Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn, James Worpel, pick #43 2017 - Peter Crimmins medalist 2019

[HedgeFund]

Hedge Fund going all-out on a Long-Short trade here, replacing a B&F winner with a Rookie who is yet to even debut!!

Incorrect.

I never said we would trade Worpel for a pick, to use on a young 2023 draftee.

We should target an established young player with 30 - 100 games under his belt, such as Sam De Konig, Jack Payne or Sam Taylor. Probably along with a mix of other picks / players.

 

[HedgeFund]

Is there a precedent for the bolded assertion? I don’t think so. The logical extension of your argument is that you don’t sign anyone on the list until the deadline looms. A fraught strategy. As for player managers, anything they express publicly can be taken with a grain of salt.

It’s not the logical extension, but it does happen quite a bit.

Clubs hold off on extending some players contracts beyond 31 October as they wait to determine how their list for the next season shapes up. Then they commit to a new contract once they determine player X is a “required player”

 

[The Chad and I]

Incorrect.

I never said we would trade Worpel for a pick, to use on a young 2023 draftee.

We should target an established young player with 30 - 100 games under his belt, such as Sam De Konig, Jack Payne or Sam Taylor. Probably along with a mix of other picks / players.

You literally replaced Worpel with Hustwaite in your list of midfielders.

 

[OnTheRocks]

Having an absolutely cracking year, super consistent and is building every week.

I always thought James biggest issue was he is a classic confidence player, he is chock full of it right now and we are seeing how good he is when he is on top of his game and feeling good.

So true. It's all over his face when he's playing well and that smile when he kicks a goal is so bloody good to see. Happy for him to be doing so well.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

So true. It's all over his face when he's playing well and that smile when he kicks a goal is so bloody good to see. Happy for him to be doing so well.

Direct contrast to last year when he didn't look like he was enjoying his footy at all.

Very happy for him, hope we here of his signing on soon.

 

[TylerDurden]

Ranked 4 in the comp for Centre clearances.
Ranked 10 in the comp for total clearances.

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[lethalselbow]

"I think, ideally, he'd like to stay at Hawthorn."

Reckon elsewhere is a possibility. Looks like all talk of him being signed & sealed away were just fantasy. The person/s who spun that line better check their sauces.

Mmm.... sauces....

 

[Gohawthorn13]

"I think, ideally, he'd like to stay at Hawthorn."

Reckon elsewhere is a possibility. Looks like all talk of him being signed & sealed away were just fantasy. The person/s who spun that line better check their sauces.

Mmm.... sauces....

View attachment 1745348

Nothing signed sealed till it’s official. That being said he was coming from such a low base the last couples of years he needed to get his form up to a point where he could warrant a bigger deal. So it’s not panic stations he’s leaving just yet. I do think that if he were to leave it would be an ordinary thing to do though because we moved on Tom Mitchell to give him an opportunity this year. I understand people will say loyalty is dead in footy and I get there’s a career element to every player but if a club shows faith and loyalty to a player then barring a unforeseen circumstance he should remain loyal. I also understand if a club offers a ridiculous sum of money that changes things. I’d also think if he asks to get traded then we would be seeking a 1st rounder.

 

[Gohawthorn13]

Worpel is having a very good year but has not consistently performed at that level in previous years. He is really a “ blue collar” inside mid who can win clearances but whose disposal and skills are a bit limited.
I suspect his form and performance this year is his ceiling unlike Newcombe and Day for example.
Any future contract remuneration from us will reflect his perceived strengths and limitations.

Hawthorn moved on tom Mitchell to give him the opportunity. The belief is there.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Hawthorn moved on tom Mitchell to give him the opportunity. The belief is there.

And it'd be really weird if we were to let him go to give McKenzie a go. İt May never end!

 

[Elhawko]

Nothing signed sealed till it’s official. That being said he was coming from such a low base the last couples of years he needed to get his form up to a point where he could warrant a bigger deal. So it’s not panic stations he’s leaving just yet. I do think that if he were to leave it would be an ordinary thing to do though because we moved on Tom Mitchell to give him an opportunity this year. I understand people will say loyalty is dead in footy and I get there’s a career element to every player but if a club shows faith and loyalty to a player then barring a unforeseen circumstance he should remain loyal. I also understand if a club offers a ridiculous sum of money that changes things. I’d also think if he asks to get traded then we would be seeking a 1st

Yeah I think so as well, he's never seemed to develop that spacial awareness or ability to re-assess what he's going to do with it once he gets the ball like the best midfielders do. I can't see him ever being much more than a hunt clearance, bang it forward type.

If we can get a dynamic forward line together with some more speedy smalls and another tall alongside Lewis, then that sort of midfielder could work out well for us - much like Sewell did.

His ceiling was 10 out of 10 coaches votes in his last game. There is a sense is this conversation that we can afford to jettison a 24 year old whose best footy was BOG last week and was good enough to win him a PCM and that it may be better to replace him with 18 year olds who are currently in BXH who might get to his level if we wait another few years…He’s our most experienced mid crazy as that is to grasp and letting him go would be a big mistake in my humble opinion. Personally I’d need to see a ton of improvement from McKenzie and Hustwaite before I put my faith in them to do what Worps does now and is still young enough to do for another 8 seasons.

 

[offtherails9]

I hope he's signs on. Love him as a player. Tough as nails and improving where he needs to! Still so so young at 24 and he will be one of the leaders of this brigade coming through..

 

[peetoo]

His ceiling was 10 out of 10 coaches votes in his last game. There is a sense is this conversation that we can afford to jettison a 24 year old whose best footy was BOG last week and was good enough to win him a PCM and that it may be better to replace him with 18 year olds who are currently in BXH who might get to his level if we wait another few years…He’s our most experienced mid crazy as that is to grasp and letting him go would be a big mistake in my humble opinion. Personally I’d need to see a ton of improvement from McKenzie and Hustwaite before I put my faith in them to do what Worps does now and is still young enough to do for another 8 seasons.

Especially as been blessed with few midfield injuries this year. Worps got his first chance when Tom mitchell injured

 

[Yardie]

I'd like James to be given license to take a shot if on the run and in range. We are screaming for goal kicking mids and he creates opportunities but tries to do too much with the ball and is prone to turn it over. Rather he have a ping and believe in himself.

 

[HawthornHawk]

Are they waiting for his 100th game to announce this? I thought it was done?

 

[Crabbie]

Again another super game from Worps on the weekend.
Might feel over the top but they can't risk letting him go in my opinion. Will really be the "glue" that holds and pieces our mids together the next few years, has shown he can perform at a high level which will help in the long run for guys like McKenzie and Ward.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

Again another super game from Worps on the weekend.
Might feel over the top but they can't risk letting him go in my opinion. Will really be the "glue" that holds and pieces our mids together the next few years, has shown he can perform at a high level which will help in the long run for guys like McKenzie and Ward.

Also the heart of the next generation with Day, Newcombe and Moore.

 

[Crabbie]

Also the heart of the next generation with Day, Newcombe and Moore.

Correct, I think a lot of people forget he is only 24 at the moment. Might not be a world beater like Bont or Trac but my God his season has shown how important of a player he is and would be for the next 5+ years.

Not sure if anyone has heard about what is happening with his contract but get it done please.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

For a team that has had massive peaks and troughs in 2023 (not just game to game but quarter to quarter) Worps has probably been out most consistent performer. Has just kept slogging away at the coalface week in, week out.

At 24 he is entering his absolute prime footy years, I really hope we sign him up soon as I can think of a number of high profile teams (Swans and Cats) that would love him in their team right now.

 

[humid hawk]

For a team that has had massive peaks and troughs in 2023 (not just game to game but quarter to quarter) Worps has probably been out most consistent performer. Has just kept slogging away at the coalface week in, week out.

At 24 he is entering his absolute prime footy years, I really hope we sign him up soon as I can think of a number of high profile teams (Swans and Cats) that would love him in their team right now.

Definitely this.

Even when we are getting spanked he seems to be the one to really dig in and get his hands on the ball.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Definitely this.

Even when we are getting spanked he seems to be the one to really dig in and get his hands on the ball.

Worps at the moment reminds me a lot of prime Brad Sewell.

Just like Worps he had his limitations with disposal, etc but Brad was always the one player you could rely on to be performing when the rest of the team was struggling during a game as his application never wavered.

 

[H00t]

Been a super strong year for Worps, especially after last year.

Would like to see him still keep working on his fitness. He starts most games incredibly strongly and if he could carry that form deeper into games it would elevate him a lot.

 

[Hodgey 15]

Worps could well be a 2 times Crimmins medalist at seasons end.
He would be in some elite company there.

 

[Sixpence]

Worps could well be a 2 times Crimmins medalist at seasons end.
He would be in some elite company there.

Reckon Nuke will take it out, but I can see Worps battling Sicily for Runner Up.