In spite of the AFL's ongoing investigation into alleged misdoings regarding First Nations players, the Hawthorn Football Club is expected to avoid being stripped of any prized picks at November's National Draft.
While the league's inquiry, headed by legal counsel Stephen Meade, continues to gauge whether or not the Waverley Park club brought the game into disrepute, reports from News Corp claim that the Hawks are expected to avoid any draft-based sanctions.
Said report stresses that the Hawks are "strongly defending their position" in the face of the league's retained ability to strip picks as a means of sanctioning clubs.
Previously, both the Carlton and Essendon Football Clubs received draft-based sanctions upon being found guilty of circumventing salary cap regulations and bringing the game into disrepute respectively.
Though the Bombers lost access to second-round selections during the 2013 and 2014 AFL Drafts, the Blues were forced to forfeit their priority and first-round selections.
The 2023 AFL Draft is scheduled to commence in November. At present, the 16th-placed Hawks hold the third overall pick.
