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

[HawthornHawk]

We didn't reach at all.

The Bulldogs traded 3 first rounders in the hope they could get the Wiz. Melbourne were prepared to bite our hand off for him as well.

He was clearly the best available talent at pick 5.

Really? I read they made that trade for Sanders

 

[Sixpence]

Really? I read they made that trade for Sanders

There was definitely talk of them wanting Watson at the time.

 

[The Gulden Child]

I want to agree with you, but Watson is probably capable of anything based on his highlight reels.

He may well have been able to get it to Gunners, I mean he almost kicked an insane goal running flat out while falling over the boundary.

Gary Ablett Junior vibe.

 

[threesixpio]

No doubt he's impressive especially his energy. But geez surely their is a slight concern on his kicking. Not goalkicping where you have time to think and can psych yourself out, I'm talking in play, natural instincts, touch etc. your Betts Rioli Milne etc kind of touch.

#delist

 

[threesixpio]

He's a super busy player. Aboslute nugget that cracks in super hard and is always in the right spot for a crumb.

He's butchering the simple things but really performing well at the hard things.

His manly collisions into defenders …


I like it. Wants to hurt

 

[threesixpio]

He needs to kick goals soon, otherwise players are going to lose confidence in him. I believe he is at 2.14 if you include practice matches against the dogs. As a goal kicking specialist it should be 14.2

Come on …guy has played a couple of games and I tell you what - I bet you big bucks Sam loves his pressure that leads to others kicking goals. He is already playing his role

 

[SSSSSS]

Really? I read they made that trade for Sanders

Sanders was the consolation. A very good one.

Watson was the prize.

They've been selected now so it's all done and dusted. We will need to see how they fare over their careers to see if it was justified.

But the Wiz was always going to get picked ahead of Sanders.

 

[I got the outside word]

I'm sure the dislocated shoulder didn't help!

Doesn’t change the fact that the handball was bad. I can understand that injury may have contributed but that doesn’t mean that it done the Wiz any favours. I mean, Sicily managed a right handed ball drop to kick a goal after a marking contest while playing out basically a whole game with his injury too. I think the blame is shared. Bad handball, bad kick.

 

[Nemisis]

Please trade to Port next year. The kid will be the next 'Boomer'.

 

[fairdinks]

He should have killed it over the boundary line I thought. Dogs were all over us at this time and we needed to reset with the ball in our forward pocket.

Instead it goes coast to coast after the kick in and they get a goal.

or the crazy kick goes through the goals and we blow the lid off the stadium. I say he is in the team to take those half chances. Will be special.

 

[barbster]

or the crazy kick goes through the goals and we blow the lid off the stadium. I say he is in the team to take those half chances. Will be special.

Or even better get it to Gunston who could waltz into an open goal.

 

[I got the outside word]

Or even better get it to Gunston who could waltz into an open goal.

Literally foot and ball on the boundary line, defenders around him, 3-4 games in and has a split second to decide what to do. He was kicking ridiculous freakish goals less than 12 months ago in the juniors and I love that he went for it. The time it took to go from hand to foot and the purchase he got on the ball was ridiculous in itself. Let’s not take this out of Wiz’s game, it was what he was drafted for and he will start kicking them. Who says it was a shot anyway? Was he centering the ball in hopes someone runs onto it and a goal was a bonus if it went through? He got that kick away faster than most of us can get a beer to our lips. Get the **** off his back. Jesus.

Disclaimer: This is not just directed at the quoted post.

 

[The Chad and I]

The kid has played 4 games with 1 coming as as the sub. He's kicked 2 goals 9 behinds which hasn't been ideal for his confidence but the important thing is that he's had scoring opportunities. Just like Calsher needs another preseason under his belt it's important to remember that the Wiz will as well.

11 scoring shots from his first 3.5 games lol

This kid is gonna be special.
Maybe even delicious.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Really? I read they made that trade for Sanders

There was definitely talk of them wanting Watson at the time.

Dogs were hoping for watson

 

[Hawk1986]

I think he will kick a bag of 4+ before the year is out

 

[Mr Lizard]

Watto goes in hard

 

[barbster]

FWIW some bloke called Jason Dunstall kicked 1254 goals and 641 points - that's going at 66.17% - and heaps of his were set shots from close to goal.

Nick's getting to the right spots and creating lots of chances, which is often the hardest part. Conversion will follow when he settles into games 20 - 40.

Yes - he should have kicked roughly 9.7, but to suggest 14.2 is ridiculous

Frankly, any forward who goes at 60% conversion in the modern game is tracking very well.

I just meant as a goal kicker (which we recruited him for) he should be kicking a hell of a lot better than what he has. Nothing more deflating to the team than having a forward that can’t convert. By a comparison Moore has kicked 13.1 this year.

 

[spudmaster]

Please trade to Port next year. The kid will be the next 'Boomer'.

A shorter 'Boomer' (there's a sentence I never thought I'd be typing!)

 

[extractasam]

He is going to be a good player but he was taken at Pick 5, which means expectation he becomes one of the better small forwards historically.

Some of the best small forwards in today's game were late picks / rookies (papley, breust to name a few).

I want to be wrong, but I still think we reached at Pick 5 and take a pretty high risk. Ot could work out for sure, but doesn't change the fact it was a risky pick and expectations are accordingly high.

Pick 5 expectations are high no matter the position. For every late bargain small forward there are truck loads of misses.
I’ll put it to you like this though - how many small forwards have absolutely dominated U/18s like the wiz. Ask Carlton supporters how their hunt for a quality small forward is going

 

[saaam]

Pick 5 expectations are high no matter the position. For every late bargain small forward there are truck loads of misses.
I’ll put it to you like this though - how many small forwards have absolutely dominated U/18s like the wiz. Ask Carlton supporters how their hunt for a quality small forward is going

Doesn't change my mind that list strategy at this point of a rebuild isn't questionable. We have Moore, Ginna, Breust and Chad still playing, did we really need another or were other areas of the list more in need of elite talent? I think Watto will be a very good player at least, doesn't change my view that we made a strategic error.

 

[Tall Tales and True]

We all know Chad & 'Punky' will be gone soon, for starters. 'Normal' AFL footballers can't do what he did with that goal attempt; he'll change games when he has no right to do so for years to come .. a bit like Cyril. He will be a cult hero.

Dammit, he's the Wiz ... we had to pick him!

On SM-S916B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[theiaofseed]

Doesn't change my mind that list strategy at this point of a rebuild isn't questionable. We have Moore, Ginna, Breust and Chad still playing, did we really need another or were other areas of the list more in need of elite talent? I think Watto will be a very good player at least, doesn't change my view that we made a strategic error.

1. Moore isn't a small forward.
2. Wingard and Bruest could be gone by years end.
3. Ginnivan is one small forward, elite teams have 3.

We drafted a KPF and kPD last year did we really need to bring in more on top of Chol?

 

[mustang]

1. Moore isn't a small forward.
2. Wingard and Bruest could be gone by years end.
3. Ginnivan is one small forward, elite teams have 3.

We drafted a KPF and kPD last year did we really need to bring in more on top of Chol?

Who is to say Ginnivan doesn’t move into the midfield and add pace to it by the time he hits 100 games on a semi full time basis.

I think we really only have Watson.

 

[MrPremiership]

Going to be very special.

Sit back and enjoy

 

[burner1]

Let’s hope it’s just first year yips.

But was probably expecting he’d be a low possession sharpshooter at afl level. But he’s getting a decent amount of the ball (which is a good thing) but not executing (a composure issue?)