VFLW midfielder Meg Hutchins has lauded the quality of Hawthorn’s football program, hailing the choice to join the club as ‘one of the best of her career’.

The 36-year-old, who played 12 games for Collingwood across the 2017 and ‘18 AFLW seasons, joined the Hawks’ VFLW side this year, playing every game to date as the Hawks now head towards a maiden finals series.

“I feel like I stepped out of one AFLW program and stepped straight into another, that’s how well they’re running the show down there,” Hutchins told SEN on Wednesday.

“I speak of choices that I’ve made in my football career – that’s probably one of the better ones I’ve made, going across to Hawthorn and seeing sort of how it operates from a different club’s perspective.”

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Currently sitting third with 11 wins from the side’s inaugural season, the Hawks have guaranteed themselves a spot in the finals with Hutchins confident the club will be perfectly positioned to field a team at the highest level when granted an AFLW license.

“(We’re) well and truly ready but we understand also that our time will come, so we’re patient,” she said.

“We’re willing to trial things and I guess make the mistakes at [VFLW] level that you may not have to make at AFLW level later on down the track.

“So it’s a great program and when Hawthorn get the opportunity, they’ll hit the ground absolutely running and well and truly be really ready to take the competition by storm.”  

The VFLW Hawks play their final match of the home and away season against rivals Geelong in what will be a double-header at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday, kicking off at 11:30am.

VFL side Box Hill Hawks will also take on the Cats at 2pm.