CARLTON has secured its first acquisition of the off-season, confirming the signing of George Hewett as a free agent.

Arriving from Sydney after 120 games across the last six seasons, Hewett adds defensive steel and physicality to Carlton’s midfield mix.

Hewett has played on the biggest stage, kicking a goal in the 2016 Grand Final in his debut season and from that point progressively developed into an integral part of the Swans midfield.

With over 20 games in five of his six seasons, Hewett was a consistent and reliable presence every week, mixing his ball-winning ability with his relentless pursuit of the ball and man.

Also capable of negating an opposition midfielder, Hewett’s defensive work-rate was never more evident than his final game of the 2021 season, contributing 13 tackles to go with his 19 disposals in the elimination final against GWS.

Originally from South Australia, Hewett was selected with pick No.32 in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft by the Swans, going on to place second in the Bob Skilton Medal (Sydney’s Best and Fairest) in 2019.

Now a Blue, Hewett will look to bring his key attributes to the fore in Carlton’s midfield mix, according to Head of List Management Nick Austin.

“We’re delighted to welcome someone of George’s calibre, both as a player and a person, to our football club,” Austin said.

“It’s so important in the modern game to be able to have depth in numbers in the midfield. George is smart, he’s tough and he’ll do whatever job the team requires.

“He’s got over 100 games of experience, he’s featured in finals and performed well in them. He gives us a different look in our midfield group and we think he’s someone our fans will really resonate with given his manic attack on the football.

“We’re always looking for ways to bolster our list and George does exactly that. We’re looking forward to seeing him link up and get to work with his new teammates and our new AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss when pre-season begins.”