AFTER round four of 2017, Hawthorn sat last on the ladder with a percentage of just 55.9, its trade-now-draft-later focus finally seeming to catch up with it.

On the other hand, St Kilda was poised to reap the benefits of a patient, youth-based rebuild, one that looked to have received a significant boost from the Hawks' desperate approach to the 2016 trade period.

It was a tale of two teams that stuck closely to the draft-era script that what goes up must come down. It was also a cautionary tale, spelling out in raw detail the dire consequences that befall teams who try to defy football gravity.

The Hawks had done that successfully since 2009, but seemed to take things too far when they brokered a 2016 deal that was so lopsided in St Kilda's favour some commentators were surprised the AFL's chief trade scrutineer Ken Wood gave it the all-clear.

The deal arose from Hawthorn's desperation to land Gold Coast prodigy Jaeger O'Meara, its efforts complicated by the fact it had already traded its first-round pick, No.14 overall, to Sydney for Tom Mitchell, and had been unable to involve a suitably attractive Hawthorn player in the talks.  

St Kilda stepped in to play circuit-breaker, passing on its first-round selection, No.10 overall, which the Hawks packaged with a future second-round pick to finally secure O'Meara from the Suns.

The Saints, however, exacted a whopping return, pocketing Hawthorn's 2017 first-round pick and picks No.25 (Ben Long) and No.38 (Josh Battle) in that year's NAB AFL Draft.

That haul was turning into the steal of the century for the Saints after the Hawks' slow start to 2017, which had been furthered soured when the knee troubles that plagued O'Meara in his final two seasons at Gold Coast resurfaced.

The sense the Saints and Hawks were heading in opposite directions was reinforced when they met in round six and St Kilda romped to a 75-point win in Launceston – its biggest win over Hawthorn in 20 years.

What's happened since has confirmed two teams on vastly different paths, just not the paths most envisaged.

It has also highlighted a new football reality: clubs that can position themselves as destinations of choice for out-of-contract players and free agents are far better placed to rebuild – and rebuild quickly – than other less attractive clubs who still rely on the draft as their main source of new talent.

The Hawks rallied to finish 2017 in 12th, one spot and half a game behind the Saints, which lessened the value of their departed first-round pick to No.7 overall.

Mitchell also proved an unqualified success. A very good player at the Swans, he has become the competition's most prolific ball-winner with the Hawks.

Hawthorn only got six games out of O'Meara last year, but this season the midfielder has finally enjoyed a good run with his body and again resembles the prodigious talent that won the 2013 NAB AFL Rising Star award.

In acquiring Mitchell and O'Meara, the Hawks were aiming to rebuild their midfield on the run after the departures of four-time premiership stars Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis in the same trade period. They have done that so effectively – despite taking just one top-20 draft pick since 2013 – they will return to the finals in 2018 after a one-year absence.

At the same time, the Saints have plummeted down the ladder.

A 67-point win over eventual premier Richmond in round 16 last year proved a false dawn as the Saints lost five of their last seven games to miss the finals for the sixth straight year.

That slide has become a freefall this year.

With two rounds to go, the Saints have won just four games and drawn another and are on track to record their second-lowest number of wins in coach Alan Richardson's six seasons.  

Since 2013, St Kilda has brought in seven top-20 draft picks, including four top-10 selections.  

Question marks continue to hover over 2014's No.1 pick Paddy McCartin, who has been dogged by health issues and injury.

The No.3 selection in the 2013 draft, Jack Billings, has been the subject of recent trade speculation following indifferent form.

Hawthorn's rebuild on the fly has largely been achievable because it has established itself as a – perhaps the ­– destination club under four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson.

There was no shortage of other clubs bidding for Mitchell and O'Meara, nor for Shaun Burgoyne, David Hale, Jack Gunston and James Frawley before them.

Rivals were fully aware how good those players were, the Hawks were simply able to convince them to take their talents to Waverley. 

The Saints' ability to climb back up the ladder – or at least to do so quickly – will be dependent on whether they can sell themselves and their new Moorabbin headquarters as a desirable destination.

Although they've struggled to do this in recent years – they have made unsuccessful bids for players including O'Meara, Caleb Marchbank, Josh Kelly, Dylan Shiel, Rory Sloane and Jordan De Goey – they can take some confidence knowing they beat the destination Hawks at their own game not too long ago.

It was during the 2015 trade period, when they were able to fend off a late Hawthorn bid for Jake Carlisle, one that remarkably saw coach Alastair Clarkson fly to Florida to talk with the then Essendon defender as he holidayed.

St Kilda successfully sold itself to Carlisle as a talented young club on the rise.  

It will be hoping this sales pitch rings true again soon.

Ideally soon enough that Swan Dan Hannebery and other opposition stars want to call Moorabbin home from next year. 

DRAFT PICKS* SINCE 2013

*Excluding rookie elevations

TRADE ACQUISITIONS

Hawthorn: Ben McEvoy (2013), Jonathan O'Rourke (2014), Jack Fitzpatrick (2015), Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O'Meara (2016), Jarman Impey (2017)
St Kilda: Billy Longer, Josh Bruce, Shane Savage, Luke Delaney (2013), Jake Carlisle, Nathan Freeman (2015), Jack Steele, Koby Stevens (2016), Logan Austin (2017)

FREE AGENTS

Hawthorn: James Frawley (2014), Ty Vickery (2016)
St Kilda: Nathan Brown (2016)

DELISTED FREE AGENTS

Hawthorn: Ricky Henderson (2016)
St Kilda: Tim Membrey (2014)