Hawks look to swoop late for CJ

as draftees from the TSL Tigers.

“Over pre-season I improved more than I ever thought I could, and probably more than anyone else thought I could,” he said.

“Throughout the year I kept improving and found things I needed to work on. I knuckled down and focused on different areas of my game and it all came together, particularly towards the end of the year with a bit more confidence.”

Burnie’s Tom Mundy, Launceston’s Jake Hinds and Harrison Gunther (Glenorchy) are all in the mix to also be drafted, while Tasmanian VFL players Matt Hanson, former Saint Eli Templeton and Brody Mihocek could be bolters.

Clearance machine Hanson has won three consecutive best and fairests with Werribee, while he finished equal third in the JJ Liston count behind Richmond premiership forward Jacob Townsend. HAWTHORN is poised to snare one of this year’s most exciting and raw draft prospects with a late selection earmarked for African product Changkuoth Jiath.

The 185cm excitement machine will provide one of the night’s most extraordinary storylines when he vies to make the journey from an Ethiopian refugee camp, where he was born, to the AFL.

Jiath, 18, fled the war-torn country with family in 2007 and began playing footy with mates in 2012, and this season has dazzled with his spectacular athleticism and x-factor.

Nicknamed “C.J.”, his intercept marking across half-back has recruiters interested.

Hawks recruiting boss Graham Wright said the club told the family last week they were keen to select Jiath with a late pick, after nominating him under the AFL’s next generation academy rules.

But another club could land Jiath with an early bid.

“We like some of the things he does, we think he is athletic, he can mark the footy, he kicks it reasonably well and we will consider him late in the draft,” Wright said.

“But another club may call him out early and that’s fine, that will be great for him.

“We think he has got some ability but he certainly has a lot to learn, too, like they all have.”

The Hawks tonight has picks 43, 48, 63, and 78.

The club gave away multiple early picks for Jaeger O’Meara last year and then snared Port Adelaide speedster Jarman Impey in October for a pick swap with the Power.

“We are rapt to get him [Impey],” he said.

The Hawks are keen to maximise next year’s draft.

Wright said the Hawks were content with their trading and drafting strategy despite the absence of any early picks.

“You would always like an early pick but there is a good reason why you haven’t got it because you have already got talent at your club,” he said.