Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Josh Ward. Extends to 2025!

[The Golden Glenferrie]

Who's peddling this crap

 

[MrPremiership]

Got to remember he has only played 34 games. He is improving and a professional.

Love the way he goes about it

 

[The hands of stone]

The earlier posts in this thread from a Crow poster saying Ward is a worry, while talking up Pedlar.


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Only thing he loses out on is who has the better 70's style mo' .
I'm not sure if thats an attribute recruiters look for though .

 

[Slainte]

Quiet achiever

 

[Brant]

Only thing he loses out on is who has the better 70's style mo'. I'm not sure if thats an attribute recruiters Police Sketch Artists look for though .

They definitely do.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Peddler? Or pedlar?

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Don’t think you can use age as an excuse, given Hustwaite comes in a dj looks a million times better.

Questions need to be asked.

Don't think HH looked particularly amazing. Lots of handballs no where. Was also given double the centre bounce attendances than Ward. Not that I'm defending Ward but it really affects everyone's game when your main mids are no where near it such as Jai, Nash and Worpel

 

[Brishawk]

The way we play makes it very hard for our outside players. I think we should be running him through the centre more. For a wing, he is not particularly quick. But he would be quicker than all our other inside mids. Is actually a good stoppage player when given the chance.

 

[2OLD 2SLOW]

The way we play makes it very hard for our outside players. I think we should be running him through the centre more. For a wing, he is not particularly quick. But he would be quicker than all our other inside mids. Is actually a good stoppage player when given the chance.

Completely agree.

Ward is very clearly a true onballer by nature. The main reason he was a top 10 draft pick was his ability around the stoppages. Not his ability as a wingman. Not as a flanker.

I can understand the club's handling of him (playing him on the outside) in his first couple of years, as there are senior players to go past and bulk / strength to be increased. But Nash really should be given an extended period at Box Hill based on his form this year, and Ward should be the #1 beneficiary in my opinion ... before Mackenzie and Hustwaite (both of whom I have high hopes for).

If not, what the hell did we recruit the guy for? And at the expense of pick 7?

 

[ahhhhhh]

All these people who say he is being played out of position are sugarcoating over the fact a pick 7 should be able to play any position. He should be fine to run around on the wing. If he was truly deserving he would be play in the centre.

 

[burger09]

He's got a ways to go.

I hope he wil be a handy player once the team is up and about but he is no game changer.
Same for McKenzie.
Handy players but we really need game changers ie Rozee+Butters, Rowell+Anderson.

If Newk and Day can get to that level the other two should be handy side kicks. This is the dream but we won't know for 2-3 years.

 

[humid hawk]

He had a great game last week out of the middle and that's where he needs to play.

 

[MrPremiership]

He had a great game last week out of the middle and that's where he needs to play.

Get him in there. The current midfield mix isn't working.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Have definitely noticed a burst of speed this year that wasn't there previously.

 

[theiaofseed]

All these people who say he is being played out of position are sugarcoating over the fact a pick 7 should be able to play any position. He should be fine to run around on the wing. If he was truly deserving he would be play in the centre.

Yep that's why Sam Mitchell made a name on the wing ... oh wait.

 

[kazzooka]

All these people who say he is being played out of position are sugarcoating over the fact a pick 7 should be able to play any position. He should be fine to run around on the wing. If he was truly deserving he would be play in the centre.

Mate, imagine Luke Hodge lining up on the Wing...at any stage in his career. It's a specific skillset that is really difficult to do and requires those guys who are not just good endurance runners but are quick over the repeat 200m sprints up and back.

 

[Brishawk]

Mate, imagine Luke Hodge lining up on the Wing...at any stage in his career. It's a specific skillset that is really difficult to do and requires those guys who are not just good endurance runners but are quick over the repeat 200m sprints up and back.

We used to play jordan lewis and liam shiels on the wing all the time. Neither are fast. Its great to have speed but what you really need is endurance. Both at the same time is game breaking though. See smith and hill.

 

[HedgeFund]

We used to play jordan lewis and liam shiels on the wing all the time. Neither are fast. Its great to have speed but what you really need is endurance. Both at the same time is game breaking though. See smith and hill.

One of the key features of our 2012 - 2015 sides was the flexibility of players playing several different positions throughout a game.

It was our greatest strength. Up to 8 or 9 players who knew the roles well, as they had all played them all at various stages throughout the year.

Particularly on ball / mids who would play inside, then outside, then rotate to a HBF or HFF. All within a half, even a quarter of footy.

I clearly recall Hodge lining up on a wing for a few minutes in these rotations, as did Sewell, Shiels, Rioli, Lewis, Burgoyne, Mitchell & Hill.

Many were far more inside than out, but they all knew what the rest were doing as they all had to play a few minutes there when the rotations were in full swing.

Reckon Smith was about the only one who played solely as a wingman.

 

[mustang]

We used to play jordan lewis and liam shiels on the wing all the time. Neither are fast. Its great to have speed but what you really need is endurance. Both at the same time is game breaking though. See smith and hill.

Hopefully we can target a couple of wingers in the draft

 

[TazHawk15]

Hopefully we can target a couple of wingers in the draft

We already have 3 blokes that would be great wingers.

CJ, Amon and Weddle.

 

[Reggie Mombasa]

Get him in there. The current midfield mix isn't working.

Last week aside, he is doing well on the wing. It can just be a bit of a graveyard out there when the team is under pressure and bombing it down the middle, rather than switching and using the wings. There is a lot of defensive discipline and running required to avoid being exposed on transition and Ward is providing that.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Still only 20 years old.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Still only 20 years old.

And in his third season. What is your point

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

And in his third season. What is your point

Pretty simple, I'd have thought.

He's still only 20 years old.

 

[MrBeefSeven]

I think he could be a good inside player. But at the moment I think he plays too much like an outside player. I don't know if that is just him or if it's because he is usually positioned on the wing. But I feel like he is hanging outside stoppages even in the moments he is supposed to be playing on ball, or in moments where he could get into the contest more.
Watch the first centre bounce Sat night. Almost as soon as the ball was bounced Ward leaves Anderson at the back of the stoppage and was caught ball watching. Ball spills out to the man he left, bam instant clearance.
To be fair this has been a problem at multiple centre bounces this year not just with him, and it's super frustrating because to me it seems obvious to fix. Our mids aren't defensively minded and it's why we give up clearances that go to 15m outside the goal line.
I am big on Wardy, I reckon he's quality and will be a 250+ gamer/top line mid. That being said, I'm not sure I agree with those that say he's a better on baller right now. Still needs to develop that aspect and until he does I'm comfortable with him playing more outside.