Three-time All-Australian Nick Dal Santo has questioned the sustainability of Hawthorn’s list in the long term.
Speaking on SEN Afternoons, Dal Santo believes the likes of veteran trio Jarryd Roughead, Shaun Burgoyne and Grant Birchall might not be at the Hawks beyond this year.
“The Hawks have been ruthless in some ways under (Alastair Clarkson) Clarko and the management of their list over recent years,” Dal Santo said.
“These guys have just done it for so long.
“We’ve gone through ten players there; within 12 to 24 months they won’t be there. That’s half of your best team."
Dal Santo is worried that these list issues could affect the club’s ability to pursue a big free agent come the off-season, namely GWS star Stephen Coniglio.
“Is there enough of this next crop coming through that Coniglio, for example, would be looking through saying ‘Yep, this is the best decision for me’, not necessarily financially, about winning finals, winning premierships," he added.
“You’ve got to summarise and assess a list; he’d be working out the midfield; where does he fit into that particular midfield. How many of those guys will he be playing with for the rest of his career?”
Hawthorn have underwhelmed so far this season, sitting with a record of five wins and seven losses. The club’s list is the oldest in the competition, with nine players over the age of 30 including Burgoyne, the league’s oldest player.