38. Mitch Hallahan

[CharlieMitchell]

Pick 38: Mitch Hallahan

http://cdn2.slatterymedia.com/thumbs/450/2011/01/01/221697.jpg


Bio:
Tough inside player (and former amateur boxer) from the Dandenong Stingrays who boasts a penetrating right foot kick. He wins one-on-one contests and is highly-disciplined. Earned All-Australian selection after the 2010 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, after an excellent campaign where he averaged 20 disposals at 66 per cent efficiency with an average of five tackles. The Hawks see some similarities with emerging Richmond star Dustin Martin.

Draft history: 2010 NAB AFL Draft 2nd round selection (Hawthorn) No. 38 overall

[CharlieMitchell]

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/105427/default.aspx

The Hawks are pleased to announce Mitch Hallahan as their number 38 draft pick for 2010.

Mitch Hallahan
Height: 184cm
Weight: 81kg
DOB: 23/08/92
Club: Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)

Bio: Tough inside player with a penetrating right foot; wins one-on-ones and is disciplined. All-Australian team member in the 2010 AFL Under-18 Championships, where he averaged 20 disposals at 66 per cent efficiency with an average of five tackles.

In his own words

What type of player are you?
Tough, a leader, reliable, disciplined and a team player.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble and why?
Joel Selwood - tough, courageous, good hands and kick, works hard and exceptional leadership skills.

What are your strengths as a footballer?
Ability to win my own ball, safe hands in close, my tackling, goalkicking and marking.

What parts of your game would you like to improve?
My speed, endurance, kicking and ability.

Which AFL team do you support and how did you come to barrack for them?
St Kilda. It was my own decision and also one of my favourite players Robert Harvey played for them.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far, and why?
My dad who is my mentor and my brother James who is my role model.

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/105427/default.aspx

[CharlieMitchell]

Post-draft BF thread

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=777063

Originally Posted by halfback dasher http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/curves/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=19606963#post19606963)
Mitchell Hallahan
DOB 23/8/92 Ht 184 Wt 81

Its always hard to judge exactly where the likes of Hallahan will go. He is a footballer without stand out skill or athleticism and is easy to overlook by those kind of players when looking for flash and X factor. Personally I think footballers are starting to come back into fashion and guys like Hallahan will start to work their way back up draft boards again.

Hallahan was named as Vic Country’s most valuable player at the Champs and captained the team to their win in the Champs this year and is a lead from the front kind of guy. He is a bit of a hot head though and if there is a fracas you can expect him to have either started it or quickly join in. If you spot some push and shove anywhere in the midfield area expect Hallahan to be involved. This is not necessarily a bad thing but must be kept under control.

He is predominantly an in and under player who can go forward reasonably well at junior level but is never likely to be a factor up forward in the AFL. He does not have the pace, marking ability or cleverness around goal to be a consistent goal threat. He does play some HBF and back pocket and could play some time there at the next level. So what do we have – well he is a tenacious inside player with reasonably clean hands, who reads the ball off hands pretty well, who uses the ball better than most and is a pretty good decision maker. He has slightly above average penetration and has pretty quick hands in tight. He has a good build for an inside player and will be a very powerful player after being in an AFL system for a couple of years. He uses his lower centre of gravity well in the clearance and maintains nice balance over the ball. He is slightly round shouldered but plays to his height.

His pace and endurance are solid but not in the top tier. He did not test at Combine I assume because of the ankle injury which plagued him at the end of the season. The ankle problems saw a drop off in his form for which some may have marked him down a bit. Still it did demonstrate his toughness and willingness to play with pain. He does have nice agility and works well in the phone box being quite evasive and possessed of a nice shimmy. Overhead his hands are pretty good but he is a poor judge of the ball in the air in my opinion and too often mistimes his jumps. He is an excellent tackler and it looks like something he prides himself on. He managed an excellent 5 tackles a game at the Champs which must have been close to the most of anyone. He does have one of best lines on the AFL website under what do you need to improve – “My speed, endurance, kicking and ability”. Hmmm not a lot to recommend you then

Overall Hallahan is not a sexy pick but like Bastinac last year he is one who could really pay off.

[CharlieMitchell]

In the box seat

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/in-the-box-seat-20101106-17i69.html

MITCH Hallahan was 14 when he first walked into Phil Catalucci's gym. The boxing trainer had been asked to help get Sorrento's under-16 football team fit, but when he met Hallahan he soon started to wonder if he'd be able to steal him. The kid was a quick learner, strong, light on his feet and he could punch, although it wasn't until more than a year later, when Hallahan fought his first real fight, that Catalucci realised he also had the mental strength to go a long way as a boxer.
Isn't it funny, he mentioned to Hallahan's father as Mitch ground down his opponent, that he was really only using his left hand. "I thought it was quite strange. I wondered why he was doing it, and it turned out he'd hurt his right hand playing footy. It was actually dislocated. He didn't tell me and he stopped the bloke in the second round, the little bugger," said Catalucci. "He's got amazing dedication, Mitch, and he's tough. He won easily that day. It completely blew me away."


http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/in-the-box-seat-20101106-17i69.html

[CharlieMitchell]

Draftee Profile:

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Draft Combine - Total Access

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[CharlieMitchell]

http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-118-0-0-0&sID=60264&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=15294076&sectionID=60264

Box Hill Hawks vs. Port Melbourne (Reserve Grade)
Saturday 2nd April
Box Hill City Oval at 11:00 AM
Box Hill Hawks
B
Allen
Andrews
Breust
HB
Cassidy
Grimley
Hallahan
C
Johns
Kennedy
Litherland
HF
Mahony
Monkhorst
X. Murphy
F
Neil
Northe
Nye
R
Phelps
Purcell
Schneider
Int
Iliov
D. Cooper
Wallace

Fagan
J. Cooper
Wanganeen

Carroll
Ralph
Sketcher

Tobin
Wilsen
Van Unen

[CharlieMitchell]

Limited game coverage available from last weekends match, found here: http://bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=807658&page=3

[CharlieMitchell]

Box Hill v Williamstown:

Mitch lined up for the development squad as he continues to build fitness from a limited pre-season. From all reports, performed well and was amongst Box Hills best. BF matchday thread: http://bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=812825&page=4

[CharlieMitchell]

Box Hill v Coburg:

Mitch lined up for BHH seniors for the first time this season, putting in a very strong performance as he continues to build fitness and form following a limited pre season.

BF thread (with some fantastic write-ups) found here: http://bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=815410&page=4

[CharlieMitchell]

"Hawthorn draft picks star as Box Hill smashes Coburg"

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/hawthorn-draft-picks-star-as-box-hill-smashes-coburg/story-e6freck3-1226044188966

Tom Schneider, a Hawthorn rookie from the TAC Cup, led the disposal count with 28, while tough teenager Mitch Hallahan produced a promising senior return from an ankle injury.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/hawthorn-draft-picks-star-as-box-hill-smashes-coburg/story-e6freck3-1226044188966

[RustyHawk]

11 August 2011 update

From the HawthornFC website

http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/120597/default.aspx

"Uncapped youngsters Luke Lowden (thumb), Taylor Duryea and Mitch Hallahan (both ankle) have all undergone season-ending surgery with a view to being ready for the start of pre-season."

Seems to have had ankle injuries most the season, hopefully the operation will see him cherry ripe in 2012.

[Messenger]

2011 Player Review Courtesy of grizzlym



http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h373/Messenger74/Hawkerblog%20Player%20Photos/Mitch_Hallahan.jpg

Mitchell Hallahan 



Guernsey number: 38

Height: 184cm 

Weight: 81kg

DoB: 23-08-1990

Draft History: Pick number 38, 2010 National Draft
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays



2011 Season:
Yet to debut at senior level

Supercoach Price: $103,600 
Dreamteam Price: $92,500


Summary

Some consider that Mitch was to good to pass up when it came to our pick in the 2010 draft. Leading up to the draft, Mitch's prospects were talked up being a 'hard-at-it, old fashioned and in-and-under-midfielder'. An ankle injury, however, sustained in 2010 saw his TAC form drop off and this, as well as some questions over his pace, might have contributed to Mitch dropping in the draft. In 2011, after being named in the best early in the year at Box Hill, he was unfortunately injured again and didn’t see any further action.

With all that being said, many good judges are talking about Mitch as being the heir in waiting to Brad Sewell’s midfield role. Tough at it, and with a reputation as a tackling machine, Hallahan uses his low centre of gravity to advantage in clearance situations along with his power. Not surprisingly, as he’s a good amateur boxer, Mitch has quick hands, especially in close, and is also well-balanced. But probably the defining characteristic of Mitch’s make-up is his toughness and dedication.

So what does the future hold? At a bare minimum, Mitch needs to get injury-free and fit so he can string together quality game time at Box Hill. A senior debut isn’t out of the question in 2012, but a few things would have to go right for Mitch. And if they do, Hawthorn might just have found the next generation of hard-tackling inside mid to carry on the baton from one Brad Sewell.

Did I also mention he has a good kick on the right and can take a decent grab overhead. I like the kid.