Jack Ross has shed the kilograms in order to add to his seven senior games last season and put his hand up for a place on the wing next year.
"He came into the club in good shape, but he's a big boy," Hardwick said.
"I think he's lost about 7-8kgs since he started, so he's covering the ground really well.
"That was a little bit of a knock on him when we first brought him into the football club, that endurance wasn't a strength of his. But we look at him now, we had him horribly mistaken.
"He runs really, really well. We're excited about what he's going to bring, because he's a first-class kid who oozes leadership, skill and decision-making.
"He's one of those guys who makes players better around him. He's going to be a good player for us for a long time."
Source: AFL website