Welcome to Hawthorn Pick 44: Blake Hardwick

[Pessimistic]

Roos/Lyon/Longmire coached teams never will

Clarko has proven he is willing to change and adapt

have they ?

 

[MrFujiMoto]

I'd take that.

A premiership player and somebody who bought into the Clarkson plan wholeheartedly. What's not to like?

Agreed Mo, Ossie was the picture perfect Clarko man. Hard, crafty, versatile and did exactly what was wanted of him. We could only dream of this kid being anything like Ossie.

 

[Hawk Dork]

Especially if he brings some of his hurting ability

 

[Vdubs]

Thx for the post Vdubs. What have you liked about him to give him future 'gun' status?

Kicks the goals you want a good player to kick, regularly.
Can act as the KF despite his height.
Has a presence around the forward line that demands respect. Players look for him.
Quick lead, great mark.
I guess it is exactly what my team lacks; your team has no lack of this type, but you can never have too many goal kicking match-winners.

 

[Coathanger]

One thing this kid has is power in his legs. Also has good hands, good foot skills and a quick mind. If he can build a tank he can play midfield at least as a relief midfielder. Perfect choice at the tail of the draft.

You may be spot on there Brishawk,I believe he is very similar to Rockliff,who was the gun forward in his draft and we now no he can play in the midfield.

 

[bunky]

Here's Mr.Hardwick in a hawks jumper. Looks pretty solid and should make an impact next year at Box hill. Can see him kicking bags down at City oval!

 

[Flag08]

Anyone who kicks bags of 8, 10 and 12 in the TAC has got something going for them. Some kids may do it by developing early and being a lot bigger than their opponents, this kid uses footy smarts. Gotta be a chance. I'm hoping he's a Jamie Elliot.

 

[JoondalupJ]

Welcome Blake the snake.





Medium forward who is terrific on the move as a lead-up forward. Is a difficult match-up one-on-one and regularly makes something out of nothing around goals with his elite power, regularly bursting from contested situations. Performed well in four games at the NAB AFL U18 Championships and impressed with his goalkicking this season at TAC Cup level, including 12 goals against the Bendigo Pioneers and 10 against the Geelong Falcons.

Well done Welcome!!!

 

[Tomohawks]

Well I have my new favourite player then!

Me too then!

 

[MrPremiership]

Last bloke I saw kick 10+ goals in TAC Cup was Steele Sidebottom (think it was the GF). He turned into a hand player, hopefully Blake can do the same.

Seems physically ready.

 

[extractasam]

At best a Osborne type and he will do well to get to that point. Nothing more though.

What have you watched a handful of YouTube videos to make this assumption?

The kids 18 for christ sake you cannot put a limit on anyone drafted.

 

[Lethality]

His profile makes him sound like more of a Mark Williams type than someone like Osborne who could roll through midfield. If all goes well he'll end up as our most stay at home small/medium forward while Breust, Sicily, Gunston run up the ground.

 

[TyHawk]

What have you watched a handful of YouTube videos to make this assumption?

The kids 18 for christ sake you cannot put a limit on anyone drafted.

Relax. Far out people are jumpy about some kids that may or may not make it. And btw, Ossie was a very good , hard working and skillful half frwd who could jump, take marks on the lead with safe hands, had mongrel, fair leg speed, and goal kicking nous so, to that end, hardwik would do well to be that handy. Am I super excited? No and never am until these kids break in to the senior side.

 

[MrPremiership]

Relax. Far out people are jumpy about some kids that may or may not make it. And btw, Ossie was a very good , hard working and skillful half frwd who could jump, take marks on the lead with safe hands, had mongrel, fair leg speed, and goal kicking nous so, to that end, hardwik would do well to be that handy. Am I super excited? No and never am until these kids break in to the senior side.

Say something positive, posters like it.
Say something negative, posters crack the sads at you.

Everyone loves the Club, doesn't mean you can't be critical/objective about an issue. BF starting to get real touchy

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Nickname Dimma?

 

[mightynineteen]

Very nice pick at 44. Much to like, a small accurate goal kicking forward.
And more significantly
1.we are the family club, and we all know how important mum's are. His mum is a Hawks supporter and we have made her very happy.
2.Blake no longer supports that Ped ridden cess pool of club
3.funny thing is, if any club needed a quality small forward, it would be that cess pool

 

[sven_inc]

44 – Hawthorn – Blake Hardwick

It’s all about value this late in the piece, and the Hawks hit the nail on the head, another tick for Wright. Can’t help but feel Hardwick might become another Luke Bruest, and given his ability to impact the scoreboard so prolifically, I feel the Hawks went best available rather than trying to fill a direct need. Good recruiting.

 

[Agent Smith]

Just what we need - someone with good hands who can take a strong mark up forward. Further to that - he's a crack shot at goal! Got me excited. Needs to build his tank obviously so for the first couple of years will be primarily a forward, one with the opposition's 4th or 5th best defender on him as well. That is something we could exploit if he can find his way into the seniors sooner rather than later.

With a bigger tank, he could be an inside mid. Could be a future replacement of Lewis if all goes well. I don't put a ceiling on draftees. The sky's the limit because the only thing holding them back is themselves. Let's hope Blake and our other pick ups really make a red hot go of their extraordinary opportunities, coz this hard wick could be the extra headache that opposition coaches really didn't need.

Ah, it's not going well for creative writing when I'm groaning at my own hard wick comment.

 

[Boo71]

Either Lewis and a few others have shrunk or the heights these kids are listed at are full of it, as usual.

 

[sven_inc]

As a player, he sees himself a bit like West Coast Eagles’ Mark LeCras – “a medium forward that can go on ball as well”.

“As a forward, I think I’m pretty strong in my one-on ones and a good goalkicker, but I’d like to improve my endurance and become an inside onballer,” he said.

The above makes me happy!

 

[TyHawk]

Just what we need - someone with good hands who can take a strong mark up forward. Further to that - he's a crack shot at goal! Got me excited. Needs to build his tank obviously so for the first couple of years will be primarily a forward, one with the opposition's 4th or 5th best defender on him as well. That is something we could exploit if he can find his way into the seniors sooner rather than later.

With a bigger tank, he could be an inside mid. Could be a future replacement of Lewis if all goes well. I don't put a ceiling on draftees. The sky's the limit because the only thing holding them back is themselves. Let's hope Blake and our other pick ups really make a red hot go of their extraordinary opportunities, coz this hard wick could be the extra headache that opposition coaches really didn't need.

Ah, it's not going well for creative writing when I'm groaning at my own hard wick comment.

Geezus! Thank God you don't put ceilings on players.....Jordan Lewis?

 

[seysearles]

Sicily, Burton and Hardwick could all be vying for the same position, and that is just at Box Hill unless Breust, Rioli or Puopolo get injured.

Doesn't bode well for O'Brien.

 

[Big A]

Reckon he's got a just a little bit of leigh matthews about him

 

[markr]

Either Lewis and a few others have shrunk or the heights these kids are listed at are full of it, as usual.

His height in the draft stats would be what he was officially measured at at the combine (or state screening if that's where he went), so should be accurate. But his 181cm puts him 2 inches shorter than Lewis is listed at.

 

[Lethality]

Reckon he's got a just a little bit of leigh matthews about him

No pressure.