Toast 2014 National Draft, pick #31 - welcome to Hawthorn Daniel Howe

[Dixie Flatline]

Welcome Daniel.


Mobile tall defender with strong overhead marking ability. Takes the game on and shows initiative. Impressed as a 19-year-old in four matches for Vic Country in NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, averaging 17 disposals, four marks, two tackles and two clearances at 76 per cent efficiency. Played 11 games in the TAC Cup, averaging 19 touches. Was equal-second in kicking test (28/30) at NAB AFL Draft Combine.

 

[Baz_hawk]

From Knightmares draft write up...

Height: 191cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 04/12/1995
Recruited from: Murray Bushrangers
Draft range: 25-55
Best position/role: Rotational midfielders/half back flanker.
Strengths:
Athleticism and movement – Howe is a very good athlete by position; he has some excellent leaping ability and has taken some impressive species and aerial marks this season. He also has good acceleration whereby he can at times take on the game with ball in hand off a back flank over short distances before moving it onto the next target. His endurance is very good. He also has very good agility and can at times use a nice evasive step or ball fake to avoid tackles. He also has the ability when tackled to release the handball and will often wait for the last moment, draw the opponent and then get the good handball off to a target. He also keeps his feet well, rarely going to ground and having a good natural balance to him.
Intercept marking ability – Howe is an excellent intercept mark in the back half and shows a willingness to leave his direct opponent and back himself to read the flight of the ball for the intercept mark. He has strong hands overhead and he uses his body well in the contest to protect the drop of the ball well and is excellent in the air just launching at the footy and generally taking it cleanly. He also shows the courage when required in the marking contested to back, back into the contest and get crunched, often backing back into packs or spaces where he could really get hit hard for marks.
Versatility – Howe has shown that not only can he play a number of different types of roles in the back half playing on talls and smalls but he is also capable as required through the midfield which we may see more of in the future or in the front half.
Tackling ability – Howe is a strong tackler and really buries guys into the turf with aggression with some of his tackles when the opportunity is there.
Skillset – Howe is a relatively reliable user of the ball by hand and foot and his disposal efficiency is overall high. He knows his limitations as a mostly safe and efficient ball user but he is not someone who will look to do damage or generate meaningful drive off his own boot often. By hand Howe is typically more willing to take risks and look to draw opponents before delivering it to a meaningful target by hand.
Contested ball winning ability – A high proportion of the ball Howe wins is contested ball. He is very much a see ball, win ball guy and someone who wins the contested ball around the ground, seemingly moving quicker towards the footy whenever it is in his vicinity. His work at ground level is very good and someone who is very clean with his pickups off the deck.
Weaknesses:
Hurt factor – Howe can generate some drive out of the back half and moves it on quickly which I like but he is not an overly penetrating kick or a linebreaker who will run and bounce it the length of the field.
Ability to find easy uncontested ball – Howe finds relatively limited uncontested ball numbers and does not find much easy ball around the ground at this stage.
What I expect will improve:
It is a speculative call but I expect Howe to improve his midfield game and become more a midfielder as while he has not spend much time though there the glimpse I have seen of it has intrigued me and at his height and with contested ball winning ability, skillset and particularly his work by hand, tackling ability and movement he has the right mix of traits to play through there.
Who he can become?
I see Howe following a similar developmental path to Jack Crisp. I see Howe starting out more as a back or forward and eventually working his way into someone who can play more through the midfield. Howe is not as explosive with his running or the same level tackler but is probably a more skilled version, but as a tallish type I see some similarities and an overall fairly similar quality player.
When will he be ready to play?
Howe may play as early as season one but more likely it will be season two that he looks to establish himself as a part of a best team.
How to best utilise him?
Howe at the moment is best utilised on a back flank but I like his midfield potential and I like his scope to develop into a rotational midfielder/back flanker.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Strong production through the U18 Championships and an overall very good disposal efficiency. Through the TAC Cup his production was overall very good by position with his disposal efficiency, mark per game and tackle per game numbers all very good. Based on the strength of his numbers and on field performance it is not out of the question for Howe to receive senior AFL opportunities from season one.

Probably some others who were rated higher available at our pick but he looks the goods and I wish him all the best.

 

[Jaeger]

Impressive highlights. Great size and skills. Versatile.

 

[Frankston Rover]

Impressive highlights. Great size and skills. Versatile.

Was thinking the same thing.

Versatile with a good kick = Hawthorn

 

[toomanysquibs]

Tall ball winning mid in waiting, they didn't rave about his kicking leading into the draft, but the camp suggests he can hit a target - as do those highlights.

We got what we need, size around the ball, and a clearance player.

 

[Big Hotdog]

Minimal speculation. Is good in a lot of areas without being exceptional. Wont take years to develop. A low risk pick.
Gotta be happy.

 

[ViperV10]

Impressive highlights. Great size and skills. Versatile.

Totally agree. Hadn't watched his video in the lead up, but like the look of him.

 

[B&GBlood]

Is there a link to the highlights I cannot see?

 

[Tomohawks]

Sorry to ruin the feel good vibe but I can't help but feel he is Jordan Kelly Mark 2. I don't like his hands really. More excited with what we got at 49 and 50 to be honest, happy to be proven wrong over time though.

 

[whiteTiga2k]

Disappointed we didn't go for bakery, but what would I know

 

[toomanysquibs]

Sorry to ruin the feel good vibe but I can't help but feel he is Jordan Kelly Mark 2. I don't like his hands really. More excited with what we got at 49 and 50 to be honest, happy to be proven wrong over time though.

The feedback online suggests his hands are a real strength. I don't think he's kelly, not as nuggety looking in the way he competes and moves.

 

[Dewnior]

Disappointed we didn't go for bakery, but what would I know

Apparently they thought he'd leave for more dough when his first contract ends

 

[tige19]

I'm sure the kid will be a good get but can't help to feel we missed out with Tom Lamb.. I like Lambs size and the guy has some real X factor

 

[Great 2008]

I see a bit of Gavin Wanganeen in this guy. Happy.

 

[Davo-27]

i took some notes prior to the draft and 1 thing i had on Howe was ELITE Kicking, he is your 3rd tall defender type or tall mid (usually trusted with kick-ins), the big thing i noticed with our 1st 2 picks is they are versatile, in that they can play in many positions and play them well.......

i'm still wishing we had taken Blakely or Neal-Bullen, but i'm sure the HFC did their due dilligence and possibly his interview got him higher on the list than those other 2........

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sorry to ruin the feel good vibe but I can't help but feel he is Jordan Kelly Mark 2. I don't like his hands really. More excited with what we got at 49 and 50 to be honest, happy to be proven wrong over time though.

Howe and Kelly are completely different players.

 

[tige19]

Howe officially listed at 192cm and 85kg, you'd think he will grow a cm or 2 and put on some good weight. Could be a really effective tall swing man? Watched his highlights, looks very good by hand and foot and can take a fair grab.

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

Uninspiring pick for what was on the table at 31 when he was taken. I hope he ends up showing why the club rated him so well. More often than not, our first pick has usually ended up doing well/ok (post Dowler/Thorp debacles).

 

[Main Man]

Is a much better result than Lamb, disappointed Maynard went one pick earlier but Howe has the potential to become a big bodied inside mid who can mark and kick well, in the Mundy mold.

Not disappointed with this pick at all, no guarantees with pick 31.

 

[Tomohawks]

The feedback online suggests his hands are a real strength. I don't think he's kelly, not as nuggety looking in the way he competes and moves.

From what I saw of his footage he is a double grabber at junior level which doesn't bode well for AFL seniors. The rest looks okay and I can understand Wrighty's thinking seeing that we lost both Kelly and Cheney who are both mid sized defenders, however I like both Miller and Cicconet a hell of a lot better. Having said that I know that Wrighty and his gang know better than me and I hope he pans out okay. Just my initial first thoughts.

 

[Thaihawk]

Is a much better result than Lamb, disappointed Maynard went one pick earlier but Howe has the potential to become a big bodied inside mid who can mark and kick well, in the Mundy mold.

Not disappointed with this pick at all, no guarantees with pick 31.

I'm sure Wrighty sees something in him that a lot don't. In his view, Howe must have been the best available when our pick finally came around.

 

[Main Man]

From what I saw of his footage he is a double grabber at junior level which doesn't bode well for AFL seniors. The rest looks okay and I can understand Wrighty's thinking seeing that we lost both Kelly and Cheney who are both mid sized defenders, however I like both Miller and Cicconet a hell of a lot better. Having said that I know that Wrighty and his gang know better than me and I hope he pans out okay. Just my initial first thoughts.

They didn't draft him to replace Cheney and Kelly, they see him as a midfield prospect.

 

[Tomohawks]

Howe and Kelly are completely different players.

Their junior profiles would suggest not, I doubted the Kelly pick back then and I have the same feeling now. Gee I hope I am wrong. Love the Cicconet pick though and can't help but feel we have a Maric type on our hands.

 

[Tomohawks]

They didn't draft him to replace Cheney and Kelly, they see him as a midfield prospect.

Seeing that he played mostly down back this year and we lost 2 players of the same size and skillset I assumed he was a mid sized back. If he could play midfield he would give us that larger size mid we crave, but his style doesn't give me confidence that he can do so.

 

[MadDawg]

Knowing that we plan to have Howe as a tall midfielder down the track makes me feel better about the pick.

Listed as a 191cm defender, Wright is confident Howe, who was taken at pick 31, will develop into a tall midfielder who’s known for his elite skills.

Howe was rated second overall at the draft combine for the kicking test.

“He played half back for Murray and also for Vic Country this year so we know he can play half back – he reads the ball well, has good courage, makes good decisions so we know he can do that but we saw him in the back half of the year go into the midfield and kick goals,” Wright said.

“He’s a really good stoppage player, great hands and great vision and awareness of what’s around him.

“I think body-wise he might start at half-back but there’s no doubt we see him playing mainly in the midfield.