Vic rivals circle Hawk as selection squeeze to force exits; Bombers ...
A young Hawk is being eyed by two Victorian rivals amid a sudden selection squeeze at Waverley Park.
Plus a pair of Essendon veterans have been left sweating on how their club handles the trade period.
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Clayton situation 'has been a shambles' | 03:44
VIC RIVALS CIRCLE HAWK AS SELECTION SQUEEZE TO FORCE EXITS
Hawthorn’s Ethan Phillips could find a second AFL home as the club’s sudden influx of key defenders forces two likely exits.
Sam Mitchell is about to be blessed with a number of tall backmen as Josh Battle joins via free agency from St Kilda, and Tom Barrass comes across in a trade from West Coast, along with current Hawks like James Sicily, Sam Frost and James Blanck.
It means both Phillips and former No.6 pick Denver Grainger-Barras aren’t expected to sign new deals at Hawthorn, according to AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich, after falling well down the pecking order.
But Phillips has gathered interest from both Carlton and St Kilda as they seek key defensive depth.
He may not move until the delisted free agency period, or even the pre-season supplemental selection period.
The 25-year-old, who stands at 197cm, joined the Hawthorn list in early 2024 as cover after James Blanck’s pre-season ACL injury.
He played one AFL game, against Port Adelaide in Round 10, having won the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the VFL’s most promising young talent in 2022.
Cats circle Smith during first trade day | 02:51
BOMBERS LEFT IN LIMBO
Essendon has left the futures of Will Setterfield and Sam Weideman up in the air, with the trade period set to determine whether they land new contracts at Tullamarine.
Setterfield, Weideman and Jayden Davey are the three Bombers without a deal or 2025 left waiting to see whether list spots are available.
Setterfield, 26, has played 14 games in two years at Essendon after 55 matches at Carlton and two where he started his career at GWS. He has fallen back in the midfield pecking order.
Meanwhile Weideman, 27, was brought across from Melbourne where he played 59 games in seven seasons as key forward depth, and played 16 games in his first season at the club in 2023. But he appeared just once in 2024, in the second-last round and as a key defender.
“It’s tough for those guys,” Bombers list boss Matt Rosa told Trade Radio.
“Unfortunately at this time of the year, you do have to keep some flexibility in your list and there’s still a lot to play out. We’ll keep in constant contact with those guys and see where that lands.”
The Bombers aren’t expected to do much this trade period with Jake Stringer’s future uncertain, and some interest in both young Giant Conor Stone and Hawks midfielder Finn Maginness.
