HAWTHORN coach Sam Mitchell has spent the past week in New Zealand with a group of assistant coaches and star players ahead of the start of pre-season. 

Free agent signing Josh Battle headed across the Tasman with the club's past two Peter Crimmins Medallists – Jai Newcombe and Will Day – along with Kade Simpson and David Mackay. 

The group spent time inside the two most successful organisations in Super Rugby history, visiting the Crusaders in Christchurch and the Blues in Auckland. 

They also met with coaches and officials at NRL franchise New Zealand Warriors while on the North Island. 

New Zealand Cricket and Rowing New Zealand were also stops on the itinerary, with the Hawks searching for incremental gains after returning to September this year for the first time since 2018.

Hawthorn invests heavily in professional development, under the direction of GM Rob McCartney, with members of its football department travelling all over the world this off-season. 

After falling just short of reaching a preliminary final, midfield coach David Hale headed to the United States, where he visited NFL franchises Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals, as well as Stanford University and the UFC training academy. 

Head of coaching performance and development Brett Ratten has just returned from a month in the United Kingdom, where he spent time with Wrexham AFC, who have risen from the fifth tier of English football to now sit in League One after being purchased by Hollywood heavyweights Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020. 

The former Carlton and St Kilda senior coach also met with coaches and officials at Cardiff City, Wales Rugby and powerhouse rugby union club Bath, before attending a leadership summit in London. 

Day underwent collarbone surgery in September, after Hawthorn's season ended at the Adelaide Oval, to fix the complex injury he suffered in round 23.

The South Australian will transition back into full training when the Hawks report back for pre-season on November 25. 

Day was part of a group of 10 Hawks that trained at Exos Sports in Texas last month while travelling across America. 

Battle opted to exercise his free agency rights last month, moving to Hawthorn after playing 123 games for the Saints across eight seasons. 

The 26-year-old has spent plenty of time inside Waverley Park over the off-season, quickly building relationships with players and coaching staff ahead of the start of pre-season.