Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn, Denver Grainger-Barras (delisted 2024)

[SSSSSS]

The first time I saw him live was against the blues a couple of years ago and he was everywhere spoiling, intercepting and kicking it well. At the time I thought we have a real good one here. What happened, as it appears he will be lucky to be on the list at the end of the year?

James Sicily decided to come back from the AFL as the best third tall in the comp.

 

[OnTheRocks]

James Sicily decided to come back from the AFL as the best third tall in the comp.

Sicily, is to blame?

 

[SSSSSS]

Sicily, is to blame?

Was just tongue in cheek but I think that third tall position is Denver's most natural position and it's pretty rough that it's occupied by the best in the comp.

He's had to learn to be more accountable all the while trying to grow into his body and have an AFL standard engine.

I think in time he will get there but not sure if he will get there at the Hawks.

 

[Rocket72]

Was just tongue in cheek but I think that third tall position is Denver's most natural position and it's pretty rough that it's occupied by the best in the comp.

He's had to learn to be more accountable all the while trying to grow into his body and have an AFL standard engine.

I think in time he will get there but not sure if he will get there at the Hawks.

Sicily isn't stopping him ripping it up at Box Hill....

 

[Iceman!]

Sicily isn't stopping him ripping it up at Box Hill....

Yeah i think the Sicily is excuse is just that, he has had chances at VFL level to play the same role and struggled to excel.

 

[SSSSSS]

Sicily isn't stopping him ripping it up at Box Hill....

If only Serong didn't have his 32cm growth spurt.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

Sicily isn't stopping him ripping it up at Box Hill....

Sicily was a game away from being delisted too!

 

[Tanami]

The coaches would know now if he will make it.

Sam Mitchell & Kade Simpson

6

Kade Simpson

Age

40

Ht

183cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

14.0

5star

HB

7.3

5star

M

5.7

5star

T

2.6

4star

MG

409.0

5star

D

16.3

4star

K

11.9

5star

HB

4.4

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

0.8

1star

MG

258.6

4star

D

2.0

1star

K

1.2

1star

HB

0.8

1star

M

0.8

1star

T

1.6

4star

have been around long enough to see if he has the want and will to break through.

He did give away a lot of frees when he was playing.

Immaturity or frustration ?

I think we will persist.

He is well liked by the group and everyone develops differently.

I guess this is where a coach like Sam earns his bucks.

Turn this kid into something and make him believe.

 

[scrim reaper]

He did give away a lot of frees when he was playing.

Immaturity or frustration ?

Frustration I think, absolutely loves to push and shove whoever has just taken a mark on him.

 

[Manila_Hawk]

126 pages on the DGB thread. Impressive.

Does anybody else feel that Jasper might have just pushed in front of him in line ?

 

[Tasmaniac2]

126 pages on the DGB thread. Impressive.

Does anybody else feel that Jasper might have just pushed in front of him in line ?

Competition is on.

Half a season of both of them both playing VFL football will certainly show us something, maybe that someone with zero AFL pre-seasons already has a higher aerobic fitness level than someone with 4 AFL preseasons.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I reckon what we need to do is delist him with the promise that we will pick him up again in one year's time. In that year he goes and trains exclusively with Rhys Mathieson

36

Rhys Mathieson

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.1

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

9.2

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

3.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

18.4

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

9.0

5star

M

2.2

3star

T

4.0

5star

CL

2.8

5star

, and gets on the same diet of "supplements."

Spoiler

In a years time we'd have Hercules manning the CHB position.

 

[CHUBBSS]

126 pages on the DGB thread. Impressive.

Does anybody else feel that Jasper might have just pushed in front of him in line ?

The worst part for Denver is he just can’t run, every player almost instantly goes past him because they can run.

His going to need one of the all time great pre seasons.

 

[Walshawk]

The worst part for Denver is he just can’t run, every player almost instantly goes past him because they can run.

His going to need one of the all time great pre seasons.

So, simply poor recruiting to not notice this at U18 level? Not being able to run, nor bulk up is not an ideal combination.

 

[stevehawkington]

The worst part for Denver is he just can’t run, every player almost instantly goes past him because they can run.

His going to need one of the all time great pre seasons.

He will bounce back after this injury.

 

[Toasted]

So, simply poor recruiting to not notice this at U18 level? Not being able to run, nor bulk up is not an ideal combination.

Maybe it being a Covid draft had an effect on our ability to assess to these things?

 

[CHUBBSS]

So, simply poor recruiting to not notice this at U18 level? Not being able to run, nor bulk up is not an ideal combination.

It was a pretty shocking draft in hindsight but I still have faith, his lack of tank will need to be masked though, I don’t see him being an endurance athlete but something he will need to understand to build around

Xavier Ellis had his deficiencies but still got us a flag (hindsight Pendles would of been a star) but I think we are doing alright and a few picks are going our way that it buys dgb some time to get it right.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Realistically his best position is the Sicily/Stewart/Lever kind of role where he is given free reign to read the ball in flight and impact as an interceptor. The problem is he was never going to win that position from Sicily and you can't really have more than one of them in the same backline.

We then forced him to learn how to become a Frost/Blanck type stopper, and he doesn't have the pace or the tank to go with leading forwards, and he doesn't have the strength to go with the big boys.

That said if I was North, Richmond, or WCE I would be open to taking a punt on him and seeing if he can figure it out, call me naive but I genuinely feel like he's the type where he would actually go ok if you gave him a full year in Sicily's role, that's just obviously not going to happen at Hawthorn.

Pace wasn’t ever an issue. It was the tank and strength. Couldn’t run long distances with high forwards but couldn’t beat the deeper players in strength battles.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

He is the anti-dear. He is very late to pick up the ball in flight and finds himself out of position accordingly.

Anyone who’s watched Denver knows this isn’t the issue, his strength is his positioning and ability to read the ball. He just hasn’t got the physical capacity with his tank or strength. His pace, leap and mongrel are great, and his footballing ability is not the issue.

 

[Rocket72]

I was looking at his stats this morning and there is a disturbing trend down on everything you'd want to be going up, across years 2021, 22 and 23. His first year stats, albeit based on 5 games, were highly encouraging. If it's a lack of fitness, why is his best year his first?

 

[HawthornHawk]

I was looking at his stats this morning and there is a disturbing trend down on everything you'd want to be going up, across years 2021, 22 and 23. His first year stats, albeit based on 5 games, were highly encouraging. If it's a lack of fitness, why is his best year his first?

I think when a higher pick is in his first year or two we as supporters take more notice of the positive things he does, and as time goes on we focus more on the negatives. Even in his 'good' early games Denver was toweled up at stages.

 

[fairdinks]

I'd love DGB to make it, but with limited list spots and our moment in the sun fast approaching, we don't we have the luxury of waiting for him to 'maybe' fulfil the promise and hope we had.

I think a 3rd rounder from a team thinking they can get him right, is the best we can hope for. Alas, I feel he will be delisted though.

I'd rather keep Serong as a more solid backup and feel we can only retain one of them. Not as much potential upside, but can hold down a role.

If we manage to secure Battle, that will be it for DGB.

 

[scrim reaper]

Pace wasn’t ever an issue. It was the tank and strength. Couldn’t run long distances with high forwards but couldn’t beat the deeper players in strength battles.

Perhaps he doesn't struggle for pace but he does get beaten on the lead often

 

[Rocket72]

I think when a higher pick is in his first year or two we as supporters take more notice of the positive things he does, and as time goes on we focus more on the negatives. Even in his 'good' early games Denver was toweled up at stages.

I agree, but I was referring to objective stats, disposals, marks, tackles, 1 %'s, all down.

Clangers were also down, which is good!

 

[toomanysquibs]

The first time I saw him live was against the blues a couple of years ago and he was everywhere spoiling, intercepting and kicking it well. At the time I thought we have a real good one here. What happened, as it appears he will be lucky to be on the list at the end of the year?

That was his breakout game I thought.

Weirdest decline I’ve seen, just feels like he built up to that game and then something went wrong.

I hope he can fix it. He looked a million bucks that day.