Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn : Nick 'the Wizard' Watson! Rising star Nom!

[The Jet From Poowong]

 

[Dont_be_a_Plonka]

Like Junior Boy, Watson is going to present match up headaches given his attributes and skills.

Forget about height, it's irrelevant. I remember Brown Dog playing KPD at 177cm.

He was our enforcer too.

 

[FB19]

 

[chopflop]

Jeez I am excited for footy again.

Already my favourite player!

 

[eldorado]

I wonder if any doubt recruiters had about him (or at least, that the pundits had) as a top 5 pick was NOT actually about what he would provide for the team, but how he would be perceived by the fans if taken as a high draftee.

It seems the teams' recruiters were not as reticent as the pundits may have thought.

 

[HedgeFund]

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

is 177cm and has won two Brownlows after being picked at #58.

Watson is 96% as tall as him.

Neale rarely takes a mark unless he is out in open space. His height is largely irrelevant because he has sticky hands, great vision and excellent decision making at ground level.

If Watson ends up being 96% as good as 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

, we would all be delighted.

 

[Colloquy]

It's not just about what Watson does though, the opposition can't play just some lumbering defender or even a mid size defender on him, he'd turn them inside out, be too nimble and quick for them, so, they need a lock down defender on him which allows Ginnivan and bruest to do their thing been creative and a goal scoring threat not having doing a lock down job on them. Having genuine three smaller frwds with goal sense will definitely trouble the opposition set ups. It's the most settled and dangerous looking frwd line we've had for about 7 years!

We need a 3rd young forward going forward with Watson and Ginnivan.

 

[Mitch75]

We need a 3rd young forward going forward with Watson and Ginnivan.

That could be Butler. He doesn’t need to kick 2 goals a game. One and lots of pressure in the forward 50 will do

 

[FB19]

That could be Butler. He doesn’t need to kick 2 goals a game. One and lots of pressure in the forward 50 will do

Agree although I think he is more than that. He was drafted as a mid/forward and I have been wondering if he could be moved up to the wing. He has great 2 way running and the knock on him was his disposal by foot but a lot of that was done under pressure. On a wing he can run both ways and use it in more space I hope to see him tried there more often this year at least at box hill.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

That could be Butler. He doesn’t need to kick 2 goals a game. One and lots of pressure in the forward 50 will do

Hopefully he really takes a step forward this year with his development, there's a role for him IMO. It's pretty much a make or break year for him now.

 

[naysayer]

Hopefully he really takes a step forward this year with his development, there's a role for him IMO. It's pretty much a make or break year for him now.

I'm not sure that Butler is going to be a forward. Like Croc I suspect he's actually more of a midfielder. He has the tools though, so let's see what happens after (touch wood) an uninterrupted pre-season.

 

[play2win]

Ok peoples, I have the official draft rankings based on talent;
1. Nick Watson
2. Colby Mckercher
3. Harley Reid
And this is based on all available data. HFC win trade period 2023.

 

[Alite]

Here is a question worth asking… Does anyone have knowledge of Watson EVER being beaten in a game of AFL football?

Apparently Bodie Ryan blanketed Harley Reid for 3 qtrs after being given the job in the 2nd qtr. So it seems that Reid can be quelled. Finn Manginess may be in Harley‘s future nightmares, just like he is in those of Nacios And many others.

Compare that to Watson who was rampaging through the champs kicking goals for fun and, as far as I can tell, no-one could stop him. His speed, agility, low centre, strong legs, drive through contests, high footy IQ, smart taps, high level skills and solid marking hands have him as a player that a single player cannot defend.

Another poster in Hawks BigFooty (sorry I forget who you are) said that his head says Curtin but his heart says Watson (an excellent post).
I believe that Watson will align our heads and hearts within a few weeks of 2024.

 

[toomanysquibs]

People aren’t being negative about his height they’re being realistic about it based on where he got drafted. It’s not that hard to grasp. Nobody here is posting ‘why did he draft this midget, MM has rocks in his head’.

I mean, he got drafted at pick 5 Ned.

We're hardly establishing any kind of strong narrative around this point after he allegedly slid from 1... all the way to 5.

He didn't exactly go off a cliff, did he?

 

[toomanysquibs]

What am I missing, pray tell.

Is it actually saying that he's very, very good, or that he's too small?

 

[triangulation_squared]

For a forward Wiz's size, kicking range is prob more salient than height from a scoreboard impact measure projection.

From a moneyball perspective the most prolific goal scorer of the past 2 decades had the ability to load up from up to 60m out as a constant threat. He could also slot them consistently from obscure angles within the forward 50.

With Wiz, we're expecting higher than average conversion anywhere within the first 40m arc. If he can kick goals from within the 40-60m zone statistically he is going to be a top percentile goal kicking asset.

The highlights package where Wizard loads up with a torpedo from 55 out and drills it over everyone's head is probably salient in this respect. My core question is whether he can develop the core and leg strength, and technique to convert at the highest percentiles from the 40-50m arc and beyond over his career as these opportunities present at the highest percentiles conversion rate.

More likely when Watson will mark in the 50-70 range he will find ways to spot up team mates for a higher percentage shot at goal or evade opponents by playing on and running to the 40-50 zone to kick goals.

My hypothesis is that his ability to convert at high levels in the 40-50 range will likely be the marginal attribute that makes him an all time Breust level scorer over his career, or not.

On tbe other side of the coin, I'm another universe we come up against a Melbourne side with Kossie and Wiz in their forward 50 this year. Mitchell and Hardwick would have their work cut out.

Hopeful that we can get Cyril back down to the club to mentor Wiz and Ginni at some point.

 

[The Chad and I]

Once you pay the price, you don't ever look back.
We've got Watson and I can't be anymore excited having him than if we got my preferred players (Reid or Duursma).

Like Sleepy Mark said, he's an elite small forward and that's where we will play him.
As a small forward he is not lacking in ANYTHING to excel in that role.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I mean, he got drafted at pick 5 Ned.

We're hardly establishing any kind of strong narrative around this point after he allegedly slid from 1... all the way to 5.

He didn't exactly go off a cliff, did he?

Again you’re getting ultra defensive over people who aren’t in any way attacking, doubting or questioning Watson and our decision to draft him. People need to chill.

 

[peetoo]

In his highlights package, he seems a very constructive distributor, Caleb Daniel

35

Caleb Daniel

Age

28

Ht

171cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

19.5

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.4

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

CL

1.0

3star

D

16.4

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

9.2

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

like.

Caleb not known as a goal kicker. So we have Caleb Daniel

35

Caleb Daniel

Age

28

Ht

171cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

19.5

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.4

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

CL

1.0

3star

D

16.4

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

9.2

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

and shai Bolton

29

Shai Bolton

Age

25

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

in the one player

 

[The Chad and I]

This is my favourite Nick Watson video.
It breaks down his highlights into: Skills, Movement, Pressure, Marking, Scoreboard Impact.
This guy is Cyril II, just 3 inches shorter.

 

[Barry Damage]

So it seems there are two arguments on here.

One camp firmly supporting “it’s not the size of the Wiz but the magic in him”

And the other

“A big Wiz is much better than a small one”

 

[The Chad and I]

So it seems there are two arguments on here.

One camp firmly supporting “it’s not the size of the Wiz but the magic in him”

And the other

“A big Wiz is much better than a small one”

More like one group saying "Wiz will be a good player, but limited by his height"
The other group saying "nooo, boooh, you can't mention his height, you're ruining the vibes!"

 

[HawthornHawk]

This is my favourite Nick Watson video.
It breaks down his highlights into: Skills, Movement, Pressure, Marking, Scoreboard Impact.
This guy is Cyril II, just 3 inches shorter.

Some of his centre bounce work is fantastic here. Shows up a couple of highly fancied full time mids.

I can't see him only playing as a small forward for us, he has too much more to offer

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Is it actually saying that he's very, very good, or that he's too small?

That he's very, very good and could have been better if not for his size - which is a limiting factor.

Not one person (that I've read) discussing his height has suggested that he won't become a quality player, or that he will be a bust.

Again, the height discussion has been had in the context of him being a top 5 pick.

Caleb Daniel was essentially the best performed player as a junior in his draft pool, but due to his height he slid to the 3rd round.

Watson is now the first player of his size to be selected so high, he's re-written history. The fact that this is even the case shows two things; he's considered to be incredibly talented AND that his size is a factor taken into consideration by recruiters.

For me personally the height (and thus size) issue is a discussion point as it is a limiting factor when looking at other potential roles for him at AFL level. His size will cap his potential versatility IMO.

However it's not a big deal given he looks destined to become an elite small forward, but that raises another point of consideration; that being using a top 5 pick on a small forward. Watson has broken the mould here, which is a testament to his outrageous talents.

Don't take those last two paragraphs as me being negative. Of the players left available at our pick I wanted us to take Watson. The point of those paragraphs is to simply highlight the discussion points.

 

[MrPremiership]

How tall do posters want a small forward to be?