“Lock them in”: Brownlow Medallist's top two lock for 2027

Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney has locked Hawthorn in for a top two spot way ahead of the 2027 AFL season.

Trade Period was a major success for the Hawks, acquiring two of the biggest fish on the market with Gold Coast’s Ben King and Essendon’s Zach Merrett landing at Dingley ahead of the new year.

Adding superstar talent to an already strong list that was a kick away from a spot in the Grand Final, Sam Mitchell enters his fifth season with his strongest assets by far, and arguably the best list in the competition.

With that in mind, Cooney can’t see a world where they finish outside of the top two in the upcoming season.

“I’m going to lock them in for a top two spot next year,” Cooney told SEN Sportsday.

“It’s not too outrageous to say that given they finished top four this year and potentially could have played in a Grand Final.

“It’s not an outrageous statement, but I think with King and Merrett coming in, they certainly improve.

“Can Ben King and Jack Gunston share a forward goal square together? That’s the only question I have.

“Who is going to be the guy that leads out of the square, because they both do the same thing.

“They are going to be good. They are fun to watch, they’ve still got that arrogance that Hawthorn teams of the past have had, sprinkled in with a little bit of fun.

“Back in the day, I would have hated seeing players celebrating and carrying on the way that they do.

“Now, I sit back and I love watching the young Hawks and their goal celebrations, the way that they really seem to be enjoying their footy and enjoying each other on the field.

“I think they improve. I love Sam Mitchell as a coach. He is completely different as a coach to what he was as a player.

“I thought it wasn’t going to work for him, but he seems to have given them the license to be who they want to be, and I think he has completely changed his personality as a coach.

“I never in a million years thought that Sam Mitchell would get away with some of the things the Hawks do on the field!

“Lock them in.”