preseason showcase came to light following the success of the Indigenous All Stars versus Fremantle exhibition match before last season.
One-off games of a similar note had taken place in 2008 between Victoria and the Dream Team, celebrating 150 years of the sport, and later in 2020 as a bushfire relief charity match between Victoria and the All Stars.
