Key stats:

AFL games: 2 

Total goals: 2 

Disposals per game: 14 

Tackles per game: 4

Season summary:

Hustwaite earned the opportunity to play the final two games of the season after toiling away with Box Hill for the majority of 2023. He made a whirlwind debut in Round 23 after receiving a last-minute call-up to replace an injured Jai Newcombe at the time. The youngster kicked two goals on debut, while also averaging 14 disposals and four tackles across his two appearances. Taken at Pick 37 in last year's national draft, the 195cm midfielder looks composed beyond his years, whereby across his 14 appearances for Box Hill this year he also averaged 18.9 disposals, along with 4.6 tackles per game.

Best AFL game:

In his debut game in Round 23, Hustwaite finished with 15 disposals and five tackles to go with his two goals in an excellent first outing. Despite his limited preparation for the occasion, the 19-year-old did not disappoint.

How the coaches saw him:

“To get the opportunity to play the last two games was a really good reward for Hus. He’ll take a lot out of playing against really good quality players, and understanding the level of output that is required, not just the handball and stoppage stuff, but how much they cover the ground and get to the next contest. Watching Hus come through the draft we saw his clean hands and footy smarts, and those were all the things we saw at AFL-level in his first game too. I’m looking forward to seeing him with another pre-season under his belt where he learns to improve his fitness base. The thing in his game that is really consistent is how clean he is at the stoppage. If we can get more contests for him to get to, his handballing skills and smarts will really set us up as a midfield group.” – David Hale