HAWTHORN has invited former North Melbourne defender Flynn Perez to trial for a spot on the rookie list during the pre-season supplemental selection period.
The 24-year-old played 24 games across four seasons at Arden Street but was delisted by the Kangaroos at the end of 2023.
Perez then moved to South Australia to join Sturt where he helped the Double Blues win the SANFL premiership in September.
The Bendigo Pioneers product played in the state game against the VFL during Gather Round, but stood out on the big stage in September with two big finals, where he polled votes in the Jack Oatey Medal in the Grand Final win over Glenelg.
Perez's time at North Melbourne was hampered by two knee reconstructions, but now he has an audition at the Kennedy Community Centre.
The Hawks have two spots open on the rookie list and can trial four players at a time ahead of the SSP deadline in February.
VFL star Brodie McLaughlin started trialling last week after winning a second Jim 'Frosty' Miller Medal this year with Williamstown.
The 28-year-old was set to head to local football but after spending a season on the list at Gold Coast without playing an AFL game, McLaughlin is now chasing a second chance in the AFL.
Box Hill wingman Ethan Stanley is also hunting a lifeline after joining the program full-time last week.
The 22-year-old played two games for Fremantle in 2023 before returning to Box Hill City Oval this year, where he impressed to earn a trial with Hawthorn.
Former Melbourne rookie Kye Declase is also training with the senior squad in the main sessions, but isn't undergoing an official SSP trial at this stage.
Four Sturt products were selected in the 2025 AFL Draft, including 22-year-old premiership star Angus Anderson. Now Perez has the chance to make it five by the start of the 2026 season.
Hawthorn is expected to trial McLaughlin, Stanley and Perez until the Christmas break before making a decision on extending the audition across January and February.