Fremantle and Sydney have emerged as frontrunners in the race to secure the signature of out-of-contract Hawthorn midfielder Jai Serong,according to recent reports. While North Melbourne and Essendon have also expressed interest, they are currently considered less likely to secure the player.
Serong, who didn’t feature at AFL level this season after last playing in hawthorn’s 2024 semi-final loss to Port Adelaide, has played 10 AFL games in four seasons, including one as a substitute. His opportunities have been limited by the recruitment of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle. He enjoyed two triumphant years with Box Hill in the VFL, winning their best and fairest award last season.
Hawthorn appears resigned to losing Serong, understanding his desire to pursue more consistent playing time elsewhere. The club recently lost teammate James Worpel to Geelong as a restricted free agent, earning Hawthorn an end-of-second-round compensation pick (currently No.39).
Hawthorn has also delisted Sam Frost and Jasper Scaife, and club great Luke Breust recently retired.seamus Mitchell remains out of contract. The five-club interest initially included North Melbourne, Sydney, and Essendon, but the competition has narrowed to Fremantle and Sydney.
