Tom Scully has forecast his reunited teammate Jon Patton can swiftly recapture his best form and make a significant difference to Hawthorn’s next generation of attack in 2020.

Patton, 26, hasn’t played AFL football since midway through 2018 – and has only managed 12 games across the past two seasons – after battling serious knee issues and being unable to cement a spot in the Giants’ forward line.

But a move to Hawthorn in the off-season – for a future fourth round pick – and a solid block of training has given confidence Patton could prove a bargain acquisition.

Scully believes Patton can make an instant impact for the Hawks this season and return to his 2016-2017 form, when he kicked 83 goals across two seasons as a hulking power forward.

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media_camera Young versions of Tom Scully and Jonathon Patton at GWS training.

“I was pretty lucky to see him play his best footy first-hand,” Scully told the Herald Sun. “He probably didn’t get the attention others forwards got (when playing good football) in Sydney.

“He kicked almost 40 goals in 2016 and had a good year in 2017.

“I am certainly confident he can get back to that form and play some really good footy.

“He is going to be very valuable for us down forward. He is training really well at the moment and I am really excited about what (he) will bring.”

Patton has had little luck since being the No. 1 pick for the Giants in the 2011 draft. Three knee reconstructions have limited his overall impact, but when he has been fit and well, he has made an impact.

He flew to the US in April to visit the same knee guru who revived Tiger Woods’ golf career.

He returned to full training by mid-season, though it had long been expected he would leave to join Hawthorn, a club with a history of getting injury-prone recruits back on the park again.

media_camera Jon Patton joined the Hawks in the off-season. Picture: AFL Photos

Scully is excited to see how Patton will gel with the Hawks’ forwards, who spent most of last season learning to make do without the now retired Jarryd Roughead.

“It is a bit of a changing of the guard with Roughy going out,” Scully said. “We obviously have Mitch Lewis, Jack Gunston and Tim O’Brien as well (as Patton).”

“They will all work in together and make it work.

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“Mitch showed some really good signs (in 2019) and so did Tim O’Brien. We know Jack Gunston is a star, so it looks to be a bit of a bright future with the forwards.”

Patton will enter his ninth season in 2020, having played 89 games and kicked 130 goals.