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

[MasterSamurai]

I remember a game where Cyril got the clearance from the middle against the saints, handballed all the while everyone seemed to be just watching him glide by then got it back and sunk one from 50 without changing gears or grimacing , it was a thing of beauty to watch.
Then there's that tigers game in 2014 where he sliced them up in the third.
Then there's that north Melbourne game where he bagged four brilliant goals .
Then there's that port game in 2016 where he went blitzkrieg, then there's ...........well we all get the point, yeah?
Put it this way, if he wanted to play for the Hawks another couple years , even at 36, I'd do it!!

 

[MasterSamurai]

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

Btw, that's just ridiculous!! Taking the piss.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I remember a game where Cyril got the clearance from the middle against the saints, handballed all the while everyone seemed to be just watching him glide by then got it back and sunk one from 50 without changing gears or grimacing , it was a thing of beauty to watch.
Then there's that tigers game in 2014 where he sliced them up in the third.
Then there's that north Melbourne game where he bagged four brilliant goals .
Then there's that port game in 2016 where he went blitzkrieg, then there's ...........well we all get the point, yeah?
Put it this way, if he wanted to play for the Hawks another couple years , even at 36, I'd do it!!

I’d give him my hamstrings to see him play a single game

 

[Buckemenico]

Rioli was the best 2 on 1 player of all time.
I have high hopes for Watson.

 

[toomanysquibs]

C'monnnnnnnnnnn nowwwwwwwwww

No human being to have played AFL is doing stuff like that as often as Cyril did.

Eldorado nailed it, Cyril always looked like he was playing on another level to everyone else on the ground.

He did it in home and away, finals and grand finals. His first and last grand finals could have both won him Norm Smith medals.

Watson looks amazing. But he's not as quick, smooth moving or cat like agile as Cryil was.

Watson has an incredible leap and ability to compete in the air with far larger bodies.

Cyril could glide into a pack against two key defenders and outbody or leap them to win the ball, take the mark and sprint away before they'd even recovered their balance.

Watson is going to be the greatest small forward of his time in the AFL.

But Cyril was the GOAT. He simply redefined what it meant to be a small forward.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

No human being to have played AFL is doing stuff like that as often as Cyril did.

Eldorado nailed it, Cyril always looked like he was playing on another level to everyone else on the ground.

He did it in home and away, finals and grand finals. His first and last grand finals could have both won him Norm Smith medals.

Watson looks amazing. But he's not as quick, smooth moving or cat like agile as Cryil was.

Watson has an incredible leap and ability to compete in the air with far larger bodies.

Cyril could glide into a pack against two key defenders and outbody or leap them to win the ball, take the mark and sprint away before they'd even recovered their balance.

Watson is going to be the greatest small forward of his time in the AFL.

But Cyril was the GOAT. He simply redefined what it meant to be a small forward.

I just can’t agree with all of this. Cyril was simply unbelievable, like words cannot express it.

But to say Watson absolute isn’t something, so far into his career, is just unfair.

“Watson looks amazing. But he's not as quick, smooth moving or cat like agile as Cryil was.”

Whilst again it really holds no weight, because there’s no point comparing the two, as they do their business differently, they get the same result but it looks different.

Already gave an example, but you can tell all this from just watching how they move through traffic.

Cyril glided, couldn’t lay a finger on him, he was quick but he often used his insane lateral movement, and just ability to create time and space in the same way Pendlebury and such do.

Watson does everything at 150x speed, whilst being able to change direction and stop at a click of a finger, been mentioned but it’s like Puopolo and Cyril had a baby. Power and strength with the speed and agility. Not a great comparison for either but similar enough to both in certain regards, but doing it in HIS way.

 

[rjslcM]

So all in all, different players with different attributes but in the things that matter Cyril > still daylight > Watson

And with that, I’d like to get back to celebrating how good Watto still is despite that now so I’m predicting that he lays 7 tackles and snags 5 goals this weekend and runs around on a kamikaze against North

 

[Dewyyyyy]

So all in all, different players with different attributes but in the things that matter Cyril > still daylight > Watson

And with that, I’d like to get back to celebrating how good Watto still is despite that now so I’m predicting that he lays 7 tackles and snags 5 goals this weekend and runs around on a kamikaze against North

Yes. They’re comparable for similar attributes but they’re not comparable for how they actually are once you look at it.

It’s just excitement, Cyril is clearly still better because Watson is also about 5 minutes into his career, pointless.

Hopefully some confidence for Wiz this weekend into a big finals series.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I just can’t agree with all of this. Cyril was simply unbelievable, like words cannot express it.

But to say Watson absolute isn’t something, so far into his career, is just unfair.

“Watson looks amazing. But he's not as quick, smooth moving or cat like agile as Cryil was.”

Whilst again it really holds no weight, because there’s no point comparing the two, as they do their business differently, they get the same result but it looks different.

Already gave an example, but you can tell all this from just watching how they move through traffic.

Cyril glided, couldn’t lay a finger on him, he was quick but he often used his insane lateral movement, and just ability to create time and space in the same way Pendlebury and such do.

Watson does everything at 150x speed, whilst being able to change direction and stop at a click of a finger, been mentioned but it’s like Puopolo and Cyril had a baby. Power and strength with the speed and agility. Not a great comparison for either but similar enough to both in certain regards, but doing it in HIS way.

I agree

Cyril was quick but his main asset was he was just so damn slippery and used his lateral movement to evade like something out of the Matrix. And he was always in total control of his movements and disposal.

But Watson is next level quick, like turbo charged quick with an insane ability to change direction whilst running at top speed but he's so quick he is sometimes out of control by the time he disposes of the ball.

I like your comparison of a Poppy / Cyril hybrid that's the best description I've heard so far.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I agree

Cyril was quick but his main asset was he was just so damn slippery and used his lateral movement to evade like something out of the Matrix. And he was always in total control of his movements and disposal.

But Watson is next level quick, like turbo charged quick with an insane ability to change direction whilst running at top speed but he's so quick he is sometimes out of control by the time he disposes of the ball.

I like your comparison of a Poppy / Cyril hybrid that's the best description I've heard so far.

The next step is for Watson to keep settling at the top level, adjust to the pace of the game, it will continue to show his greatest assets. He will continue to amaze Hawthorn fans for the next decade and beyond.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Rioli is quicker (and simpy more athletic) than Watson.

Watson has great acceleration, but over medium distances he is not that quick. His legs just aren't long enough. He generally gets a split second head start on everyone because he's so fast of thought and has elite short space acceleration, and that's all he needs to be damaging.

Rioli was quick over any distance IMO, until he tired.

 

[Sixpence]

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.

He may end up being better, but that depends on what you want from a small forward. Personally, I'd argue Breust was a better small forward than Cyril, at least as far as hitting the scoreboard goes. His season by season goal return absolutely shades Cyril's. Cyril only kicked 30+ goals 3 times in 11 seasons, conversely Breust has only failed to kick 30+ twice in 14 seasons (one being the shortened 2020 season and the other this year where he has played the majority of games as sub). Defensively however, Cyril has him beat hands down!

The thing with Cyril, he was just built different. Just did things that touched your soul and moved in ways that left you in awe and disbelief. It's for this reason you really can't compare anyone to him. (As much as the media love to compare every Indigenous small forward to him)

As for "better", that's going to be pretty subjective. The kicker to this argument being we had both (Cyril and Breust) at the same time and it was ****ing glorious!

Long way to go but Watson could end up being better than both!

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Is Nick Watson the new Cyril Rioli? Is Cyril Rioli the old Nick Watson?

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Jumpers forngoalposts

Is Nick Watson the new Cyril Rioli? Is Cyril Rioli the old Nick Watson?

Jumpers for goalposts

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Jumpers forngoalposts
Jumpers for goalposts

Probably the most criminally underrated sketch show of all time.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Probably the most criminally underrated sketch show of all time.

Paul Whitehouse is one of my favourite comedic actors of all time.

Those Ted and Ralph sketches were gold

 

[toomanysquibs]

I just can’t agree with all of this. Cyril was simply unbelievable, like words cannot express it.

But to say Watson absolute isn’t something, so far into his career, is just unfair.

“Watson looks amazing. But he's not as quick, smooth moving or cat like agile as Cryil was.”

Whilst again it really holds no weight, because there’s no point comparing the two, as they do their business differently, they get the same result but it looks different.

Already gave an example, but you can tell all this from just watching how they move through traffic.

Cyril glided, couldn’t lay a finger on him, he was quick but he often used his insane lateral movement, and just ability to create time and space in the same way Pendlebury and such do.

Watson does everything at 150x speed, whilst being able to change direction and stop at a click of a finger, been mentioned but it’s like Puopolo and Cyril had a baby. Power and strength with the speed and agility. Not a great comparison for either but similar enough to both in certain regards, but doing it in HIS way.

"Watson is going to be the greatest small forward of his time in the AFL."

Figured I'd run it by you one more time just to ensure clarity.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Those Ted and Ralph sketches were gold

Ralph: Do you like the rascal pack, Ted?

Ted: I wouldn’t know about that, sir.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Cyril was quick but his main asset was he was just so damn slippery and used his lateral movement to evade like something out of the Matrix. And he was always in total control of his movements and disposal.

He was just playing at another level. You could sit in the top tier at either end of the ground and it was obvious that he was quicker of vision, movement and thought than anyone around him.

Physics bent to his will. I just loved watching his career.

There was never a moment you wanted to switch off when the ball went forward, knowing he was going to be ready to pounce if Buddy or Rough et. al didn't mark it.

Watson definitely has a bit of this too, it's why he's the perfect fit for us, and is the standout small forward talent in a team that's borderline stacked with A grade or former A-grade level small forwards.

 

[grumbleguts]

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

That goal against Richmond from the boundary in 2008 was goal of the year, regardless of who actually won it.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

"Watson is going to be the greatest small forward of his time in the AFL."

Figured I'd run it by you one more time just to ensure clarity.

“Not all of it”

 

[Fleabane]

Cyril Rioli, the GOAT and probably my favourite player of all time. Nick Watson, an incredibly exciting young talent in his first year.
The fact that we’re seriously making these lengthy comparisons speaks volumes for Watson’s ability is all I’ll say. Absolutely love what he brings to the team. Can’t wait to see what he does tomorrow.

 

[Alex_au]

If we happen to be up by a LOT on Saturday, would love to see Watto take some centre bounces. Could be a weapon in the finals.

 

[toomanysquibs]

If we happen to be up by a LOT on Saturday, would love to see Watto take some centre bounces. Could be a weapon in the finals.

Rest him a little unless we're in trouble is my thinking. He's had a long year for a guy who was sore during his final junior year.

Keep him as fresh for finals as possible, unless they're on the line and the coaching staff think that is going to move the needle.

 

[cryptor]

If we happen to be up by a LOT on Saturday, would love to see Watto take some centre bounces. Could be a weapon in the finals.

Rest him a little unless we're in trouble is my thinking. He's had a long year for a guy who was sore during his final junior year.

Keep him as fresh for finals as possible, unless they're on the line.

Fine suggestions. I raise you: Clear out the 50 and get the Wiz THIRTEEEEEN!!