Shane Crawford believes that Hawthorn will successfully recruit GWS midfielder Lachie Whitfield during this year’s AFL trade period.
The former Hawks skipper today re-affirmed his belief that his former side will lure the 2012 number one draft pick to the club via a trade, despite Whitfield being contracted to the Giants until the end of the 2018 season.
“Lachie Whitfield (is) going to the Hawks next year,” Crawford declared on SEN Breakfast.
The 2008 Hawthorn premiership player previously told SEN Breakfast in May that the club were eyeing off the 23-year-old.
“They’d like a running player and he used to barrack for the Hawks. It’d be nice to get him back and you’re probably paying half the price of someone like Josh Kelly,” he said.
“Kelly is an enormous player but Whitfield is a very good player and we just haven’t seen the best of him this year.”
The on-baller has averaged 25 disposals, six marks and four inside 50’s from his 14 games so far in season 2017.
Whitfield missed the club’s first seven games this year as a result of a six month suspension handed to him last November for bringing the game into disrepute after attempting to evade drug testers in May 2015.
The incident also saw then-GWS administrators Graeme Allan and Craig Lambert banned from the game for one year.