17. Beau Muston [Archive]

philhawk

9th March 2007, 18:14

According to the My Man Thread, it looks like none other than Binxy will be one of the posters responsible for looking after perhaps the most anticipated player to ever don a Hawk jumper - before he even did so. :D

Binxy

11th March 2007, 12:35

Musto is a champion.

He doesn't even need to play another game, that's how good he is.

He will play another game however, because that's what champions do.

He will no doubt go on to win the Brownlow, the Coleman, Australian Idol and quite possibly the Tag Team belts as well.

He is great at Sudoku and can whip up a mean rissotto.

Bookmark this thread.

Hawkk

11th March 2007, 12:38

Gary Shadforth

11th March 2007, 13:52

philhawk

28th March 2007, 01:23

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2007/03/27/1174761471909.html

Time for one young Hawk to earn his wings

Michael Gleeson
March 28, 2007

AFTER waiting more than a year, Hawthorn is finally likely to unveil one of its prized recruits from the 2005 national draft.

Like a couple of unwrapped presents under the Christmas tree, top draft picks Xavier Ellis and Beau Muston sat out all of last season through year 12 study commitments and a knee injury, respectively.

Now one of the pair is likely to finally make his debut in the season-opening game against Brisbane.

Both have played well through the pre-season and most recently in the practice match against Essendon but it is unlikely both players would make their debut at the same time.

Midfielder Ellis was taken at pick three in the 2005 draft after being expected to be selected by Collingwood with the second pick.

The fast-running half-back/midfielder broke a foot early last year but returned to play school football for Melbourne Grammar and for VFL side Box Hill late in the season.

He is possibly the more likely of the two to play should one of them be given the nod to make their debut.

Muston, also a quick midfielder, was the slightly more speculative selection as, at the time of the draft, he required a second reconstruction on a knee.

Without the need for a second operation he would likely have been vying with Ellis for a pick in the very earliest stages of the draft. As it was, he slid to a second-round pick (22 overall).

Given the concern over his knee and the possible risks of recovery it was only likely to be Hawthorn or Collingwood, both with five picks early in that draft, that could afford to gamble on Muston with a low draft pick.

As it was, Hawthorn got in first and his debut, when it eventually comes, will vindicate the club's decision.

The opportunities are there in the midfield for the Hawks this week as both former captain and Brownlow medallist Shane Crawford and rugged midfielder Campbell Brown are out suspended.

hawkstars

13th April 2007, 09:36

I think this kid will be a gun!

RustyHawk

8th August 2007, 01:21

Beau Muston signed a 2 year contract extension as advised on 07.08.07. He will play for the Hawks until at least the end of the 2009 season. Great news, well done Juddy, sorry I mean Beau. :thumbsu:

kevieyang

25th September 2007, 13:30

Is Muston ready to play a handful of games next season?

rumblah

25th September 2007, 15:15

Is Muston ready to play a handful of games next season?

Cannot see why not..

GNCLongJack

25th September 2007, 16:01

Is Muston ready to play a handful of games next season?
Easily....................the pre-season comp., then a few feelers, resulting in him being part of the first 22 furniture, for most of the 2nd half. This will then see him in his first season of seniors getting some finals/big occasion experience. The heat, the tempo, the accountability and how lack of it at AFL level WILL result in an opposition goal.

GNCLongJack

28th September 2007, 05:12

Beau Muston signed a 2 year contract extension as advised on 07.08.07. He will play for the Hawks until at least the end of the 2009 season. Great news, well done Juddy, sorry I mean Beau. :thumbsu:
Rapt to hear this, as me darlin daughter just asked me my Xmas request for what number I wanted on the sleeveless jumper she's buying me. After careful deliberation about the retirings/nos. now available and the subsequent juggling of players, AND who's not likely to be traded, I asked for 17, WITH the name MUSTON above the number. Hopefully he doesn't see himself as a Dunstall just yet.:cool:

Big Ronnie

24th December 2007, 19:53

CharlieMitchell

26th December 2007, 13:10

To many hot dates in 2007 reduced Binxy to a mess which is not what Charlie Mitchell promises to be with his man selection 15 Beau the human speedball Muston.

Charles see if you can deliver your info as quick as Mustys legs?

BR:thumbsu:

Appreciate the induction BR. I will be doing my best to keep Hawks supporters up to date with around the clock Beau watch.

It seems even the popular media in this country cannot keep up with the human speedball, as the young man prepares himself for a massive 08, it is only a matter of time till The Mustonator is the envy of 15 other clubs and their supporters.

CharlieMitchell

26th December 2007, 13:14

A picture of Hawthorn's main man, Beau "The Mustonator" Muston:

http://www.gspimages.com.au/images/thumbs/main/1455.jpg

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 08:55

Due to a lack of co-operation from the images, the montage now refuses to work.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:04

The complete Beau Muston Anthology. From conception to the present. Enjoy.

http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/afl/where-the-secondhand-player-can-be-first-choice/2005/12/12/1134236003738.html

"Where the second-hand player can be first choice"

THE largely anonymous nature of rookie drafts will pass today if, as expected, a host of recognisable names is drawn from the AFL's cyberspace fedora.
Where once a rookie's name was not expected to mean anything until a primary-listed player did a knee or a shoulder and a long-term vacancy on the senior list opened up, there could be more familiar names taken in the second of today's drafts than there will be in the recycling exercise that is the first, the pre-season draft.
It is accepted, for instance, that St Kilda will put one of its own, ruckman Dylan Pfitzner — who was a senior-list player this year — on its rookie list. Geelong is expected to do the same with Will Slade.
Former Melbourne midfielder Steven Armstrong, at 21, seems certain to be put on the rookie list by any one of the clubs that selected players in the national draft who are unlikely to play senior football next year. They include Sydney, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide.
The Swans aren't quite as convinced as some in the wisdom of absolute youth and need strong-bodied midfielders to produce their combat-style of play. The Hawks, on the other hand, picked four players in last month's national draft — Xavier Ellis, Beau Dowler, Beau Muston and Max Bailey — who, because of school commitments, injury and the state of their development, are unlikely to play senior football next year. They will select Brent Guerra in the pre-season draft and are almost as certain of taking another mature body after that.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:05

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/All-eyes-on-Saturdays-AFL-draft/2005/11/25/1132703365545.html

"All eyes on Saturday's AFL draft"

Brett Deledio's outstanding debut season has set a high standard, but the Richmond speedster has advised whoever takes over as the AFL's No.1 national draft pick on Saturday to ignore the inevitable expectations.
Carlton would be delighted if its likely No.1 choice, 18-year-old Oakleigh Chargers midfielder Marc Murphy, could have the instant impact Deledio, last year's No.1 pick, had with Richmond in 2005.
Deledio played all 22 games, won the AFL's Rising Star award - something never achieved before by the top draft pick in their first season - then capped it off by representing Australia against Ireland.
But Deledio said he had not set himself lofty goals, with his initial aim to play 10 to 12 games.
He advised Murphy - a creative, ball-winning midfielder - not to be distracted by the attention that would come his way.
"Take it all as it comes, that's what I tried to do, just keep a level head and go about your football the way you always have," Deledio said.
"Marc's good enough to play in the AFL, so he'll be fine if he plays the way he always has.
"I guess there was (an expectation attached to being No.1), but I tried not to look into that too much.
"You're playing with a bunch of guys you train with every day, so you try to feed off them and try to play footy the way you have from your younger days."
Surprisingly, Deledio said the lead-up to last year's draft had been quiet for him, with no stampede of recruiters knocking on his door, perhaps because other clubs assumed he would be taken at No.1.
"I had hardly any approaches. I think Brisbane, Carlton and Hawthorn came up to Kyabram and that was it," he said.
"I started to think 'what's going to happen here?'
"I was starting to get a bit worried, I wasn't getting any visits from other clubs, they didn't bother to chase me.
"Two days before the draft I was very nervous and wasn't sure where I was going.
"The night before the draft I got a call from Richmond saying they were going to take me No.1, so I slept a lot easier that night."
The early rounds of Saturday's draft will be dominated by Carlton, Collingwood and Hawthorn, which between them have the first six picks.
Hawthorn has five of the first 22 selections and has six picks before Sydney, which does not enter the draft until pick 51, has its first selection.
While Murphy is a near certainty to be snapped up by the Blues at No.1, the rest of the early choices are wide open, with experts rating most of the top group of young players as evenly matched.
Defenders Xavier Ellis, Shannon Hurn, Grant Birchall and Marcus Drum, midfielders Dale Thomas, Beau Muston and Shaun Higgins, ruckmen Mitchell Clark and Patrick Ryder and key forwards Josh Kennedy and Beau Dowler are all in the mix to go early.
Hawthorn has expressed a desire for quality tall players, while the Blues need to bolster their midfield and the Magpies would also like to add some midfield zip.
Deledio said prospective draftees were best-advised to ignore the constant media speculation about who would go where, and enter draft day with an open mind.
"You know with all of (the speculation about) what can happen and what can't happen and what eventually does happen at the draft, they are two different things," he said.
"You never want to get ahead of yourself and say you're going to end up (at a certain club), because you don't know."
A live webcast of the draft will be available on the afl.com.au website, with an estimated 60,000 people expected to log on, including many of the draft hopefuls.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:06

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Be-patient-with-AFL-draftees-say-Hawks/2005/11/26/1132966000136.html

"Be patient with AFL draftees, say Hawks"

Hawthorn is preaching patience to its fans after drafting two players recovering from serious injuries and another who will spend next season playing school football.
The Hawks had five of the first 22 picks in the AFL draft, but coach Alastair Clarkson conceded at least three of them were unlikely to have much impact at senior level in 2006.
The club's first pick (No.3 overall), defender Xavier Ellis, will be in year 12 at Melbourne Grammar next year, concentrating on his studies and playing school football.
The Hawks' second pick (No.6 overall), key forward Beau Dowler, has only recently emerged from a wheelchair after a car accident.
And their fifth pick (No.22), midfielder Beau Muston, is rehabilitating after a knee reconstruction.
But Clarkson said the Hawks' recruiting staff had extensively checked Dowler and Muston's medical progress, and were confident they would both make complete recoveries.
He said the club believed those players and the other three Hawthorn drafted - tall defender Grant Birchall, ruckman Max Bailey and midfielder Travis Tuck - would be part of an eventual era of success.
"Any process you go through like this always requires a little bit of patience," Clarkson said.
"We're mindful that if we stick through the process that this club will benefit enormously.
"We're not sure whether that will be in 12 months, two years or whether it will be in five years' time.
"We could almost say certainly within five years we'll be a good strong force in this competition, but who knows how long it will take?"
Clarkson said how quickly that era of strength arrived depended on the unpredictable factor of how long the young players took to mature as footballers.
He compared Hawthorn's Luke Hodge, the No.1 pick in the 2001 national draft, who only emerged as a star of the competition this season, with West Coast's Chris Judd, the No.3 pick the same year, who won the 2004 Brownlow Medal.
"You look at the difference between Judd and Hodge, Judd took four weeks to become a superstar in the competition and Hodgy took four years," Clarkson said.
"It's really up to the lads and how they respond to the system they're put into.
"We think we've got six good ones today."

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:07

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Clubs-to-see-past-injuries-for-AFL-draft/2005/11/23/1132703240853.html

"Clubs to see past injuries for AFL draft"

The curse of injury and illness to have befallen some of the most eye-catching talent on offer in this year's AFL national draft is unlikely to sway clubs from picking them early, according to the league's top talent scout.
AFL national development manager Kevin Sheehan doubted clubs would be put off by the injuries which have sidelined draft hopefuls Beau Dowler (broken pelvis), Josh Kennedy (shoulder reconstruction), Beau Muston (knee reconstruction) and Travis Varcoe (broken foot), who could all be selected in the top 10 on Saturday.
West Australian forward Mitch Clark, 18, is also not training at the moment after contracting a bout of the potentially-deadly meningococcal disease, but is said to be recovering well.
Sheehan said all 16 clubs would be well aware of the potential stars' medical reports - all draft hopefuls have to agree to full disclosure of their injuries or illnesses - and did not expect young guns to be overlooked because they might not be ready to play straight away.
"Injuries are something that occur all the time before the draft, so it's not that dramatic, but this year the numbering is just a bit unusual," he said.
"The clubs will be looking long-term and provided their doctors believe the players will make full recoveries will determine whether they will be selected, and if it's a yes, then they will go ahead as per normal."
Sheehan nominated West Coast superstar Chris Judd as a classic example of a youngster who was picked because of his talent, even though he had been sidelined for months.
Judd, the 2004 Brownlow medallist and the 2005 Norm Smith medallist, underwent two shoulder reconstructions before he turned 18 and had not played football for five months when he was selected with pick No.3 in the 2001 draft by the Eagles, yet he played in round two of the following season.
Carlton coach Denis Pagan, whose club has the prized No.1 pick in this year's draft, has confirmed the Blues will not be put off by slings and crutches when it comes to securing the best of the next crop of league players.
"I think you have got to take a longer term view of it," Pagan told the AFL website.
"I think everybody wants their first pick and even their second, third and fourth pick to play straight away.
"But I think you have just got to pick the best talent, we are looking at a 10-year player here not a 10-minute player."
Carlton is tipped to select Oakleigh Chargers midfielder Marc Murphy, 18, the son of former Fitzroy star John Murphy, with the No.1 pick, but could use its No.4 pick on any of the sidelined players.
Dowler, 17, was injured in a serious car accident in Melbourne last month but is recovering well, Varcoe, 17, has not played since he broke his foot in April, while Kennedy, 18, and Muston, 18, are both recovering from surgery.There will be 76 selections available on Saturday.
Essendon and Hawthorn (seven each) have the most picks, while Carlton (picks one and four), Collingwood (two and five) and the Hawks (three and six) will share the early selections courtesy of their priority picks.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:11

http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/afl/hawks-strategy-for-d-draft-day/2005/12/02/1133422112948.html

"Hawks' strategy for D (draft) day"

Hawthorn left nothing to chance when dispensing of its nest of early draft selections, Emma Quayle writes
AT 8AM last Saturday, Hawthorn's draft day team met for breakfast at a Middle Park cafe.
Less than five hours later, the same six men stood around the barbecue in coach Alastair Clarkson's backyard, welcoming the fresh pieces of footballing meat they had just delivered their club. The Hawks did not dictate all of the terms last Saturday; their day did not start until Carlton and Collingwood had plucked their preferred players from the national draft pool.
But with four first-round selections and another at the start of the second, they had a bigger say than any club in how the draft unfolded.
Their day's work — the culmination of a season's scouting — lasted less than an hour. That said, the Hawks spent less time on their toes than might have been thought, their morning adhering almost entirely to a neat script.

THE LEAD-UP

Hawthorn started focusing on the draft three weeks ago, bringing its recruiters to Melbourne for a two-day seminar to review a list of 66 players.
From there, recruiting manager Gary Buckenara and Chris Pelchen, Hawthorn's player personnel and strategy manager, whittled the list back and into an order of what they called their "talent flow".
Long before then, the club had pinpointed the key qualities each prospective recruit had to possess.
They had identified that the top 25 players in this draft were good talent, and they aimed to squeeze all their picks in there, finishing trade week with five of the first 22 selections.
In the days before the draft, Pelchen and Buckenara refined their 25-player "talent flow" , along with the four strategies.
FRIDAY NIGHT

Pelchen closed his office door about 8pm, having made final checks on the two Beaus, Dowler and Muston. If the Hawks were to choose either the marking forward with the fractured pelvis or the tall onballer probably headed for a second knee reconstruction, they wanted to make educated calls. "All you can do is minimise your risk," Pelchen said. "In Beau Dowler's case, we've had contact on a weekly basis with his family and his medical staff … It would be fair to say we were probably more aware of where Beau's knee was than Beau himself."
SATURDAY MORNING

Pelchen filled the group — Buckenara, Clarkson, football manager Mark Evans, chief executive Ian Robson and recruiter Greg Boxall — in on Dowler and Muston, and Buckenara offered an update on what he suspected other clubs were thinking. Then they tucked in to breakfast.
THE TABLE

Pelchen and Buckenara would do the bulk of the work, with the rest of the team seated at the back table. "When you're picking at pick 70 in a draft, it does take more co-ordination because more and more players are getting called out," Pelchen said.
PICK THREE

The Hawks thought Murphy, Dale Thomas and Xavier Ellis the best three — it was the order that was in question. With Murphy and Thomas gone, Hawthorn switched to the "Ellis strategy". Buckenara hesitated before calling the Gippsland Power player's name, but only briefly. "It was just common courtesy," said Pelchen. "We just turned around and said to Alastair … 'Are you still happy for us to call Xavier's name out?' "
PICK SIX

The Hawks had only one player in mind at their next pick, Beau Dowler, come on down.
PICK 14

Four players were listed at pick 14, and the first of them had gone. Grant Birchall was next in line and available, along with one other; though the decision had been made, it had to be confirmed.
PICK 18

Ruckman Max Bailey was the only player in mind at pick 18.
PICK 22

Only two of the Hawks' top 21 remained when they reached their final pick (their father-son selection, Travis Tuck, aside). One was Beau Muston. Buckenara and Pelchen turned to the back table.
"That discussion was for me to confirm what we knew about Beau and his medical condition and have the CEO accept that and be under the knowledge that if we selected this player, there was a strong likelihood he wouldn't play next year," Pelchen said.
THE WASH-UP …

The Hawks' formal draft review will happen next week; by Monday this week, they had sifted through the players left over. They will head to the rookie draft with a much longer talent flow, and less specific strategy. "We have to wait our turn this time," Pelchen said.
For now, they are happy with what they've got. "I remember Port Adelaide in 2001, we got Shaun Burgoyne, Kane Cornes and Domenic Cassisi at pick 50," Pelchen said. "We came out of that draft thinking we'd done well, so you do have a feeling. I've got a good feeling coming out of this draft, too."

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:13

http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/afl/dear-recruiters-forget-me-not/2005/09/30/1127804663146.html

"Dear recruiters, forget me not"

At the draft camp, Emma Quayle reports that an injured trio hopes the clubs remember they can play.
EACH of them felt unbeatable.
Michael West had just kicked his 13th goal for Queensland in its first under-18 trial game, and he felt "10 foot tall and bulletproof". Travis Varcoe had unpacked his bags after travelling to Ireland with Australia's under-17 team, and scored his first goal for Central District's senior side. And Beau Muston was tearing through the Murray Bushrangers' midfield, hungrily gathering possessions for the team he had not made the season before.
But as soon as all three had ensured recruiters would watch them, they had nothing left to show. West was leaping for a ball in the last 10 minutes of the game against Oakleigh when he felt a nudge in his back, landed badly on his right knee and was carried off with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. Michael Voss' 14-goal record for the Queenslanders would have to wait.
Muston had grabbed the ball when he was tackled from behind, felt another player fall across his own right knee and "heard the big noise". Varcoe was expecting a ball to fly over his head, but saw it come off the side of his teammates' boot, changed direction, and felt his left foot get stomped on.

For a long time, no one could tell him what had happened; two months ago, he finally learned he had separated some bone and severely damaged ligaments. The teenager will get out of his moon boot next week, and hopes he can run again by Christmas.
"I think it will be right," Varcoe said. "I feel like it will be all right. I haven't even thought about any bad news."
That the Victorian, South Australian and Queenslander came together at the draft camp in Canberra last week means they have been rated by at least the five clubs that nominated them for a spot. In such an open field that will encourage clubs to punt, the question is just where they are placed.
Most clubs considered the brilliant, blistering Varcoe a certain first-round pick and a likely top-fiver before he was hurt. Some still rated him there — given a good report from the specialist next week — while one recruiter couldn't see anyone taking the risk until after the first round; another said he wouldn't take the punt at all.
Muston generally sat where he was after seven games — as a late first-round, early second-round pick — though the fact he didn't play any TAC Cup last season, and hurt himself before playing even one Vic Country trial, made some clubs nervous.
The dreadlocked West was ranked a little lower, as a possible third-rounder with the chance to slip through to the rookie draft after going unpicked last year. He kicked his 13 goals on what one recruiter described as a "midget", making his single big game even harder to assess.
St Kilda's recruiting manager John Beveridge said instinct, more than most recruiting tools, would shape each player. "It's hard. It's certainly made it hard," he said.
"The medical opinion is something that's going to be vital. We'll all be wanting some very good advice on that, but it will come down to gut feel, too, and maybe from the players' point of view, it might be an advantage for them.
"It's in your nature to remember the last thing you see. So it might be an advantage in that, gee whiz, his best was very good and that's the last thing we got to see."
Whatever the case, the three boys' frustrating seasons have continued in Canberra this week, where they have spent big batches of time watching from the sidelines.
Varcoe, who spent his spare time watching his younger brother play footy and passing on a few tips, is annoyed because he ran a 14.12 on a beep test this year and was sure he could do even better.
He hopes the recruiters remember him saving a goal for Australia in the second International Rules game against Ireland, then flashing down to the other end and scoring his side's only "under" goal. "It's pace and endurance for me," he said. "Those are my big assets."
Muston hopes the clubs can see him speeding around the midfield, marking well and kicking goals; West wants to be seen as a big, strong overhead mark who finally had figured out how to control a game.
"That's what I hope, but it's out of my control now," he said. "I hope something happens. But I might just be yesterday's news."

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:15

http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/afl/new-hawks-given-time/2005/11/26/1132966006834.html

"New Hawks given time"

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson does not expect his latest batch of draftees to make as immediate a splash as last year's class.
The Hawks will encourage the first of their six selections at yesterday's draft, Xavier Ellis, to complete his year-12 studies at Melbourne Grammar next year, and must rehabilitate injured duo Beau Dowler and Beau Muston.
Dowler, who broke his pelvis in a car accident last month and was allowed out of his wheelchair only last week, hopes to be walking on his own again by Christmas.
Muston had a knee reconstruction in June and requires further surgery, with his ACL graft not taking as well as hoped.
Clarkson expected the pair's first-season progress to be slower than 2004 debutants Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin and Jordan Lewis, but considered Dowler, a key forward, and Muston, a bustling midfielder, too talented to pass up.

"I know a lot of clubs were perhaps put off Beau Muston," Clarkson said. "We're going to back our medical team, back our fitness team and back the lad himself to have the resolve to get back and play some great footy.
"He's only a young boy and he's got a lot of footy ahead of him. He's got hurdles to overcome at the present time but we're confident after interviewing the boy and talking to his manager, that he'll overcome those injuries and become a good player for our footy club.
"We've also done due diligence with Beau Dowler, in terms of the medical side. We're very, very satisfied that Beau Dowler's going to recover and make a significant contribution. We're hoping that the recovery of those two boys will progress as we'd like and maybe they will have an impact towards the end of next year, who knows?"
Clarkson said while his new batch of draftees might not make immediate waves, it was impossible to predict how quickly they would adapt to AFL pressures, and that the Hawks were confident their investment in youth would bring a significant return within five years.
Hawthorn, which had five picks in the first 22 yesterday, also drafted Travis Tuck as a father-son selection, running Tasmanian defender Grant Birchall and young West Perth ruckman Max Bailey.
"We're mindful that if we stick through the process, then this club will benefit enormously. We're not sure whether that will be in 12 months, two years, or if it will be five years' time," Clarkson said.
"We could nearly say that certainly within five years we'll be a good, strong force in this competition, but who knows how long it will take. The West Coast Eagles have probably emerged as a significant player in the AFL competition a little bit earlier than a lot of people would have thought.
"It all depends on how quickly some of these boys progress."

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:17

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/columns/200608/s1708463.htm?afl

"The Blues, the Hawks, and the road to recovery"

Youth policy

Hawthorn has been on a youth policy since Alastair Clarkson took over last year, and over the past two drafts the club has traded tall senior players like Nathan Thompson and Jonathan Hay, for early draft picks which have netted some of the best youngsters in the country.
The likes of Jordan Lewis, Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead are all now regular senior players, and this year Xavier Ellis, Beau Dowler, Beau Muston and Max Bailey are all showing promise.
Dowler and Bailey made their debuts on the weekend, while Ellis isn't far away and has been dubbed the clone of silky-skilled Saint Nick Dal Santo.
Those selections all came in the top 20 and should provide a rosy future for the most dominant side of the 1980s, but will it?
Hawthorn seems to have gone backwards this year, winning five matches so far - the same as last season. They have tasted victory just once since round five and have suffered several thrashings.
There is no doubt many of the youngsters mentioned above will be good but this possession-style game plan does not seem to be working, and there seems to be a dearth of players good enough to provide support to the experienced stars like Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and the inconsistent but brilliant goalsneak Mark Williams, along with steady veterans Ben Dixon and skipper Richie Vandenberg.
Three of their best - Shane Crawford, Joel Smith and Peter Everitt - have been let down by their bodies this year and so has defender Danny Jacobs, leaving it to too few to make a serious impact.
Everitt's future continues to be a major talking point with Sydney on the radar. And if that happens, what should the Hawks get for him?
An early round two draft pick would seem adequate but then can Robert Campbell, who is still developing as a ruckman, teenager Bailey and Simon Taylor, who seems to have not come on as the club would have hoped this year, shoulder the ruck duties?
West Coast wild child Michael Gardiner will not play for the Eagles again and has indicated he wants to continue his AFL career in Melbourne, but what kind of an influence would the wayward star have on such a young list?
Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett told ABC Grandstand over the weekend that he wouldn't rule out signing Gardiner, and that he could help turn the talented West Coast ruckman around.
But that decision will be made by the recruiting and coaching staff and to get an experienced player with a history of injury problems as well would be a massive change in that club's current policy.
Clarkson has another two years to complete his aim of rebuilding the Hawks and have them achieve sustained success.
But unless there's dramatic improvement over the last month of this season and next year, the job won't even be half done.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:21

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,18358320-23211,00.html

"Hawks need time to make mark"

WITH one win from the final 13 games in 2005, don't expect any short-term miracle at Hawthorn.
The Hawks are rebuilding and from their new headquarters at Waverley Park, patience has to be the key word.

After 10 teen picks in the first 26 selections in the past two national drafts, coach Alastair Clarkson had no option but to put the club ahead of himself.
In the final year of a two-year contract, Clarkson has unselfishly not opted for a short-term fix at the club, which has won just nine of its past 44 games.
After trading Nathan Thompson to the Kangaroos at the end of 2004, he followed up last year by exchanging Jonathan Hay to Arden Street. In return, he accepted some talented teens who should be around for years.
The Hawks' young hopes rest with three of last year's 10 debut players - and Rising Star nominations -Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin and Jordan Lewis.
But Hawthorn will not see as much from 2005's draft intake. Xavier Ellis will concentrate on school, Beau Dowler missed pre-Christmas training and Beau Muston is a longer-term prospect.
The Hawks say Grant Birchall will make the grade and high hopes are held for ruckman Max Bailey, from West Perth. Hawthorn's five-win season was better than it reads, losing eight games by four goals or less.
A young Hawks list struggled to win the close ones, losing to Essendon by two points, Richmond by four and 14 points, Carlton by six and minor premier Adelaide by 10.
Hawthorn tended to over-possess the ball, which led to more errors, and that trend was seen last Saturday in its second-round NAB Cup loss to Adelaide in Launceston, when it had 50 more possessions than the Crows.
For Hawthorn to move up the ladder, more than its big six - Luke Hodge, Shane Crawford, Peter Everitt, Sam Mitchell, Mark Williams and Chance Bateman - will need to lift dramatically.
That includes captain Richard Vandenberg, who played all 22 games last season, yet failed to finish in the top 10 of Hawthorn's best-and-fairest award.
Veteran John Barker, 31, was given until Christmas to get over groin and leg injuries, but he has since been restricted by shoulder and hamstring problems.
With Barker playing, 19-year-old Roughead can be a key defender in Hay's place; but in Barker's absence, the Hawks will have to alternate with the likes of Roughead and Trent Croad.
Barker has struggled since 2001, when he was the Hawks' leading goalkicker with a personal-best 47. He has missed 49 games since and played in just six senior matches last year.
Williams was a revelation as a small full-forward last year with 63 goals, before injuring his knee in round 19, but he needs bigger bodies to share the load.
Everitt, who has not missed a game for two years, is a key player. But last year's All-Australian, rising 32, needs more help from big men Robert Campbell, Simon Taylor and Bailey. When fit and in form, the Hawks will worry clubs as they did last year, particularly against Fremantle in round nine when they won by 54 points and against Brisbane at the MCG, when they won by 46 points. But whether they can regularly beat quality opposition appears unlikely, at this stage of their development.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:22

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/b1-and-b2-pushing-ahead-in-recovery/2006/02/08/1139379574461.html

"B1 and B2 pushing ahead in recovery"

HAWTHORN draftee Beau Muston still aims to be playing football as soon as round 12 despite having a knee reconstruction only eight weeks ago - his second in less than 12 months.
The Shepparton midfielder had exploratory surgery a fortnight ago that was intended to shave part of the bone in the knee to free up a tendon that has been grabbing since a reconstruction in May last year.
But when he awoke from surgery the talented teenager was delivered mixed news. First he was told what appeared on the surface to be the bad news: he had needed another reconstruction. Then the good news: the surgeon had already done the work and his recovery period had not altered from the first knee operation.
"About eight weeks ago I went in and had a scope because I had an MRI which showed it wasn't taking properly, so I went in to fix it up. They thought they were going to cut away a bit of bone to loosen it up for the tendon but they actually went in there and (surgeon) Julian Feller found the graft was no good so he rang my parents when I was out of it and said, 'What should I do?'," Muston said this week at the club's community camp in Launceston.
"My parents just said, 'Do what you think is best' so he did it again - I had another reco. But because it was done surgically and it wasn't busted and there was no other damage to the knee from, like, doing it in a game, I will be playing in six months."
The fear of a second knee reconstruction and the uncertainty over his recovery was sufficient for clubs to tread warily around the player who, had he been free of injury, was a likely top-five draft pick and most certainly in the top 10. His injury concern meant he slid down to pick 21.
Collingwood was keen, but with a recent history of injury troubles with young players such as Tom Davidson and Guy Richards, was committed to a conservative approach to its selections in the top 20.
For Hawthorn the perceived risk was no risk at all; Muston is without doubt a gifted talent, some have even wondered if he could be the most talented in that draft. The team knew there was a chance the graft needed to be replaced and were comfortable with that.
Indeed the Hawks' plethora of picks meant they were prepared to punt on fitness with picks for the two Beaus or B1 and B2 as they have been known - Beau Muston and Dowler.
Dowler, taken with the Hawks' second pick in the draft after Xavier Ellis, was recovering from multiple pelvis fractures after a car accident weeks before the draft.
"I saw the doctor the other day and they are rapt with how I have come on because the original report said I was meant to be in a wheelchair still but I have been up and running and getting around doing heaps of stuff, so it is good," Dowler said.
"I am still about two or three weeks off full training. I haven't been able to do all the ball work and that with the playing group. When I am running I don't really worry about it at all, I don't feel it and don't have any pain from it but being the sort of injury it was with your pelvis in footy you need to be careful about how you recover from it and how much work you do."
Dowler, the Hawks' prospective full-forward, has a new nickname - Crash. First there was the bad accident, then he fell off a trail bike on a farm and a couple of weeks ago he damaged his car when he lost control of it leaving training.
"Yeah, the boys call me Crash now," Dowler said. "I got called Crash Bandicoot after the cartoon character in computer games but now it is just Crash. I don't think the boys are too keen to get in the car with me now. My car (a Commodore) is getting fixed at the moment but I think I need to get like a Datsun 120Y or something."

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:25

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21364096-21543,00.html

"Young take flight"

HAWTHORN is on the march. Three years after making the tough decision to undertake a major rebuilding program, the Hawks are starting to bear the fruits of their labour.Five wins in 2005 was followed by nine last season.
More are expected this year.
Just how many victories - and whether it is enough to make the finals - will depend on how quickly its exciting array of young talent develops.
Hawthorn has the youngest squad (average age 22.2 years) and the least-experienced (average 48 games) in the AFL.
But it does have an abundance of prize draft selections ready to stamp their authority on the game. Consider this! In the past three national drafts, the Hawks have secured 17 players. Significantly, six of them are top seven picks.
In 2004, Jarryd Roughead (No. 2 pick), Lance Franklin (5) and Jordan Lewis (7) came on board. In 2005, it was Xavier Ellis (3) and Beau Dowler (6). Last year forward Mitch Thorp (6) joined coach Alastair Clarkson's youth brigade.
Throw in another six top-26 selections in that three-year period and there is real hope for the future.
Of the Hawks' 17 picks, only one player is under 186cm - this year's fifth-round selection Garry Moss (181cm). The average height of Hawthorn's draftees is 192cm.
Clarkson makes no apologies for this, saying he took a leaf out of Brisbane's book of a few years ago.
"We've had a very strong focus on getting the structure and spine of our footy club settled," he said.
"We now think that, perhaps, we've got the best group of 18-to-20 year-old key position players in the competition." The big question is how AFL-ready they are. Key position players Franklin and Roughead and high possession-winning midfielder Lewis, in their third years, look ready to blossom into stars.
Birchall, a hard-running utility, was a revelation in his debut season last year and Muston, who missed last season with a knee reconstruction, looks a real find.
The rest, while obviously talented, are still unknown quantities. This has prompted Clarkson - while aiming at a first finals appearance since 2001 - to ask Hawks supporters for patience. He doesn't want to burden his young players with unfair expectations too early.
"We set a very clear mandate at the start of 2004 that we would rebuild our football club," he said.
"We're delighted with the progress we've made and we feel we're right on track - but it takes time, there are hiccups along the way.
"We're trying to fast-track it as much as we can but players don't become superstars overnight. History shows it takes time."
Hawthorn's midfield will be its strength. Luke Hodge, controversially chosen at No. 1 at the 2001 national draft ahead of 2004 Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd, of West Coast, is a star. Club champion Sam Mitchell is outstanding at the stoppages and 1999 Brownlow Medallist Shane Crawford still has plenty of good football left in him, despite being 32.
Together with Lewis, Chance Bateman and Birchall, they will be a handful for any opposition.
The problem areas are the key defensive posts - where Clarkson continues to experiment with Zac Dawson - and ruck. Having traded Peter Everitt to Sydney, the Hawks were rocked when 206cm giant Max Bailey did a knee at pre-season training. Hawthorn will play some exciting football. The finals, however, may be a year away.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:26

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Clarkson-calls-for-more-patience/2007/03/08/1173166875620.html

"Clarkson calls for more patience"

Is this the year when Hawthorn's extreme youth policy yields its first dividend? A finals appearance to usher in an era of success?
Not according to coach Alastair Clarkson.
While many in the football industry see a Hawthorn squad packed with budding talent as ready to blossom, Clarkson is urging continued patience.
The aim for 2007 is nothing more than steady progress towards becoming a powerhouse at an undetermined future date.
"We have set a very clear mandate at the start of 2004 that we would rebuild our football club," Clarkson said.
"We're delighted with the progress we've made to date and we feel we're right on track, but it takes time, there are hiccups along the way.
"We don't want to place unnecessary burdens on our club by predicting where we're going to finish and how quickly it can happen.
"We want it to be as quick as we possibly can, we're trying to fast-track it as much as we can, you can be assured there's no player, coach or administrator who's treading water.
"But players don't become superstars overnight, history shows it takes time."
Rather than setting a benchmark of wins and losses, Clarkson believes a more appropriate measure will be how often their up-and-coming players impact the outcome of games.
"We started to see it a little bit last year with Jordan Lewis and Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin, who have played about 35 games each," he said.
"They started to influence the course and the result of games with goals kicked, possessions or goals stopped.
"Zac Dawson kept Kent Kingsley goal-less in round three, Lance Franklin kicked six goals in two games, Jarryd Roughead kicked four goals in a half against Essendon, Jordan Lewis had two 30-possession games.
"It raises their expectations."
But he noted the club still had the youngest list in the competition this season, with a large group of players still to start their apprenticeships.
Beau Muston and Beau Dowler, drafted while injured in 2005, and Xavier Ellis, whose school commitments prevented him from playing last year, will all be given their first taste of senior football.
Key position player Tim Boyle, restricted by injury to five games in four years on the list, is ready to play a role.
Plus there is the new batch of November draftees.
Clarkson said the form fluctuations of youth meant the club remained reliant on a small core of senior players for consistency.
He pointed to last season's form-line: four wins in the first five rounds and four from the last four, but in between only one victory from 13 matches.
During the down patch, the club lost Shane Crawford, Danny Jacobs, Trent Croad, Richie Vandenberg and Brent Guerra for various periods through injury and suspension.
While Clarkson conceded that other clubs could claim to have been harder-hit, he said the Hawks were particularly vulnerable.
"For where we're at and the stability and leadership that those players give us and what they do for the rest of our group it's significant," he said.
There is some potency in attack - with Franklin, Roughead, fast-leading sharpshooter Mark Williams and the experienced Ben Dixon.
They are also well-stocked with ground-level ball-winners and runners, the likes of Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge, Lewis, Vandenberg, Crawford, Joel Smith, Chance Bateman, Tim Clarke and Rick Ladson.
The Hawks still have some significant weak spots.
The Hawks still have some significant weak spots. The ruck and key defensive posts are a worry.
The Hawks traded No.1 ruckman Peter Everitt to Sydney and lost youngster Max Bailey to a pre-season knee injury.
Robert Campbell did well in the ruck last season, winning the club's most-improved player award, but will carry a heavy load.
His main support will come from Simon Taylor, who played only seven games in his second season last year because of injuries and poor form.
Clarkson is confident Taylor will be much-improved after a strong off-season, but he will need to be, as the only other options are newly-drafted Queenslander Brent Renouf or possibly rookie-listed Luke McEntee.
Coping with the opposition's big forwards, who wreaked havoc at times last year, will again be an issue.
But, as with most aspects of the club, Clarkson takes a long-term view.
With the exodus of senior players such as Everitt, Nathan Thompson, Jonathan Hay, Jade Rawlings, Mark Graham and John Barker in the last couple of years, he said vulnerable areas were inevitable.
But the club was happy to throw inexperienced defenders such as Dawson, Stephen Gilham and Tom Murphy into the deep end.
"They need to be exposed to the level, they need to get to play on the opposition's best players, it's the best way for them to learn," Clarkson said.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:27

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/boroughs-big-dry-broken/2007/04/21/1176697160486.html

"Borough's big dry broken"

The longest drought in the VFL was broken yesterday as Port Melbourne won its first match since July last year, recording a 39-point win over Box Hill.
Port's previous victory was also at the expense of the Hawks, and there was no hiding the Borough's joy after surrendering a 27-point final-quarter lead in a heartbreaking draw last week.
With both teams desperate for their first win of the season, it was Box Hill that took the early ascendancy, with Hawthorn 2005 draftee Beau Muston looking dangerous around goal.
The No. 22 pick, who missed all of his first season at Hawthorn recovering from knee surgery, is a player to watch, boasting both speed and the ability to score from outside 50 metres.
Despite Port full-back Luke Livingston's best efforts, the Hawks kicked four early goals.
But shortly afterwards, undisciplined defensive errors allowed Port to take the lead. As rain started to fall, it was Port that proved too tough in the trying conditions.
Early in the second half, Box Hill was dealt a double blow, with injuries to Hawthorn players Beau Dowler and Josh Thurgood. Dowler received a knock to the head in a marking contest and lay motionless face down for some time.
With suspected concussion, he is very doubtful for the Anzac Day clash with Coburg on Wednesday.
Thurgood dislocated his left shoulder, and with his history of shoulder problems, it's uncertain how many matches he will miss.
Port was able to kick seven goals to two in the second half and run away with a well-deserved win.
Port coach Saade Ghazi said the Borough had let an opportunity slip the previous week. "We were in the same position at three-quarter-time today and we touched on that, but with some hard work in the final quarter, we were able to follow through."
Geelong has continued its impressive start to the season with a 36-point win over Frankston at a drenched Skilled Stadium.
The rain didn't cease all day in the scrappy encounter, but that didn't stop AFL rookie Todd Grima kicking five as the Cats took control with an eight-goal second quarter.
Tim Callan, the tough-as-nails defender, was perfectly suited to the conditions in a superb performance.
The one negative for Geelong was the report of captain James Byrne for tripping in the third quarter, although coach Leigh Tudor is hopeful his midfield general will be free to play the Roosters next week.
Coburg has continued Werribee's horror month by handing it a 10-goal hiding in the battle of the Tigers at Chirnside Park.
Werribee, which has not missed the finals since 2000, simply had no answers for a 13-goal second half from Coburg, with Richmond key-position hope Cleve Hughes the chief destroyer, booting five goals.
Werribee spearhead and new captain James Podsiadly made his return from injury, but was not given an inch by the staunch Coburg defence. He finished goalless.
Coburg now heads into its Anzac Day clash with Box Hill full of confidence after two impressive wins on the trot, while Werribee is winless after three matches.
Dropped Western Bulldog Andrew McDougall regained some touch, kicking three goals for Werribee, while Mitch Hahn played an impressive first match since his June knee-reconstruction.
Despite missing 10 months, Hahn played a typically robust match, putting his body over the ball and kicking two goals.
He played most of the game and rotated through the forward line and in the centre.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:30

http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/afl/forward-progress-pleases-clarkson/2007/02/09/1170524299825.html

"Forward progress pleases Clarkson"

It might have been only its first practice match of the new football year, but already Hawthorn is looking like it might have found a more potent forward structure than the one with which it could outscore only two teams in 2006.
The Hawks took to Aurora Stadium yesterday morning for an intra-club game with Mark Williams, Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin all stationed in attack, with immediate benefits.
The trio each ended the game with three goals, looked dangerous and combined smoothly during the workout.
Coach Alastair Clarkson was suitably pleased with the results.
"Franklin and Roughead have had tremendous pre-seasons," he said. "It's only their third, and the first time they've done 100 per cent of the program, so they're starting to understand one another's games, and who should be leading into space and who should be blocking for one another and that sort of stuff.

"It's only very early, but we're really pleased with their preparation over summer, and hopefully we get some better results, because we have fallen down in terms of our big-man strength up forward over the last few years.
"It will help us structure up a bit stronger and go inside our 50 a little bit longer and more direct, hopefully."
The Hawks were particularly happy to see highly rated 2005 draft pick Beau Muston get through his first game of any sort for two years after having had two serious knee injuries.
"I was really pleased with some of the kids," Clarkson said.
"For Muston to get through his first hit-out was really pleasing. I thought Simon Taylor really imposed himself in the ruck and did some really good things."
Clarkson also praised the performance of Josh Kennedy in the midfield late in the game, and Travis Tuck, as well as the efforts of the more experienced Rick Ladson and Brent Guerra off half-back.
Clarkson was happy with the overall standard of the hit-out, but more so the fact that the Hawks emerged from it without any injuries.
"Our guys will recover really well from this, and set ourselves up for a bigger hit-out at Waverley next Friday night, and then prepare ourselves for the NAB Cup game (against Melbourne)," he said.
A cluster of experienced Hawks were rested yesterday, including captain Richie Vandenberg, Danny Jacobs, Luke Hodge, Trent Croad, Robert Campbell, Ben Dixon and Michael Osborne.
Of the absentees, only Dixon, Osborne and Jacobs, all recovering from pre-Christmas surgery, are in doubt for the pre-season competition.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 09:31

http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/afl/time-for-one-young-hawk-to-earn-his-wings/2007/03/27/1174761471909.html

"Time for one young Hawk to earn his wings"

AFTER waiting more than a year, Hawthorn is finally likely to unveil one of its prized recruits from the 2005 national draft.
Like a couple of unwrapped presents under the Christmas tree, top draft picks Xavier Ellis and Beau Muston sat out all of last season through year 12 study commitments and a knee injury, respectively.
Now one of the pair is likely to finally make his debut in the season-opening game against Brisbane.
Both have played well through the pre-season and most recently in the practice match against Essendon but it is unlikely both players would make their debut at the same time.
Midfielder Ellis was taken at pick three in the 2005 draft after being expected to be selected by Collingwood with the second pick.

The fast-running half-back/midfielder broke a foot early last year but returned to play school football for Melbourne Grammar and for VFL side Box Hill late in the season.
He is possibly the more likely of the two to play should one of them be given the nod to make their debut.
Muston, also a quick midfielder, was the slightly more speculative selection as, at the time of the draft, he required a second reconstruction on a knee.
Without the need for a second operation he would likely have been vying with Ellis for a pick in the very earliest stages of the draft. As it was, he slid to a second-round pick (22 overall).
Given the concern over his knee and the possible risks of recovery it was only likely to be Hawthorn or Collingwood, both with five picks early in that draft, that could afford to gamble on Muston with a low draft pick.
As it was, Hawthorn got in first and his debut, when it eventually comes, will vindicate the club's decision.
The opportunities are there in the midfield for the Hawks this week as both former captain and Brownlow medallist Shane Crawford and rugged midfielder Campbell Brown are out suspended.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 10:08

One from the archives. Thanks to Wisbey and LH15.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4278108&highlight=wisbey+muston#post4278108

"Colin Wisbey's Profile on Muston"

Author: Colin Wisbey
Author Host/IP: c211-28-121-197.eburwd3.vic.optusnet.com.au / 211.28.121.197
Subject: Profile: Beau Muston (Written before latest setback)

Beau Muston (Murray Bushrangers)

189/79 top-age right foot (dual-sided) wing/utility.

*STYLE LIKE: Jarred Brennan

*MY RANKING (not meant to reflect appropriate draft pick to use): 3

*PROBABILITY OF AFL CAREER: Definite. Ready Year 1.

- Within an AFL team list, could prove capable of SUSTAINING a ranking of 1-10.

*HURT FACTORS (Offensive/Defensive/Negative): H / H / M

*TRADEMARK:

- Come from nowhere to vacuum the ball at pace without breaking stride.
- Come from nowhere to take a fearless screamer that he wasn't even entitled to get hands to.

*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:

- A more prolific Jarred Brennan with even bigger "X" and hurt factors. Worth #1.

- A 90m player. A ball-carrying sizzling dasher. A jack-in-the-box. Dual-sided and has no trouble kicking 60m. Quick and clean. Gets his own ball. Not allergic to the corridor.

X-factor with a capital "X". Huge upside. Athletically, a cat trapped in a human's body. A bit skinny and not very footy smart but has a great combination of physical and skill attributes, together with ethic and courage.

For anyone who can picture a fully-fit Jarred Brennan in full flight, much of this profile will be superfluous.

- Expect the unexpected and fasten your seatbelts. Does Muston follow the textbook? He doesn't even know there is a textbook. He's a "make it up as you go along" guy, as Gary Ablett (Sen) was. At a game, don't briefly look away - you might miss the most spectacular mark or goal or breathtaking dash of the season. Or all three at once. Now I think about it, you can look away. He'll repeat the performance for latecomers before long anyway.

- Some players rely on footy smarts. Some don't have much of that but rely on instinct. Gary Ablett Sen may have been, like Muston, a "make it up as you go along" freak but he had both sharp footy smarts and sharp instinct. Beau is instinctive rather than footy smart. He does some very clever things, often left-field clever, but he's not naturally a player who consciously thinks things through tactically. Most good players have an inbuilt decision-making process that factors in the probability of success. Beau has no concept of risk, let alone the repercussions. He's a kelpi. "There's the ball, let's get it. There's someone with the ball, lets scoot after him." That sounds disparaging but it also happens to be his appeal. While other players are considering whether to stay or go, Beau's already swooped. You let the kelpi off his lead at the start of the game and watch him scoot around the park for a couple of hours. Doesn't yet understand your commands so don't expect him to "sit", "stay", etc like your other dogs. If you want to train him to conform to accepted park behaviour, perhaps obedience school offers a discount for 100 sessions. (Not that he is not keen to learn).

Beau is not a natural. Wasn't much of a footballer until it just seemed to "click" a few years ago. Cinderalla.

- Part of his appeal is that he does so many spectacular things on the charge. Once he decides to go, he virtually only has one gear and that's top gear. That's not a good thing in some circumstances however. There are indeed times when he needs to steady and play the percentages. When he should and doesn't, it can cost you. On the other hand, he'll turn a game in just a few minutes. His damage to the opposition will greatly outweigh any damage to his own team from his mistakes.

- Once I had done my assessments I had no hesitation in ranking him at in my top 3 (subject to medical clearance). Whether they are footy smart or not, currently injured or not, I reckon you shouldn't let the Beau Mustons and Jarred Brennans slip beyond the first few draft selections. Were Beau more footy smart he would have been my clear top pick. Even so, my top 3 (Hurn, McEntee and Muston) are really equal #1. Beau finished up with the #3 because I used the presumably slight query about risk of athleticism loss after knee reco to separate the 3 kids. Whatever pick a club could get him for, including #1, would be a pick well spent.

I've seen many players more than 20 times. Muston has only played 8 games in the system. I've seen 7 of those but I could have written the same profile even had I seen only two of his games. Any two, so routinely prolific and exciting is he.

- Despite my concerns re footy smarts (et al), any U18 kid, especially a country kid in his first TAC season and recovering from glandular fever, who can average 25d (incl 31d twice in 7 games and a quietest of 19d), over 6 marks, over 4 tackles, and almost 2g per game, must still be doing a helluva lot right. And his possession count would be even higher if he knew how to demand the ball (which he will learn quickly enough at AFL).

- He is by no means the complete player and he is not (in the true sense) footy smart. However, he is freakish, and so "routinely" freakish that he is not only definite AFL but a definite match-winner. Don't think you won't have your head in your hands at times though.

*DISPOSAL:

- Excellent kicking depth when under no pressure. Regularly capable of 60m+.

- Muston is certainly not a foolproof kick, or even close, and he is definitely no stranger to turnovers on the run (even under no pressure) but his good kicks are dynamite and there are plenty of them. With Muston's kicking, reliability is not his big selling point - it's the exceptionally high hurt factor from the many kicks he gets right.

At his best when not on the run, he breaks most of the rules but is testimony to the depth you can get if you observe what I consider to be the 2 of the main requirements (Andrew Swallow: take note):-
(1) get as much support as possible from your plant leg as your COM (centre of mass) is passing across the plant foot, and
(2) have yours arms so that, after release, they move in virtual unison to maintain your lateral and vertical balance so you stay as square on as possible.

While still on the positive side of the ledger with Muston, he has about the highest follow-through you'll ever see and he does some other things right too. On the non textbook side, he has a very early, loose release and he just hangs his arms up to dry as if he is doing a half-hearted Mexican wave. Even then, while neither arm does much work after that, they move in unison. That gives him the extra balance. None of this violently hurling the left arm back a mile then swooshing it across the body on its return.

While his arm action looks odd and is not necessarily the way I would ideally like it, I have no problem with it. It may not work for another player but it works well for him, doesn't seem to cost him any benefit, and achieves what arm movement is supposed to achieve. His early, loose release might make him vulnerable at AFL level, especially in close, and it would be good to address that but it's not a priority issue..

I wouldn't be rushing to change too much in the kicking style of a kid who can regularly kick 60m and dob goals from any angle, any distance.

- There are two main kicking scenarios in which Muston too frequently lets himself down:-
1. Under no pressure, even from a set kick, spotting a clear target at 45-90 degree. In those situations he has the time to square his body up before kicking so that he can kick "body over ball" but he too often doesn't, instead kicking with his torso unnecessarily side-on to the target. Inaccuracy rate in these situations is unnecessarily high.

2. On the run at pace, he sometimes doesn't steady and throws the entire textbook out the window. The result is sometimes a "very hunched, bang the ball onto the boot, rushed kick" sort of action that can result in a mongrel wobbler with limited depth and accuracy. I noticed this much less in his later games than his early ones so perhaps he has already been addressing this (?).

- Around goals, he is not bullet-proof but is reliable and regularly "special". Incredible goal sense. eg in one game this year he not only kicked a monster 60m goal on the run but also a snap from the 50m line on the right hand boundary (he's a right footer) under great pressure. I must emphasise that. Not a "mere" 50m running goal but an accurate snap from 50m on the boundary (!). In another game he snapped (yes, snapped again) one from the 50m line dead in front .... but this time on non-preferred left foot. Footy doesn't get much better than that.

Kicked goals in all but one of his 7 TAC games, including bags of 4 and 3, despite spending a lot of time as a midfielder.

- Most of his feeds lack power. I saw him do a ripper in one game but generally his handball action involves very little involvement from the punching hand. Main problem is weak connect. Also occasionally holds the pill at an inappropriate angle somewhat vertical. The lack of power, especially for AFL, can result in the recipient being put under unnecessary potential pressure or losing the chance to be off quicker. I don't see it as a strength issue, but more a technique problem (that should be relatively easy to address).

- Handball accuracy is mixed bag.

- Often displays quick hands.

- Good balance between kicks and feeds, although his kicks have a greater relative hurt factor (i.e. not just because kicks go further).

*DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
(see above)

- Lack of footy smarts is his Achilles heel.

My general observations are that, among other things,

1. he is not particularly wellattuned to where to position himself around the ground

2. he does not routinely position himself well at stop plays

3. he does not know when and how to demand the ball

4. footy-smart opponents often "catch him out". eg if he is minding someone in defence, he clearly tries to be accountable but while he is watching the play unfold, his opponent sneaks away 20m into space

5. he reads the immediate play well and usually reacts well accordingly but I'm not convinced he anticipates how the play further away might unfold.

6. Under pressure and with no time to think, he often does something instinctively clever, sometimes even freakish. Under some pressure and with just enough time to think it through, he can be inclined to do something fairly dumb, sometimes appearing to panic.

7. He doesn't exercise evasive skills often enough. He is too inclined to simply try to outrun opponents or run around/through them. When cornered, but in a situation where a smart player would try to exercise evasion, he too often tries to just rush a feed or kick. Doesn't seem to have a great concept of creating space / buying time. I've seen him show good evasion on some occasions, perhaps on instinct, but the frequency will have to lift for AFL. He doesn't mind a quick change of direction at pace, and can do it well. The evasion I'm concerned about though is his close-quarter evasion. Not that he is incapable (eg I've seen him show excellent centre-bounce traffic management a couple of times) - I suspect the issue is to exercise evasion more often. i.e. for AFL, he needs to have a stronger "alleviate pressure by first trying to create space" mentality.

I would never hang any player on one mistake but here's a minor specific example (vs Oakleigh). Murphy was awarded a free. (Muston wasn't involved). As Murphy started to walk to take his kick, Muston who was initially adjacent to him, ambled forward of Murphy with his back to Murphy and with his vision upfield in the expectation that Murphy would take the set kick and kick upfield. Murphy, realising that Muston, although only literally a metre away from him, had his back to him, immediately took off around the back of Muston into space in the corridor and spotted up a team-mate leading to the other side of the ground. Muston's action wasn't a hanging offence but it wasn't something you'd expect from a footy smart kid.

On another occasion, Muston was waiting on the edge of congested traffic with the ball locked inside it. Suddenly a team mate wrested the ball and forced his way out to the edge of traffic under pressure. He instinctively went to handball to Muston 2m away but had to check himself at the last moment because Muston was unprepared.

Muston is very inexperienced. We have to allow for that ... and I do. Perhaps he will finish up being very footy smart after he has had more coaching and experience. It's just that I am much more confident about a player improving even certain types of kicking technique flaws (eg) than I am in a player significantly turning around footy smarts. I'm never too concerned long-term if an U18 player doesn't run to the right spots and/or with the right timing. That should be addressable through simulations at training and through the coaches' match reviews of the player (assuming the player has the capacity to learn, which Muston does). However, other types of "footy smarts" problems in a player leave me much less confident in the probability of repair.

I suspect that the reason Beau often "comes from nowhere" to fly for a mark or collect the pill is that, in a fair few of such cases, a more footy-smart player would already be there. (In fairness, there are also heaps of times where his "charge in late" efforts are certainly nothing to do with any initial lack of footy smarts but are simply fantastic examples of electric intensity and dynamic passion to contest).

- Vision is mixed bag but sometimes brilliant.

- Routinely keeps his arms free, or calls on his "Indian rubber man" abilities to get them free.

*HANDS:

- Usually exceptionally clean, all levels. His hands on the run at top pace are routinely special, McLeod-like. He doesn't just scoop the ball up - he is a vacuum cleaner. And all without breaking stride.

- He can be special when the ball seems to be locked in under players too. An uncanny prolific ability to steal the ball, both one-on-one and when all around him are struggling to wrest the ball. When chasing down an opponent who has the pill or virtually has it, Muston gives you double benefit - not only runs them down with excellent closing speed and ultimate pressure but regularly finishes up with clear possession himself, as if the ball is attracted to magnets in his hands.

*OVERHEAD MARKING:

- If he doesn't get nominated for mark of the day within his first few AFL games, I will be amazed. At this stage he is a very good, but not fool-proof, mark in a physical body-on-body contest. However, give him any sort of run at it and he is regularly not only reliable but spectacular. And unlike many other players, that run doesn't have to be from behind. As silly as it sounds, he is just as comfortable charging in from an awkward angle from the side, including across the face of the pack or into the face of it. The pack can be at full stretch yet Muston can still sit on their shoulders and hang suspended.

*ATHLETICISM:

- Huge leap, even from an awkward angle or from a standing start. And I mean huuuuge.

- Pace is lightning (especially once he has momentum). When he runs, you don't see a powerhouse racehorse, you see a gazelle ..... and it will come from nowhere and make most players around him appear pedestrian.

- Excellent recovery agility. Cat-like all-round agility and reflexes. And not just when he is on his feet. Uncanny recovery agility when initially on the ground after a tackle etc to still remain active at the ball and somehow extract it. Has an amazingly flexible body. He seems to have rubber arms, able to stretch and catch the ball or an opponent after it initially appeared to be beyond reach.

- Within the context of someone who often launches himself through mid air, he has very good balance. When knocked off his line, his recovery agility is so sharp that he is not often stopped from still ultimately figuring in the contest.

- Endurance at this stage might be a slight query but not a concern. He runs so hard and covers so much ground from the first bounce onwards that he could be excused for running out of petrol after a while. He did do a poor beep test in March but he hadn't had the conditioning of most of his peers.. He may well still have a hangover from the glandular fever he developed in '04. Some days he seems to have more stamina than others. eg late in the early-May VC vs VC trial he looked stuffed even though it was only a 2-qtr game. On face value he generally appears to have very good endurance (and perhaps he does), I'd question how much at this stage is "comfortable" endurance (motor) and how much is sheer heart and ability to keep pushing himself. Unfortunately for AFL spectators, he will need to lean to ration his energy output to be able to run out AFL games, even when he is fully conditioned.

- Quite skinny but hasn't had much opportunity for physical development to this stage. Might always be more an athletic build than a Carey strongman. (God help his opponents if he ever gets to a Carey strength without losing his current attributes).

*INTENSITY, ETHIC:

- Excellent ethic and intensity, including off-field. Pushes himself to the max. Works hard both ways. Goes for both man and ball with fearless enthusiasm.

- Tick off most of the 1%ers. 2nd, 3rd and 4th efforts a speciality. Chases hard (excellent closing speed a la Aaron Davey). Keen (and usually effective) tackler.

- Gets his own ball.

- Courageous, often completely fearless.

- If there was a medal for routine ability to desperately launch yourself horizontally and somehow manage to do something effective, he would win in a canter.

- Not surprisingly, given his build, doesn't have physical presence at this stage. (Just an observation, not a criticism). Any current lack of strength is counterbalanced by his recovery agility, reflexes and special athletic qualities.

- Nice, unassuming kid, of good character. Keen learner, good listener and low maintenance behaviourally.

*CONSISTENCY:
- Hard to say categorically as he didn't play many games this year. What we have seen suggests he terrific consistency. Even at AFL level, he is rarely likely to be quiet all game. The quietest of his 8 games this year was the VC vs VC trial and he still did some good things in that, including (not surprisingly) mark of the day. In the statistically-quietest of his 7 TAC games, he still managed 19 disposals, 6 marks, 8 tackles and 3 goals. I'd happily take that.

*AFL VERSATILITY:

- He's been on the scene for such a short time (8 games) that it's hard to say for sure. On face value, one might be tempted to say he could play almost anywhere (on the right opponent) even though he is only 189cm.

- He is certainly a natural "wingman".

- He sounds like an ideal run-the-lines HBF, and he may be in time, but in his brief stint in defence this year, he appeared to have difficulty keeping track of his man (although he did show good intent) and often seemed unsure where to run.

- He has a fair way to go in terms of understanding footy tactics and positioning before he could be value, except pinch-hitting, as a genuine AFL inside onballer. That said, he did get a number of terrific CB clearances this year as an inside mid. It's just that he is not as routinely prolific / productive (at the moment) in that situation as various peers. In his favour is that he is prolific, sometimes uncanny, at extracting a ball out of very tight congestion. The key to him becoming an AFL inside may be mainly learning to position himself better at stop plays - both where he positions himself and his posture etc.

- He is so raw and with such a tantalising upside that, with experience and the right development, I wouldn't put any role (except ruck) beyond the realm of possibility down the track. In AFL terms right now (!), with the possible exception of "wing" or HFF, he is a (jumping) Jack of all trades, master of none. Even so, a "master of none" who could

1. potentially kick you 4 goals in a quarter (whether on the FF line or running through midfield or in between
2. take a couple of huge saving marks at the other end
3. continually run the lines at great speed then roost the pill 60m
4. create a 140m turnaround by running down an opponent after a big initial start and then gaining a positive 90m for his team
5. play an active part in clearing the ball from one end yet pop up to kick a goal at the other end during a single sequence of plays as your team moves the ball from one end to the other,

is more of an ace in the pack than just a Jack.

*CSI (COMPARATIVE SCOPE for IMPROVEMENT):

- High, despite being top-age. Played locally (Shepparton United) in '04 so this is his first year "in the system". Even so, he had contracted glandular fever last year and only lasted until late May this year before getting injured and subsequently undergoing a knee reco. Essentially then he's really only had a few months "in the system".

*QUERY:
- Footy smarts (in a tactical, positioning around the ground, etc sense).
- Evasion.
- Kicking on the run under pressure (Fixable).
- Handball power.

*SOME STATS:

- Stats summary '05 TAC:
Averaged 25 disposals in 7 TAC games (ranking No.10 in comp). 6.4 marks (ranking No.8 in comp). 4.4 tackles (ranking No.29 in comp). Total goals 13-7 . 12 kicks per 20 disposals. 5 marks per 20 possessions.

At least 25 disposals in 4 of his 7 games. Quietest game 19d. At least 6 marks in 5 games, including 14 in one game.

hawkstars

5th January 2008, 10:22

Thanks for the read mate. That was fantastic.:thumbsu:

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:41

Extracts from The Hawthorn Chronicles;

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=18194

"Tuesday D-Day for new Hawk"Hawthorn could find out as soon as Tuesday whether its highly-rated draftee Beau Muston will have to undergo a second knee re-construction. Muston was rated one of the few genuine match-winners in the TAC Cup this year before suffering a serious knee injury in the first half of the season and had he been fully fit, the 18-year-old key position player would have been a top ten pick in Saturday's NAB AFL draft. But complications to his knee injury scared off many clubs, who were reluctant to use their first or second round picks on the 189cm Muston, but the Hawks - with the luxury of five picks in the first 22 selections after some smart pre-draft trading - were able to select him at pick 22. The Hawks officially welcomed Muston to Glenferrie on Monday along with their other draftees in Xavier Ellis (pick 3), Beau Dowler (pick 6), Grant Burchall (pick 14), giant ruckman Max Bailey (pick 18) and father/son selection Travis Tuck (pick 38). However while Ellis will concentrate on his Year 12 commitments at Melbourne Grammar next season and Dowler is recovering well from a broken pelvis sustained in a car accident last month - with the other three all to be given the chance to push for senior selection immediately - the future of Muston remains unclear. "It's a bit unknown until they go in and a have a look at it," Muston said of his knee injury on Monday. The promising 18-year-old us likely to be assessed by the Hawks' medical team on Tuesday, who will then decide whether he needs another full knee-reconstruction or just some minor surgery to the knee re-construction he had earlier this season. But either way Muston appears set to undergo surgery later in the week. "I am going to have an arthroscopy to see what is going on and the worst case scenario is another reconstruction but we are hoping the graft will fine and they will only have to do take out a little something from my knee." "I had the first one in June and I am just hoping I don't need another one." But even if he does, the Hawks will be far from panicking. "With Beau the worst case scenario is he will have another re-construction, we are hoping that won't be the case but even if it is he would be right at the end of 2006 and we will give him every opportunity to have a 10-year career with our football club," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said. "He was very highly-rated before his injury and we are of the view that as long as Beau can recover he will be a great player for our club." Clarkson said the Hawks were only able to take a risk on a player like Muston because they were able to gain extra draft picks through clever trading. "A lot of clubs said it wasn't a great draft this year but come draft day there will were a lot of clubs envious of Hawthorn having five picks in the first 22 and having the flexibility to get different types of players." But one thing all the new Hawks have is height with even the smallest of the six new draftees - the 186cm Ellis - towering over Clarkson as the six posed for a photo with their new coach on Monday. And indeed 206cm ruckman Bailey towers over virtually everyone and the West Perth big man will enter league ranks next year as the AFL's second tallest player behind Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands. Clarkson is greatly excited about the potential of the 19-year-old, who already weighs 93kg. "We wanted another ruckman into our club and Gary (recruiting manager Buckenara) saw there was one bloke in the country that had something no-one else had - an extra 6-8 cm in height," Clarkson said of Bailey. "He has also got some outstanding talents in terms of his ability to kick the footy, mark the ball and read the game." Bailey even has the luxury of being able to look down on the Hawks' number one ruckman Peter Everitt, from who he is anxious to learn. "He is one of the one of the best ruckmen in the league and to be able to learn off him will be a good experience," Bailey said.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:43

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=18330

"Arthroscopy next week for Muston"

Hawthorn's Beau Muston has been scheduled to undergo exploratory surgery on his reconstructed knee the club announced on Thursday. The highly-rated midfield prospect has suffered complications from the initial reconstruction performed after he injured his knee playing for the Murray Bushrangers in round eight of the TAC Cup this year. The arthroscopy will take place late next week and will determine whether Muston requires another full reconstruction or just minor surgery to clean out the affected joint. Regarded in recruiting circles as one of the rare breed of player that can turn a game off his own boot, Muston was considered a likely top-five pick before concern over the injury saw him fall to the Hawks at 22 in last week's NAB AFL National Draft.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:44

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=18544

"Hawks confident in Muston’s recovery"

Hawthorn is confident Its no. 22 draft pick Beau Muston will be training with the Club early next year after last night’s revision to his reconstructed knee resulted in the replacement of the graft. Although Muston was managing well there were some signs the graft and screws had loosened slightly. It was determined the most appropriate action was to revise the graft now, at the commencement of his AFL career. GM Football Operations Mark Evans said the revision would provide Muston with maximum stability and strength in his knee. “The graft and attachments were replaced to give him the maximum long-term playing career,” he said. Muston will participate in limited fitness training when the players return after Christmas, Wednesday 4 January 2006. He will resume running later in the month or early February. He will progress into skills training by March. At number 22 Muston was the fifth draft pick for the Hawks. “Muston was too talented a player to overlook in the recent draft and we are confident that once he has fully recovered he will an exciting and valuable player for many years at Hawthorn,” Evans said.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:45

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=18559

"Muston return expected mid-season"
Hawthorn is confident its number 22 draft pick Beau Muston will be training with the Club early next year and is likely to make a football come-back in the second half of 2006 season. Although Muston was recovering well from a knee reconstruction performed earlier in the year, an arthroscopy on Thursday showed signs that the graft and screws had loosened slightly. Hawthorn medico Dr Peter Baquie said Muston’s was a unique situation and his medical team determined the most appropriate action was to revise the graft now - at the commencement of his AFL career. “The revision will give Muston maximum stability and strength in his knee,” Dr Baquie said. “Our plan is for this young man to return to football in the second half of the 2006 season, which is within the same time frame as if he didn’t have the second procedure last week, but he will be in better condition than if he didn’t have it.” At number 22, Muston was the fifth draft pick for the Hawks. GM Football Operations Mark Evans said the 17 year old, highly-rated midfielder from TAC Cup Competition club Murray Bushrangers, was too talented a player to overlook in the recent draft. “The graft and attachments were replaced to give him the maximum long-term playing career and we are confident that once he has fully recovered he will be an exciting and valuable player for many years at Hawthorn,” he said. Muston will participate in limited fitness training when the players return after Christmas, Wednesday 4 January 2006. He will resume running later in the month or early February and progress into skills training by March.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:47

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=20068

"Tuesdays with Todd"
Going into last year's pre-season, the philosophy was all about getting used to a new regime through head fitness staff Andrew Russell and Peter Burge. It was slightly different to what the players had experienced before. It was more about the running aspect of conditioning. The whole program for most of the pre-season was based around being as fit as we possibly could.

From the year we had in 2005 we recognised that the skill focus had to be lifted. This year we've tried to combine the conditioning with a lot more football-oriented skills. So it was a real balance between what Andrew Russell wanted and what Alastair Clarkson and the coaching staff wanted.

I think the results have showed with all the running tests that we've done that even though we've introduced a lot more football and perhaps not as much running, our fitness tests have been just as good if not better than last year.

Unfortunately last year with a young group, we made a lot of skill-based errors and gave the opposition the ball back on too many occasions. You can be as fit as you like but at the end of the day if you can't maintain possession of the football, you're up against it. We've got to be fit to be able to compete but we've also had to improve our level of skill. The best chance of doing that is at pre-season time.

With the two Bs - Beau Dowler and Beau Muston - we obviously knew going into the draft that they had some injury concerns. Beau Dowler has been the one who's developed a lot quicker than we were expecting. He's running around and kicking the footy. We're hopeful that he'll play quite a bit of football this year, so that's a bonus.

When he makes his return to playing competitive footy, he'll obviously play games with Box Hill. If he can show enough that he deserves a go in the seniors, we'll certainly give him that opportunity.

And with Beau Muston, we just felt that his knee hadn't responded very well to his first operation. Rather than waiting for an accident to happen and having all the trauma associated with doing it in a game, he could go in and have that corrected under an operation scenario and the result would be a lot better and his recover a lot quicker.

He's starting to move around pretty well now and joining in a lot of the training stuff, not much out on the ground but in the gym. We'll have to wait and see how he goes but he won't play a lot of footy this year.

Young Max Bailey was up in the ruck against 'Spida' for the full four quarters in our intra-club match last Friday and really competed well. He held his own. Max's 'Gold' team actually won the centre bounce clearances. Not too many ruckmen could say they could compete with 'Spida' in their first year and he did a fantastic job. He was really going along nicely.

Xavier Ellis matched up with Harry Miller. Harry was one of the better players and he's looking great. Xavier when he does get the footy he looks like a class player. He reminds me a lot of Adem Yze from Melbourne. He always seems to have time and composure. He doesn't make mistakes very often. He just looks like a sure ball-handler, a natural player. He's going to be a great asset.

Grant Birchall has probably been the one who stood out probably in the pre-season so far. He was probably a little bit quieter on Friday night but he's had a couple of really good practice games. In the competitive games that we had, he kicked two goals on Shane Crawford from a half-back flank. He's sort of a half-back midfielder type but he's taller than Trent Croad. He can really move, a natural player. A beautiful kick, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get game time in the NAB Cup, or early in the real season.

We went into the rookie draft knowing that a couple of the newly-drafted players were going to play. The possibility of getting some of the rookies onto the senior list because of long-term injuries is going to be a possibility. We have guys like Ben Kane - who was dropped off the list last year because of terrible injuries. He's trained the house down over the pre-season and been playing some strong footy. He has put himself into position.

Stephen Gilham from Port Adelaide has played really well, too. He's a chance to come up along with Kaney. I don't think there's any rush for us to make that decision but closer to the start of the year … It will probably be a contest to see who'll go up but they're both performing really well.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:48

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=20638

"Hawks' Beaus on long-term list"
Hawthorn has placed two of the club's new draftees, Beau Dowler and Beau Muston, on its long-term injury list.

But the Hawks have not yet named replacements for the two youngsters.

The pair came to the club through last year's NAB AFL Draft and it was known at the time that both were recovering from serious injuries. Dowler was claimed at No.6 and Muston was selected at No.22.

In the lead-up to last year's draft, Dowler broke his pelvis in a car accident while Muston underwent a knee reconstruction last year. He also he had an arthroscopy last December, after screws in his knee had loosened.

Hawthorn medico Peter Baquit said at the time that Muston needed the revision to give Muston "maximum stability and strength in the knee".

In the mix to be promoted onto the senior list in Dowler and Muston's absence are five Hawthorn rookies - Stephen Gilham, Ben Kane, Lukas Markovic, Luke McEntee and Ben McGlynn.

Gilham, who played one match for Port Adelaide last season before being drafted by the Hawks in last December's NAB AFL Rookie Draft, and Ben Kane, who has made 14 appearances for the Hawks, appear the frontrunners to be promoted.

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:49

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=25830

"Muston aims for August"
Young Hawthorn midfielder Beau Muston is expecting to be available to play his first game for the club in August with his rehabilitation from a second knee reconstruction in 12 months on track.

Muston told Hawks Radio on Tuesday his knee is 'going alright' after the 19-year-old was forced to delay a return to the game in December last year when arthroscopic surgery revealed his first knee reconstruction had been unsuccessful.

The former Murray Bushranger said he was hoping to be available to gain some senior experience in the later stages of the year as his second round of rehabilitation was going well.

"It's looking pretty good. I'm hoping to get three or four games later on in the year," Muston said on the radio show broadcasted weekly on hawthornfc.com.au.

"It's a bit indefinite at the moment but I'm just hoping to keep on track with the rehabilitation and hopefully play four games."

Fellow Hawk Campbell Brown joined Muston on the show and revealed the club's coach in Alastair Clarkson was particularly impressed with Muston's 'committed' attitude to his rehabilitation.

Muston said it was nice to be recognised despite being unable to train with the main group since making his arrival at the club via the 2005 NAB AFL Draft.

"It's good to get compliments off 'Clarko' and that my work is being recognised," Muston said.

"Even though I am out there by myself, they realise that I am working hard and trying my best to get back as quick as possible."

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:49

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=36257

"Muston passes muster"
He is the forgotten man amongst Hawthorn's exciting crop of youngsters but Hawks' fans won't have to wait much longer to finally see Beau Muston in action. Muston was earmarked as a top ten pick in the 2005 NAB AFL draft but a mid-year knee reconstruction meant the Hawks were able to grab him with the luxury of a second round pick at selection 22 overall. And while the Hawks' other exciting youngsters such as Lance Franklin, Grant Birchall, Jordan Lewis and Jarryd Roughead have quickly established themselves in the senior side, Muston spent his first year at the Hawks waiting for his injured knee - which required two operations - to heal. But the good news is that not only is Muston back in full training, but the speedy 189cm midfielder has added seven kilos to his light frame and now weighs in at a much more imposing 84kg. "I'm going along pretty well, it's just good being back doing pre-season instead of being on the sidelines like last year," he told Sportal. "I am doing everything at the moment and I have done about 98 percent of the pre-season training overall and if we were playing right now, I would be able to play." Muston has set his sights on the pre-season NAB Cup competition to make his much-anticipated debut. "By the NAB Cup I will be ready to go and I can't wait, I am really itching to go right now." Muston admitted his first 12 months at Waverley Park have been difficult. "It's definitely been frustrating," he said. "When you come to a club you don't get a lot of respect when you are off the field and on the sidelines so it's good to be back out there and showing them what I can do." "I am very toey to play and by the start of the (home and away) season it will be coming up nearly two years since I last played." But the flip side of being on the sidelines for so long is Muston can begin his AFL career without the pressure of expectation that is on so many highly-rated draftees these days. "I suppose there are no expectations on me because I was considered a bit of a risk but I still have expectations on myself in terms of what I want to achieve," he said. "And hopefully I can get a few games and prove to Hawthorn the risk they took on me was worth it."

CharlieMitchell

5th January 2008, 13:50

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabId/4742/default.aspx?newsId=37717

"Game-time at last for Beau"

After enduring two knee reconstructions at the age of 19, Beau Muston will participate in his first competitive hitout at AFL level on Friday when Hawthorn partakes in an intra-club match at Aurora Stadium.

Despite the fact Muston is on the verge of bringing to an end a difficult chapter in his fledgling career, he doesn't feel any nerves on the eve of the trial.

"Probably tomorrow morning, I probably might be a little bit (nervous)," Muston told Sportal.

"But we've played a few practice games and things like that at training, even though there hasn't been a lot of full on tackling and stuff, and I've still been able to find it okay."

Muston has good reason to feel relaxed due to the fact that, by his own assessment, he has had a good, although tough, pre-season.

"It's finally good to be out there amongst the players and feeling like I'm finally part of the group," the former Murray Bushranger said.

Serving as a further source of reassurance for Muston is the fact that he has full confidence back in his knee.

"It's pulling up fine. It's normal now, I got past all my rehab and stuff like that so it's good to be back out there."

Although Muston finds himself in a state of anticipation ahead of the match, his goals for Friday's game are very simple following his extended layoff.

"I haven't played a game for two years so just to get through it unscathed would be great. But hopefully I can put my hand up for selection (during the season)," Muston explained.

The teenager has also conceded that being part of the Hawks' community camp in Tasmania has been an eye-opener and to see so much support in another state has been overwhelming.

"You go to a few clinics around Victoria and there's a lot of kids with all different team jumpers," Muston said.

"Here they're mainly all Hawthorn. You might see an odd Kangaroo or Essendon jumper, but it's mainly been Hawthorn which is great."

With the 2007 season just 50 days away, the 22nd pick overall in the NAB 2005 Draft revealed that he aims to crack into the senior team this year.

"Hopefully I can have an impact on us winning some games," said Muston.

Hawthorn's intra-club match starts at 10am.

thommo16

9th January 2008, 01:11

Charlie what a fantastic job!

That is what this thread is all about

noosa hawk mad

16th January 2008, 08:43

Great work mate a fantastic read Well Done CM Cheers Andy:thumbsu:

GNCLongJack

19th January 2008, 11:57

Fantastic research.................thankyou CM.:thumbsu:

CharlieMitchell

20th January 2008, 15:40

Cheers guys, just doing my best to keep you all up to speed with what has been going on with Beau since joining the club back in 05.

Now for the big year ahead.

CharlieMitchell

20th January 2008, 15:42

Season 2008, The Year Of The Mustonator.

http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/53650

"All for one as Hawks fly in"
THE happy team at Hawthorn certainly passed their smiles onto the faces of budding young footballers in Dandenong last week when the team’s high-flying stars trained and then signed autographs for fans at Shepley Oval.

Scores of Hawks supporters watched the elite squad go through their paces on the day, which featured club mascot ‘Hawka’ and special Go For Your Life activities.

City of Greater Dandenong mayor John Kelly said he was delighted that so many people braved the soaring temperatures to enjoy the morning at Shepley Oval.

“It provided a wonderful welcome back for Hawks Trent Croad and Travis Tuck,” Cr Kelly said.

“Both made their transition to elite football at Shepley Oval. Trent and Travis are former Dandenong Stingrays and are representative of the rich sporting talent that Greater Dandenong continues to develop.”

It was the Hawks’ second visit to Greater Dandenong in a matter of months.

Just weeks earlier, Hawthorn young guns Beau Muston and Mitch Thorp visited the Yarraman Family and Children’s Services Centre on behalf of the club to deliver 15 Christmas hampers for disadvantaged residents.

CharlieMitchell

28th January 2008, 06:57

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabid/4742/News/NewsArticle/Default.aspx?newsId=54791

"Muston is bustin‘ for a kick in 2008"
IT’S been a long and frustrating road for Beau Muston, but the versatile Hawk is finally putting up his hand for senior consideration after showing his teammates the depth of his dedication.

Muston's first season as a Hawk was spent on the sidelines, as he recovered from the two knee reconstructions he received in 2005 – the year the club used selection No.22 to secure him in the NAB AFL Draft.

Last year, the 20-year-old played out the season with Box Hill, and has recently put together another strong pre-season to complement the one he constructed in 2007.

"I was happy to get through last year unscathed, and just happy to get some games under my belt," Muston said, of his first year back in the game since his days of junior football.

"My form wasn't as good as I would have liked, it wasn't as consistent, but I was still happy to get through the season.

"I would have liked to have played some games in the seniors, but I was playing well when I didn't need to be playing well, and playing poorly when I had to be playing well."

He put down his inconsistency to 18 months away from the game, after realising it would take more than his dodgy knee healing for him to bounce back into form.

"I just had to find out what makes me play well and what I've got to do each week to play well," he said.

"Towards the end of the year, I found that I was starting to play a bit more consistent."

Having arrived at the club virtually on one leg, Muston was met with the unenviable task of trying to gain the respect of his more experienced teammates without actually joining them on the training track.

"It was hard coming into a club injured. You probably don't get as much respect doing leg weights or in rehab as you do out on the ground, actually showing them what you can do," he said.

"But I feel like I attacked my rehab, and I was actually able to get some credit for how I worked."

Rehabilitation aside, he believes his real turning point came last December, when he travelled to Papua New Guinea with a group of his teammates to tackle the Kokoda Track.

"It was definitely one of the toughest things I've had to do. Just to be able to physically keep grinding and grinding all day is tough," he said.

"But, mentally as well, just to keep getting up when you're getting up at 5am every morning and you have a little walk and then you get sandbags on your back, or you've got to carry logs, and it's just hard to get yourself up.

"You found a way. You had no option. And, I think I stepped up a little bit in Kokoda, because it was probably a little bit easier to do it with a younger group, but you've always got to start somewhere.

"I felt that with Kokoda, I started to get a bit more respect from some of the senior guys. I feel like I'm getting recognised a bit more out on the track now."

Muston admitted he's "pretty eager to get going" this year, but denied he was one of those players who knocks on the coach's door each week to find out when the call up is coming.

"He'd just get pretty sick of me if I did that," he laughed.

"It's just been a long process for me, I suppose.

"Seeing a lot of guys like Grant Birchall, who was in my draft, play nearly 50 games and Xavier Ellis, who has been injured but played a lot of games last year.

"It's frustrating seeing guys like that because I feel like I'm up to it, but I just haven't really had my opportunity yet. Hopefully, this year is the year."

If Muston believes he can take anything from his lengthy trek to AFL football, it's the psychological benefits of coping with such adversity.

"I think mental toughness is one thing I'm reasonably strong at," he said.

"Kokoda tested that, but having knees and being able to watch guys play … I think that I can handle a lot of things now."

CharlieMitchell

6th February 2008, 07:53

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/tabid/4742/News/NewsArticle/Default.aspx?newsId=54992

"Muston gets wet and wild"

BEAU Muston got a little bit more than he bargained for on Tuesday when he and some of his teammates accompanied some local children on a jet boat ride as part of Hawthorn’s Community Camp.
With the Hawks spread to the four (three?) corners of Tasmania, Muston found himself transported from the training track at Waverley to the waters just off Strahan on the state’s west coast, where he was forced to hang on for dear life on the 45-minute wild ride.
“I’ve never done anything like that before,” Muston said soon after.
“It was really quick and pretty scary at times when you’re getting in close to the sides of the cliffs. Murph [teammate Tom Murphy] was a bit worried a few times.
“The spins were really cool. You didn’t know when the boat was going to hold and do the full circle or what was going to happen.”
The Hawks split into several groups to visit six different regions during their week-long stay, allowing them to spend a little more time in out-of-the-way areas they wouldn’t normally have time to reach.
“This is probably the first time we’ve been able to do a bit more of this stuff like finding out a bit more about the history of Tasmania and having a bit of fun with the locals,” Muston said.
“The kids loved it. I got them going with a little chant of ‘One more spin, one more spin’ and they were right into it. They would get up and cheer every time we did one. I think they loved it a lot more than me but I certainly enjoyed the experience.
“I’m a little kid at heart anyway, so I enjoy getting out there and acting their age sometimes and they seemed to appreciate it.”
The Hawks will be re-united in Launceston on Wednesday where they will hold more training clinics and prepare for an intra-club practice match at Aurora Stadium on Friday morning.

CharlieMitchell

13th February 2008, 18:17

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/TheClub/Players/PlayerProfile/tabid/8483/playerid/14265/Default.aspx

Player Profile

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/portals/0/images/players/hawks/Muston-Beau135.jpg

Beau Muston

Fast Facts

Jumper No: 17
Height: 189
Weight: 79
DOB: 1987-03-01
Recruited From: Shepparton United/Murray

About

Has had a slow start to his career because of knee injuries, but made significant progress at VFL level in the second part of last year, finding the ball consistently and adding to his match conditioning. Runs hard and quickly with the ball and delivers it well by hand and foot. Projected to be an impact midfielder, but is also comfortable as a play-making half-back or on a wing.

Records

Draft history: 2005 NAB AFL Draft 2nd round selection (Hawthorn) No. 22 overall

Schmick

18th February 2008, 18:01

detox

18th February 2008, 21:29

Do you know where to get more of Whisbys draft reports?

MinerBoy

19th February 2008, 10:06

You guys really rate him and one of you actually went as for to say he'll be one of if not the best to come out the 2005 draft so I was just wondering when will we see Muston playing senior footy, and when do you think we'll start to see the best of him?

I expect we will see senior games this season. Possibly between 5-10 but it could be more if he takes a stranglehold on a position. I hope once he has 25-35 games that he will be a regular starting 18 player (and hope that happens by the end of 2009). It's hard to say exactly what it is as I haven't seen him play that often, but I just think he will make an impact fairly quickly once he starts getting the games under his belt.

CharlieMitchell

2nd March 2008, 11:01

http://news.theage.com.au/young-hawk-could-face-year-sidelined/20080302-1w7p.html

"Young Hawk could face year sidelined"

Hawthorn youngster Beau Muston will have scans later this week to determine whether he will have to sit out another season before he can make his long-awaited AFL debut.
Muston left the ground during the opening quarter of Saturday night's pre-season semi-final loss to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium after injuring his left knee.
The highly-rated 21-year-old midfield prospect is yet to play a senior game for the club after the Hawks drafted him in 2005 knowing he would not play at all in 2006 after coming off knee surgery.
He played some VFL football last year.
Coach Alastair Clarkson feared the latest injury was a major one.
"We have to wait and see what the result of the scan is but it doesn't look good for 'Musto'," Clarkson said.
"He's a terrific lad and he's worked really really hard and we'll do whatever we can, if it's a bad one, to give him the support that he needs."
The Hawks said Muston was to fly home to Melbourne with the rest of the team Sunday, before being scanned later in the week.

CharlieMitchell

3rd March 2008, 06:38

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23308030-19742,00.html

"Muston career on line"

SPORTS doctor Peter Larkins says young Hawk Beau Muston's career is under threat before he plays a senior game if he requires another knee reconstruction. Muston will know more after scans this week, but the club fears the worst after he hurt his left knee in the first quarter of the Hawks' NAB Cup semi-final loss to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday – his 21st birthday.

Muston already has had two operations on the knee, the first in 2005 when he was playing under-18 football.

The Hawks drafted him that year, before he had the ligament graft surgically replaced.

Larkins said a third operation could end Muston's career.

"It is definitely an issue," Larkins said. "In the event that the news is the worst, it is going to be real challenge. He's had one (reconstruction), not work.

"Each time you have a reco and then another reco – and this will be what we call a second revision – the options how you can do it technically become less.

Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said yesterday he would not speculate on the severity of the injury, but said Muston was shattered.

"He's not terrific, I wouldn't say," Evans said. "He was pretty disappointed last night.

"We know there is damage to his knee, it's more what is the extent of it."

Coach Alastair Clarkson said he feared the injury was serious on Saturday night.

"It doesn't look good for `Musto'," Clarkson said.

"He's a terrific lad and he's worked really, really hard. We'll do whatever we can, if it's a bad one, to give him the support that he needs."

Evans said the injury came at a time when Muston was making gains after a "pretty good summer".

rumblah

3rd March 2008, 12:40

Really starting to look gloom.

I want this kid to be apart of a grand final, its only right.

Get Well Beau.

didaka

3rd March 2008, 12:44

rumblah

3rd March 2008, 14:10

Lets hope the news is positive.

The boy has worked his butt of to get back to where he was, and even if he needs a reco he deserves another crack, whether it be on the senior list or on the rookie list.:thumbsu:

i think he will stay on the senior list, IF its another reco that is, lets just hope its a tweak....

Jobe 1 Kinobe

3rd March 2008, 14:19

Ive got my fingers crossed for Beau, so unlucky to be going for his third reco and he is only 19? Us essendon supporters have been frustrated that Scott Gumbleton has bad hammy's, sort of puts into perspective doesnt it.

Good luck Beau.

kevieyang

3rd March 2008, 15:35