The future of talented Hawthorn midfielder Cameron Mackenzie is in doubt as the Hawks ramp up their pursuit of Zach Merrett among other engine room guns.
Merrett met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell on Tuesday as he explores a possible trade away from Essendon - the club he is the captain of.
The Hawks have also been linked with possible plays for Melbourne star Christian Petracca and Port Adelaide gun Zak Butters, while they were also keen on West Coast phenom Harley Reid before he re-signed.
Hawthorn's desire to bring in experienced midfielders to their engine room mix has sowed doubt on the future of several fringe players at the club.
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Mackenzie, a no.7 draft pick in 2022, has only played 12 games in 2025 despite Will Day being injured for much of the season and still finds himself out of the team during finals.
He has been linked with a move to St Kilda - the club he was a Next Generation Academy prospect at - with the likelihood he slips further down the Hawks pecking order if a player such as Merrett arrives.
Trading Mackenzie, who is contracted until the end of 2026, could possibly help the Hawks acquire significant draft capital in order to prise Merrett out of Essendon - or even Petracca out of Melbourne.
Fellow fringe players Sam Butler and Henry Hustwaite are also exploring moves away from Hawthorn as they look for more opportunity.
Butler is a target for West Coast, while Hustwaite is interesting Essendon, according to journalist Jon Ralph on Fox Footy.