Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Pick 18, Josh Weddle

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sam says Blicavs…

 

[Iceman!]

He’s good, but not at that level yet. Sicily, Day, Jai, Scrimshaw, Frost, Meek would be some of just a few who are 'more important'.

I think it is currently Day, maybe Newc in the running but we haven't really lost him to know.

We look a completely different team with Day in normally. Weddle is incredible and i can see him becoming our best very soon but currently i think it is Day number 1 with Moore and Sicily 2 and 3. A bit of a raffle after that.

 

[Bedi]

He’s good, but not at that level yet. Sicily, Day, Jai, Scrimshaw, Frost, Meek would be some of just a few who are 'more important'.

I know i've gone early, but was watching the Richmond game last night and he's a freakin superstar. Day or Sicily are the one's you'd make a strong argument for but Weddle's become so dependable and exciting he's the first player i'd pick.

 

[Bedi]

He's definitely our Mr. Fixit in a hybrid Pavlich/Sean Burgoyne kind of way.

You can put him where you want to make a difference and be pretty confident it's going to happen.

He's not been tried out as a centre square mid yet, but you suspect that will come if someone ever really starts to get on top of us in there and plans a) b) and c) have failed.

Pretty much won us the game in the ruck against the Saints, so you're right. I thought initially he was purely a dashing halfback flanker (damn exciting one at that) but he's added so many dimensions to his game this year. He's become quite big bodied with a low centre of gravity which is starting to remind me of Kouta in terms of being that running, marking machine.

 

[tommyk72]

I know i've gone early, but was watching the Richmond game last night and he's a freakin superstar. Day or Sicily are the one's you'd make a strong argument for but Weddle's become so dependable and exciting he's the first player i'd pick.

I think he’s close, but his consistency needs to improve. When he has an ‘on’ day he is an absolute match winner. But he also has a lot of quieter days.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see him take that step to become a more consistent game winner next year.

 

[toomanysquibs]

I think he’s close, but his consistency needs to improve. When he has an ‘on’ day he is an absolute match winner. But he also has a lot of quieter days.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see him take that step to become a more consistent game winner next year.

The thing I like is that he's still finding new ways to impact a game.

Aside from the run he brings, he had started to impact games with towering pack marks. He took some big ones over a few weeks mid to late last year. Then teams took that away from him by making sure they got a body on him. Then they closed down some of his run to an extent as well. So he was asked to play a more accountable role as a defender this year, which he managed to do really well.

As the year has progressed he's added to be a more consistent goal kicker, a forward when required, and playing in the ruck to his repertoire.

The can't take it all off him, he's going to impact games in one of these ways every week as he finds more consistency. Given his desire to improve and try his hand anywhere, that can only bode well for him and the club.

 

[Billyc]

Reckon it's fair to say he's now just enough close to being our best/most important player. Defensive, running, marking, goal kicking beast

Not yet, but I think he will be within 3 years

 

[tommyk72]

The thing I like is that he's still finding new ways to impact a game.

Aside from the run he brings, he had started to impact games with towering pack marks. He took some big ones over a few weeks mid to late last year. Then teams took that away from him by making sure they got a body on him. Then they closed down some of his run to an extent as well. So he was asked to play a more accountable role as a defender this year, which he managed to do really well.

As the year has progressed he's added to be a more consistent goal kicker, a forward when required, and playing in the ruck to his repertoire.

The can't take it all off him, he's going to impact games in one of these ways every week as he finds more consistency. Given his desire to improve and try his hand anywhere, that can only bode well for him and the club.

Agree. Exceptional growth and and adaptation to different circumstances. Excited to see what he brings to finals, but also what he discovers in the finals and then builds into his game for next year.

 

[Dipper]

If we get Barrass and or Battle then I think he should play the Jezza Cameron role, that would allow him to utilise both his running and his marking.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Agree. Exceptional growth and and adaptation to different circumstances. Excited to see what he brings to finals, but also what he discovers in the finals and then builds into his game for next year.

I couldn't be more with you, the excitement around what he might do in finals and learn from them is palpable.

Whatever happens during September, this team is going to be even better over coming years as a result.

 

[matey]

TV does not do justice…… standing next to Weds in real life he is athletic big!

 

[HIG]

Hearing of all the player comparisons for Weddle and there’s elements of the Lizard, Blicavs etc etc..

But none of them has sat well. Until finally this weekend it dawned on me.

The blend of height, pace, skills, power and endurance. There’s only one player I’ve seen with all of that.

Adam Goodes.

Josh projects / has an upside that high. What a magnificent talent.

 

[matey]

Weds is a big unit and he is actually starting to use it to his advantage. Can’t remember who it was in the last quarter l think but he released a quick hand ball and then braced himself (knowing he was getting hit) to a North player coming into to tackle ……. let’s just say Weds jogged off while the North player came off worse for wear looked hurt. He is much stronger than Blakey and a more powerful runner than most. He is so unique and will be our Mr Fix it for the next decade

 

[Bugs1977]

Hearing of all the player comparisons for Weddle and there’s elements of the Lizard, Blicavs etc etc..

But none of them has sat well. Until finally this weekend it dawned on me.

The blend of height, pace, skills, power and endurance. There’s only one player I’ve seen with all of that.

Adam Goodes.

Josh projects / has an upside that high. What a magnificent talent.

I've always thought the same. Goodes was an awesome ruck there for a good period but Weddle's running capacity is bloody unbelievable.

 

[marklar]

only one player I’ve seen with all of that.

Adam Goodes.

Josh projects / has an upside that high. What a magnificent talent.

Goodes was an absolute natural football player, Weddle is a natural athlete that is still learning how to play football.

There really is no limit on what he can become.

 

[Buckemenico]

It is preposterous that he is only in his second year .

 

[threesixpio]

Gotta be Weddle, if not on the basis of being the best goal (I still think it is) but 100% the best celebration, crowd reaction and setting. Miers' goal hardly belongs... the crowd went mild for that one.

I’ve said before I’ll say it again

Budwah like

 

[tommyk72]

I think he’s better than Rioli.

 

[Sirlemsip]

Projecting as a true superstar of the competition. Love the Goodes comparison. Koutoufides is another one.

D+

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I remember when we traded up for him I was thinking "geez, this guy better be good".

And that you'd need a genuinely top shelf prospect to sacrifice a pick or two before they'd even played a game or had a pre-season.

And here we are.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

I remember when we traded up for him I was thinking "geez, this guy better be good".

And that you'd need a genuinely top shelf prospect to sacrifice a pick or two before they'd even played a game or had a pre-season.

And here we are.

Imagine Sydney got him

 

[HawthornHawk]

I remember when we traded up for him I was thinking "geez, this guy better be good".

And that you'd need a genuinely top shelf prospect to sacrifice a pick or two before they'd even played a game or had a pre-season.

And here we are.

I can't actually work out what Sydney did with the '23 second rounder we sent them.

They picked up Cooper Vickery with pick 27 in the same year

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Just think what could be if we get some big defenders, allowing weddles to play wing....

 

[H00t]

I can't actually work out what Sydney did with the '23 second rounder we sent them.

They picked up Cooper Vickery with pick 27 in the same year

From what I can work out they traded it (as pick 25) to North along with Stephen’s for one of their R1 priority picks in 2024. Then it was traded to Carlton as with 21 for Fisher and 17.

Then Gresham moved as a FA making it pick 26. Which was then traded to the Suns as part of the Elijah Hollands trade where it was then used as part of matching the Walter bid.

 

[Hawkers Hero]

I can't actually work out what Sydney did with the '23 second rounder we sent them.

They picked up Cooper Vickery with pick 27 in the same year

Its hard to follow but I think the second rounder went with Dylan Stephens to North for Pick 44 and this years Pick 19. That second rounder then went to Carlton for Zac Fisher and then to Gold Coast for Elijah Hollands. Ultimately used to match the Will Graham match bid

Similarly, the third rounder (#46) went to Melbourne with their first for Brody Grundy then to Brisbane for Tom Fullarton and back to us in the Gunner/Ryan trade. We used this on Bodie Ryan.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I don't see much benefit of Weddle in CBAs - but I thnk there could be a new kind of CHF type role where he just patrols the centre square as a marking target with huge running power