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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
List Mgmt. 2024 National Draft - November 20-21
- Thread starter Jen2310
- Start date
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For me it makes sense to be looking at a guy like that - someone that bit older that if needs be can come in and do a role, especially if there are questions marks over Frampton and Dean. I know they're very rare finds, but if someone could come in and have half the career Mihocek has had, but in defense (acknowledging the irony of where Checkers was meant to be recruited to play) I think we would be ecstatic with that find.
Smoky time?
He’s 23, already has four best-and-fairests and a premiership medal to his name — and AFL clubs are taking notice. Meet the country footy defender bound for the big smoke.
The whispers out of Gippsland football are becoming more frequent. AFL clubs are watching Traralgon’s Tye Hourigan — and he may be the bolter in this year’s drafts. The 23-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best players in Victorian country football and it’s believed at least one club had recruiters running an eye over him in the Gippy league grand final three weeks ago.
Hourigan, a 193cm defender, played in Traralgon’s premiership win over Leongatha and claimed his fourth senior best and fairest despite missing a few games with injury. For the third consecutive season he was also named at centre half back in the Gippsland team of the year.
Even as a key backman, Hourigan has sometimes been tagged by rival teams. “I hope so. There’s been different inklings here and there,’’ Maroons coach Troy Hamilton responded to speculation that recruiters were on to Hourigan.
“It would be brilliant for him and brilliant for our club.
“I think he could play in the AFL. He’s the best country footballer I’ve seen. I think he could play in the AFL for sure. He’s 6’3 and a bit, he can play on talls or smalls, he’s an elite mark, he runs a 6:20 2km, he’s got pace, he’s an elite user and he reads the footy better than anyone I’ve seen. There is no weakness.’’
Hamilton said Hourigan was “lame’’ with an ankle injury in a match against Morwell this year, prompting the Maroons to play him out of the goalsquare. He kicked six goals.
Former Traralgon coach Jake Best was similarly effusive when asked about Hourigan.
The former Casey VFL player and Vermont premiership forward called him an outstanding player, “in the best three I’ve ever played with’’. “He’s a star mate,’’ Best said. “He’s a tall intercept defender with great skills and he reads the play like someone I’ve never seen.’’
Hourigan has been named in Traralgon’s best players 49 times in his 65 games in the past four seasons.
An official from an opposition Gippsland league club said of Hourigan: “Everything is one-touch clean. He kicks the footy like a mule – hits a bloke on the chest with a 60m drop-punt – and he’ll pick the ball up at pace below his knees, sidestep someone coming the other way and off he goes. “He’s as good a key position player as I’ve seen at our level.’’
Hourigan was runner-up in Gippsland Power’s 2018 best and fairest and trained briefly with Casey Demons before returning to Traralgon.
VFL clubs have sounded him out in the past two years but he’s been content to play for the Maroons as he completes his university studies to be a schoolteacher.
Hourigan is also an accomplished cricketer, captaining a local A grade team
Traralgon defender Tye Hourigan looms as a bolter for 2024 AFL draft
He’s 23, already has four best-and-fairests and a premiership medal to his name — and AFL clubs are taking notice. Meet the country footy defender bound for the big smoke.
The whispers out of Gippsland football are becoming more frequent. AFL clubs are watching Traralgon’s Tye Hourigan — and he may be the bolter in this year’s drafts. The 23-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best players in Victorian country football and it’s believed at least one club had recruiters running an eye over him in the Gippy league grand final three weeks ago.
Hourigan, a 193cm defender, played in Traralgon’s premiership win over Leongatha and claimed his fourth senior best and fairest despite missing a few games with injury. For the third consecutive season he was also named at centre half back in the Gippsland team of the year.
Even as a key backman, Hourigan has sometimes been tagged by rival teams. “I hope so. There’s been different inklings here and there,’’ Maroons coach Troy Hamilton responded to speculation that recruiters were on to Hourigan.
“It would be brilliant for him and brilliant for our club.
“I think he could play in the AFL. He’s the best country footballer I’ve seen. I think he could play in the AFL for sure. He’s 6’3 and a bit, he can play on talls or smalls, he’s an elite mark, he runs a 6:20 2km, he’s got pace, he’s an elite user and he reads the footy better than anyone I’ve seen. There is no weakness.’’
Hamilton said Hourigan was “lame’’ with an ankle injury in a match against Morwell this year, prompting the Maroons to play him out of the goalsquare. He kicked six goals.
Former Traralgon coach Jake Best was similarly effusive when asked about Hourigan.
The former Casey VFL player and Vermont premiership forward called him an outstanding player, “in the best three I’ve ever played with’’. “He’s a star mate,’’ Best said. “He’s a tall intercept defender with great skills and he reads the play like someone I’ve never seen.’’
Hourigan has been named in Traralgon’s best players 49 times in his 65 games in the past four seasons.
An official from an opposition Gippsland league club said of Hourigan: “Everything is one-touch clean. He kicks the footy like a mule – hits a bloke on the chest with a 60m drop-punt – and he’ll pick the ball up at pace below his knees, sidestep someone coming the other way and off he goes. “He’s as good a key position player as I’ve seen at our level.’’
Hourigan was runner-up in Gippsland Power’s 2018 best and fairest and trained briefly with Casey Demons before returning to Traralgon.
VFL clubs have sounded him out in the past two years but he’s been content to play for the Maroons as he completes his university studies to be a schoolteacher.
Hourigan is also an accomplished cricketer, captaining a local A grade team
- Oct 8, 2004
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There's no way a 23 year old country footballer is going to walk into the AFL and do a passable job on AFL key forwards.
It's just not happening. Even if he made it in the future, it will take a full season for him to get his legs under him, start understanding the game at that higher level, and then be able to compete with these AFL players.
No doubt. Everyone has the Tom Stewart obsession though. But then you get situations with players like Sam Sof. Be interesting to see if someone gives him a chance.
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It's a yes from me
- Oct 8, 2004
- 12,511
- 4,505
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
- Other Teams
- Collingwood VFL
Even then, Tom Stewart went through the VFL program before being selected in the National Draft. He didn't just walk from South Barwon onto an AFL field.
He won a premiership at South Barwon in 2013 under Matthew Scarlett, didn't get onto Geelong's VFL list until 2016, and they drafted him at the end of that season.
Maybe, maybe this dude is worth rookie listing so you can get a look at him in your VFL program and assess if there's AFL level tools there, but look more at a Joe Richards trajectory where the earliest he might be able to play AFL games is halfway through his second season on the list, and that's not accounting for the fact that playing key defense in the AFL is a lot harder than playing on the HFF.
