Season 2024 - Hawthorn

Football Discussion Non Essendon Stuff
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Hawthorn

Coach – Sam Mitchell

2023 –

Points For – 16th
Points Against – 16th

Top 5 Best and Fairest

  1. Will Day
  2. Jai Newcombe
  3. Conor Nash
  4. James Worpel
  5. James Sicily

2023 Rising Star Noms

Josh Weddle (Rnd 10)
Seamus Mitchell (R=nd 17)

Ins – Massimo D’Ambrosio, Mabior Chol, Calsher Dear, Jack Ginnivan, Jack Gunston, Will McCabe, Bodie Ryan, Nick Watson

Outs – Lachie Bramble, Tyler Brockman, Fergus Greene, Emerson Jeka, Jacob Koschitzke, Ned Long, Max Lynch, Josh Morris, Fionn O’Hara, Brandon Ryan

My Prediction

There is a lot of people with big predictions for Hawthorn, I know they had a couple of good wins last year but the list is still a long way off. Mitchell sold the world on his attacking game plan and everyone bought what he sold. The facts remain that despite the relatively strong second half of the season, they still only won 7 games. I know they have some talent but those predicting finals for them this year may have gone early.

The backline needs Sicily to stay fit and disciplined. He is by far their most important player, Hardwick has been consistent and they found one last year in Weddle. I think Jiath came on looking like a star but last year found the going much tougher. Impey has been solid for a while and they have Blanck who they will be hoping can hold down a KP back spot. All in all, it’s not the worst backline in the competition but pretty uninspiring. There will be teams get hold of them this season.

They have focused in the midfield, Day finally got a good run with his body and took home the BnF. He is supported by Ward and Worpel who returned to form last year. Newcombe is a very good player and Maginness was good last year along with Amon and Nash. They lack depth in the middle and outside of their top few it drops off pretty quickly. McKenzie looked like a no brainer in the draft last year but took a while to find his feet at the top level, they will be hoping for improvement from him this season.

The forward line is thin. Mitch Lewis looks like a player and his body may let him play a full season which would help. Bringing back Gunston is one of the stranger decisions in recent times and am not sure he gets a game. If you want strange decisions, they also bought in Chol and Ginnivan. It is a patchwork quilt of a forward line. Bruest is a star and they will be looking for Nick Watson to come in and do what he has done everywhere he has played.

Ned Reeves looks like a ruckman. I think he will continue to improve and give them good service. I think there is a bit in him and wouldn’t surprise if he took a serious leap this year. The coach is annoyingly good at what he does. He knows football and the players seem to like and trust him. He has them all pulling in the same direction.

The Hawks do not have the talent to make a run at finals. They have not brought in the sort of players to make a massive difference quickly. I think last year they did well to win seven games and it probably put them a year ahead of schedule. They haven’t lost much in the offseason so being kind, with a young list we should see some improvement. I think they will finish in the 14-16 range. I would love their dip to the bottom to last much longer.

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I think they are tracking well with their list build and contested & attacking style of play.
hate 'em even more than port so I am hopeful they hit a wall from lack of sufficient talent all over the field.

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Zero Hanger Best 23

FB: Blake Hardwick, James Sicily, Jarman Impey

HB: Changkuoth Jiath, Sam Frost, Josh Weddle

C: Karl Amon, Jai Newcombe, Connor MacDonald

HF: Dylan Moore, Mabior Chol, Luke Breust

FF: Jack Ginnivan, Mitchell Lewis, Jack Gunston

FO: Ned Reeves, Will Day, Josh Ward

I/C: Conor Nash, James Worpel, Jack Scrimshaw, Chad Wingard

SUB: Seamus Mitchell

Also in the mix: Nick Watson, Finn Maginness, Cameron Mackenzie, Massimo D’Ambrosio, James Blanck, Henry Hustwaite, Sam Butler

Every AFL team’s best 23 for the 2024 season: Hawthorn Hawks - AFL News - Zero Hanger - Page 4

Hawks have run in defence, a big hulking ruck and added some talented small forwards.
They still have a midget midfield and we will likely bully them in the midfield round 1.
They ahve some promising players. And their small forwards may cause havoc, but as long as we win the midfield battle we should win comfortably.

Interesting decision getting Chol and Meek surely only 1 of them plays regulary, but given traded to club both must think they are guaranteed. Im assuming Gunston plays most weeks. but if not then 3 talls and genuine 3 smalls would probably still work out ok

They are not good enough to make finals. Hopefully still anchored to the bottom.

Hawks were the youngest list in 2023, will be the second youngest this year - due to North cutting Goldy, Mckay, Cunnington, Ziebell etc.

looking at the ins and outs, didnt really lose anyone of note but added a few handy players and draftees Watson
They should improve, but improvement isn’t always linear in wins. And would actually help their rebuild if they finished in the bottom 4 again.
I rate Newcombe as the most important player for me, sets the tone, leads from the front. Hope we put work into him (Setterfield) round 1.

Prediction 14-18th

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I put Hawthorn in that big group of teams who could finish anywhere between 6-16 (includes Essendon).

I think in likelihood they end up somewhere toward the bottom of that group, but who knows - they’ve shown at times a capacity to play really competitive football.

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Sam has the team humming, a quick fire turnaround for a young group who will be thereabouts again 10-12th for mine

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Sam knows that finishing 10-12th leaves the list in no mans land.
competitive close losses but ending up with top 4-5 pick will be good enough to add quality to the list.

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That forwardline is pretty Grim though.

Chol (absolute hot trash)
Bruest (cooked)
Gunston (cooked)
Ginnivan (soon to be cooked)

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Fark Mitchell.
That is all…

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booooooo

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Carntz

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I still think they’re bottom six at best. They had some good wins but horrendous losses last year.

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I think they will finish either 5th or 17th.

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Fixed

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That might have something to do with the fact that he didn’t play after round 9 due to injury.

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Not sure I’m buying Sam’s rebuild yet, still a. Lot of unknowns and the additions are not inspiring. I can’t see them improving much.

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Dawks will finish bottom 4 again. l can’t rate any team that still has Spud Frost as KPD. Apart from that obvious handicap, their depth looks incredibly thin. Getting Gunston back is a puzzle, he would have to turn the clock back a full decade to justify his pick-up. Their midfield looks weak and their forward line looks even weaker. If Sicily goes down with an injury they will be more stuffed than a Christmas chook.

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Have a nagging feeling that Nick Watson will be an annoyingly superb small forward for them. Thankfully their depth runs out quickly in most areas of the ground and they’re very dependent on one player at each end, Sicily and Lewis. When one of those two are out they’re usually not too great, like we saw in Round 1 last year.

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I think you’ve read the team sheets back to front.
Nash 198cm, Day 191cm, Maginness 189cm, Mackenzie 187cm, Newcombe 187cm, Worpel 186cm

They make our mids look like school kids

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Have began their rebuild by drafting a very physical midfield. Sometimes they’ll have days like they did vs Collingwood, other times they’ll look as outclassed as they did against us in round 1. Trending upwards, 10-12 is my guess.

■■■■ Sam Mitchell.

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I’m not sold on Watson being an AFL footballer yet. Time will tell.