Welcome Welcome to the Hawks Jack Scrimshaw
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arupist
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Well, maybe not so superstitious.
- Mar 23, 2007
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Welcome to the Hawks Jack. Have a good break, then a huge off season and can’t wait to see you running around in the brown and gold.
On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
Ned Ryerson
Future Captain
Gidday Mojo,
This is something I was asked to do a short while ago, its probably a bit more than you asked for but simple to give you so please forgive the mostly cut and paste stuff with updates edited in...hope you find it a good read.
Ill try to keep this unbiased!
He is reserved if not quiet in unknown company but a very likeable, mess around kid with those he knows well. He has a tight group of mates he has had grown up with at school and through footy, some of them did OK in the draft, Polson, Florent, Setterfield, McGrath, Gallucci and Taranto amoungst others!! All very similar kids, love and are dedicated to their footy.
Jack was average at school, smart if he focused but always totally consumed with his footy and basketball. From a parents perspective, always banging my head against the wall to get him to put his footy down and open up his books! He also played rep BBall with the Sabres in Sandringham until forced to choose. Could also have been a good cricketer. Very hard in year 12 when you are in the AFL academy, playing state footy, school footy, TAC cup and trying to study!
When it comes to his footy, he never makes excuses but I can say the truth, that is he has had some frustrating set backs just prior to his draft leading up to mid last season when he finally started getting his body and mind right.
In early 2015, his U17 year, he had come off a stand out U16 national carnival (in 2014) for Vic Metro and was selected in the AFL academy (basically the all Australian side) and worked in that program until he was drafted. Kids without character dont come close to getting into this program BTW. He was one of only two Vic Metro players chosen. (the other was Jordan Gallucci. now at Adelaide). Anyway, early 2015 after just after being selected to play for Vic Metro at bottom age, he had a routine check up and the Metro doc noticed some inflexibility in his left hip and requested a scan. They found a small impingement, part of the hip bone that was larger. It wasnt stopping him playing but the docs thought it would be a restriction at professional level and recommended to have an op to basically scrape the bone away and free him up. The aim was to have him ready for his draft year.
The op was a success but the recovery was more than 15 weeks so he missed most of his bottom age year. When you hear Matthew Lloyd talk, this is when he knew him at Haileybury (school) and it no doubt frustrated Llloydy that he wasnt playing. For school he was told by the Metro docs to go easy and I think this is where Lloydy saw him as needing to do more work, when actually he wasnt allowed to! Haileybury footy is now headed up by Matthew Lloyd and before him, Stewart Loewe, whos son was in the lower year to Jack. Both Lloydy and Stewie have told me Jack was the best junior player they ever saw but I reckon Gunna would hold that mantle atm.
Jack Gunstan played junior footy at Beaumaris, then Sandringham Dragons and went to school at Haileybury, same as Jack Scrimshaw!
His first game back after his op was an incredible day for all of us! He played in the AFL Academy team vs the U18 All Stars on the G as the curtain raiser to the Hawks 2015 flag! What a day!
He played for just 20mins and from memory he kicked three goals and did well. Next he was flown off to Tampa with the academy where he attempted to do too much and sustained a stress fracture in his heel from poor boots/shoes. That put him out for the back half of that pre-season and the docs conservatively put him in a moon boot for another 6 weeks! Jack returned to play school footy from around the May 2016 of his draft year, way behind his teamates with his fitness and ability to run out a game. Prior to his op he was running 14.3 beeps, elite for a kid his height. This indicates hard work done earlier to get there.
He played very well at school then went straight into the Nationals representing Vic Metro in May/June 2016. He played a stand out game considering v SA which basically secured them the title. He played his first game in the TAC cup in approx round 15 2016 and I think was the first player to represent Australia and Vic Metro without ever playing a TAC Cup game. Theres some trivia for you!
His season ended with 23 possessions and a great game in the Sandringham Dragons flag. Of course he ended up going pick 7 in the 2016 draft and off to the Gold Coast!
I wont say too much about his time at the Suns other than his frustrating minor set backs like a hip flexor, bone spur in his foot, fractured cheek and a KO added to his homesickness. This lack of match fitness frustrated him, effected his confidence and got him down and probably a lack of maturity and experience made it tough for him. He was drafted by Rocket Eade and Scott Clayton who were sacked the next season. He played his 4 games at the back end of 2017 at AFL level and a total of 17 for the year. His body was cooked by his 4th senior game after a gruelling year trying to get his body right.
Some not close to him, viewed this training and effort on field as being lazy or having an attitude problem, which is not the case at all. It was mostly fitness and frustration from not being able to get a good run at playing seniors. Mid season he mentioned he wouldnt mind coming home and thats where his agent took over and I believe the Hawks became interested.
The Suns have announced a large investment in player welfare for the coming years as part of their retention plans. Unfortunately this was coming too late for Jack. In a short window of time (March to May '18) when his head was not where it needs to be it would have been good to have the right level of mentoring, leadership and support around him.
Jack has barracked for the Hawks all his life, idolized Crawf and Willo in the 2000s and then later Buddy, Roughy, Cyril and Birch. If you look closely at the 2013 flag when Hilly runs into the open goal in the last, he runs to the fence and high fives Jack and his mate! He's wearing a yellow raincoat from memory!!!
Ive got no doubt this trade by the Hawks was a clever decision by Clarko and Wrighty. In just the first meeting with Clarko it has had a tremendous impact on him. He is really up and about! Fingers crossed if he can do a full pre-season, the Hawks fans will be delighted with him Im sure.
Next step, Kokoda which will be fantastic for him!
We are all very much looking forward to 2019! It cant come quick enough!
Thanks a great deal for the insight Gromma - probably the best thing I’ve ever read on here.
I just have two quick questions if I can. I often bring two things up about players when people bluster on here.
Firstly, you touched on the homesickness. How much does this impact on some kids now, and what is the impact from a family perspective? I’ve always defended the kids who claim it - because I can imagine having to uproot from your support network at such a formative age would be a huge ordeal and I don’t blame any kid for wanting to be close to their family. Particularly if the club culture isn’t too crash hot (casting no aspersions on the Suns right now as I don’t have an internal view on them as you would). Just wondering if you can quickly touch on what it’s like for a player and their family?
Secondly - do players get on bigfooty to your knowledge? I’ve seen some awful stuff posted about our players at times and often some here will rightly ask for it to not be as vitriolic as players, as well as their friends and families read bigfooty and it’d be pretty disheartening seeing the crap being piled on by supporters of your club. Would be good to get more confirmation that players do peruse it so as to warn those posters who throw the toys out of the cot that they need to calm down a tad.
- Jun 28, 2013
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Ned - I am not sure players should read Bigfooty. Would be a terrible work/life balance
I hope our club discourages it or educates players about it
Ned Ryerson
Future Captain
Gibbo mentioned in an interview that players did read it. I’m sure the club definitely has induction programs that warn them about the crap on social media and bigfooty etc - but human nature would have to get the better of you.
I’m sure we’ve all googled our names to see what comes up - if you had any level of being in the public light then the curiosity would be magnified I’d have thought.
Edit: I also remember Suckers making a tongue in cheek comment on social media about the fans who didn’t like him when he left the Hawks - he obviously saw some of the negative social media and/or bigfooty comments about him.
Dewnior
Brownlow Medallist
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This is what I think and it looks like blaming the victim but for me it’s a workplace hazard and should be managed as such. All jobs should have a “healthy switch off policy” and for me a player reading social media about themselves would be unhealthy. Anyway - hi Jack - I bet he is reading this thread if his parent posted something (which is a different situation and really sweet).
Can’t wait to see what you bring to the Hawks mate! Awesome that you supported us and we will support you to the hilt
- Jun 28, 2013
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Yeah but I need a Star Wars reference. I was thinking Order 36 (a refenece to Order 66 where the emperor orders the mega Jedi hit)
If you see our players as awesome Jedi (which I do) then my curse is a bit emperorish
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grumbleguts
User name to post ratio checks out
Brownand Gold-leaderI asked for Gamorian Wingard and I got a big fat no
Jaegerba System
Princess Teia
Tomtooine
Luke BruestWater
Changkuoth Gial
Darth Cyrilus
BigBoy-8
Jaeger Jaeger Binks
The German Hunter
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Hope you weren’t awake all night thinking of these grumble!
The German Hunter
Premiership Player
- Nov 3, 2014
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Hope you weren’t awake all night thinking of these grumble!
Ned Ryerson
Future Captain
Jaegarba System is absolute genius.
grumbleguts
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Jaegerba System I thought of a long time ago, when he chose O'Rourke Awakens. He suggested he likes Princess Teia, but the rest was 5 minutes work.
Turtles all the way down
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Yeah. Someone should take it.
No way in hell the mods will give it to me because they believe in witchcraft and shit. Crazy campaigners
grumbleguts
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What about brown and gold leader? It isn't a specific player, it has gold leader and it is starwars.Yeah. Someone should take it.
No way in hell the mods will give it to me because they believe in witchcraft and shit. Crazy campaigners
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The leadership group will all die in a horrible golf trip related accident if I do that.
Turtles all the way down
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In that case, do you want to take one for the team with “Geelong time ago in a galaxy far, far away...”
Gotta be worth a shot, right?
Brant
Brownlow Medallist
No, he was at the Cantina in Mos Eisely.
Only at Essendon, will you find a more wretched hive of scum & villainy...
Brant
Brownlow Medallist
C-3Puopolo
StalkingHawk
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Yeah. Someone should take it.
No way in hell the mods will give it to me because they believe in witchcraft and shit. Crazy campaigners
What about ‘Cursed Hawk’ or variation of? Own it!
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