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

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Well deserved!

It is such a joy to watch him play football, we're lucky to have him.

His goal for 2025 should be to consistently perform as he did in the tail end of this year. Once he gets to that level he'll be a brownlow smokey.

The umps love him as well, he would give the Brownlow a fair shake if he managed that.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Newk is the poster boy for not putting too much emphasis on draft orders. It's not where you get picked up, it's what you become AFTER in the following ten or so years in the system! Meaning? Wouldn't even entertain trading him out for pick 1!

 

[grumbleguts]

How good do you have to be to win the Peter Crimmins medal and the Trevor Barker medal at the same time.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Newk is the poster boy for not putting too much emphasis on draft orders. It's not where you get picked up, it's what you become AFTER in the following ten or so years in the system! Meaning? Wouldn't even entertain trading him out for pick 1!

It's an interesting point, just what would you trade Newk for (just a hypothetical no way am I advocating it!)

He's only 23, he's won /finished top 2 in the PCM for the last three years straight, polled top ten in the Brownlow the last two years, mad AA squad and hasn't missed a single game for three years straight (not surprising given he is hewn from granite).

As you say Master Samurai I wouldn't trade him for any draft pick and I can't even think of another player that I would consider swapping him for. Maybe prime Petracca / Dusty but no one currently (perhaps Daicos would be close).

 

[Dipper]

It's an interesting point, just what would you trade Newk for (just a hypothetical no way am I advocating it!)

Great comment Simon, you just wouldn't.

There might be blokes with greater physical gifts like Harley Reid...simply he's got a turn of pace that Jai doesn't posses...but Newcombe is as hard at it as anyone, got fine skills and you feel looking from the outside that he's as mentally tough, with a no-surrender attitude, as anybody else out there, and you can't put a price on that.

In his speech where he said I'm not as extrovert as... essentially the mosquito fleet...those introvert hard at it fellows, they're the ones that you follow, they lead and you follow because they make you feel impregnable. I don't care what anybody says, he's our best player, or most important...if there's a difference.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Great comment Simon, you just wouldn't.

There might be blokes with greater physical gifts like Harley Reid...simply he's got a turn of pace that Jai doesn't posses...but Newcombe is as hard at it as anyone, got fine skills and you feel looking from the outside that he's as mentally tough, with a no-surrender attitude, as anybody else out there, and you can't put a price on that.

In his speech where he said I'm not as extrovert as... essentially the mosquito fleet...those introvert hard at it fellows, they're the ones that you follow, they lead and you follow because they make you feel impregnable. I don't care what anybody says, he's our best player, or most important...if there's a difference.

One athletic ability that Newk has that I’m always struck my is just how light on his feet he is for a guy who has the build of a Rugby Union Front Rower.

For me that’s what elevates him to the elite level, he’s a massively powerful unit but he also has the balance to dance through packs and he’s quicker than he looks as well (without being Harley Reid quick).

Actually on second thought if the Doggies offered me Bont I’d at least consider it before telling them sorry Newks not for sale!

 

[tommyk72]

He's in the multiple top 10 pick category now. Unbelievable talent identification. Couple that with Massimo, and then some of our drafting like Weddle/Wiz and we have had some great wins in recent time.

Congrats, Jai.

 

[Dipper]

One athletic ability that Newk has that I’m always struck my is just how light on his feet he is for a guy who has the build of a Rugby Union Front Rower.

For me that’s what elevates him to the elite level, he’s a massively powerful unit but he also has the balance to dance through packs and he’s quicker than he looks as well (without being Harley Reid quick).

Actually on second thought if the Doggies offered me Bont I’d at least consider it before telling them sorry Newks not for sale!

We're getting back to that front-loader, ballet dancer thing aren't we.

 

[TylerDurden]

Robbo has him at 11.

 

[KermitJagger]

Great comment Simon, you just wouldn't.

There might be blokes with greater physical gifts like Harley Reid...simply he's got a turn of pace that Jai doesn't posses...but Newcombe is as hard at it as anyone, got fine skills and you feel looking from the outside that he's as mentally tough, with a no-surrender attitude, as anybody else out there, and you can't put a price on that.

In his speech where he said I'm not as extrovert as... essentially the mosquito fleet...those introvert hard at it fellows, they're the ones that you follow, they lead and you follow because they make you feel impregnable. I don't care what anybody says, he's our best player, or most important...if there's a difference.

I agree. You wouldn't trade him, especially not 1:1. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush - we know Newcombe is a gun, we know that he's going to put everything in to improving himself and we know he fits in with the playing group. Any other gun player around the comp and you can be confident about 1 or maybe 2 of those things, but never all 3.

 

[TylerDurden]