Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Pick 18, Josh Weddle

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sam says Blicavs…

 

[HeHateMe]

He likes Tom Stewart and Nat Fyfe. Interesting... If he was to play his career as a defender surly he would be modelling his game on Stewart, but also he has the strength, size, speed, and competitive nature to be that big inside player like a Fyfe.

Best thing about this kid is he has the tools to become anything, it's up to him now and how he is developed.

 

[Sixpence]

Was a bit worried (again) when I saw "defender", but youse lot have excited me up with the winger talk. I just wonder why none of his junior coaches thought of that? You can always find another defender.

From what I've gathered (in the few hours since he joined us), he's only played in defence the last two years. Sounds like he's had a pretty versatile junior career.

 

[Slainte]

Could turn out to be a bit of a Birchall type. Not the same quality by foot but better overhead. Same ability to read the game and break lines.

 

[TDS7]

Right. So death-riding the throwdogs next season it is!

And welcome Josh, "Weds", or maybe even "Del"?

Was a bit worried (again) when I saw "defender", but youse lot have excited me up with the winger talk. I just wonder why none of his junior coaches thought of that? You can always find another defender.

Weddle was the best defender in the country this year on form. All Australian FB, NAB TOTY CHB, the scalps of Cadman, Sheezel, and Lemmey. If you're a coach who wants to win, you don't take out your best defender to try him out as a mid or a wing when you've got a million guys vying for that already.

 

[A1fromDay1]

Think this point needs to be reinforced

WE DON'T SEE HIM AS A BACK FLANKER!

The comparisons to Birchall & Scrimshaw are moot our vision for him is Mark Blicavs

46

Mark Blicavs

Age

33

Ht

198cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

M/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.5

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

7.9

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.7

4star

D

11.1

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.9

3star

CL

0.1

2star

D

8.6

3star

K

2.0

1star

HB

6.6

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.6

4star

CL

2.0

4star

 

[burner1]

Looks to have heaps of talent. MM described as a utility/ wing I think.

I wouldn’t be getting too hung up on positions at this stage.

But a guy who has the athletic tools to play wing or mid but also ability to be an elite defender (on kpp an smalls) is a pretty exciting prospect.

 

[BurnaHawks]

This may have been confirmed prior. Can someone confirm for me.

We gave up pick 27, WB future 2nd and the Future 3rd we picked up via trade….?

So, our picks next year are unaffected? Yes

 

[Ned Ryerson]

This may have been confirmed prior. Can someone confirm for me.

We gave up pick 27, WB future 2nd and the Future 3rd we picked up via trade….?

So, our picks next year are unaffected? Yes

inverse of that - fairly sure it was our future second and third.

 

[MrPremiership]

This may have been confirmed prior. Can someone confirm for me.

We gave up pick 27, WB future 2nd and the Future 3rd we picked up via trade….?

So, our picks next year are unaffected? Yes

the F2 and F3 that we traded to Swans are tied to us....not the Dogs

Our picks for 2023 are currently

Round 1 - ours
Round 2 - dogs
Round 3 - dogs
Round 4 - Lions

 

[Hawkboy62]

Josh Weddle is the next-generation Isaac Smith.

Watch his highlights.

I hope he can snag 4 premierships and a Norm without shifting clubs!

 

[matey]

Looks to have heaps of talent. MM described as a utility/ wing I think.

I wouldn’t be getting too hung up on positions at this stage.

But a guy who has the athletic tools to play wing or mid but also ability to be an elite defender (on kpp an smalls) is a pretty exciting prospect.

Combining his elite spring both standing and running jump with his ability to take a grab could probably webble him up forward at times as well.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Looking at his highlights the main thing that stands out for me is his speed.

Got a great fluid running motion, like a big powerful 100m sprinter.

I still think we will use him as a key defender though as all his assets shout out to me as being suited as key back who can run the ball (like a combination of Alex Rance

Alex Rance

Age

34

Ht

194cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

7.7

5star

M

5.7

5star

T

2.4

4star

MG

226.9

3star

No current season stats available

D

17.0

5star

K

5.8

3star

HB

11.2

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.6

5star

and Sam Frost

8

Sam Frost

Age

30

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.4

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

1.9

4star

MG

191.6

3star

D

10.5

3star

K

6.3

3star

HB

4.3

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.5

2star

MG

191.6

3star

D

11.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.4

4star

).

 

[kirbatron]

bloody excited. have a good feeling about Wedsy

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Sam says Blicavs…

Well I was completely off looks like Sam has him down as a midfielder.

That could be a slow burn as it takes quite a while to learn the midfield craft.

He obviously thinks Josh can be an elite mid though to take this approach?

 

[KermitJagger]

Well I was completely off looks like Sam has him down as a midfielder.

That could be a slow burn as it takes quite a while to learn the midfield craft.

He obviously thinks Josh can be an elite mid though to take this approach?

Honestly, it's far easier to be a midfielder than it is to play pretty much anywhere else on the ground.

 

[arupist]

Can someone please introduce Josh to a hairdresser?

 

[hawkmang]

Can someone please introduce Josh to a hairdresser?

Who is our internal barber since Duryea left?

 

[eldorado]

I'm gonna go old school, and declare him Anthony Koutafides-like!

(After a few years on the weights, at least)

 

[burner1]

One criticism of our list is we lack a players with genuine point of difference. However, Weddle seems a pretty unique type - elite defender (can play as kpp or smaller) but can likely play wing/mid. Blicavs is even more unique (as can play ruck) but it’s an interesting comparison - as not really many others in afl land (lots of hbf/mids but not kpp/mids).

Geelong benefited a heap by having Blicavs run the wing but then drop back to defence with needed (rather than having an extra defender on bench).

Can’t wait til he hits the track.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I'm gonna go old school, and declare him Anthony Koutafides-like!

(After a few years on the weights, at least)

He certainly runs like Kouta used to.

I can see the similarities, powerful 190cm athletes with great running ability.

I don't think Josh will have any problem reaching Kouta like body shae, he's not that far off it already!

 

[Jim Prideaux]

We couldn’t have thrown the bulldogs second in instead of our own? I find that tough to comprehend.

I get what you mean, but honestly, I don’t think the Doggies will be great this year.

 

[Billyc]

So we got future Pendlebury and future Kouta. Killing it!!

 

[moginie]

Welcome Josh!

In reading BigFooty it seems that already you've joined the ranks of players like Osborne, Thorp and Maginness as the name most likely to be mis-spelt.

So pleased that you are a Hawk.

 

[PenAndPaper]

We couldn’t have thrown the bulldogs second in instead of our own? I find that tough to comprehend.

I find it harder to comprehend that we wouldn't have tried to use that one but obviously Sydney wanted more.