Hawthorn's period of change continues apace with respected St Kilda recruiter Mark Smart taking up an opportunity to join the Hawks as recruiting and academies manager.
Smart will work alongside Mark McKenzie who was promoted to recruiting and list manager after Graham Wright became the Hawks' football manager.
The Hawks have managed to restructure their football department in a relatively low-key manner as they embark on a new era under Alastair Clarkson, with the club's five best and fairest winners between 2008-2016 - Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Lance Franklin, Jordan Lewis and Josh Gibson - now all either retired or at other clubs.
Scott Burns and Darren Glass have become assistant coaches at the Hawks while former Saint Sean Dempster joined the conditioning team with Cameron Bruce joining Carlton and David Rath the AFL's football operations department in the off-season.
Hawthorn also has a relatively new CEO, Justin Reeves, and Jeff Kennett has returned as president setting the club a target of winning two flags in the next five years and seven more flags between 2018 and 2050.
The market for recruiting positions remains active after five clubs, including Hawthorn, installed new people into their list management roles in the off-season with Collingwood, the Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs all making appointments.
Carlton is seeking a replacement for Sam Power who joined the Bulldogs as list manager in December while SEN AFL draft analyst and Inside Football editor, Brett Anderson, is understood to be in line for a recruiting role after resigning from his media role.
Meanwhile Mick Ablett will soon begin in his new role overseeing the WAFL talent managers and colts competition after six years as the AFL talent manager.
