It was an incredibly frustrating year for the diligent tagger, who played his fewest games in a season (three) since joining the Eagles at the end of 2012. Hutchings battled a long-term iliotibial band problem and didn’t play any senior football until round 14 against Richmond. It was a short-lived return, with the 29-year-old suffering a significant hamstring injury in his third game back in the team. While he attempted to make it back for the elimination final and was available, his lack of football and the significant number of Eagles already returning from lay-offs counted against him at selection ahead of the shattering one-point loss to Collingwood. After a long wait post-season due to uncertainty over list sizes, Hutchings agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension and will be hoping for more luck with his body next year.

Season averages:

Disposals – 8

Pressure Acts – 9.7

Inside 50s – 1.7

Tackles – 1.3

Clearances – 1.3