Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn: Pick 23, Sam Butler

[KermitJagger]

I remember in his first year Nathan Bock tried to run through him and cyril took the impact, wrapped his arm up and stripped him HTB. Bock was 100kg. Ridiculous strength.

I maintain that Cyril is the only player in recent memory who caused a shift in the way the game is played in their first year. The pressure forward wasn't a thing prior to 2008, and from 2008 onwards every club was looking for one.

 

[Slainte]

I maintain that Cyril is the only player in recent memory who caused a shift in the way the game is played in their first year. The pressure forward wasn't a thing prior to 2008, and from 2008 onwards every club was looking for one.

And yet, a complete nonentity took the Rising Star award!

 

[kazzooka]

I maintain that Cyril is the only player in recent memory who caused a shift in the way the game is played in their first year. The pressure forward wasn't a thing prior to 2008, and from 2008 onwards every club was looking for one.

Aaron Davey did that years earlier. It was a clear talking point in 2007 that we had gotten the tall and mids sorted but needed a small forward and more forward line pressure then we drafted Cyril and Stokes. Not saying Cyril wasn't the best at it, but it was an area of focus and was Davey that really made a change with it.

 

[naysayer]

Aaron Davey did that years earlier. It was a clear talking point in 2007 that we had gotten the tall and mids sorted but needed a small forward and more forward line pressure then we drafted Cyril and Stokes. Not saying Cyril wasn't the best at it, but it was an area of focus and was Davey that really made a change with it.

Agreed, Davey was a great player. Could move like lightning, and he was a run-down tackle specialist.. He used to play very well against us, too. As you can see from the highlights from his early years, he was very gifted. Unfortunately his gifts were absolutely wasted as he played the bulk of his career in the worst team of the past 25 years, even including the expansion teams, teams gutted by WADA suspensions and Covid protocols.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

And yet, a complete nonentity took the Rising Star award!

C'mon this narrative needs to die. Palmer averaged:
23.1 touches
5 marks
kicked 10 goals
had 10 direct goal assists

IMO Rioli should have won it as he had an incredible impact on the side (24 goals, 24 direct goal assists, 3.5 tackles), it was an impact that absolutely transcended stats. But those are still great numbers for a first year midfielder.

 

[Slainte]

C'mon this narrative needs to die. Palmer averaged:
23.1 touches
5 marks
kicked 10 goals
had 10 direct goal assists

IMO Rioli should have won it as he had an incredible impact on the side (24 goals, 24 direct goal assists, 3.5 tackles), it was an impact that absolutely transcended stats. But those are still great numbers for a first year midfielder.

Palmer had an ordinary career and even his debut season never showed Rioli like ability. It was another case of award by numbers. His subsequent knee construction didn't help his career but that could be said of many players who went on to be genuine stars.

 

[The Chad and I]

C'mon this narrative needs to die. Palmer averaged:
23.1 touches
5 marks
kicked 10 goals
had 10 direct goal assists

IMO Rioli should have won it as he had an incredible impact on the side (24 goals, 24 direct goal assists, 3.5 tackles), it was an impact that absolutely transcended stats. But those are still great numbers for a first year midfielder.

Cyril's first year was like Jim Carrey in The Mask - critics just didn't understand what they were watching to recognise the full genius of the performance. Rising Star just didn't get it when they looked at the stats.

 

[WWSD]

VFL

Round 1: 21 disposals - 7 marks - 3 tackles - 3 goals - 2 behinds
Round 2: 18 disposals - 5 marks - 4 inside 50s - 4 goals - 1 behind

 

[SSSSSS]

He and Finn completely turned the game around in the second half.

He's kicking the door down at this point.

Get him in.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

ideally would replace Bruest by season's end

 

[dermott]

Sam has turned the corner. A strong preseason, he looks fit and fast.
More importantly he is looking AFL ready.

 

[SSSSSS]

Would love for Sam to get a run in the middle at some point. He had so much power out of a stoppage as a junior. It's also nice for a young small forward to keep involved in the play.

 

[burner1]

ideally would replace Bruest by season's end

Reckon we wasted two years trying to turn him into a deep forward to replace Breust.

He’s a high half forward. And maybe even with stints in midfield.

If he comes on he has to push out ginnivan, Moore or croc. He is quicker than all of them.

 

[TylerDurden]

Run him through the middle at VFL. He has traits we lack in there.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Reckon we wasted two years trying to turn him into a deep forward to replace Breust.

He’s a high half forward. And maybe even with stints in midfield.

If he comes on he has to push out ginnivan, Moore or croc. He is quicker than all of them.

Agree that Butler seems to be more of a high half forward. Obviously Moore is too, but he is also damaging around goal, and Ginnivan has shown over the last few weeks that he can have an impact up the ground too.

So I could see Watson, Butler, Moore and Ginnivan all rotate between playing deep and playing high half forward. Rotating like that could throw off opposition matchups.

 

[Dewwwww]

Run him through the middle at VFL. He has traits we lack in there.

2yrs ago on Fox footy David King was big on him and said he is a Zac Butters clone. Time to start giving him more minutes up the ground at Box Hill. Has had the pre season….now has the tank and is injury free. Let’s see if this kid has it

 

[The Chad and I]

VFL

Round 1: 21 disposals - 7 marks - 3 tackles - 3 goals - 2 behinds
Round 2: 18 disposals - 5 marks - 4 inside 50s - 4 goals - 1 behind

These are incredible numbers.
Butler is a hff/mid.
Not a small forward.

GET HIM IN!

 

[The Chad and I]

Reckon we wasted two years trying to turn him into a deep forward to replace Breust.

He’s a high half forward. And maybe even with stints in midfield.

If he comes on he has to push out ginnivan, Moore or croc. He is quicker than all of them.

It is an error belonging by to the Clarkson era more than Mitchell’s, but here we are doing the same thing trying to make a player fit a role instead of playing him to his strengths.

Butler has always been a hff/mid to me, with potential to become a full time mid.

 

[theiaofseed]

It is an error belonging by to the Clarkson era more than Mitchell’s, but here we are doing the same thing trying to make a player fit a role instead of playing him to his strengths.

Butler has always been a hff/mid to me, with potential to become a full time mid.

He's never had the fitness to play anything but that role until this year

 

[TylerDurden]

He's never had the fitness to play anything but that role until this year

Seems to have a naturally big tank to me.

 

[theiaofseed]

Seems to have a naturally big tank to me.

His tank improvement this year is out of this world

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Seems to have a naturally big tank to me.

He's been one of our best runners since the day he was drafted. I've seen it for myself at training and it has been noted by other more prolific track watchers. Fitness has never been an issue for him, but he seems to have attacked this preseason hard and has gone up a level.

I suppose not getting games in two seasons and then seeing Ginnivan and Watson brought in has added extra motivation to work as hard as he can.

 

[matey]

He’s hard at it and doesn’t mind the rough stuff as well.

 

[SSSSSS]

HHF/Mid is where it's at for Buts. I think he doesn't have the footy IQ or the tricks to play as a pure small forward.

HFF/Mid gets him involved all game and lets him use his superior athleticism.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Run him through the middle at VFL. He has traits we lack in there.

When he was drafted the club released a highlights clip of him wit the headline 'Hawks continue to bolster their midfield'.

If he's not playing AFL next week, this is almost a must.

Now we're seeing the player that impressed so much as a junior, and has a ballistic athletic profile the likes of which we have so sorely needed.