Joining Hawthorn as a restricted free agent during the 2016 trade period, Ty Vickery was targeted to fill a specific role in the club’s on-field structure.

In the wake of David Hale’s retirement and Jarryd Roughead’s absence in 2016, there seemed a noticeable vacancy in the forward-ruck position for the Hawks, one that was exacerbated after a late-season knee injury to Jonathon Ceglar.

With Ceglar likely to miss much of the 2017 season, the 200cm Vickery could prove to play an important role and provide yet another component to an already potent Hawthorn forward line.

Now looking to cement a spot in that forward line, Vickery is set to flourish with the quality that will surround him.

In his time at the Tigers, he displayed a propensity to prosper in a “second-fiddle” role, with his two best goal-kicking years coinciding with years that Jack Riewoldt earned All-Australian honours.

Taken with the eighth pick in the 2008 draft, Vickery played 119 games for Richmond, booting 158 goals.

In the last three years, Vickery has played 44 games and kicked 80 goals, showcasing his ability to hit the scoreboard multiple times a game on a consistent basis.

After securing Vickery last year, Hawthorn List Manager Graham Wright highlighted that the key position player could have a long-term impact at the club.

“At 26 years of age, Ty has plenty of football left to play and we look forward to seeing what he can produce at the Hawks."

"His ability to play both ruck and forward will be an extremely valuable asset making him a fantastic addition to our list,” Wright said.

Watch: HawksTV catch up with Ty Vickery

Vickery has had some of his best games at the home of footy, the MCG, having kicked 99 goals there in his career so far, including a six-goal haul against Collingwood in 2015.

Vickery admits the MCG is his favourite to play on and he will get plenty of opportunities to thrive there, with the Hawks set to play 11 games in 2017, including four of their opening five games at the MCG.

Hawthorn has enjoyed much success recruiting established, rival key-position talent in recent years, with Vickery joining the likes of Brian Lake, James Frawley, David Hale and Jack Gunston in this category.