Melbourne skipper Max Gawn reveals he has met with out-of-contract Hawthorn youngster Calsher Dear.
The Demons are looking to bolster their young forward stocks, hoping to pair Dear with Jacob van Rooyen and Matthew Jefferson.
“I have met Calsher Dear at some point,” Gawn said on SEN.
“He seems like a great fella, and hopefully he wants to play at the Dees.”
Melbourne is understood to be the leading candidate if Dear were to depart the Hawks, although Collingwood and Geelong have an interest in luring the 21-year-old to their club.
He also met with the Pies earlier this month.
Hawthorn is set to welcome Gold Coast free agent Ben King, which pushes the father-son youngster further down the line.
Sam Mitchell has used Mitch Lewis, Jack Gunston and Mabior Chol ahead of Dear, while Aidan Schubert has also been selected throughout 2026.
King's looming arrival forces a greater squeeze inside Hawthorn's inside 50.
Dear played in Box Hill's premiership in the VFL a fortnight ago, with reserves coach David Mirra full of praise for the developing forward.
“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 has played 31 games since he was drafted with Pick 56 in the 2023 draft. He shot out of the gates in his maiden campaign, playing a crucial role in the club's return to the finals.
