KEY FIGURES in the famous Trent Croad trade of 2001 have recalled the moment Hawthorn 'burnt a bridge' with its star draftee to get the deal done. 

In the first episode of Superdraft, the upcoming AFL.com.au documentary about the greatest draft in AFL history, then Hawks coach Peter Schwab and Fremantle CEO Cameron Schwab - Peter's cousin - reflect on the game-changing trade that saw Croad and Luke McPharlin move to the Dockers in exchange for the prized No.1 pick as well as picks 20 and 36.

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With the likes of Luke Hodge, Chris Judd and Luke Ball up for grabs in the 2001 draft, the Hawks were desperate to move up the draft board to get access to a player who was rated a generational talent. But having finished the season in sixth, the Hawks had to orchestrate a trade and approached the Dockers about their No.1 pick.

Cameron Schwab remembers when the Hawks first put forward Croad, their No.3 draft pick just four years earlier, as the moment when he first recognised the magnitude of the potential deal.

And he recalls how the Hawks had to wade through the early parts of negotiations and decide when to bring Croad into the loop, a balance Peter Schwab labelled "delicate".

"When Croad's name gets mentioned, I know we're on new ground," Cameron Schwab says. "We're on ground the game has never been through before.

"It's a three-party agreement; you've got to get club, club and player all agreeing.

"The effort that is required from Hawthorn's perspective is to say, 'you're not a required player anymore'. You've got to go to that point.

"You're burning a bridge."

The deal was ultimately agreed to, with the Dockers receiving Croad and West Australian McPharlin - the Hawks' No.10 pick just two years earlier - in exchange for picks 1, 20 and 36.

While the Hawks missed with Daniel Elstone at pick 20, they hit the jackpot with Hodge (pick 1) and Sam Mitchell (pick 36), who laid the foundation for the club's premiership era.

Croad played just 38 games for the Dockers in two seasons before returning to the Hawks to play in their 2008 premiership, while McPharlin was a mainstay for the Dockers for almost 15 years, playing 244 games and earning All-Australian selection in 2012.

Be among the first to watch the debut episode of Superdraft at our launch event on Monday, November 16 at Marvel Stadium. Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge will bring a special live episode of Gettable to the stage and Nat Edwards will also hosts a live Q&A with special guests including Dermott Brereton, Paul Connors and Caroline Wilson.