Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn : Jai “Duke” Newcombe - 2024 Peter Crimmins medalist

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Rocket72]

Look away. In fact take a great big look into our premiership trophy case.

 

[Davo-27]

No games last year. If he wasn’t already at the top of the list he had no chance to rise up the ranks.

He is from the 2019 draft pool, maybe just a late developer, btw he is 20.

 

[Brishawk]

He is from the 2019 draft pool, maybe just a late developer, btw he is 20.

I swear he has been reported as 19 about 1000 times

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

I swear he has been reported as 19 about 1000 times

i think he's a Jan-April boy so that may be why

 

[eldorado]

i think he's a Jan-April boy so that may be why

8th Feb 2001, apparently, so well and truly 20

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

I thought they did trimmed Worpel down too - as they've done w/ almost every player that's come to the hawks (Hartigan the exception), but Worps looks like he's got bigger shoulders now than when he debuted in AFLX.

Duke's BHH interview says he missed out a bit on the junior development programs and he is a bit heavyset, so I do wonder about his ability to run out an AFL game atm and if the hawks will trim him down a bit - I defs wanna see him at AFL level asap, but i suspect he's only trained w/ Box Hill, so will have to prove himself at training before getting a game in the seniors so I doubt we'll see him against the Swans... my bet is he'll be the sub before he gets a proper gig too.

Clarko said our boys in this draft are plug and play. By the sounds of it you have not seen a boxhill game in 2021. Jai plays against swans, let get on there nerves before the ball is even bounced.

 

[CliffMcTainshaw]

What are people seeing that excites them? He looks average paced at best and skills seem average (gets under them too much). Ie same issues as our current AFL midfield but at vfl level. He’s a big unit for his age and a hard unit but his attributes seem that of a vfl player. Can he play anywhere else other than inside mid? He’ll need to. Maybe the club sees a lot of athletic upside in him if strip off a few kgs. Dunno.

End of day he’s a rookie pick so if you get 50 afl games out of them you’ve done well. But would have liked someone with either pace or skill that’s better matches AFL footy.

You obviously haven't been watching the Box Hill games.

 

[CliffMcTainshaw]

i think he's a Jan-April boy so that may be why

DOB: 2 August, 2001 according to the Box Hill Hawks player profiles. So still 19.

 

[eldorado]

8th Feb 2001, apparently, so well and truly 20

DOB: 2 August, 2001 according to the Box Hill Hawks player profiles. So still 19.

I've seen both listed now; it is apparent that a couple of sites have switched the 2 and the 8 for date and month, like here

draftcentral.com.au

This domain may be for sale!

afl.draftcentral.com.au

We should go with Box Hill, I guess...

 

[The Chad and I]

Which one is it?
I must know!

 

[PhatHQ]

Astute pick up by the club.
Sam’s team is coming together nicely and a 19 yr old midfield bull who attacks the goals is just what the doctor ordered.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Astute pick up by the club.
Sam’s team is coming together nicely and a 19 yr old midfield bull who attacks the goals is just what the doctor ordered.

I've been hoping we ended up with a player built like Jai since Powell Pepper stepped in at Port Adelaide in 2017.

Bull is about it. Imagine this guy with a full preseason or two of AFL standard strength and conditioning training.

We should see improvements in every direction, including run, movement, and innate strength in the contest.

Exciting times on that front. You can build a team around a big bruiser who can win the ball, tackle, and hold his own on the spread. Not to mention send some bodies flying at stoppages..

 

[mustang]

I've been hoping we ended up with a player built like Jai since Powell Pepper stepped in at Port Adelaide in 2017.

Bull is about it. Imagine this guy with a full preseason or two of AFL standard strength and conditioning training.

We should see improvements in every direction, including run, movement, and innate strength in the contest.

Exciting times on that front. You can build a team around a big bruiser who can win the ball, tackle, and hold his own on the spread. Not to mention send some bodies flying at stoppages..

And adds to our hard nut group of 0 without Sicily

 

[threesixpio]

Looks like he might hurt a few people when he plays.

 

[Gene Simmons]

I've seen both listed now; it is apparent that a couple of sites have switched the 2 and the 8 for date and month, like here

draftcentral.com.au

This domain may be for sale!

afl.draftcentral.com.au

We should go with Box Hill, I guess...

I think it’s clear what’s happened here..

Jai is a cyborg that Clarko has been building in his lab... No one knows his true age! All I know is that he is going to be formidable, polished and be able to stay tougher, stronger for longer!

 

[Davo-27]

I saw a play where Jai ran into the center square bounce area, collected the ball and ran straight into 3 opponents and tried to run over the top of them like a rugby league player, he is made of the right stuff.

 

[Brant]

I see a young man, 19 or 20 - media outlets can't decide...

He has great talent. But will spend lots of time at Box Hill as a tagger, working on the defensive side of his game....

 

[Multicoloured Hippo]

Great get. Move over JOM

 

[blackheart]

Astute pick up by the club.
Sam’s team is coming together nicely and a 19 yr old midfield bull who attacks the goals is just what the doctor ordered.

Right? When was the last time a mid streamed and kicked a goal from around 50?

 

[KermitJagger]

Right? When was the last time a mid streamed and kicked a goal from around 50?

Smith last year probably

 

[KermitJagger]

I see a young man, 19 or 20 - media outlets can't decide...

He has great talent. But will spend lots of time at Box Hill as a tagger, working on the defensive side of his game....

Actually, recruiters and coaches have already commented that he has the balance of defense and offense much better than other players his age... unless you're talking about Finn.

 

[CHUBBSS]

He has great talent. But will spend lots of time at Box Hill as a tagger, working on the defensive side of his game....

The interesting part here if we read between the lines, barely any of our mids have a defensive side, so this kid comes in and is just a natural, I’d say the coaches would be wrapped

 

[MrPremiership]

Guessing he won't make the game in Sydney because he needs to do isolation/quarantine and won't finish in time.....right?

 

[Brishawk]

Guessing he won't make the game in Sydney because he needs to do isolation/quarantine and won't finish in time.....right?

Only if we didn’t already plan for this

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I saw a play where Jai ran into the center square bounce area, collected the ball and ran straight into 3 opponents and tried to run over the top of them like a rugby league player, he is made of the right stuff.

People criticize JOM when he tries to run through tackles though.