ALTHOUGH Hawthorn's best-and-fairest winner Tom Mitchell says he wants to stay at the club, there is still a case for trading the 2018 Brownlow medallist.
New coach Sam Mitchell has been vocal about his interest in this year's NAB AFL Draft, and as the Hawks look to rebuild, first-round selections are at a premium.
"I personally think – and I don't think there's any moves right now – but I think they need another first-rounder. Five, 21 and 24 are good picks, but I think they need another inside 15," AFL.com.au's trade guru Mitch Cleary said on Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio on Monday.
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"I know there have been reports over the weekend that [Tom Mitchell] wants to stay and he's set to stay but, until the end of this Trade Period, I'm not going to stop talking about Tom Mitchell being an option given the conversations that have been around him.
"Is it a Port Adelaide or a Richmond who are in the premiership window? You might think their caps are tight, but the thing I'll throw back at those people is Hawthorn has oodles of money. Jon Patton and Tom Scully retired with good money left on their contracts.
"I think, right now, Hawthorn along with North Melbourne have the most salary cap money to spend.
"If I'm another club and I want Tom Mitchell, I'm saying to the Hawks: We'll give you a good first-round pick, but you pay two, three or four thousand dollars of his money for next season. You've got the room to do it, and we'll give you a better pick for it."
