Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Pick 18, Josh Weddle

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sam says Blicavs…

 

[matey]

Anyone see or hear how young Josh went in the BH game?

 

[Ram-Man]

Anyone see or hear how young Josh went in the BH game?

Didn’t see the game but one of the Hawk officials I chatted with said he got a lot of the ball and showed some very good signs.

 

[Jet_black]

Good article from hawks insiders on Weddle

The rise and rise of Josh Weddle

The journey and the driving factor behind Hawthorn's 18th pick.

open.substack.com

 

[Fleabane]

Good article from hawks insiders on Weddle

The rise and rise of Josh Weddle

The journey and the driving factor behind Hawthorn's 18th pick.

open.substack.com

Very interesting insights, thanks.

 

[cryptor]

Good article from hawks insiders on Weddle

The rise and rise of Josh Weddle

The journey and the driving factor behind Hawthorn's 18th pick.

open.substack.com

Hawthorn’s High Performance Manager Peter Burge was effusive in his praise of the Hawks newest recruit, highlighting Weddle’s incredible running power and that previously mentioned competitiveness and determination.

“We did a session, we did four 1km repeats and I thought, ‘Oh look at this young bloke. He's flying.’ Goes out first rep and you think he's probably going to blow up. He's bitten off a bit more than he can chew there, but every rep he was just powering on and he just wanted more.”

Can just imagine the excitement for the football department thinking Weddle had made the classic first pre-season mistake of going too hard too early only to slowly realise as he did each rep that's he just built different.

 

[Jet_black]

good for football he chose football because it sounds like he had a choice of a couple of sports where he could easily slot into and excel.

Lucky for HFC we got him.

Truthfully on draft night, I thought we would go for Ed Allan. Happy nonetheless with how things have turned out.

 

[Dewnior]

Didn’t see the game but one of the Hawk officials I chatted with said he got a lot of the ball and showed some very good signs.

Thanks for passing in. Did the official mention anything else about those who played.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Safe to say he's going to be a key piece of our future side.

His athleticism and versatility (once he develops a greater understanding of the wing role) will make him such an important and impactful player.

I don't believe he will play more than a few games in the senior side this year though, if it's as a wingman.

On a side note, I think it will be interesting to see how both Weddle and Allen develop - given they are both tall, athletic wingmen, both picked around the same spot and of course Allen's Hawthorn connection.

 

[cs61]

Interesting to read that he played a lot of midfield already, and dominated in junior footy when moved to midfield, turning games and kicking goals etc. That is a lot different prospect than completely retraining him in another position he hasn't played. Hawks obviously did their homework... they didn't randomly decide a backman was gonna go to the wing.

 

[HedgeFund]

Interesting to read that he played a lot of midfield already, and dominated in junior footy when moved to midfield, turning games and kicking goals etc. That is a lot different prospect than completely retraining him in another position he hasn't played. Hawks obviously did their homework... they didn't randomly decide a backman was gonna go to the wing.

It’s very common.

Most junior local sides will play their best talent in the midfield.

Once the talent funnels into Rep / u16 / u18 level it’s only the best of the best who command those midfield spots. In a very talented Oakleigh side, Weddle being squeezed out to HB isn’t much of a shock.

 

[Ram-Man]

Thanks for passing in. Did the official mention anything else about those who played.

Not really, he said he was at the Box Hill game and I asked how Josh went. He did say he liked the look of Jack O’Sullivan but whether that means he played really well or even played at all I’m not sure.

 

[extractasam]

Excited to see him debut.
It will be early. In the intra club he just looked like a proper modern AFL player. Legs like a thoroughbred that just power around the ground all day.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Excited to see him debut.
It will be early. In the intra club he just looked like a proper modern AFL player. Legs like a thoroughbred that just power around the ground all day.

There’s a bit for him to learn in the wing role and where he needs both be and run to when the ball is at either end or in dispute. Not sure if we’ll see him before Round 5 or 6 unless he just smashes it at Box Hill.

 

[tommyk72]

There’s a bit for him to learn in the wing role and where he needs both be and run to when the ball is at either end or in dispute. Not sure if we’ll see him before Round 5 or 6 unless he just smashes it at Box Hill.

I'm not sure he's going to knock Harry or Amon off the wing. We're likely to rotate others through there too - such as Day and maybe Mcguiness in a tagging role. They story is the same at HBF. Will be interesting to see who he squeezes out when he eventually gets a game.

 

[burner1]

There’s a bit for him to learn in the wing role and where he needs both be and run to when the ball is at either end or in dispute. Not sure if we’ll see him before Round 5 or 6 unless he just smashes it at Box Hill.

Yep. Wing is one of the harder roles at afl level given the patterns to run and discipline needed constantly be in right spot. Guys such as bramble have struggled to learn it (and a reason why Harry keeps getting selected).

A good afl winger would likely carve weddle up purely due to better positioning. Weddle’s quick but not going to constantly mow down wingers at afl if he gives them metres of space or gets lost in transition.

There’s really no rush at all. A full season at BH with a handful of afl games is a pretty normal first year for a guy picked late in first round.

 

[Slainte]

I reckon Hustwaite could have his nose in front for an early debut.

 

[Fluro Boots]

Excited by Weddle! Agree with others about whether he’ll command a spot early on the wing. Will be putting pressure on DGB as well for a spot in defence I’d imagine. Edit: Scrimshaw is one I could see playing the wing really well, freeing up another defence spot for Weddle to settle in at the level

 

[Brant]

Edit: Scrimshaw is one I could see playing the wing really well, freeing up another defence spot for Weddle to settle in at the level

He doesn't run; either to make play or cover opponents.

 

[The hands of stone]

No need to rush him . We have a talent here , let him learn before we throw him in .
We are going to be very young anyway.
I do think and hope we see him in the seniors at some stage 2023

 

[peetoo]

No need to rush him . We have a talent here , let him learn before we throw him in .
We are going to be very young anyway.
I do think and hope we see him in the seniors at some stage 2023

I think only one current player didn’t get some senior time in 2022

 

[Roger Rogerson]

I reckon Hustwaite could have his nose in front for an early debut.

Yep agree. Hus looks like he will.step in straight away. Not sure what his running ability is like to step into an AFL mid role might be where he needs work.

Weddle is a supreme athlete but doesn't look to have a particularly high footy IQ to me.

 

[Lawsy]

Excited by Weddle! Agree with others about whether he’ll command a spot early on the wing. Will be putting pressure on DGB as well for a spot in defence I’d imagine. Edit: Scrimshaw is one I could see playing the wing really well, freeing up another defence spot for Weddle to settle in at the level

I agree in part with this take mate, IMO, he isn't commanding a spot in the team period though. He's being asked to learn a new role which will utilise his strengths for the team and that will take time. He does have all the tools to take a spot on the wing or even HBF once he's got the running patterns down and has shown the coaches he can be part of the rotations. At the moment though, he has to put the runs on the board at BHH.
I also don't think he's competing with DGB unless everything said by Sam has been changed. He's a running machine, something Denver isn't
He will have his opportunities and I hope he's best 22 by year end which will show the progress he's made

 

[Accipiter]

I agree in part with this take mate, IMO, he isn't commanding a spot in the team period though. He's being asked to learn a new role which will utilise his strengths for the team and that will take time. He does have all the tools to take a spot on the wing or even HBF once he's got the running patterns down and has shown the coaches he can be part of the rotations. At the moment though, he has to put the runs on the board at BHH.
I also don't think he's competing with DGB unless everything said by Sam has been changed. He's a running machine, something Denver isn't
He will have his opportunities and I hope he's best 22 by year end which will show the progress he's made

Just a random thought Lawsy - We have plenty of options off half back. I remember Nick Riewoldt would run opponents into the ground with his fitness and running ability; if they are teaching him a new role do you think it would be worth trying something similar with Wed's? Or do you think that might be too foreign for him? ... Im just thinking out loud on how painful his gut-running in and out of the forward-line could be to the opposition once we have Lewis, a Ruckman, Green, Butler and other terroirs running amok in the forward line post the Luke Breust era.

 

[The Chad and I]

It's better for Weddle to play seniors ASAP as a defender than wasting time at Box Hill "learning" to play on a wing for 2 years.

 

[HedgeFund]

It's better for Weddle to play seniors ASAP as a defender than wasting time at Box Hill "learning" to play on a wing for 2 years.

So which 2-3 of our pretty established / experienced back 7-8 (Hardwick, CJ, Frost, Sicily, Impey, Scrimshaw, Blanck, DBG) does he dislodge to avoid that learning?