Hawthorn will be a curious club this year as they embark on another season of rebuilding under senior coach Sam Mitchell.
An off-season of further personnel change has left the Hawks on the verge of containing their spiral toward the foot of the ladder, ready to spring back up in the coming years as their younger ranks continue to cut their teeth.
Carrying the youngest and least experienced side into 2023, the Hawks will find it tough most weeks before the green shoots start to appear.
With a focus on youth, a handful of new faces joining the cause, and Mitchell's senior coaching career still in its infancy, we list five burning questions for the Hawks heading into their second season under their club great.
2. Who shapes the ruck mix?
The past two off-seasons have seen the Hawks sign a pair of fringe ruckmen in Max Lynch (Collingwood, 2021) and Lloyd Meek (Fremantle, 2022) to add further competition and depth for incumbent tall Ned Reeves.
Following Ben McEvoy's decision to retire at the end of last year and the acquisition of Meek, the first-string ruck spot is seen to be well and truly up for grabs.
Through the pre-season, both Meek and Reeves have emerged as the standout pairing for Sam Mitchell to consider, with Lynch and Mid-Season Draft recruit Max Ramsden placed as reinforcements.
With Mitchell working with a two-piece ruck tandem, expect both Meek and Reeves to evenly share their time between the centre square and in attack to start the season, with the latter role designed to alleviate their forward woes in the absence of Mitch Lewis.
But what happens when Lewis returns from injury? Mitchell could look to only make his attacking third taller and keep both rucks in the rotation, or may look to demote one of either Reeves or Meek and call on Lewis or Jacob Koschitzke to pinch-hit.
Koschitzke's own place at selection may be questioned if he is unable to impress in Lewis' place, with Irishman and fringe midfielder Conor Nash another supporting ruck piece for Mitchell to consider.
