Hawthorn were happy to part ways with Chad Wingard and Luke Breust before the contracted Hawks stars pushed back on AFL trades to GWS.
Desperate to improve their draft hand under new coach Sam Mitchell, the Hawks were willing to let go established players.
The Giants courted Wingard and Breust, but the pair were unable to wrap their head around moving from Waverley Park.
"We're happy for you (Wingard and Breust) to have that conversation (with GWS), see where that sits for you, but you're also required footballers at our club and much-loved players," Hawks football boss Rob McCartney told Fox Footy.
"We were open to the exploration, open to the conversation, but in both circumstances we are very pleased they are staying."
GWS reached out to Wingard's management last week, but the dual All-Australian made it clear he had no interest in switching to a third club.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the 28-year-old posted a photo of himself alongside a clip of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the classic 2013 film Wolf of Wall St declaring "I'm not "f***ing leaving".
GWS football boss Jason McCartney said three-time premiership player Breust was almost on his way to NSW after 239 games with the Hawks.
"The Hawthorn scenarios, they really played out on the back of them trying to improve their draft hand," he said.
"With that, there's some good players there and you have a look.
"It's fair to say the Luke Breust one was pretty much done, but except for Luke it was the nature of how sudden it happened and trying to get the head around it.
"The roll of the trade period is to look for opportunities and when someone else's strategy might meet you potentially want to do, you have to explore it."
