Tim Watson has suggested Hawthorn’s poor form will hamper their ability to lure oppositions players to their club during the upcoming trade and free agency period.
The Hawks have made a habit of topping up with big-name recruits from other clubs during their successful period, while they’ve also added the likes of Jarman Impey, Jaeger O'Meara, Tom Scully, Jonathan Patton and Chad Wingard in recent years.
With the club struggling through a 2020 season which has included just four wins from 14 matches – including a 35-point loss to the previously winless Adelaide on Tuesday night – Watson has suggested prospective players may now look elsewhere.
“When they were flying, the sell to a prospective recruit was easy,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“It’s a much harder sell now for them to be able to attract that ready-made talent, I don’t know where they’re at with their salary cap but in the past, they’ve added great talent to their team which has assisted them to other premiership but right now it’ll be a lot harder for Hawthorn to do that.
“I know Alastair Clarkson is a convincing character but if you’re one of those players who are making a decision to go somewhere … you want to be paid a lot of money and you want to be part of successful team and you see yourself being a premiership player and right now that’s going to be harder for Hawthorn to sell.”
Garry Lyon believes it isn’t all negative for the Hawks, who could sell their prospects to new recruits on the back of wins against the likes of Brisbane and Richmond this season.
“They can turn around and say ‘despite all that we beaten Carlton, Brisbane and Richmond’,” he said.
“He’ll throw that back at them and suggest they can still be competitive.”
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