Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Noah Mraz!

[Brant]

Lucky for us though God is a Hawthorn fan

If God is a Hawthorn fan, then why do umpires happen to good people???

 

[Bugs1977]

If God is a Hawthorn fan, then why do umpires happen to good people???

Gotta level the playing field somehow

 

[threesixpio]

Ra definitely does come across as a Hawthorn-aligned deity:

View attachment 2181416

Better than Gold Coast’s deity. They have Anu-bis-ness plan I hear.

 

[mustang]

Battle, Barrass, Day, Mackenzie, Lewis and CJ are coming back into the side that lost to Port. That's six players. Who is going to make way for them?

We can't play 28 players, so fringe players are going to miss out.

Lewis may not come straight back in once fit, how long since he last played a full game at AFL level.

 

[parsons nose]

Noah, sorry mate if you’re reading this thread. We seem to have gotten a little sidetracked. But I’m sure when you start training the house down and ripping it apart at BH, we’ll get things back on track. It’s the least we can do, mate.

 

[wahawk]

What I love about Bigfooty is how everyone communicates perfectly all the time, so we can all read everything literally which makes life so much easier. And the laser focus we all have on sticking to the topic of the thread.

You mean like the thread about trading our depth players that mentions Noah Mraz

 

[FB19]

You mean like the thread about trading our depth players that mentions Noah Mraz

Just in case it’s not clear I come from the long UK tradition of sarcasm and self deprecation so usually my critiques include me too.

 

[threesixpio]

Just in case it’s not clear I come from the long UK tradition of sarcasm and self deprecation so usually my critiques include me too.

I come from the short tradition of earnestly overvaluing myself

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

Clubs eye injured Mraz | Dandenong Star Journal

Narre North Foxes junior Noah Mraz looms as the wildcard of the 2024 draft class. Any mention of a mobile […]

dandenong.starcommunity.com.au

Some snippets below.
1) "Mraz has put on nine kilograms of muscle since his injury, impressing those in the industry with his attitude towards his recovery."


2)
“I say now I want to be a footy player but it was a basketballer first,” Mraz recalls.

“I dreamed of playing in the NBA.

“I was never going to get there obviously but basketball was always first growing up – football was something I just did once a week, I barely trained.

“I would have a kick around, leave, then go to basketball.”


3)
“I love playing teams who have a good forward and seeing my name next to them ,” Mraz said.

“My favourite part about being a defender is getting a matchup and beating them.

“I love that competitive part of it, thinking ‘you’re not going to touch the footy’.

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

Some weeks old article about Mraz.

Inside the drama of draft night for new Hawk ‘Jason’ – and a swift lesson from James Sicily

Noah Mraz did not have to wait long for his first lesson as a Hawthorn footballer after experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions during the draft.

www.theage.com.au

Some snippets below.

“Sicily text me, and I said, ‘Thanks, James’, and he replies, ‘That’s the first and last time you call me, James’,” Mraz laughed while reliving his draft-night experience to this masthead. “Now I’m calling him ‘Sis’, every single time without fail.”
------

Mraz rode the emotional roller-coaster even on draft night, as his agent Ben Williams – of Big Brother fame – kept him informed of Gold Coast’s failed attempt to trade for Hawthorn’s second-round pick to select him.

Unbeknown to Mraz, the Hawks knocked the Suns back because they wanted to draft him.
“When it said, ‘pick is in’ [on Fox Footy’s coverage], I was disappointed because I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to wait some more’,” Mraz said.

“But it was my name, anyway, so I was like, ‘What the hell?’ and everyone went crazy. It was the biggest surprise ever. I didn’t even hear my last name, and didn’t even know it was me.

“They said ‘Noah’ and everyone started screaming, and I was trying to get everyone out the way to see the screen to make sure it was actually me.”

 

[Fleabane]

Some weeks old article about Mraz.

Inside the drama of draft night for new Hawk ‘Jason’ – and a swift lesson from James Sicily

Noah Mraz did not have to wait long for his first lesson as a Hawthorn footballer after experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions during the draft.

www.theage.com.au

Some snippets below.

“Sicily text me, and I said, ‘Thanks, James’, and he replies, ‘That’s the first and last time you call me, James’,” Mraz laughed while reliving his draft-night experience to this masthead. “Now I’m calling him ‘Sis’, every single time without fail.”
------

Mraz rode the emotional roller-coaster even on draft night, as his agent Ben Williams – of Big Brother fame – kept him informed of Gold Coast’s failed attempt to trade for Hawthorn’s second-round pick to select him.

Unbeknown to Mraz, the Hawks knocked the Suns back because they wanted to draft him.
“When it said, ‘pick is in’ [on Fox Footy’s coverage], I was disappointed because I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to wait some more’,” Mraz said.

“But it was my name, anyway, so I was like, ‘What the hell?’ and everyone went crazy. It was the biggest surprise ever. I didn’t even hear my last name, and didn’t even know it was me.

“They said ‘Noah’ and everyone started screaming, and I was trying to get everyone out the way to see the screen to make sure it was actually me.”

Nice article, thanks.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Great articles, Pinoy Hawk - I am really bloody excited about this kid. That photo you snapped of him the other day - he looked like a bloke who had been playing senior footy already not a draftee. Massive upside for this kid and due to his 2024 being interrupted I think we may have gotten an absolute steal. Love that he gets to learn the trade with Battle and Barrass now in the side also.

 

[lyger]

Great articles, Pinoy Hawk - I am really bloody excited about this kid. That photo you snapped of him the other day - he looked like a bloke who had been playing senior footy already not a draftee. Massive upside for this kid and due to his 2024 being interrupted I think we may have gotten an absolute steal. Love that he gets to learn the trade with Battle and Barrass now in the side also.

We have Barrass, Sic, and Frosty for a few more years, Mraz and McCabe developing, and Battle and Scrim in between the two age demographics. Exciting times.

 

[kazzooka]

We have Barrass, Sic, and Frosty for a few more years, Mraz and McCabe developing, and Battle and Scrim in between the two age demographics. Exciting times.

What will be interesting is that we have 2 developing key backs, 3 with a few years left, 2 in their prime. Then we have 2 more in Blank and Serong with a little bit of AFL experience that show they are capable of contributing at the level. They are at the stage where they need to get games and develop at the level to see how far they can get.

 

[HomerJayS]

I reckon Serong plays CHB in front of McCabe at this stage

So you’re saying McCabe plays fullback

 

[lyger]

What will be interesting is that we have 2 developing key backs, 3 with a few years left, 2 in their prime. Then we have 2 more in Blank and Serong with a little bit of AFL experience that show they are capable of contributing at the level. They are at the stage where they need to get games and develop at the level to see how far they can get.

Yeah good call out on Blancky and Serong.

I feel we are a bit thin with developing key forwards, so it would be great if one or both can take the next step as that would give us more flexibility to move others around or potentially enable trading in players/picks.

 

[Hawker399]

Maybe one these young potential backs like Mraz or McCabe could be looked at as a KPF.

 

[threesixpio]

Maybe one these young potential backs like Mraz or McCabe could be looked at as a KPF.

I’d say that’s the idea long term

 

[extractasam]

Maybe one these young potential backs like Mraz or McCabe could be looked at as a KPF.

I actually reckon this is a great time for us to develop two KPP’s without the pressure of having to come in and play immediately.
Geelong do this really well when they’re well stocked in areas, all of a sudden some guy you’ve never seen comes and slots in at 22 years old and you think where tf did he come from?

Give Mraz/McCabe 25-50 games at BH together and everyone will be better off for it

 

[The Chad and I]

Mraz is a great propsect.
Kicking is a bit loose, but I presume all of the footage is from his underage year or very early in the season?
Great signs that he's already put on a lot of muscle.
It's going to be hard getting a debut next season, but it sure gives us some flexibility with list management decisions.

MM really has an eye for talent and knows how to balance upside potential x risk.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Mraz is a great propsect.
Kicking is a bit loose, but I presume all of the footage is from his underage year or very early in the season?
Great signs that he's already put on a lot of muscle.
It's going to be hard getting a debut next season, but it sure gives us some flexibility with list management decisions.

MM really has an eye for talent and knows how to balance upside potential x risk.

Saw him on the track recently. He’s nearly unrecognisable from his draft highlights. He’s a hell of a lot more developed. Really nice mover. He’s way closer than I was expecting physically. I thought we had a project player on our hands whose body we needed to build up substantially and may be a risk of not getting there but I’m satisfied his size is fine. Looks a prospect to me.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Saw him on the track recently. He’s nearly unrecognisable from his draft highlights. He’s a hell of a lot more developed. Really nice mover. He’s way closer than I was expecting physically. I thought we had a project player on our hands whose body we needed to build up substantially and may be a risk of not getting there but I’m satisfied his size is fine. Looks a prospect to me.

He is likely type who covers the ground really well and is a competitor. He reads the play well and has a good pair of hands and can actually get off the ground to take a mark. Nearly took a hanger in a pack the other day at training. He looks like he has a body that can put on weight and muscle. He would be an imposing figure in 3 to 4 years given what he has done already since start of this year.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

He is likely type who covers the ground really well and is a competitor. He reads the play well and has a good pair of hands and can actually get off the ground to take a mark. Nearly took a hanger in a pack the other day at training. He looks like he has a body that can put on weight and muscle. He would be an imposing figure in 3 to 4 years given what he has done already since start of this year.

It's been a very long time since we drafted and developed a gun Key back - last player we did this with was Trent Croad. Rawlings was looking really good until he left for the dogs and was never the same player. Since Croad and Rawlings, our best key back were brought in from other clubs, Gilham, Lake Frawley etc I don't include Sicily as he's not a true key position player. Trying to bring in the best key position players is so hard - they demand big $$$, long term contracts and premium draft picks

Mraz could finally be that true key back we draft that stays with the club for the majority of his career. Looking very promising so far..

P.S so Frawley at our local athletics track the other day. Still in ripping condition and cranking our the reps. Couldn't help but notice how short he is compared to the giants going around now

 

[TheFourPillars]

It's been a very long time since we drafted and developed a gun Key back - last player we did this with was Trent Croad. Rawlings was looking really good until he left for the dogs and was never the same player. Since Croad and Rawlings, our best key back were brought in from other clubs, Gilham, Lake Frawley etc I don't include Sicily as he's not a true key position player. Trying to bring in the best key position players is so hard - they demand big $$$, long term contracts and premium draft picks

Mraz could finally be that true key back we draft that stays with the club for the majority of his career. Looking very promising so far..

P.S so Frawley at our local athletics track the other day. Still in ripping condition and cranking our the reps. Couldn't help but notice how short he is compared to the giants going around now

I wouldn't count McCabe out just yet

 

[Sixpence]

I wouldn't count McCabe out just yet

Yep, we drafted one literally just last year! And Blanck a year or two before that.