Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn : Jai “Duke” Newcombe - 2022 AFLCA Best Young Player, extends to 2026!

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[TylerDurden]

Amazing result. What a star.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Really what an amazing start to his AFL career. Top 20 Brownlow vote getter in his second full year, AA squad, the list goes on.

Absolutely bonkers that we got a player of this calibre in the bloody MSD!

 

[Roddy]

Tonight he proved he catches the umpies' eyes, will win one one day.

Worps’s name seemed to bob up pretty regularly too. He must have polled in seven or eight games too…

 

[burger09]

Scary to think where we'd be without this guy. Heart and Soul. Culture driving player.
He has the respect of the footy world including oppo fans. Speaks volumes.

For the next 10 years when anyone thinks of the Hawthorn Football Club they will think of him.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

The Duke earning 18 votes playing in a side that won 7 games and finished 16th is a huge effort.

Never mind the fact he's two and a half years into his career.

31 - Neale
29 - The Bont
28 - Naicos
27 - Butters
27 - Gulden
26 - Petracca
24 - Serong
24 - Viney (lol)
22 - Anderson
22 - Cripps
21 - Rozee
21 - Sinclair
20 - Greene
20 - Dawson
20 - Laird
19 - Taranto
18 - Crouch
18 - The Duke

 

[cryptor]

Really looking forward to seeing him go up another level next year. Just keeps impressing.

 

[MightyHawks]

 

[grumbleguts]

Thus ends one of the worst innings we've ever seen for Australia.

 

[KermitJagger]

The Duke earning 18 votes playing in a side that won 7 games and finished 16th is a huge effort.

Never mind the fact he's two and a half years into his career.

Viney getting 24 votes is truly ridiculous. One of the worst ball users in the AFL.

I'm glad Taranto didn't poll higher because he went at below 43% (!!!) by foot all year. Only regular midfielder with worse disposal than Viney. Disgusting.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Viney getting 24 votes is truly ridiculous. One of the worst ball users in the AFL.

I'm glad Taranto didn't poll higher because he went at below 43% (!!!) by foot all year. Only regular midfielder with worse disposal than Viney. Disgusting.

Taranto is a prolific butcher, but he at least kicked 19.14 for the season and had 6.7 tackles with 6.2 clearances. Viney was well off Taranto in all areas, it's absolutely baffling he received so many votes.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Duke and Gulden didn't really command much attention I'm the media and both polled well. Going to be commanding the top 2 spots pretty regularly when the media catch on (late in the season they did start talking about old errol)

 

[KermitJagger]

Taranto is a prolific butcher, but he at least kicked 19.14 for the season and had 6.7 tackles with 6.2 clearances. Viney was well off Taranto in all areas, it's absolutely baffling he received so many votes.

Taranto is a mystery in that he kicks goals but is below average at generating score in any other way. Can't remember another player like him.

 

[KermitJagger]

We should really talk about the 22 year old bracket that Duke is competing with, as it's far and away the strongest age bracket in the AFL at the moment. At the top end there's:

Noah Anderson

15

Noah Anderson

Age

23

Ht

192cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.0

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

Tom Green

12

Tom Green

Age

23

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

3star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

5star

Caleb Serong

3

Caleb Serong

Age

23

Ht

180cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.6

5star

CL

2.6

4star

D

13.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

6.0

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.6

4star

CL

2.6

4star

D

13.0

4star

K

7.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.6

5star

CL

2.6

5star

Jai Newcombe
Matt Rowell

18

Matt Rowell

Age

23

Ht

180cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

0.8

1star

T

5.2

5star

CL

3.8

5star

D

17.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

0.8

1star

T

5.2

5star

CL

3.8

5star

D

17.4

5star

K

7.6

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

0.8

1star

T

5.2

5star

CL

3.8

5star

Chad Warner

1

Chad Warner

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

4star

CL

0.0

1star

Will Day

All of the above blokes rate in the top 25 regular midfielders this season. For us to have 2 of them, and for one of them to have been a MSD pick, is genuinely exciting. That's 2 of the future jets who will hopefully be dominating the league for years to come.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Number of full seasons (rookie seasons with minimal games not accounted for) taken to reach a Brownlow tally as high as 18.

Gablett Jnr - 5th season
Diverfield - 4th season
Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

31

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

- 3rd season
Pendles - 4th season
Sam Mitchell - 5th season
Simon Black - 4th season
Dusty Martin - 6th season
Ollie Wines - 5th season
Nat Fyfe - 4th season
Tom Mitchell - 3rd season
Chris Judd - 3rd season

Nuke is certainly ahead of a fine calibre of players doing it in his second full season.

 

[cryptor]

Number of full seasons (rookie seasons with minimal games not accounted for) taken to reach a Brownlow tally as high as 18.

Gablett Jnr - 5th season
Diverfield - 4th season
Lachie Neale - 3rd season
Pendles - 4th season
Sam Mitchell - 5th season
Simon Black - 4th season
Dusty Martin - 6th season
Ollie Wines - 5th season
Nat Fyfe - 4th season
Tom Mitchell - 3rd season
Chris Judd - 3rd season

Nuke is certainly ahead of a fine calibre of players doing it in his second full season.

It’s a great achievement, however not every young midfielder gets the opportunity to take up a pivotal role in their teams inside mid rotations that early on in their career.

That said, very few could handle it even if they had the opportunity to. Nuke is a rare beast.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Now listed at 187cm and 92kg

For reference, Christian Petracca

5

Christian Petracca

Age

28

Ht

187cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.4

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

3.0

5star

CL

2.5

4star

D

24.4

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.5

3star

T

3.6

4star

CL

3.4

4star

D

19.0

5star

K

7.8

3star

HB

11.2

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.0

4star

is 186 and 94

I copped so much grief for saying Newcombe had the physical gifts to be a Petracca type. That was before a ball was bounced in 2022.

Feeling very much vindicated.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Now listed at 187cm and 92kg

For reference, Christian Petracca is 186 and 94

I copped so much grief for saying Newcombe had the physical gifts to be a Petracca type. That was before a ball was bounced in 2022.

Feeling very much vindicated.

He doesn't have the explosive speed that Petracca has, but he's as strong through the hips.

 

[TylerDurden]

Petracca has also kicked 170 goals.

Jai will forge his own path. Couldn't be happier with him.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Petracca has also kicked 170 goals.

Jai will forge his own path. Couldn't be happier with him.

That's the next step for jai and will! Too good to be NOT kicking between 15-20 goals a season playing through the midfield. Even Hodge, Lewis and Burgoyne used to get to these numbers and they didn't play as much in the midfield. Tracking along quite nicely though. Our midfield stocks is where I'm most excited about going frwd.

 

[theiaofseed]

He doesn't have the explosive speed that Petracca has, but he's as strong through the hips.

Newcombe is much harder to tackle and a better kick

 

[H00t]

Newcombe is much harder to tackle and a better kick

Newcombe is more evasive than Petracca for sure but doesn’t have the acceleration of Petracca.

Newcombe is a better kick. Not as creative though. Petracca can be a bit hit or miss but he generates score involvements like no other. Been top 3 for average score involvements since 2020 and top 2 total from 2021.

Probably the next improvement for Newcombe is not playing it so safe with ball in hand and taking risks to generate scores. He’s good enough to do it.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Newcombe is much harder to tackle and a better kick

Hard to say with the first part, both are absolute bulls.

I agree regarding the second. The Duke has some of the best penetration in the league on his kicks.

 

[KermitJagger]

Just an off-season stat for you all!

Of players >50 games Jai Newcombe is in great company for average Brownlow votes @ 55th, snugly between Lance Franklin and Scott West

Scott West

Age

49

Ht

178cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.4

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

12.6

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

1.0

3star

:

Rank	Player	Teams	Votes	Adj. Votes*	3	2	1	EG*	Ave.*	Wins
1​	Haydn Bunton	FI	122​	122​	11​	5​	6​	117​	1.04​	3​
2​	Graham Moss	ES	103​	79​	27​	6​	10​	83​	0.95​	1​
3​	Nat Fyfe	FR	187​	187​	41​	23​	18​	207​	0.9​	2​
53​	Leigh Matthews	HW	202​	173.5​	36​	24​	11​	303​	0.57​
54​	Lance Franklin	HW SY	186​	186​	35​	28​	25​	326​	0.57​
55​	Jai Newcombe	HW	29​	29​	3​	9​	2​	51​	0.57​
56​	Scott West	WB	175​	175​	31​	29​	24​	312​	0.56​
57​	Keith Greig	NM	165​	151​	28​	14​	15​	271​	0.56​	2​
58​	Michael Voss	BB BL	150​	150​	26​	26​	20​	270​	0.56​	1​

 

[toomanysquibs]

Taranto is a mystery in that he kicks goals but is below average at generating score in any other way. Can't remember another player like him.

My hair has a hole in it from all the scratching since I started reading this last page.

Freakin' Tarranto looks a marginal player and while he was better for the Tigers last season, he's looked not that great for a fair while.

No way the 2023 version belongs in the company he's in on that vote list.

Jai is moving up with a bullet. If he can even extract an extra tenth or two out of his first 10M around stoppages he's going to climb to the top of the midfield heap. He's going to get there anyway, but that would fast track it.

Just constant improvement everywhere, all the time from him. Sam Mitchell like drive (only bigger), with more natural gifts. He's this current list's first real boom pick from left field. Has a couple of mates and a Wizard on board now.

Sam is building us a list with a massive chip on its shoulder. So many 'you'll never make it' types who are absolutely the business. From the late pick Captain Sicily, 'joke' pickup in Lewis, borderline international rookie in Nash, silver spoon, nepo baby in Reeves, de-listed first round pick Seamus, to Nukem and now a 'too small for AFL' forward etc. Brilliant drafting from both a talent and psychological perspective.

Hollywood has been churning out movies based on the premise of our team forever. Lets hope we get the ending we're working towards. Going to be sweet when we start winning finals.

 

[cryptor]

Apparently the club doctor had to inject him with a mild dose of tranquilizer typically used on bears so that his teammates were safe during the combat training.