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

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There sure is going to be a lot of melts in here should he be extended like I’ve heard he will be. I will believe it when it happens though.

If it does happen, be aware, there’s more to DGB’s formline than anything you’ve concluded from watching over the fence.
I'm not particularly bothered about whether he's traded or whether he's re-signed, I think people make too much of the final few list spots. Some spots need to be available for gambles, and ultimately another year for DGB is statistically no worse than whatever end of the draft Hail mary we'd take in his place.

I've lost faith he'll make it as an AFL player, but that so many clubs had him as the obvious second in that draft besides JUH means there's clearly something that we want to persevere with.
 

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In regard to DGB does anyone know if he's ever had glandular fever? How funny would it be if they figured out that he did which ended up explaining his bad tank only for it to eventually settle down and to have him go on to fulfil his potential.
Was he kissing the vice captain in pre-season?
 
As the list currently stands I can't see him getting into the side. He's not key position he is best suited to the medium tall role and he couldn't get a game at it in the last 2 years despite Sicily missing through injury and suspension, Scrimshaw having a spell in the 2s, frost out injured. Weddle just came in and took that last spot from him pretty much day 1 and shot straight past him.

Next year our tall/medium backs pending trade outs or de-listing are: barrass, frost, serong, blank, phillips, mccabe, sicily, scrimshaw, battle, DGB. And that's assuming that Weddle and CJ are out of the backline for good I think if some of the first choice are missing we'd push weddle back rather than play DGB at this stage. And if we great the break outs we hope for from Ward, Mackenzie or hustwaite we might even through Day back in emergencies.
 
List priorities change over time. When we drafted DGB we were desperate for a key defender. Four years later, his body and tank never developed to the extent we would have wanted. Whilst his inability to control his temperament on the field has been detrimental to the team.

Since 2021 we have added Blanck, Serong, Weddle, McCabe, and Phillips, with Battle and Barrass also heading our way next season. Frost has had a career best year, whilst Scrimshaw has now adapted to playing as a key tall.

DGB has a mountain to climb to get anywhere near our Best 22, and that includes being a long way back on the depth list.

The only scenario I can see DGB staying is if we delist Phillips, trade out Serong, and have serious doubts on Blanck's long-term future.
 
I thought he looked ok as the 3rd forward, in his last AFL game he played.
This!
His future lies in the fwd line. He is a very good mark, has courage, and is a reliable kick at goal.

For mine, DGB has more talent than Kosi.

The Tigers should be interested, North need another fwd option, and West Coast may need options.

The "ins" for the Hawks surely see him as an "out".

I hope he finds his place in the AFL world.
 
DGB's misfortune was Blanck's injury early in season.

Once that happenned, DGB as defender project was revived( check comments) and any argument of DGB as fwd of which he showed glimpses of promise was ignored. Then he had his toe injury. When back on, Scaife is our new Fwd, but Hawks defence doesn't miss Blanck as much but can't play DGB back from injury as fwd now after arguing at start as defender.

He has since played as fwd only 1-2 qtrs by LittleJohn due to low inpact as defender.

I mentioned elsewhere that DGB doesn't seem to look at pad up his stats in BH games. Doesn't take kick ins inspite of being a good kick. He is mostly seen pointing to where to kick instead of asking for the ball. But always keen to try to take mark ( & get pushed out)or punch the ball out.

I am now over him, just like I was over Emerson Jeka. Life goes on.

I hope we re-rookie him after a delist for max benefit. If we find someone to punt on in draft late, then take that, if not DGB can have the last spot.
 
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DGB's misfortune was Blanck's injury early in season.

Once that happenned, DGB as defender project was revived( check comments) and any argument of DGB as fwd of which he showed glimpses of promise was ignored. Then he had his toe injury, back on. Scaife is our new Fwd, can't play DGB back from injury as fwd now after arguing at start as defender.

He has since played as fwd only 1-2 qtrs by LittleJohn due to low inpact as defender.

I mentioned elsewhere that DGB doesn't seem to look at pad up his stats in BH games. Doesn't take kick ins inspite of being a good kick. He is mostly seen pointing to where to kick instead of asking for the ball. But always keen to try to take mark ( & get pushed out)or punch the ball out.

I am now over him, just like I was over Emerson Jeka. Life goes on.

I hope we re-rookie him after a delist for max benefit. If we find someone to punt on in draft late, then take that, if not DGB can have the last spot.
One more year and let him take the kickouts? Might actually be worth it. Theirs been many a tall that took 6 years to come good... Only worth a list spot, and we have a few to go as well
 
Good Looking Hugh Laurie GIF
 
A year derailed by injury but unfortunately he really needed to be tearing it up in BH this second half of the year. Probably has not done enough and could be in trouble
 
I'm curious why the club picked him.
Did they know about his lack of endurance???
It's a real pity because we could of picked a young mid or KPF... Oh well. Easy in hindsight I guess.
 

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I'm curious why the club picked him.
Did they know about his lack of endurance???
It's a real pity because we could of picked a young mid or KPF... Oh well. Easy in hindsight I guess.

Have you seen what came after him in that draft? A lot of average footballers besides 1 or 2 that many others passed over. It's not like we just missed out on a Pendlebury or Selwood by a pick or 2 by picking the wrong player. The next 10 or so after DGB are just average footballers at this stage, no stars. Holmes at Pick 20 is the only one I'd say will be a star and nobody was going to draft him at Pick 6.

Picking DGB hasn't hurt us at all imo.
 
Have you seen what came after him in that draft? A lot of average footballers besides 1 or 2 that many others passed over. It's not like we just missed out on a Pendlebury or Selwood by a pick or 2 by picking the wrong player. The next 10 or so after DGB are just average footballers at this stage, no stars. Holmes at Pick 20 is the only one I'd say will be a star and nobody was going to draft him at Pick 6.

Picking DGB hasn't hurt us at all imo.

You're right - it was a very ordinary draft.

Essendon had picked 8, 9 and 10 - and they picked 3 talls - Cox, Perkins and Reid.
They were c*ck-a-hoop - thought they'd won the jackpot.
Counting their next generation of premierships :tearsofjoy:
Those 3 are about as useful as t*ts on a bull. :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 
Have you seen what came after him in that draft? A lot of average footballers besides 1 or 2 that many others passed over. It's not like we just missed out on a Pendlebury or Selwood by a pick or 2 by picking the wrong player. The next 10 or so after DGB are just average footballers at this stage, no stars. Holmes at Pick 20 is the only one I'd say will be a star and nobody was going to draft him at Pick 6.

Picking DGB hasn't hurt us at all imo.
I look it at it this way. If we'd selected Newcombe with pick 6 in the 2020 ND and Denver in the 2021 MSD then we'd all be pretty happy with how it's going.
 
I look it at it this way. If we'd selected Newcombe with pick 6 in the 2020 ND and Denver in the 2021 MSD then we'd all be pretty happy with how it's going.
That’s how I like to bargain with it as well, without Newc we’d be flat.

I also cope by looking at all the top teams, they’ve all had busts.

Sydney - Stephens, Ling (although their academy is a huge help)
Brisbane - Schache, Rayner, Aish, (see above)
Port - Butcher, Moore, Sinn
Geelong - Clark, Cockatoo, Stephens
Collingwood - Scharenberg, Freeman, Stephenson
Carlton - where do I begin?
Melbourne - see Carlton

We even picked Thorp, Dowler, Ellis (sorry X Man) and still did alright
 
I'm curious why the club picked him.
Did they know about his lack of endurance???
It's a real pity because we could of picked a young mid or KPF... Oh well. Easy in hindsight I guess.

TBH the 2020 AFL Draft was badly affected by COVID, and most teams came out pretty bad in terms of prospects, as they were under-developed and under-scouted.

Picks 1 & 2 were good, but many in the top 10-30 were big misses. We weren't the only ones missing with our Pick 6. The Cats and Sydney picked up the quality late picks in Max Holmes and Errol Gulden.

That being said, we have done well to fix up some of our missed picks with good trading and later picks drafting, showing that our development of juniors is really good. I'd rather have a good development system, than good draft picks.

EDIT: Hawkas1988 already made this point - I'm an idiot, my bad :drunk:
 
I look it at it this way. If we'd selected Newcombe with pick 6 in the 2020 ND and Denver in the 2021 MSD then we'd all be pretty happy with how it's going.
DGB would have already been delisted if he were a MSD pick.

You win some, you lose some. Denver is an excellent dude, and was talked up as a possible Number 1 pick in his year. He obviously can’t control his brain fades, not that he does not have the physical capacity for AFL. He would be shattered with how it has all gone.
 
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Have you seen what came after him in that draft? A lot of average footballers besides 1 or 2 that many others passed over. It's not like we just missed out on a Pendlebury or Selwood by a pick or 2 by picking the wrong player. The next 10 or so after DGB are just average footballers at this stage, no stars. Holmes at Pick 20 is the only one I'd say will be a star and nobody was going to draft him at Pick 6.

Picking DGB hasn't hurt us at all imo.
Exactly, Hawkers need to look at the next picks to realise we didn't fail much here. We delisted our next 2 picks Seamus & Downie 2 yrs back( & picked Seamus back). Trade Brocky pick 46.


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Exactly, Hawkers need to look at the next picks to realise we didn't fail much here. We delisted our next 2 picks Seamus & Downie 2 yrs back( & picked Seamus back). Trade Brocky pick 46.


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There are a lot of players with potential here still young in their careers and just starting to find some success at the AFL level, but the only players who I would say have established themselves thus far are Gulden, Max Holmes, Ugle-Hagan, Logan McDonald, Elijah Hollands, and Beau McCreery, way down at pick 44 (Braden Campbell would if he wasn't at Sydney).

And of those established players, only Gulden and Holmes have elevated themselves so far to elite status in their positions and the game (Ugle-Hagan would if he knew how to kick accurately).
At the time, I thought we should have taken Hollands over Denver (still do), as it was evident our midfield was too one-dimensional and needed some proper class. He'll be a star at Carlton. But he's already at a second club, and there's no guarantee he would have been any better with us than he was on the Gold Coast. So could we have realistically done any better than DGB even in hindsight? I don't think so.
 

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