Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Pick 18, Josh Weddle

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sam says Blicavs…

 

[James Buchanan]

I get what you mean, but honestly, I don’t think the Doggies will be great this year.

Losing Dunkley is going to hurt them for sure.

It will depend on how their KPPs come on this year.

 

[GerryLewis]

Have a close mate heavily involved in the Chargers program. Rang me immediately after he was picked. His words "Absolute gun, you will absolutely love him and he could be anything and can play anywhere"

Good enough for me.

 

[Tall poppy Syndrome]

I'm gonna go old school, and declare him Anthony Koutafides-like!

(After a few years on the weights, at least)

With a little bit of Fraser Gehrig sprinkled on top?

 

[Blackhawk42]

Honestly, it's far easier to be a midfielder than it is to play pretty much anywhere else on the ground.

I can't agree with this unfortunately, especially at the elite level.

To be a competent midfielder at worst, you still need an ability to offer all bases of general footy nous. Attack, defence, reading of the play, skills, consistency. If you don't possess all of these traits then you need to EXCEL in a couple of them, minimum.

You can still be a passable high half forward if you have elite endurance and running patterns.
An elite defender if you possess strength and marking ability.
An elite small forward if you have evasion and speed.

We've invested a lot in Weddle with the pick swap it took to acquire him. We clearly expect him to be capable of developing into an A grade midfielder.
The easiest play would be to throw him down back where he can read the play and use his pace to run with the footy and gain metres.

From what we're hearing, he has the character and commitment to put his head down and do the work required to become the midfielder Sam is envisioning.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

He sure was excited to be taken.

 

[KermitJagger]

I can't agree with this unfortunately, especially at the elite level.

To be a competent midfielder at worst, you still need an ability to offer all bases of general footy nous. Attack, defence, reading of the play, skills, consistency. If you don't possess all of these traits then you need to EXCEL in a couple of them, minimum.

You can still be a passable high half forward if you have elite endurance and running patterns.
An elite defender if you possess strength and marking ability.
An elite small forward if you have evasion and speed.

We've invested a lot in Weddle with the pick swap it took to acquire him. We clearly expect him to be capable of developing into an A grade midfielder.
The easiest play would be to throw him down back where he can read the play and use his pace to run with the footy and gain metres.

From what we're hearing, he has the character and commitment to put his head down and do the work required to become the midfielder Sam is envisioning.

Couldn't care less if you don't agree with it. All you really need to do is have a look at how many elite defenders there are, and how many elite small forwards there are - then have a look at how many elite midfielders there are.

The only position on the ground that would be easier to learn is half back. Midfielders have the benefit of generally being where the ball is, and it's far more simple to have some general awareness of your surroundings and to attack the ball than it is to be working off the ball, predicting what is going to happen down the ground and always being conscious of a specific opponent that you are defending, or is defending you.

It might be harder work, but just have a look at Nash's progress from forward to midfield and tell me it isn't a more simple role.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Couldn't care less if you don't agree with it. All you really need to do is have a look at how many elite defenders there are, and how many elite small forwards there are - then have a look at how many elite midfielders there are.

The only position on the ground that would be easier to learn is half back. Midfielders have the benefit of generally being where the ball is, and it's far more simple to have some general awareness of your surroundings and to attack the ball than it is to be working off the ball, predicting what is going to happen down the ground and always being conscious of a specific opponent that you are defending, or is defending you.

It might be harder work, but just have a look at Nash's progress from forward to midfield and tell me it isn't a more simple role.

I wasn't being hostile, just raising a different opinion to get some healthy debate going if anyone felt inclined.

Perhaps I should have clarified that generally it's much harder to turn somebody into an A grade midfielder who hasn't grown up playing that position primarily.

It will be harder for Weddle to become the elite mid we want than it would be for him to become a star in defence where he's already proven he's capable.

Will Day struggled when he moved into the midfield last season as an example.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I wasn't being hostile, just raising a different opinion to get some healthy debate going if anyone felt inclined.

Perhaps I should have clarified that generally it's much harder to turn somebody into an A grade midfielder who hasn't grown up playing that position primarily.

It will be harder for Weddle to become the elite mid we want than it would be for him to become a star in defence where he's already proven he's capable.

Will Day struggled when he moved into the midfield last season as an example.

Weddle played juniors as a mid, so it won’t be foreign to him.

He only moved into defence to grow into his body, but he excelled there.

 

[KermitJagger]

I wasn't being hostile, just raising a different opinion to get some healthy debate going if anyone felt inclined.

Perhaps I should have clarified that generally it's much harder to turn somebody into an A grade midfielder who hasn't grown up playing that position primarily.

It will be harder for Weddle to become the elite mid we want than it would be for him to become a star in defence where he's already proven he's capable.

Will Day struggled when he moved into the midfield last season as an example.

It's not about the players, it's about qualities.

Just off the top of my head Gary Ablett Jr, Nat Fyfe, Patrick Dangerfield, Silk were drafted as forwards, David Mundy as a defender. Will day didn't struggle because he couldn't learn the role, he struggled with injuries and a lack of preparation.

Midfielders generally are the better players, but it's not because you need to be a better player in order to be a midfielder, it's because you want your best players involved in play at all times. As far as the role goes, I reckon you could ask anyone who plays at that level and they'd say being in a role where you're always around the ball simplifies things a lot.

 

[seysearles]

Is this correct? Weddle looks good (from a terribly small sample) but I hate the fact that we’ve given up a future second and on paper lost ground from a points perspective.

 

[JD1992]

His old man always had a good build, and is frame would certainly fill out.
He also takes after his mums running ability and even as a pre mid teen loved his running

Sent from my SM-A526B using Tapatalk

 

[KermitJagger]

Is this correct? Weddle looks good (from a terribly small sample) but I hate the fact that we’ve given up a future second and on paper lost ground from a points perspective.

View attachment 1563818

It's been covered an nauseam. We rated him @ about pick 10-12, and the points we've lost were just going to be eaten up in matching for a promising father son next year.

 

[threesixpio]

bloody excited. have a good feeling about Wedsy

On each wing - Weds-Day

Pity we can’t have Mundy as well

 

[seysearles]

It's been covered an nauseam. We rated him @ about pick 10-12, and the points we've lost were just going to be eaten up in matching for a promising father son next year.

They weren’t points though. They were a second round pick tied to our likely low finish. That feels valuable to me. My cynical side says that Weddle (or someone his equal) would have still been there at 27 so effectively we just flushed pick 20 next year in a strong draft down the bog.

Which FS are you referring to btw?

 

[Billyc]

Is this correct? Weddle looks good (from a terribly small sample) but I hate the fact that we’ve given up a future second and on paper lost ground from a points perspective.

View attachment 1563818

Forget the points, it's irrelevant. Look at the garbage Brisbane packaged up to have enough points for Ashcroft. Nobody on earth is trading pick 2 for that.

 

[threesixpio]

Weddle played juniors as a mid, so it won’t be foreign to him.

He only moved into defence to grow into his body, but he excelled there.

eldorado - do you coach footy as well at your school? Wondering if you coached him directly?

 

[eldorado]

eldorado - do you coach footy as well at your school? Wondering if you coached him directly?

No, I always had the soccer squads...but had Josh in a volleyball squad years back, as a team manager (rather than coach)

 

[seysearles]

They weren’t points though. They were a second round pick tied to our likely low finish. That feels valuable to me. My cynical side says that Weddle (or someone his equal) would have still been there at 27 so effectively we just flushed pick 20 next year in a strong draft down the bog.

Which FS are you referring to btw?

Is McCabe our only FS prospect next season? What pick are they talking about him going?

 

[chopflop]

Alex Rance

Alex Rance

Age

35

Ht

194cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

7.7

5star

M

5.7

5star

T

2.4

4star

MG

226.9

3star

No current season stats available

D

17.0

5star

K

5.8

3star

HB

11.2

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.6

5star

was pick 18

 

[Blackhawk42]

It's not about the players, it's about qualities.

Just off the top of my head Gary Ablett Jr, Nat Fyfe, Patrick Dangerfield, Silk were drafted as forwards, David Mundy as a defender. Will day didn't struggle because he couldn't learn the role, he struggled with injuries and a lack of preparation.

Midfielders generally are the better players, but it's not because you need to be a better player in order to be a midfielder, it's because you want your best players involved in play at all times. As far as the role goes, I reckon you could ask anyone who plays at that level and they'd say being in a role where you're always around the ball simplifies things a lot.

I'm basing a lot of this on my own footy career (which is still active). I've played long periods in all positions and I've always found playing as a midfielder to be the hardest position to remain consistent week to week. Balancing defence and attack, as well as stoppage craft, combined with managing your burst speed and required effort dependent on game scenario is seriously hard stuff. You need to be strong at spinning multiple plates.

Flank positions and outside roles, by comparison, can be easier to succeed simply using tunnel vision.

The variable of course is being involved in an elite level program where you can spend your working week honing the craft.

Regardless, it's great to hear from Strapping Young Lad than Josh has played midfield during his junior career.

I'm a lot more convinced today that we made the correct decision last night trading up to get him.

 

[TFFM]

A prospect who is 6'4 tall, elite in all athletic attributes, and with a footy background. It's hard not to like this pick, his highlights are great. We are building a list of footy-orientated players who can run all day.

 

[MrPremiership]

Is McCabe our only FS prospect next season? What pick are they talking about him going?

View attachment 1563845

Calsher Dear but he's a fair way out

I thought Ned Maginness was there next year too....or maybe another year off

 

[Tall poppy Syndrome]

On each wing - Weds-Day

Pity we get have Mundy as well

Well in this respect it’s a shame that Kennett is finishing up as boss cos then at training we could have had on Jeffs field Weds Day playing.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Calsher Dear but he's a fair way out

I thought Ned Maginness was there next year too....or maybe another year off

Ned is next year, but it remains to be seen if he’s up to the level.

Similarly we should hold fire on McCabe being a top Pick in 2023 also. Keeler and Lemmey we’re going to be top picks this time last year, and look at where people rate them now.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]