Three clubs eyeing fringe Hawk; free agent mid tours rival facility — Trade Whispers

Three clubs are reportedly interested in an out-of-favour Hawthorn defender.

Meanwhile, a Gold Coast free agent on Wednesday toured Port Adelaide’s facilities as a potential move looms — but he’s also got interest from a Victorian club.

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THREE CLUBS EYEING TALL HAWK

Out-of-contract Hawthorn defender Jai Serong is attracting interest from three clubs, headlined by Essendon and North Melbourne.

AFL Media’s Riley Beveridge reports the Bombers and Kangaroos have “enquired” about Serong — who remains unsigned at the Hawks — while Sydney has also “shown an interest” in the tall defender.

Serong, 22, has played just 10 senior games since being the no.53 draft pick in 2021, including five this season while impressing as a hybrid weapon at reserves level.

Foxfooty.com.au’s Will Faulkner first reported back in May that clubs were “keeping a close watch” on Serong, who had shaped as a player “of genuine interest” to rivals amid a lack of opportunity in the brown and gold after the arrivals of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle.

Given Serong is out of contract but not eligible for free agency, the Hawks could either orchestrate a low-priced trade or delist Serong to allow the Gippsland Power product to walk to his club of choice.

Hawthorn on Wednesday made its first delistings of the off-season since being eliminated from the finals, farewelling key-position utilities Sam Frost and Jasper Scaife.

Essendon and North Melbourne each had their defensive struggles this year and could benefit from some reinforcement, with the Bombers in particular decimated by injuries to key-position players.

LONG-TIME SUN TOURS RIVAL FACILITY

Decade-long Gold Coast midfielder Brayden Fiorini has toured Alberton as he “weighs up” a move to Port Adelaide, per Nine’s Braden Ingram.

Ingram added on social media platform X that the Power are “also competing with Essendon and the Suns” for the 28-year-old’s signature.

Fiorini, who’s played 123 games for the Suns — including this year’s finals series — since arriving in 2015 as a first-round draft pick, is an unrestricted free agent this year, meaning he can walk to the club of his choice unimpeded.

The 18 senior games Fiorini played this year under coach Damien Hardwick were the most since he played 21 in 2019, demonstrating the role he was able to carve out in a 15-win side. He averaged 20.9 disposals, 4.2 tackles and 2.9 inside-50s per game.

Thus, it’s understandable that a club such as the Bombers are keen on bringing in that combination of experience and ability — especially if skipper Zach Merrett ultimately departs in October.

The Power, meanwhile, are already set to welcome midfielders Will Brodie and Jacob Wehr this off-season.