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

[naysayer]

Rogers is a tenacious ball of muscle. Hopefully Watson puts on some more muscle and fills out a bit like Rogers had.

Precisely the same height and weight as Watson. He may not become a midfielder, but don't fall victim to the perception that he's too small to do it.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Precisely the same height and weight as Watson. He may not become a midfielder, but don't fall victim to the perception that he's too small to do it.

Rogers looks more physically defined and developed at this point in time. He certainly plays stronger with his tackling. If they are the exact same weight this probably means Watson is stronger through the legs, so could bode well once he starts training regularly.

 

[triangulation_squared]

The final list of small people who we'd put in our top 50 of all time hawks could be a c.10% by the time Wiz is done
Jas Fleming 1.65m
Wiz 1.7m
John Platten 1.7m
Paul Puopolo

28

Paul Puopolo

Age

36

Ht

173cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.9

4star

K

6.9

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

2.2

2star

T

4.3

5star

G

0.9

4star

D

8.5

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.3

3star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.5

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

8.8

4star

HB

8.2

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

4.8

5star

G

0.0

1star

1.73m
Peter Crimmins 1.73m
Andy Collins 1.74m
Shane Crawford 1.74m
Cyril Rioli 1.77m
Leigh Mathews 1.78m

Looking into 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

drafted at 1.67m now listed at 1.7m recently all Australian and takes down the Bont for Best and Fairest at the digs recently.

Sam Mitchell's recently back from a stint observing Angeball at Tottenham. No doubt Ange's all out attack strategy has helped inspire this year's recruitment strategy. But we do need to acknowledge that without Jai and Conor being picked from obscurity and becoming inside mid monsters we may not have had the luxury of picking the Wiz this year.

I assume that new era of attacking football that we're about to be party to will need a name. As a supporter, the fun is back. Huge thanks to Sam and the team for making it so with this selection.

 

[Roby]

ByI was a fence sitter regarding us drafting the Wiz.
I was hoping for Duursma.
I'm warming more and more to the selection.
This kid is CONFIDENT!!

I watched a Youtube video recently of him and Harley Reid going head-to-head with goal kicking drills in the forward line.
He called it before they started, that he would beat Harley, and he did.
There were some contested one on one plays in the video against some other kid from WA.

The Wiz thrashed him, made him look silly in fact.
His reaction time was so much quicker, and you could see how smart he was in a football sense.
Created separation and got to the best position, irrespective of where the ball was kicked.

This video goes for 20 minutes but it's a good watch.



He is equally confident about playing round 1.

I'm now excited and wouldn't swap him for Duursma.

If that's video impressed you should watch these.

The first one should alleviate any fears on how he'll fare against more senior, bigger and older players.



And just to get you even more excited scroll to 27min of the next video, when he mentions he's dating Keeley
Sherar, AFLW superstar and Carlton's best player, so hopefully those two will stay together.

 

[grumbleguts]

Platts was arguably the best on baller we've had since Matthews, his success is definitely the one I'd point to.

Just insanely damaging in everything he did with ball in hand for 12 odd years. Got it a lot, was almost always moving at pace when he did. Was tagged during an era where you could get belted a lot. Walked right through that and was elite in most every department. 200+ goals as an on baller too.

Give Watson the 44 if he wants it.

They're vastly different players, but that jumper makes a real point that height alone won't dictate what his ceiling can be.

Agreed, but platts had already been mentioned. Was just highlighting some of the best players to have played the game weren't tall. Bob Skilton a triple brownlow medallist was 171.

 

[tl92]

Agreed, but platts had already been mentioned. Was just highlighting some of the best players to have played the game weren't tall. Bob Skilton a triple brownlow medallist was 171.

Playing devils advocate but ruckmen were like 180 back then haha

 

[naysayer]

Playing devils advocate but ruckmen were like 180 back then haha

Comes down to this: Watson is currently a forward, we're happy if Watson stays a forward.

 

[The German Hunter]

Looking forward to watch Bull dominate the MCG for the next 15 years

 

[grumbleguts]

Playing devils advocate but ruckmen were like 180 back then haha

We're talking about good (read: useful) players, not ruckmen.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Comes down to this: Watson is currently a forward, we're happy if Watson stays a forward.

If all he ever becomes is an elite small forward then we are still laughing.

Based on the current midfield group we have we don't really need him to make that transition. When players like Moore and MacDonald 7th and 8th on our midfield depth chart you know we are well stocked.

 

[grumbleguts]

Next season we rebuild the backline and we're set.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Agreed, but platts had already been mentioned. Was just highlighting some of the best players to have played the game weren't tall. Bob Skilton a triple brownlow medallist was 171.

Fair play, I watched the 89 GF last week and was looking at Platten, mentioned him in another thread in reference to Watson. Didn't get much traction there, and I guess it might have popped up here since.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Next season we rebuild the backline and we're set.

Not sure we need to rebuild it as opposed to doing some slight renovations. Pedantic I know.

Mitchell, Hardwick, Sicily, Scrimshaw, CJ, Impey, Weddle, Blanck are all good options. We've got a great mix of pace, intercepting ability and skill amongst that group.

However we are heavily reliant on Blanck developing into a good KPD, and then finding another to man the CHB position. Hopefully DGB has a coming of age this season.

 

[tl92]

We're talking about good (read: useful) players, not ruckmen.

I mean, skilton isn’t that small when you consider the height of ruckman back then.

 

[TFFM]

Personally I don't care 1 bit about his height. Qualities such as determination, skill and competitiveness trumps all of these things.
He's gonna be a star.

 

[grumbleguts]

I mean, skilton isn’t that small when you consider the height of ruckman back then.

He was still the smallest man on the field in every game he played.

 

[Faraway Hawk]

Let it go guys. All this analyzing of height vs performance will be for nothing. Nick will do just fine and will end up being a very fine Hawthorn player.

 

[spudmaster]

Looking into Caleb Daniel drafted at 1.67m now listed at 1.7m recently all Australian and takes down the Bont for Best and Fairest at the digs recently.

He refuses to take his helmet off when being measured.

 

[Tomohawks]

Not sure we need to rebuild it as opposed to doing some slight renovations. Pedantic I know.

Mitchell, Hardwick, Sicily, Scrimshaw, CJ, Impey, Weddle, Blanck are all good options. We've got a great mix of pace, intercepting ability and skill amongst that group.

However we are heavily reliant on Blanck developing into a good KPD, and then finding another to man the CHB position. Hopefully DGB has a coming of age this season.

That's why we drafted Will. I have high hopes that he's our CHB for the future. We now need Blanck to come on as a player who can stand the Gorilla's otherwise that's the area that we must address next alongside another medim/tall forward.

 

[Roddy]

Height doesn’t mean dog’s bollocks if said player has speed, skill, endeavour and a will to win.

 

[TylerDurden]

He's gonna kick a ton of goals for us. That's all you need to know.

 

[CHUBBSS]

He's gonna kick a ton of goals for us. That's all you need to know.

A 100 goals

 

[OnTheRocks]

Best of luck in the brown & gold Wiz.

Has anybody mentioned his height yet?

 

[rooboy335]

Pardon the intrusion! Have never posted on an opposition board before but just wanted to say I think you guys have landed a beauty here. Not only from a talent standpoint, but the Wizard seems to have a great support network around him and a fantastic head on his shoulders.

All year I'd been set on him for the roos' pick as his supreme talent was obvious and we have not had a dangerous small forward for a long long time. Watched numerous highlight vids and noticed his movement was insane at ground level, gets onto the pill at pace, takes angles that only the ones who possess rare/elite agility can, he can hop on heads for fun even at his height and obviously can kick goals out of his a**.

A one on one interview I watched on youtube illustrated to me that he seems to have great character, has constantly had to do with doubters over his height throughout his junior career and has obviously proved all of them wrong so far and made them look silly. This will continue I'd imagine, and for someone already so dangerous on field with his weapons, playing with a chip on your shoulder and wanting to prove yourself to the afl world adds to his overall package which is a scary prospect imo.

I like that we've gone with the prolific Duursma, who can play multiple roles, but will definitely be tracking Watson's career with great interest. Think he'll be a delight to watch when not playing us. Am so not looking forward to the countless goals he'll no doubt kick against my boys, but well done again on the selection and bring on the new season!

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Jas Fleming 1.65m

Your constant vouching for Watson overcoming his lack of height is admirable but your comparisons are out there sometimes. This one is especially great - particularly when Jasmine Fleming is above average height for a woman where Watson is below average for a man.