Beau Dowler: Where's he at??

[Didak_84]

Hey guys just wondering where he is at?? Is he any chance of breaking into the team or could he be trade bait at seasons end. Cheers

[Unique]

Could fill out a bit more and become a full back, TOUGH to get a gig in our forward line. Very tough call. Nothing that special at B.H. Key position players are very valuable though.

Dowler FOR Brown :D

[soupofficial]

Not yet certain.
Only 20 years old, but we do have a surplus of talented/young key forwards, which means Dowler might not be able to get the gametime he needs to blossom.

It is worth investigating at season's end whether it's in Hawthorn's best interests to seek a reliable key defender in exchange for one of our second tier key forwards (Boyle, Dowler, Thorp).

For now though, Hawthorn just needs to focus on trying to develop all of our players as best as we can, and provide them with the chance to play seniors if their form dictates.

Dowler's game style doesn't really lend itself to FB - he's a clean mark & kick player, not a dogged, physical antagonist that loves blanketing blokes.

[philhawk]

Give him time. Another two years - then judge.

[#7#Matt#7#]

Give him time. Another two years - then judge.

Hey may not want to stick around that long, if he doesn't get the opportunity to play, especially if he see's that there is not a spot for him in our excellent foward line. I know it would be a fairly selfless thing to do but I for one wouldn't blame the bloke if he went looking elsewhere for opportunities.

[Lord_Espos]

Give him time. Another two years - then judge.

Exactly Phil. You are very astute.

Give him time. Stockpile all the best talent in the land. Because when the salarly cap starts to hurt we may need to bring in some of these players we have in reserve.

Good thing to have.... :)

[philhawk]

Hey may not want to stick around that long, if he doesn't get the opportunity to play, especially if he see's that there is not a spot for him in our excellent foward line. I know it would be a fairly selfless thing to do but I for one wouldn't blame the bloke if he went looking elsewhere for opportunities.

He'd jolly well stick with us, Matty!

I'd understand if he wanted to leave because he couldn't get a spot despite his form warranting it, but the fact that his form HASN'T been good enough (thus far) and that we've nursed him back to health after a horrible car injury.

I just hope he starts re-paying our faith in the next few years.

As Lord Espos wisely pointed out, it's great to have a bit of depth anyway ...

[#7#Matt#7#]

He'd jolly well stick with us, Matty!

I'd understand if he wanted to leave because he couldn't get a spot despite his form warranting it, but the fact that his form HASN'T been good enough (thus far) and that we've nursed him back to health after a horrible car injury.

I just hope he starts re-paying our faith in the next few years.

As Lord Espos wisely pointed out, it's great to have a bit of depth anyway ...

I agree its great to have the depth, and would love him to stick with us even if he doesn't get a go, but it can't be fun getting pummled at box hill week in and week out, and i guess it really tests a players character whether they stick with it and fight for a spot in one of the best teams in the afl (atm), or they take the easy way out and go to a team who's not performing as well but at least he'll be getting a game. Not sure about yourself Phill, but I have a sporting background (played lacrosse for 13 years, im 22 now) and a few years ago I was fighting for a spot in our firsts team, who went on to win a premiership that year, unfortunately for me I wasn't in the team, and I can tell you now it deffinately plays on your mind. For someone like myself it made me hungrier, but i could have easily taken the easy way out, it just depends on a persons character, I guess it just depends on the type of person Beau is. He wouldn't be the first player to leave a club through lack of opportunity.

[Animosity1989]

I just want Beau Dowler to give us something to indicate that is part of the future at Hawthorn.

He's shown glimpses at Box Hill but it's all too few and far between. However, he deserves a bit more time than most due to his first season being wreaked through injury.

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

I just want Beau Dowler to give us something to indicate that is part of the future at Hawthorn.

He's shown glimpses at Box Hill but it's all too few and far between. However, he deserves a bit more time than most due to his first season being wreaked through injury.

I agree.

Just want some sign that he is worth the pick we used on him. Hopefully, it's just a confidence thing and in the next 12 - 24 months he gets it right and becoems a 200 game full forward for us.

[Mervyn Beasley]

Hey guys just wondering where he is at?? Is he any chance of breaking into the team or could he be trade bait at seasons end. Cheers
He's at Box Hill:p

[lickmerocks]

Pebbles is almost cactus.

you give us a key defender and we will give you a key forward.

Dowler or Boyle is your choice.

Obrien or Goldsack and we will chat...

[superstar]

Box Hill have been so ordinary the last couple seasons it's impossible to tell.

He doesn't look great but what we've seen from most blokes promoted recently is that Box Hill form has nothing to do with Hawthorn form. Mark Williams struggled to get a kick playing forward for the Stangers and has looked excellent since returning to the Hawthorn.

The Box Hill alliance is probably the single worry at Hawthorn right now. The VFL-listed players are awful and it makes it very difficult for developing forwards.

[Grinner]

Pebbles is almost cactus.

you give us a key defender and we will give you a key forward.

Dowler or Boyle is your choice.

Obrien or Goldsack and we will chat...

That Nathan Brown fellow looks alright as well........

[Hawk0373]

Realistically, on current form, I'd say Dowler is 5th or 6th in line at the moment.

Will be tough to get a gig this season - firstly he would need to surpass Boyle & Thorp formwise and then have one of Roughy or Buddy getting injured.

Even then the club would still have these options ahead of playing Dowler imo:

Croad fwd: Murphy in.
Hodge fwd: McGlynn, Stokes or Dew in.

I would look to trade him for a key defender (not Thornton) as this scenario is unlikely to change for a while.

[87Hawk]

We could be heading for a situation like Brisbane were we just don't have the room in our best side for these guys. We may see someone like Boyle or a dowler get traded, a bit like Brisbane letting go Bolton and Gram.

[WeneedyoungJarmans]

I'd be looking to trade Boyle who's got some trade value for perhaps a backup defender, but they'd have to be in the Thornton type mould. Big and strong.

Dowler and Thorp are for keeps. Far too talented to go handing out.

I know Boyle's ahead of them both but I see him as a fill in still. Just doesn't do enough for mine.

Dowler and Thorp will give our spine the flexibility it needs. Thorp can play anywhere. Let's not forget Croad is 28. He won't be around for ever. You can quickly go from having an abundance of talls to not enough.

[87Hawk]

I'd be looking to trade Boyle who's got some trade value for perhaps a backup defender, but they'd have to be in the Thornton type mould. Big and strong.

Dowler and Thorp are for keeps. Far too talented to go handing out.

I know Boyle's ahead of them both but I see him as a fill in still. Just doesn't do enough for mine.

Dowler and Thorp will give our spine the flexibility it needs. Thorp can play anywhere. Let's not forget Croad is 28. He won't be around for ever. You can quickly go from having an abundance of talls to not enough.

A bit like after the 2001 season were argubally had the best spine until injuries and form hit the likes of thompson, barker, holland and hay. Then we had to throw rawlings forward who wasn't a bad defender in his day.

[Spudreigus]

I believe the Destroyer Dowler signed up for 2 more years at the end of last year and therefore cannot walk out on the club even if he wanted to. I know Richmond were sniffing around last year but the kid did the right thing and stuck with the Hawks. Give him time and he'll come good.

[Scribe]

That Nathan Brown fellow looks alright as well........

I trust the tongue is firmly in the cheek!!:D

Problem with trading young KPPs who haven't been properly blooded is you'd have to throw in a strong draft pick, or 2nd player to secure a regular top 8 side's key defender.

Certainly would need to sweeten any deal to get an established defender into brown and gold.

I'd prefer we try to groom Dowler/Thorp/Boyle into defensive KPPs.
Remember, Freo tried to use Croad as a FF, and we turned him back into a defender - and a mighty useful one at that.

Croady will play another 5 years as our FB, rest assured, but we can't spend the next 5 years playing Campbell Brown as our 2nd, or even 3rd tall defender. Stephen Gilham was a wonderful pick-up and transformation, but he needs one of these 3 lads to step up and help him out.

[FriarTuck]

Dowler has been disappointing. What would we be prepared to pay for a guy that has shown as much as B1. Probably a third round pick.

He is out of form and that is not the fault of BHH. My concern is he rarely wins contests. If he cant do it at VFL level he is in trouble.

Dowler is behind Boyle and Morton for a spot. So he will need to show a fair bit before he is even considered.

[hawkstars]

Dowler has been disappointing. What would we be prepared to pay for a guy that has shown as much as B1. Probably a third round pick.

He is out of form and that is not the fault of BHH. My concern is he rarely wins contests. If he cant do it at VFL level he is in trouble.

Dowler is behind Boyle and Morton for a spot. So he will need to show a fair bit before he is even considered.
Get off his back! What about Thorp?

[Chrissie90]

Hey may not want to stick around that long, if he doesn't get the opportunity to play, especially if he see's that there is not a spot for him in our excellent foward line. I know it would be a fairly selfless thing to do but I for one wouldn't blame the bloke if he went looking elsewhere for opportunities.

Pelchin said he is not very emotionally mature so he might be a bit scared to go to a new place. My dad said that if he is going anywhere then it is to the box hill seconds.

He might decide to retire at the end of the season which would be sad but maybe he just isnt cut out for footy.

[MuzzHawk]

Will be a consistent senior footballer. Is a solid lead, mark, kick type. I feel he is the type of player that will show significant development in the seniors where the delivery is better and there is more space for him to lead into.

He is not an aggressive player, but I do feel he would command the ball more than Boyle currently does.

If any has to move back, I feel Thorp would be the better option, to play like Chad Cornes used to play when he played as a half back.

[TylerDurden]

Will be a consistent senior footballer. Is a solid lead, mark, kick type. I feel he is the type of player that will show significant development in the seniors where the delivery is better and there is more space for him to lead into.

He is not an aggressive player, but I do feel he would command the ball more than Boyle currently does.
.

Great call.

We gotta be real patient with this one.

I think once he gets real size (is still miles off it), his confidence will grow. He is a massive confidence player. Then you'll see the talent shine through.

We can afford to wait anyway.

Besides, we'd get nothing for him. Just wouldn't be worth it...

[hawks forever]

Not yet certain.
Only 20 years old, but we do have a surplus of talented/young key forwards, which means Dowler might not be able to get the gametime he needs to blossom.

It is worth investigating at season's end whether it's in Hawthorn's best interests to seek a reliable key defender in exchange for one of our second tier key forwards (Boyle, Dowler, Thorp).

For now though, Hawthorn just needs to focus on trying to develop all of our players as best as we can, and provide them with the chance to play seniors if their form dictates.

Dowler's game style doesn't really lend itself to FB - he's a clean mark & kick player, not a dogged, physical antagonist that loves blanketing blokes.

for my mind you would definately be looking at trading boyle at the end of year has done nothing, sat behind goals watched a bit of boyle he rarely presented himself and on a couple of times shyed away from the contest, get rid of him dowler and thorp will get thier op come being ready or through injury of another player lets hope its not the later

[Fanatical Hawk]

Went an saw Box Hill play on Sunday and the BHH forwards didn't have a chance. The ball hardly went down there and when it did move forward, it was either delivered slowly, giving the Sandringham defenders plenty of time to get numbers back, or it was bombed in long to nobody's advantage. Almost the complete opposite to how Hawthorn uses the ball.

He made a few blunders eg dropping one uncontested mark in the second quarter, but I saw all of the Hawthorn listed players make errors at one time or another. It would have been alot easier for Morton, Kennedy, Mcglynn to be involved in the play because
the ball was situated between our midfield and defence
for most of the game.

Wouldn't read too much into Dowlers form last weekend.
I think his form prior to the weekend was good.
I think where Dowler may have an advantage over
Boyle is when the ball hits the ground, he looks alot more clean at ground level.

He had four shots at goal and kicked a couple of goals when we got thrashed by North last year. But he didn't look out of place in the seniors.

I see the vultures are getting restless now that Zac hasn't been playing for a couple of weeks!

I'm guessing it will be Moss and McEntee's turn next!

[delirious1]

Unless he wants/can furfill a spot down back, i would sit down with him and ask him if he wants to try anywhere else to try to establish himself anywhere.

[Dixie Flatline]

I think he's been frustrated at how Box Hill plays. His strength is to take the mark on the lead, but the manner in which Box Hill moves the ball towards the forward line completely negates that strength (it's circa Hawthorn 2004, really). Dowler has talent and I hope he blooms with the Hawks. I would have him ahead of Thorp at the moment, but in reality neither will have a game until one of the current forwards is injured/suspended (touch wood, that doesn't happen).

As for Croad going forward, I think that's a thing of the past. His best football is played at CHB.

[hawker39]

In my opinion Dowler is heading towards John Meeson territory. A top 10 draft pick who isn't performing. Granted he doesn't have the go home factor of Meeson (Adelaide to Melbourne) but he hasn't performed to date.

Last year Meeson was traded for a 3rd round pick and if Dowler doesn't show something this season that is all he will be worth at the end of 2008.

If he stays and has another year of non performance in 2009 then Dowler might become 2009's Tim Walsh - Drafted No 4 and delisted in 2007.

Hawthorn will need to weigh this up at the end of the season.

[FriarTuck]

Get off his back! What about Thorp?

The topic is where is he at. Where do you think he is?

Thorp had a limited preseason and has a new injury. He is not on my radar.

B1 has been on the list long enough to start showing why we drafted him. Ellis and Tuck have improved considerably in the same time. I dont think B1 has come on that much at all.

[Delicate Des]

B1 is worth keeping without doubt, and I find the pessimism of some posters quite worrying. He is coming off an horrific injury, is only 20 and still body building. People tend to forget that players like Tucky needed time to mature. Sure it is different now with smaller lists, but there is still room for the project player. It was a risk to draft a guy in a wheelchair and patience is needed. Playing for Box Hill is hardly a confidence building exercise which, as one post pointed out, is probably the biggest concern at the minute.
I have watched Dowler, and he has wonderful skills. Time and confidence seem to be the recipe. I reckon the two year signing is very appropriate,a nd we will know by end 2009 if he can make it. My money is on B1 to do so.:thumbsu:

[That's deliberate]

Some perspective please....

1. Dowler, Thorp, Bailey and Muston are all contracted players. (tick)

2. All talented kids that will not play this year with a full squad to pick from (tick)

3. Read point 2 again so that it actually sinks in....NO room for any of them this year.(tick)

4. No room for any of them next year either given a full list to pick from.(tick)

5. All kids are 21 years of age or younger - plenty of time(tick)

6. New Team entering 2010-11 these kids will be 24 or there abouts by then and starting to reach potential, they have the talent no question(tick)

7. New team will want KPP aged 24-26 to build around and given we have Buddy and Roughy (same age group) we will be in a position to offload 1 or all of them for early draft picks to GC given they will get the first 8 whenever it happens, if we so choose to...HFC is in position A. (double tick)

8. What does this all mean?...The above players will all be with the HFC for the next 2-4 years...GUARANTEED and will be given opportunities as they arise. 8-12 new kids will come into our system over the next 2-3 years and will replace the bottom end of our list...more Rioli's please...The above Kids are not in the bottom end of our list..repeat the above kids are not in the bottom end of our list(tick)

9. Hopefully some of you can rest better now(double tick)

10.I know you all can see the logic (tick)

11.Im hungry and going to lunch (tick)

12.I might take the rest of the day off (double tick)

13.What the hell...I'll take the next 3 days off (double tick)

Thank you
TD

[FriarTuck]

How about Post on a footy forum without talking about players. Tick

[Consumed]

Some perspective please....

1. Dowler, Thorp, Bailey and Muston are all contracted players. (tick)

2. All talented kids that will not play this year with a full squad to pick from (tick)

3. Read point 2 again so that it actually sinks in....NO room for any of them this year.(tick)

4. No room for any of them next year either given a full list to pick from.(tick)

5. All kids are 21 years of age or younger - plenty of time(tick)

6. New Team entering 2010-11 these kids will be 24 or there abouts by then and starting to reach potential, they have the talent no question(tick)

7. New team will want KPP aged 24-26 to build around and given we have Buddy and Roughy (same age group) we will be in a position to offload 1 or all of them for early draft picks to GC given they will get the first 8 whenever it happens, if we so choose to...HFC is in position A. (double tick)

8. What does this all mean?...The above players will all be with the HFC for the next 2-4 years...GUARANTEED and will be given opportunities as they arise. 8-12 new kids will come into our system over the next 2-3 years and will replace the bottom end of our list...more Rioli's please...The above Kids are not in the bottom end of our list..repeat the above kids are not in the bottom end of our list(tick)

9. Hopefully some of you can rest better now(double tick)

10.I know you all can see the logic (tick)

11.Im hungry and going to lunch (tick)

12.I might take the rest of the day off (double tick)

13.What the hell...I'll take the next 3 days off (double tick)

Thank you
TD
I'm sure this is the absolute best post of yours I have read.:thumbsu:

Everybody needs to understand #1-10.

Numbers 11-13 optional.