Player Watch #6: George Wardlaw - [multiple sources] - GW suffers 10-12 week hammy at training - no surgery required + will miss start of season

[blackshadow]

So good to watch in full flight. His manic attack at man and ball is off the charts and he's got the skills and football IQ to deliver when he's got the ball in hand.

Will be the best player in the comp in the next few years.

 

[PokerRoo]

He’s here

He’s there

He’s every ****ing where

Wardlaw!!! Wardlaw!!!

We need to get this chant going at games

 

[Disco Dew]

There he is!

 

[Twinkletoes]

ATM corn frances likely has the best goal sense of the 3 , he is closest to the dusty/danger hybrid mid hf model. but reid in 12 months will be a close call. but for mine Georgie looks to be a cross between anthony stephens and schimma with a little bit of johnny blakey thrown in just slightly without the tank atm.

fwiw heres a little snippet of schimma for the younger brigade to compare.

Schimma = the yardstick!

What a bloody gun he was. Maximum effort 100% of the time.

I’m seeing the same signs in Georgie Boy and I have the fingers and testicles crossed that his mid to later career can replicate that of the great man Schimma’s.

 

[Northball]

Have held off on having a favourite player since I convinced myself that Froggy Dumont was going to be Sam Mitchel 2.0 and was bitterly disappointed

Georgie has very quickly entrenched himself as my favourite player, I won’t echo chamber the attributes and swagger that’s been mentioned here because I know you can all see what I see. But crikey he’s an exciting player to watch. I find myself yelling ‘pass it to George, get the ball in his hands’ because you just know he’s gonna make magic happen.

20 games in… George Wardlaw I’m ready to love again

 

[SheezNuts]

He is him.

 

[Rooniversity]

ATM corn frances likely has the best goal sense of the 3 , he is closest to the dusty/danger hybrid mid hf model. but reid in 12 months will be a close call. but for mine Georgie looks to be a cross between anthony stephens and schimma with a little bit of johnny blakey thrown in just slightly without the tank atm.

fwiw heres a little snippet of schimma for the younger brigade to compare.

Had number 20 on the back of my duffle coat back in the day. Schimma is my all-time fave.
I just spat out my coffee watching them running holding Barassi That's like something out of the Goodies. Magnificent. And yes, George does remind me of Schimma.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Fish Sticks]

I think George is the best talent we’ve had walk through our doors since Carey.
As far as player comparisons go… I can’t think of anyone who has played the game with his unique skill set.
He is as tough & manic as I’ve seen, has great speed & his kicking is looking like it could become elite with some more experience/poise/fitness.
But it’s the way he just springs up from off the ground like cat that has me though! I’ve never seen anything like it.
He can be chasing a player at full tilt, make a diving tackling attempt & then springs up again to chase the next bloke within the blink of an eye.
It’s wild!! He is always in the contest.

 

[shintemaster]

I think George is the best talent we’ve had walk through our doors since Carey.
As far as player comparisons go… I can’t think of anyone who has played the game with his unique skill set.
He is as tough & manic as I’ve seen, has great speed & his kicking is looking like it could become elite with some more experience/poise/fitness.
But it’s the way he just springs up from off the ground like cat that has me though! I’ve never seen anything like it.
He can be chasing a player at full tilt, make a diving tackling attempt & then springs up again to chase the next bloke within the blink of an eye.
It’s wild!! He is always in the contest.

He's nuts. I mean Sheezel is pure silk and having another outrageous year but George's pace and strength is just off the charts and a huge advantage in today's game were you can't just smash your way through.

 

[koshari]

Had number 20 on the back of my duffle coat back in the day. Schimma is my all-time fave.
I just spat out my coffee watching them running holding Barassi That's like something out of the Goodies. Magnificent. And yes, George does remind me of Schimma.

Those long range bombs at goal flat out on either foot, absolutely ridiculous.

 

[The acurate one]

giantroo , where's them highlights

 

[The acurate one]

Jason has him on pure explosiveness, but he loses interest when the ball is out of reach.

George brings a level of intensity with or without the pill that few can match. He makes things happen by his presence in the contest.

Personally I'm comfortable with how things have turned out.

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Dunno on the first point,.

BUt anyways it matters not, I saw George at the Zoo, well I think it was him, now he probably should have been at training but he fixed his steely eyes upon me.

I moved on.

 

[Hojuman]

giantroo , where's them highlights

Jesus Bill, umpiring, injuries, team selection v GoDeez, tribunal, autopsies. Give him a chance.

 

[muttley45]

I have no doubt this will drive him even further …..absolutely plays for the
We’re all you tonight George…

What do our resident body language experts make of this pic ???

 

[Passmore]

Dunno on the first point,.

BUt anyways it matters not, I saw George at the Zoo, well I think it was him, now he probably should have been at training but he fixed his steely eyes upon me.

I moved on.


View attachment 2022597

Yes, well George is a predator on the field.

I came across a picture of Jason and mum recently

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[nelroo]

Yes, well George is a predator on the field.

I came across a picture of Jason and mum recently

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That can’t be formula she must have expressed that !

 

[RightWingRoo]

We know what Harry's old man was on about!

 

[Kanga Glory]

AFL

‘THE MAN’ WITH SELWOOD, VOSS AND KELLY ATTRIBUTES WHO CAN DRAG THE ROOS FORWARD​

BY ANDREW SLEVISON 5 HOURS AGO

• 
  
• 
  

While North Melbourne eventually went under to Collingwood on Sunday, there was plenty to like about the side’s performance.
The Kangaroos were dominant in kicking eight goals to two in the first quarter before adding another six in the second term to lead by 48 points at half-time of the heartbreaking one-point defeat.


A major reason for their control early in the game was due to George Wardlaw who had 22 disposals, eight score involvements, six inside 50s and three clearances in the first half.
Two-time North premiership player David King was taken by what Wardlaw did in finishing with 30 touches, 10 score involvements, six inside 50s and six clearances.
He feels the 20-year-old possesses the attributes to be ‘the man’ to take the Roos forward.

“George Wardlaw has the game that says, ‘I am the man’,” King said on SEN’s Whateley.
“We’re looking for who the man is. It may be ‘LDU’ (Luke Davies-Uniacke

9

Luke Davies-uniacke

Age

25

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.1

3star

K

6.5

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

2.0

4star

D

7.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

1.0

2star

CL

2.0

4star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

1.2

4star

), it may be the bloke just underneath him coming through who might go past him, to say, ‘I’m the one to steer this footy club’.
“(Harry) Sheezel is a very good player, but is he the man?
“But this guy (Wardlaw)… sometimes you need the guy with the heart and soul who drags the group.
“I look at Zak Butters

9

Zak Butters

Age

24

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.8

3star

D

14.7

4star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.9

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

and I see this kid is the same as Zak Butters

9

Zak Butters

Age

24

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.8

3star

D

14.7

4star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.9

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

. We’re talking about those guys that everyone wants to play with and everyone wants to play for. When they speak it means more, when they act it drags the group with him.
“It was great to see from a North Melbourne point of view to be able to have that sort of quarter and then have that sort of half. Ok, they didn’t win the game, but what they did do is there’s certain benchmarks that you’ve blown past.
“Gone are the days where you can’t compete on offence. You can attack now, you can score, there’s no reason why you can’t score.”
Nathan Buckley and Kane Cornes were also inspired by Wardlaw, who was in devastating form in just his 20th AFL game.
Buckley found similarities between 2022’s Pick 4 and former Sydney Swans captain Paul Kelly.
He asked Cornes on SEN Breakfast: “Who does Wardlaw remind you of?
“I had flashbacks of a well-respected, tough player from about 20 years ago.
“The guy that I thought Wardlaw looked like was Paul Kelly.
“In and under, courageous, he’d go back with the flight, he’d put his head under, he would burst out of packs, he was wiry and strong.
“Wardlaw is a little bit bigger, but super powerful, super courageous, would win a ball that you wouldn’t expect him to win, a bit scruffy with the way he goes about it, he doesn’t do things for aesthetics, he does things for effect.
“A little bit of Anthony Stevens

Anthony Stevens

Age

53

Ht

178cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

15.7

5star

HB

5.6

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.0

5star

No current season stats available

D

25.2

5star

K

17.8

5star

HB

7.4

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.8

4star

(as well).”

Cornes can see a mixture of recently-retired Geelong captain Joel Selwood and Brisbane Lions great Michael Voss in Wardlaw.
“It’s like a more explosive version of Selwood, to me,” he added.
“He’s got the Joel Selwood attributes, but he’s more explosive and he has greater athleticism than what Joel had, with all due respect top Joel. It’s not a criticism, it’s just the way that I see it.
“He’s got Voss-like attributes and Selwood-like attributes in the way that he just get the team on his back.
“I just want to say, rock bottom is over for North. The times of them being non-competitive will be few and far between.
“They’re going to win more games than they lose from here on in, I reckon. I know it was disappointing yesterday but there seems to be somewhat of a changing of the guard.”
In 2024, Wardlaw is equal second at the Roos for goal assists, fourth for clearances, fourth for score involvements and sixth for total disposals.
He is the current favourite for the Rising Star award.
NORTH MELBOURNE

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[kool kangas]

Can a player only get 1 rising star nomination every season or can he get more?

 

[Passmore]

$2.00 on Sportsbet. Load up.

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[Masked Avenger]

If you want to inspire the playing group, show them the vision of George charging at Quaynor from about 40 metres away before setting after Crisp.

That stuff wins premierships.

 

[Lomas]

Can a player only get 1 rising star nomination every season or can he get more?

Just the one.

 

[CURVE]

Robbo said he could be the best player in the league in the next five years. Hopefully by then he will have been signed up to a long term deal.

 

[Souup]

Could you imagine if we actually picked Tsatas instead of Wardlaw?

Not only would we be kicking ourselves, but it'd be even worse because there's no doubt he'd be on *'s list. It would have been by far the worst blunder in our clubs drafting history.

At least with the Phillips selection (who I still have hope for), the top end of that draft is full of shit trucks so missing at the top end is neither here nor there.

Glad he's ours along with Sheezel and you can see they bleed blue and white and will spend their careers trying to bring a flag back to Arden Street.