Hawthorn free agent Harry Morrison is on the verge of signing a new contract to stay with the club after finishing the finals campaign without a deal for 2024.
In recent days, the Hawks and Morrison have moved closer to finalizing terms, especially after he regained his position in the senior team for the last five matches of the season.
At 25 years old, Morrison is an unrestricted free agent and had been sent back to Box Hill for 17 VFL games over the past two seasons as he struggled to secure a consistent role under Sam Mitchell.
Despite his strong finish to 2024, which included 20 disposals and a goal in the Hawks’ round 22 victory over Carlton and 45 disposals in their two finals matches, interest from rival clubs in the versatile right-footer has reportedly diminished.
Morrison is among five Hawthorn players yet to secure contracts for 2025, following the retirement of Chad Wingard and the delisting of untried players Clay Tucker and Cooper Stephens last month. Key defenders Denver Grainger-Barras and Ethan Phillips, along with small forwards Jack O’Sullivan and Josh Bennetts, also remain unsigned.
The Hawks are particularly keen to retain Morrison, especially with rival interest in Finn Maginness, who is contracted through the end of 2025. Maginness, like Morrison, took advantage of late-season injuries to players such as Will Day, Changkuoth Jiath, and Cam Mackenzie. He excelled in the final three matches of Hawthorn’s campaign, playing without the constraints of his usual tagging role. In the semi-final loss to Port Adelaide, Maginness had 22 disposals, six marks, and a goal, marking him as one of the Hawks’ standout performers.
The addition of Tom Barrass from West Coast and Josh Battle from St Kilda is likely to influence the dynamics of the Hawthorn backline, potentially impacting the wing positions as well. Josh Weddle may find himself moving up the ground as a result of these changes.
While there was speculation about James Sicily transitioning to a full-time forward role in 2025, the Hawthorn captain tempered those expectations during an interview at the Brownlow Medal. He expressed excitement about the potential flexibility in the team, especially alongside Weddle and Blake Hardwick.
Sicily noted, “Playing forward would be refreshing in periods, but I’ve been a defender and a decent one for a while, and I want to play backline with those two guys as well.” His commitment to the defensive role suggests that, while he may take on some forward responsibilities, his primary focus will remain on contributing to the backline alongside his new teammates.