Box Hill coach David Mirra has lauded the growth of Calsher Dear this year ahead of the VFL Grand Final.
Out of contract at the end of 2026, Dear is weighing up interest from Collingwood, Geelong and Melbourne after averaging 13 disposals and five marks and kicking 20 goals from his 14 VFL games this year.
“His contest stuff has been outstanding," Mirra told Zero Hanger.
"The way he runs and jumps at the football, the way he can follow up at ground level, I think some of his tackling has really improved.
"At stages we've thrown him in the midfield to add another string to his bow, and he's taken that on.
"I think he's such a threat forward of the footy one-on-one and he's been able to really look threatening and tear games apart."
Dear is stuck behind Jack Gunston, Mitch Lewis and Mabior Chol at Hawthorn and has played just five games this year after nine last year. It follows a 2024 season where he burst onto the scene and kicked 25 goals.
The Hawks also have Will McCabe and Aidan Schubert who got AFL opportunities this year - though the latter was more so given a chance as a second ruck/forward.
AFL coach Sam Mitchell has pleaded for patience as he has regularly been probed throughout the year, pointing to his young age relative to the later development of most key-position players.
"Calsher is a first-class human being, first and foremost," Mirra added.
"I'm not sure what's been going on behind the scenes, and he certainly hasn't let it affect who he is around the football club and the way he is on gameday.
"He works so hard on his craft, and he's trying to be the best player he can possibly be and make a career."
Dear, taken as a father-son selection in 2023, will line up in the VFL grand final for Box Hill on Sunday at 2.05pm against Geelong, which is likely to be his last game for the club.
"He had some big moments in the preliminary final, stepping up when we needed him to," Mirra said of his three-goal game.
"To me he seems so invested in the Hawthorn Football Club that it's hard to see him going anywhere else, but I'm not privy to those conversations, so we just want to create an environment Calsher enjoys and feels like it brings growth in his football.
"I think on the biggest stage on Sunday, it's made for him; we're really looking forward to watching him play and do his thing."
