Welcome to Hawthorn: Luke Surman - rookie

[Strapping Young Lad]

Welcome Luke.


Luke Surman (7/12/1997. 196cm, 97kg. Norwood)

Tall defender

AFL biography: Strong marking tall defender who can go forward or assist in the ruck. Highly competitive player who holds his position well in the contest. Poised with ball in the hands and has good vision. Held down key defensive position with South Australia in AFL Under-18s this year.

"He's come out of a junior basketball program. He's played a lot of representative basketball and has really only taken footy seriously this year. Speaking to his parents, I think he and they thought he was going to have a bit of a sports-free year and just play a bit of school footy, but he's jumped up quickly, we were crying out for key defenders in our side and he fitted that bill nicely. I think he has a huge amount of upside, he doesn't play with any intensity at the moment but once he learns how to do that and starts to do it he's going to be a big, imposing figure."

Brenton Phillips, SA talent manager

 

[MJA33]

Long term key defender prospect - awesome !!

 

[Hawkinator]

That's a decent highlights package for an unhyped key defender... steady hands

 

[The Lemon]

Will fit in well next to Brand

 

[pomahawk]

The marking and the way he moves reminds me of McEvoy.

How did he test? He doesn't look the quickest, but plenty big enough to hold his own in the VFL while we develop him.

 

[dcutter]

Gee I like the look of this guy...massive unit and seems to read the ball really well with a seriously good set of hands

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Big kid. Straight out of Basketball. Can take a grab. Lots to work with.

 

[moginie]

I like this pick.

All the best, Luke.

 

[shoddy]

Clean marking seems to be a feature of all of our recruits this year.

 

[Faithful Hawk]

He's good reader of the ball in flight with strong hands, just needs to tidy up his kicking and urgency (remind you of someone who retired recently).

 

[Boo71]

Yes!

Damn happy with this. I know most are saying key defender, but being able to mark like that (and being slow) smacks of a goal square full forward to me. Porkins style.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Interesting pick, seems to read the ball really well in the air and a good marker of the pill. Kicking is not great but I suspect the club would already have plans in place to work on this given he's still relatively new to the Aussie rules scene. If they can inject some mongrel and urgency into him and tidy up his kicking then this pick has the potential to pay off

 

[Thaihawk]

Hard to believe he's only 17. Great pick.

 

[Hodginator]

 

[Main Man]

The marking and the way he moves reminds me of McEvoy.

How did he test? He doesn't look the quickest, but plenty big enough to hold his own in the VFL while we develop him.

Interestingly he ran a 3.01 20M sprint and the combine compared to 3.10 for Collins.

Much prefer that we have picked this guy here with big upside as opposed to Collins with an early pick.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

s**t kick and handball but that is to be expected with someone who didn't really play footy

 

[Dr.J]

Massive Upside
Only 17
Reads the ball well with a very clean set of hands.
Height and size to be a KPP

Given his heads in the right place, two years of development at Hawthorn could see the rough edges nicely polished.

 

[Boo71]

I still can't believe he wasn't drafted late in the draft.

Everything to gain and nothing to lose with this bloke.

 

[Matt Stevic]

Who needs Kieran Collins when we have this guy?

#InWrightWeTrust

 

[burger09]

Like

Big unit
Judges flight and marks well

Dont like.

Ground work
Skills
decision making

 

[Coathanger]

Welcome Luke.
Let's just call him "The Unit". At 17 I'm guessing he's still got some more growing as well to come.
Reminds me of Mumford,and is a great mark. Yes he has slow hands and his kick isn't penetrating yet.
Love the mark he takes going back with the flight, and the opposition guy gets flattened at the same time.
Terrific promise to come I believe, well spotted Wrighty & the team.

 

[MatteeG]

Like how he watches the ball in every contest instead of looking who is around him. Excellent pick.

 

[Bad Boy Beama]

Am rapt that we choose him

 

[MrPremiership]

Nice.

 

[Brishawk]

Welcome Luke.
Let's just call him "The Unit". At 17 I'm guessing he's still got some more growing as well to come.
Reminds me of Mumford,and is a great mark. Yes he has slow hands and his kick isn't penetrating yet.
Love the mark he takes going back with the flight, and the opposition guy gets flattened at the same time.
Terrific promise to come I believe, well spotted Wrighty & the team.

If he grows much more he might become a ruck man. Hands are great. I think we can forgive some of his ground level play. He is a late comer to the sport so that sort of thing can be ironed out by experience.