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

[The Big Dipper]

Okay maybe I have gone a little early with that one.....

But watch the video clip above and you will see why I am getting excited

We're all excited about the Wiz, anyone who's been to a game this year knows the electrifying feeling that overcomes our supporters when he's running onto a ball near goal.

But....Cyril was so special, 2 on 1's, selling candy, converting tackles to goals and turning the impossible into goals was on another level. Let's hope the Wiz can get to that level

 

[Simon Crawshay]

We're all excited about the Wiz, anyone who's been to a game this year knows the electrifying feeling that overcomes our supporters when he's running onto a ball near goal.

But....Cyril was so special, 2 on 1's, selling candy, converting tackles to goals and turning the impossible into goals was on another level. Let's hope the Wiz can get to that level

What I should have said is that Cyril had a freakish level of lateral movement and agility which made him almost untouchable in confined spaces (as the video clip from Kermit showed). And as you say his skill level with the ball was on an entirely another level to Watson (and everyone else).

But what I have seen of Watson is that whilst he doesn't have Cryil's level of lateral movement and agility (or ball skills as evidenced by all the points) he has the ability to change direction whilst running at full pace without slowing down which is such a rare (and valuable) skill for a player to have.

 

[The Big Dipper]

What I should have said is that Cyril had a freakish level of lateral movement and agility which made him almost untouchable in confined spaces (as the video clip from Kermit showed). And as you say his skill level with the ball was on an entirely another level to Watson (and everyone else).

But what I have seen of Watson is that whilst he doesn't have Cryil's level of lateral movement and agility (or ball skills as evidenced by all the points) he has the ability to change direction whilst running at full pace without slowing down which is such a rare (and valuable) skill for a player to have.

He's a freakish talent for sure. Very unique player that is going to bring us much joy for a very long time.

I wasn't too happy with the decision to draft him and happy to say I was very wrong about that one.

 

[hawkman]

View attachment 2087181

That reminds me a bit of the point Puopolo kicked in the 2nd quarter of the 2014 GF. If anyone remembers Hodge then intercepts the kickin to put us well over 40 odd up

 

[scrim reaper]

That reminds me a bit of the point Puopolo kicked in the 2nd quarter of the 2014 GF. If anyone remembers Hodge then intercepts the kickin to put us well over 40 odd up

The Hodge intercept is the definition of living rent free in my mind.

Turned to my mate and we were both smiling. Neither of us wanted to say it's over now, but we both knew.

 

[matey]

I posted the below in Jan after watching a match sim at ARTIC park watching the Wiz live up close for the first or second time ……. watching him on TV does not do justice! The next training session also remember sitting close to Kingy who came down to Waverley and you should have heard him giggling and praising the Wiz every time he went near the ball. Sorry for the post but it brings back great memories from summer and it’s so enjoyable going to a game now knowing that we have the Wiz running around in the the brown and gold

“And then there is the Wiz. Wow. The three things I witnessed 1) ball came in fast he sprung up high above everyone (because he read it the best) tapped the ball forward to himself while running onto it under pressure in congestion one touch gather followed by a quick clean handball straight to a team mate in a better position. 2) a high ball came in he read it quicker/better than everyone else running towards goal clean one touch gather kicks a goal across his body along the ground …… bread and butter stuff. He knows where the goals are made it look easy. 3) probably the best one when he was 15 out on a 45 degree angle. The ball came in and he read it the best again. One touch gather with someone on his tail ……. then placed the ball onto his boot lighting fast (all in the one action/within the same step) which hit the post. Would have been a pisser! We will see some unconventional snaps/goals coming out of no where from the Wiz mark it down. After watching him closely he reads the play so much quicker than everyone else. This already gives him a yard or two then throw in the turbo gear changes from standing start to top speed in a couple of steps with the ability to change direction at the same time ……. he is as slippery as they come. He also has a spring like leap. We’ve got a good one here.”

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I posted the below in Jan after watching a match sim at ARTIC park watching the Wiz live up close for the first or second time ……. watching him on TV does not do justice! The next training session also remember sitting close to Kingie who came down to Waverley and you should have heard him giggling and praising the Wiz every time he went near the ball. Sorry for the post but it brings back great memories from summer and it’s so enjoyable going to a game now knowing that we have the Wiz running around in the the brown and gold

“And then there is the Wiz. Wow. The three things I witnessed 1) ball came in fast he sprung up high above everyone (because he read it the best) tapped the ball forward to himself while running onto it under pressure in congestion one touch gather followed by a quick clean handball straight to a team mate in a better position. 2) a high ball came in he read it quicker/better than everyone else running towards goal clean one touch gather kicks a goal across his body along the ground …… bread and butter stuff. He knows where the goals are made it look easy. 3) probably the best one when he was 15 out on a 45 degree angle. The ball came in and he read it the best again. One touch gather with someone on his tail ……. then placed the ball onto his boot lighting fast (all in the one action/within the same step) which hit the post. Would have been a pisser! We will see some unconventional snaps/goals coming out of no where from the Wiz mark it down. After watching him closely he reads the play so much quicker than everyone else. This already gives him a yard or two then throw in the turbo gear changes from standing start to top speed in a couple of steps with the ability to change direction at the same time ……. he is as slippery as they come. He also has a spring like leap. We’ve got a good one here.”

Yeh I went to the Melbourne game at the start of the year and even though it was a dirty day for the club I got a kick out of watching The Wiz for the first time.

You are right watching him on TV doesn't do him justice, watching him live its like someone souped up a 1998 Hyundai Excel with a V8 and let it loose on the field! This compact unit just flying around at full tilt, super entertaining to watch.

 

[SJT76]

Cyril moved at normal speed, but every movement was perfection.

Wiz moves at 100x speed, and is clean, but not Cyril level. I’ve also seen Wiz go to ground this year about as much as I saw Cyril go to ground his whole career.

Cyril remains my all time favourite player to watch. Wiz is going to be fun, but let’s not set the bar too high.

 

[cryptor]

I hope Wiz and Cyril can share winning a premiership in their debut season after being drafted as a small forward in the first round.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Cyril moved at normal speed, but every movement was perfection.

Wiz moves at 100x speed, and is clean, but not Cyril level. I’ve also seen Wiz go to ground this year about as much as I saw Cyril go to ground his whole career.

Cyril remains my all time favourite player to watch. Wiz is going to be fun, but let’s not set the bar too high.

Will pick on you. But there’s no real point comparing them, there’s things Wiz does that Cyril cannot and there’s thing Cyril does that Wiz can’t. Simple.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Will pick on you. But there’s no real point comparing them, there’s things Wiz does that Cyril cannot and there’s thing Cyril does that Wiz can’t. Simple.

 

[Brishawk]

C'monnnnnnnnnnn nowwwwwwwwww

Chills every dam time

 

[Roddy]

The Hodge intercept is the definition of living rent free in my mind.

Turned to my mate and we were both smiling. Neither of us wanted to say it's over now, but we both knew.

He's got the cup in his hands I reckon....

 

[Brishawk]

Will pick on you. But there’s no real point comparing them, there’s things Wiz does that Cyril cannot and there’s thing Cyril does that Wiz can’t. Simple.

If you believe that there is something on a football field that cyril couldn't do then please explain this!

 

[Randy Campbell]

C'monnnnnnnnnnn nowwwwwwwwww

I miss him so much.
It hurts.

 

[Iceman!]

I miss him so much.
It hurts.

What i would have given to get the extra 3-4 years of his career that we should have gotten to see, it is selfish because he gave us so much... But he is 1 of 1.

 

[SJT76]

Will pick on you. But there’s no real point comparing them, there’s things Wiz does that Cyril cannot and there’s thing Cyril does that Wiz can’t. Simple.

Others have already said it, but if Cyril couldn’t do it, it wasn’t worth doing.

I hope there is a player that brings as much joy to the game as he did again. It was (yep, you guessed it) special

 

[rjslcM]

The similarity that I see between Cyril and Nick is that they go 100%, which is very pleasing defensively, as it creates chaos for opponents in our F50. In this, Cyril averaged 3.48 tackles in his first year (4.55 over his career). Nick has averaged 2.6 so far. Its just one statistic but it’s where I see the greatest similarity as they regularly take on opponents much bigger than them. I love that about what Nick is doing. As for differences, I’m not sure where others see the greatest difference in what Nick can do that Cyril couldn’t, but I can think of many more things that I’ve seen Cyril do that Nick hasn’t.

I think I will just enjoy his progress and wait until he’s got a few more runs on the board (premierships, performances on the big stage, finals, etc) before suggesting he is better in some areas of his game already than a 4x premiership, Norm Smith winning Hawthorn GOAT small forward.

Others also find similarities between Cam Mackenzie and Sam Mitchell. For me, they are blonde and have nice kicks, that’s about the extent of it. Sam was a much more in-and-under, at the coalface player who could find ways to get a kick or handball to teammates where there were so many opponents in every direction that it was like watching a master thief get through security lasers at the Louvre. And was much more manic. Maybe Cam will develop this attitude and skill but to me they’re quite different so far. I’m yet to see suggestions that Cam can do things Sam can’t yet (maybe run faster), or if he can, that those things even matter enough yet to compare the two as players or athletes.

Can celebrate what Watson is doing without marking him above Cyril in areas that matter yet. Long, long way to go.

 

[Dipper]

If you believe that there is something on a football field that cyril couldn't do then please explain this!
View attachment 2087727

If he can't even spoil the high ball from a small forward then I don't want Barrass anymore.

 

[burger09]

The Hodge intercept is the definition of living rent free in my mind.

Turned to my mate and we were both smiling. Neither of us wanted to say it's over now, but we both knew.

Yes that was the moment for me also.
Relax and enjoy after that.

 

[eldorado]

there’s things Wiz does that Cyril cannot

Errr...

Cyril was #1 player EVER in agility, cat-like reflexes, spring, closing speed, etc...anything to do with quickness of mind and body, Cyril is on a different level to anyone else.

Please tell me what Watson can do that Cyril could not?

If Watson gets close to Cyril, we will have made out like bandits in the draft. He absolutely looks as close to Cyril as anyone...but not better.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

If you believe that there is something on a football field that cyril couldn't do then please explain this!
View attachment 2087727

He wasn’t 7’2, BOOM

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Errr...

Cyril was #1 player EVER in agility, cat-like reflexes, spring, closing speed, etc...anything to do with quickness of mind and body, Cyril is on a different level to anyone else.

Please tell me what Watson can do that Cyril could not?

If Watson gets close to Cyril, we will have made out like bandits in the draft. He absolutely looks as close to Cyril as anyone...but not better.

Cyril was incredible, and it’s so hard to gauge Wiz has he’s just started his career, so I’m sure things will get clearer, but there aren’t “general things” Cyril couldn’t do, more specific things, they do the same thing “result” in different ways “process”. Dodging and weaving traffic for example.

Someone mentioned it already, but Cyril did it by looking like he was gliding effortlessly, his lateral movement was ridiculous, especially in tight, couldn’t lay a glove on him.

In regards to Wiz, he gets the same result but instead would be doing it by sprinting at 100x speed and changing direction and stopping on an absolute dime.

They do things differently, which is my point with things they do and can’t do. May of came across wrong.

 

[grumbleguts]

He's got the cup in his hands I reckon....

He can feel...

 

[MisterBean]

If you believe that there is something on a football field that cyril couldn't do then please explain this!
View attachment 2087727

The degree of difficulty is so difficult on that move, that no one else would even contemplate attempting it.

What a wholesome entertainer Cyril was!