Player Watch #33: Brayden 'Sausage' George - re-signed until end of 2026

[kirbonavich]

Been thinking how odd that we were able to get Brayden in his draft year, call it destiny, call it luck or call it whatever you believe in, really weird how somethings just happen like that. I had Brayden at pick 12 and that was on potential and the fact he reminded me of a certain player in the games he played.

Before I get to that player when I say odd and weird I think how our young team has come about and it gives me goose bumps, if you don't believe in stuff like that, that's okay, some do, some don't. Let me give a few reasons for this: Jy Simpkin, in his draft year was going to go earlier than expected but breaking his leg in school footy early in the year strangely saw him slide all the way to our pick 12, we snapped him up.

LDU, in his draft year, my god the one player I wanted, we had to get was Luke Davies Uniacke. I couldn't believe all the hype around Cam Rayner, a very good young forward with burst and knew how to kick goals, I had him at pick 3. The media was crazy with Cam, "the next dusty" and so forth, I only hoped Brisbane would take him and only two more bullets to dodge and he'd be ours. I had Luke at 1, I again thought Fremantle or Carlton would pick him, no doubt at all, you wouldn't read about it, he got to pick 4 and we snapped him up, sound familiar?

George Wardlaw, in his underage year, "put down your glasses", number 1 draft pick, the following year, end of story. The problem with that was I also liked a lad by the name of Harry Sheezel and we only had the one early pick. We could only pick one of them. In his draft year George twice did his hamstring, even though it happened a third time, it wasn't quite ready when he came back the second time and he went from a certain pick 1 to now doubts about his hamstrings.

Some will say Will Ashcroft would have something to say about that{the number 1 draft pick} not much separated them in the end, but two different players, Will, skilfully balanced and uses his smarts, George; more than a few times no player could take him down in a contest and his pace was a weapon, he was a modern day "Warlord". In his draft year Harry was tearing it up playing in different positions and just before the draft the unthinkable happened, with Jason leaving, pick swaps and 3 clubs involved, we got picks 2 and 3,{I was thinking, wow, this is getting weird, don't tell me its happening again}

The two best players and through strange circumstances, we can get both of them. You know how this goes, there was only 2 players on our radar and we snapped them both up. Lastly with Brayden before his injury I really thought ,pick wise, he would be around that 10/11 or 12 pick hoping no other clubs would pick him up, then he got injured, I thought he might slide a little, say late first round, did someone say the word "slide" how about all the way to pick 26! This was getting ridiculous, but I wasn't complaining, I was celebrating after the draft thinking "sometimes things happen for a reason".

Now I get to that certain player that Brayden reminds me of and that is Jordan De Goey, almost the same height, beautiful kick of the ball can really take a mark and can be very explosive. The way we were able to group these lads together and the way it happened is off the charts, every little detail with help from all the other clubs had to be, in a famous commentators words, "centimetre perfect".

That you Brady?

 

[Horizons_00]

Let’s wait until he plays a game?

Let us be excited

 

[Shagga is all Class]

Let us be excited

Exactly, he isn't 20 for a few weeks, and it looks like he ate the guy in the highlights video we recruited as a protein snack.

Imagine being an opposition defender being moved off a hot Zurhaar, and then having to line up on this beast.

 

[The Talent Scout]

" another poster SonofSamsquanch posted, when he's ready to play, a few people {opposition supporters} are going to say "who the hell is that" ?

Ahem.....cough....cough.........

Hojuman, I can't believe I forgot your post, I loved it and it was only yesterday, and yes you pretty much said the same thing, my apologies!

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Realistically I don’t think he’ll play before round 10-15. He is going to have to get match fit and get some continuity in his game.

 

[kirbonavich]

Realistically I don’t think he’ll play before round 10-15. He is going to have to get match fit and get some continuity in his game.

Best way to get match fit is to play games.

Will be on field round one.

 

[speedy]

Realistically I don’t think he’ll play before round 10-15. He is going to have to get match fit and get some continuity in his game.

Really? I think if he's not playing seniors by round 5/6, its more about form than match fitness or continuity. He resumed full training in August and didn't miss much running with his elbow.

3 more months of training and 6/7 games (including practice games) is enough to get him up to speed. Not ideal, but no worse off than a 1st year player IMO.

 

[King Corey]

Realistically I don’t think he’ll play before round 10-15. He is going to have to get match fit and get some continuity in his game.

Concur. He's a power athlete with no senior football experience.

Reckon he'll need a season to build his tank. He'll probably also need to allow for a few minor setbacks when he pushes his capacity after 2 layoffs.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Really? I think if he's not playing seniors by round 5/6, its more about form than match fitness or continuity. He resumed full training in August and didn't miss much running with his elbow.

3 more months of training and 6/7 games (including practice games) is enough to get him up to speed. Not ideal, but no worse off than a 1st year player IMO.

He has NEVER played against men and has sat on the sidelines for the last 18 months. He currently has poor endurance and isn’t anywhere close to being match fit. After 18 months, it’s going to take more than a 14 week pre-season and half a dozen games to get
him up to scratch. With the way he plays, he is going to feel like a bus has hit him after his first few games, wouldn’t surprise me if he plays a few VFL games, has a rest and continues that until the mid point of the season,

Not to mention he needs to get confidence in his body after the ACL. He’ll be right, but there really is no rush.

 

[Psicosis]

You simply cannot play the modern game without endurance. I have high hopes for BG33 but he ain't getting consistent games until he can run.

 

[speedy]

He has NEVER played against men and has sat on the sidelines for the last 18 months. He currently has poor endurance and isn’t anywhere close to being match fit. After 18 months, it’s going to take more than a 14 week pre-season and half a dozen games to get
him up to scratch. With the way he plays, he is going to feel like a bus has hit him after his first few games, wouldn’t surprise me if he plays a few VFL games, has a rest and continues that until the mid point of the season,

Not to mention he needs to get confidence in his body after the ACL. He’ll be right, but there really is no rush.

Most 1st years haven't played against men, it won't stop Colby from playing round 1. But fair enough, your take could be on the money.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Most 1st years haven't played against men, it won't stop Colby from playing round 1. But fair enough, your take could be on the money.

Totally, but Colby has a freakishly elite gas tank and isn’t coming off an ACL and serious elbow injury.

 

[Psicosis]

Most 1st years haven't played against men, it won't stop Colby from playing round 1. But fair enough, your take could be on the money.

Colby has better endurance then 4/5 of our list.

 

[speedy]

Totally, but Colby has a freakishly elite gas tank and isn’t coming off an ACL and serious elbow injury.

Paul Curtis debut was round 6 and he still has poor endurance. Anyway, lets see what happens.

 

[the big lebowski]

Colby has played against men though

 

[Mixed Results]

I found this quote the other day from Mick Wilson up at the Murray Bushrangers.

“Brayden George has been a standout on the track,” Wilson said. “His fitness is elite, his speed and power – he’s broken all records in the gym with us. It’s been a pretty impressive start by Brayden. “

The fitness comment was obviously the most interesting part. Most people have brought it up as a weakness for him, but I don't know if there's any testing data to support that claim.

Any player coming off of an 18 month stint on the sidelines will struggle, but if he already had a decent endurance base to work off of, then he could show up in the seniors sooner than later.

I'm not worried about him not having played against men. The men should be more worried about playing against Brayden George.

 

[kool kangas]

Realistically I don’t think he’ll play before round 10-15. He is going to have to get match fit and get some continuity in his game.

This is why he starts on the interchange bench and comes on in bursts to make his precence felt...

 

[Sillygit]

I'm not worried about him not having played against men. The men should be more worried about playing against Brayden George.

 

[Retiredbattler]

Really? I think if he's not playing seniors by round 5/6, its more about form than match fitness or continuity. He resumed full training in August and didn't miss much running with his elbow.

3 more months of training and 6/7 games (including practice games) is enough to get him up to speed. Not ideal, but no worse off than a 1st year player IMO.

Still no contact for 6 weeks. So he can do the majority of the training.

His worked hard on his running and endurance ever since making the bushies squad.

He never had a massive tank through his juniors until he got to the NAB league. Full forwards prior to NAB league / senior football are more traditional stay at home full forwards.

So that was one thing he got told he had to work on pretty early into the bushrangers regime.

Fingers crossed he can stay on the park and he can reach his potential.

 

[CURVE]

Found this interesting, a youtuber (Daz) picked his top 10 for the 2024 Rising Star award and named 4 North players, including Brayden George as his number 1 pick.

Anyway, here is his rankings:


And I've included the video in case anyone wants to listen to a Hawthorn's supporter thoughts about some of our youngsters.

 

[Retiredbattler]

Sausages bday today

 

[The acurate one]

Is it me or does he have very long arms

If Jack Dyer was around he'd say he has arms like giant octopus testicles.

 

[The acurate one]

Best way to get match fit is to play games.

Will be on field round one.

Well he wants to play round 1. So that's a positive, I get easing youngsters into the fray, but when your really shite, I'd rather ten minutes of magic than 120 minutes of rubbish.
Which the latter is what we've dished up for the last four seasons.

I think now he could play along side Larkey who the opposition will be all over and cause some trouble.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Found this interesting, a youtuber (Daz) picked his top 10 for the 2024 Rising Star award and named 4 North players, including Brayden George as his number 1 pick.

Anyway, here is his rankings:
View attachment 1878905

And I've included the video in case anyone wants to listen to a Hawthorn's supporter thoughts about some of our youngsters.

Ignore. He has Tsatas at #2. Apparently Tsatas can't hit the side of a barn with his kicking during the preseason so far.

 

[king of the road]

Ignore. He has Tsatas at #2. Apparently Tsatas can't hit the side of a barn with his kicking during the preseason so far.

But he’s tall and hasn’t strained his hamstrings.