With trade period in full swing, we’re looking back at some of the more exciting exchanges in recent Hawk history…

In October 2018, GWS was experiencing a well-documented salary cap squeeze, and four of the club’s big name stars were preparing to change clubs. This quartet included a midfielder named Tom Scully.

Scully had declared that he was interested in returning back home to Melbourne and Hawthorn Football Club was on his wish list.

Signing the midfielder would be a risky move by Hawthorn, with the 27-year-old still in rehab for an ankle injury that saw him miss almost the whole of the 2018 season.

But the Hawks were no stranger to a risky trade, having previously brought in the likes of Jaeger O’Meara in 2016 and, more famously, the recruitment of injury-ravaged Shaun Burgoyne in 2009.

After much speculation, on October 16th at 5pm, the Hawks secured a deal with the Giants and Scully officially became a Hawk.

The deal shocked the AFL community with GWS trading Scully for a future fourth round pick - a particularly low cost for a former number one draft pick.

To no surprise, Hawthorn didn’t escape without criticism, with many suggesting that the low price was because the midfielder’s ankle injury was worse than originally discussed.

Some reports even went as far as saying that he would “never play footy again”.

There may have been uncertainty surrounding Scully’s injury, but Hawthorn appeared to know that the 27-year-old’s talent was a sure thing.

Scully was a strong player from the moment he was drafted with Pick 1 to Melbourne in the 2009, averaging 21.5 disposals and 9.3 kicks in his first season.

He then went on to become one of the league’s elite midfielders and was twice named in the All Australian 40-man squad (2016, 2017).

Arriving at the Hawks in late 2018, Scully had approximately five months to return to full fitness before the start of the 2019 season.

To the surprise of Scully’s critics and to the delight of Hawks supporters, the midfielder was named in the senior side for the Round 2 clash against the Western Bulldogs.

He didn’t miss a beat thereafter, playing 21 of a possible 22 games and averaging 18.4 disposals and 9.2 kicks.

Having spent 12 months in the brown and gold, Scully has officially become an integral cog in the Hawks’ midfield, and unofficially earned himself ‘bargain buy’ status from the Hawthorn faithful.