Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is a fan of Western Bulldogs forward Jake Stringer, but the Hawks won't pursue the fallen AFL star at trade time.
In fact, Clarkson admits his club won't be doing much at all during the league's annual player trade period in October.
Hawthorn lured Tom Mitchell from Sydney and Jaeger O'Meara from Gold Coast during last year's trade period and also signed free agents Ty Vickery (Richmond) and Ricky Henderson (Adelaide).
Mitchell and O'Meara cost the Hawks their first-round draft picks from last year and this year, leaving them with pick No.32 as their first call at the 2017 draft.
"We were pretty active last year ... on the back of that it's probably more difficult for us to be really active players," Clarkson said of his club's trade prospects on the Nine Network's Footy Classified.
"Certainly in terms of a guy like Stringer it probably excludes us.
"We like him as a footballer and think he'd be really handy for our footy club, but in terms of how we could possibly get that done, and meet the needs of the Western Bulldogs, we're probably fairly constrained."
Stringer, a premiership player last season and an All-Australian in 2015, endured a difficult campaign on and off the field this year.
The 23-year-old and the Dogs have since agreed both parties could benefit if they parted ways.
Vickery endured a torrid first season with Hawthorn, managing to kick just two goals in six games, leading to speculation the Hawks would attempt to trade him.
But the 27-year-old still has a year to run on his contract with the Hawks and isn't going anywhere.
"We've discussed both our disappointment and his disappointment with his year ... it hasn't panned out for us or him anywhere near as much as what we'd like," Clarkson said.
"But he's still contracted.
"And whilst a guy is contracted at our footy club, and we feel like he's got something he can contribute, then he'll remain with us.
"There's a whole heap of reasons ... that had him not in the best space to play his best football.
"To make a judgement on one bloke in 12 months then tip him out ... if he wasn't playing for Hawthorn (next year) it would be on the basis that he feels he's got nothing to contribute to us to take us forward."
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