Hawthorn finally secured Zach Merrett from Essendon after 18 months of chasing.
But now that he is in the brown and gold, how will the Merrett inclusion impact the Hawks' midfield?
What will happen to Josh Ward and Cam Mackenzie, who developed into star AFL on-ballers in 2026?
"I think the strength of Sam and the coaching group is that they've been able to show their ability to move around players and play them in different positions," Hawthorn list boss Mark McKenzie said.
"So the versatility of some of these guys: Cam's played a bit more forward at times, and wing, and Josh Ward's done that as well.
"So it was great this year to see the development of those players, but don't be surprised to see a lot of those players. Whether it is a new player that comes into the football club playing in a different position as well at times, but I think the strength of the coaching group has been able to use that mechanism to go half-back, wing, midfield and forward with a lot of our midfielders.
"So I wouldn't think that'll change any time soon. I think primarily you'd see (Merrett) as a midfielder. That's where he's played his best football. But we're always open-minded about where we might see him from there."
Jai Newcombe led the club in centre ball-up attendance (78.5 per cent), while Will Day (57), Ward (55.9) and Mackenzie (51.9) spent more than half of their time at the coalface.
Connor Macdonald (27.9) and Nick Watson (16.9) enjoyed an uptick in midfield minutes, and coach Sam Mitchell is expected to explore their minutes.
It means developing youngsters Sam Butler and Ollie Greeves are tipped to spend more time in the VFL, especially if Conor Nash returns from his serious neck injury in 2027.
Merrett's arrival therefore adds another layer to an already crowded midfield mix, with Mitchell now having more options than ever.
The challenge will be finding the right balance between established stars and the next generation, particularly as Ward, Mackenzie, Macdonald and others continue to push for greater responsibility.
For Hawthorn, though, that is a problem worth having — and Merrett's versatility and experience could ultimately give the Hawks the flexibility to get the best out of all of them.
