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

[offtherails9]

Sick of saying in every thread we shouldn't need to worry about these stupid awards that are voted on by dill's. The less attention you pay to crap like that, the more enjoyable the game is.

Anyway, it's been so cool to see this guy get better and better each week. He started off the season quite poorly and at times you could have questioned why he was getting a game, but Sam could see the talent and stuck with the kid and knew that the best way for him to improve is to get used to the intensity required.

The intensity that he has not only once the ball hits the ground but especially when he's crumbing a pack is next level, and I haven't seen someone do that for such a long time.

He'll win us a final at some stage. Hopefully it's this year.

 

[Cyril says]

Morris is a serious talent. In terms of first year forwards he’s second only to Calsher. He’s not the one I’d be calling out.

Anyway the rising star means little in terms of a player’s overall career.

I hear you. I called him out because I’ve got Nick Watson as #1 for all the eligible forwards, with Darcy the only one I’d pick ahead of him if he were eligible.

As you say, it means little, but it stings a bit to see the little champ not even get 1 vote out of the 165 votes cast - he belongs on any list of 13 players regarded as the best (11 vote getters plus Reid and Darcy) in this group.

It shouldn’t mean anything but I hope it doesn’t affect his confidence.

 

[flamin_heck]

Dempsey is very average. Up there with R Palmer and L Taylor as the worst winners of the rising star.

I’ve thought this myself- if I take off my anti-Geelong glasses I still see an inconsistent opportunist kicking the odd cheapie who is riding on the coattails of the best foward line in the league

 

[satan1]

I'm just looking forward to Friday so we can quit worrying about the RS beauty pageant and celebrate the first final of a rock star.

 

[Yardie]

Gee I miss Cyril.

These were the exact words going through my head as I watched that video

 

[Billyc]

I think the rising star criteria just makes the award silly. Dempsey is in his third season. The same as Nick Daicos who just won the Coaches Association award and Horne Francis who looks capable of ripping this finals series apart. He’s older than Weddle. They should just make it best first year player, otherwise it gets a bit silly and meaningless when it becomes a question of which player who wasn’t able to make their mark in their first 2 seasons has the best 3rd season.

 

[kazzooka]

I think the rising star criteria just makes the award silly. Dempsey is in his third season. The same as Nick Daicos who just won the Coaches Association award and Horne Francis who looks capable of ripping this finals series apart. He’s older than Weddle. They should just make it best first year player, otherwise it gets a bit silly and meaningless when it becomes a question of which player who wasn’t able to make their mark in their first 2 seasons has the best 3rd season.

Yep, MacDonald too from the same draft has played every game he's been available for selection and I'd argue his first year was better than Dempsey's 3rd and conner only better since then.

 

[Mississippi]

With respect, you probably would know both if you had watched Sydney and Geelong games. Both have been impressive and put up some big numbers.

Roberts had a 36 touch, 8 mark and 1 goal game against the Doggies. That's impressive. But the biggest issue is both are 21, and Roberts is in his third season, whilst Humphries was a mature recruit.

Yes, exactly.

 

[excitingnews]

Have a very good feeing that the wiz is going to tear this game apart on the weekend. It’s been such a long time since we had a player with so much excitement factor in the team. For most of this year he’s been doing the kinds of things I thought we’d be getting with wingard when we traded him in and I could not be more thankful to the shinbeggars for forcing our hand by taking Duursma!

 

[KermitJagger]

With respect, you probably would know both if you had watched Sydney and Geelong games. Both have been impressive and put up some big numbers.

Roberts had a 36 touch, 8 mark and 1 goal game against the Doggies. That's impressive. But the biggest issue is both are 21, and Roberts is in his third season, whilst Humphries was a mature recruit.

Going back to this, the biggest issue isn't even that Humphries is 21 - it's that he played 9 games. I understand that Watson might have been looked over on a games played basis but he still played almost twice as many as Humphries.

 

[Brishawk]

Goes alright, the wiz

 

[Billyc]

4 in his first final. Would have been 5 but for unselfish handball in goalsquare to Finn. Star

 

[KermitJagger]

No rising star votes? No problem. He'll take a flag.

 

[NewkTheLot]

Goes alright, the wiz

Too short

 

[The hands of stone]

What a star

 

[Dipper]

He's been a little champ right from the off and now he looks as reliable a set shot as anyone.

That one he had where Gunners had a word with him I actually thought round the body might be the go but he went back and kicked the drop punt.

Love him.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

The wizard hat just looked so natural on him at the end of the game, doesn't get better than that

 

[The Seaword]

Have a very good feeing that the wiz is going to tear this game apart on the weekend. It’s been such a long time since we had a player with so much excitement factor in the team. For most of this year he’s been doing the kinds of things I thought we’d be getting with wingard when we traded him in and I could not be more thankful to the shinbeggars for forcing our hand by taking Duursma!

Can you please pass on tomorrow nights lotto numbers and quaddie

Thanks

 

[The Chad and I]

I honestly thought it would take him a couple of seasons to hit this kind of form.

Could have had 5-6 goals but did well to pass one off to Maginness.
He is brilliant.
Made for finals.

 

[Dipper]

I honestly thought it would take him a couple of seasons to hit this kind of form.

Could have had 5-6 goals but did well to pass one off to Maginness.
He is brilliant.
Made for finals.

He is but also I think both how we play and modern finals lend themselves to small forwards being the difference makers.

I love our small ball fleet but Dear helps make them, he gives a contest every time when the high ball comes in.

Dear and the Wiz could be a double act for the next 15 years. Pair of absolute gems.

 

[Iceman!]

Thank god the sorting hat put him in to our house! I see many house cups… I mean premierships in his future

 

[KermitJagger]

I honestly thought it would take him a couple of seasons to hit this kind of form.

Could have had 5-6 goals but did well to pass one off to Maginness.
He is brilliant.
Made for finals.

I thought he'd get there immediately, but that he'd peak early and not improve much over the course of his career. I no longer think the second part.

 

[kazzooka]

No rising star votes? No problem. He'll take a flag.

Rising star award is only for rising stars. Watson already risen.

 

[Bugs1977]

How cool was it seeing the Wiz play the way he did in his first final against the team that was rumoured to be desperately trying to trade up to nab him before us. Can anyone remember what picks they traded out only to just miss out on him? Dare I say if they ended up achieving their goal and getting him we don't make finals let along would've had a shot tonight without him. Does so much even without kicking goals.

Loved how Mabs frogged hopped him after one of his goals. Someone needs to make a GIF of that

 

[cryptor]

The goals were nice but his pressure tonight had the Doggies hearing footsteps and made containing the ball in our half so much easier.