Burton ‘Hawthorn’s future’

HAWTHORN must lock emerging defender Ryan Burton away on a new long-term deal sooner rather than later to thwart bids from Adelaide and Port Adelaide to lure him home, says another one-time Hawk No.5, Daniel Harford.

Burton has one more year to run on his current deal, but is certain to be a target long before he comes out of contract at the end of next year.

“Ryan Burton is the future of the Hawthorn Football Club. They can build a team around him,” Harford said. “He is absolutely the No.1 priority in my eyes.”

“There are two players I reckon that they [Hawthorn] can’t afford to lose, and that’s Ryan Burton and Cyril Rioli, and they are both at different ends of their careers,” Harford said on RSN.

“I think he is a terrific young player. [Sam] Powell-Pepper is very good, too, as is Andy McGrath.”