Will Heatherley and Tatupu ever play a senior game?

[HomerJayS]

He did ok -- MASSIVE unit , beware any that get in his way.

I read it was pretty wet last week so tough for big talls. A couple of goals on debut in those conditions seems good to me. Hopefully he will get another run this week.

Polynesians have large close extended families. I can see why Shem would want to go back home during the off season. Putting pressure on him to stay won't do anything to keep him at the Hawks.

Getting a few games in the firsts will help him. Performing well at that level will keep him here. I'm sure he still has the desire to succeed as a Hawthorn player otherwise he would have quit already.

 

[Gralin]

Kurt is progressing quite nicely.
Considering the step up for Shem from Dev to seniors he did all right on the weekend, I know we were playing a pretty weak opposition but it was good exposure for the kid, will be interesting to see if he gets another game in the seniors or is sent back down

 

[Ordovician]

Shem lives with his mum in Melbourne.

Shem spent last year kicking the dew off the grass with his broken foot. If he went home early at the end of the year that is perfectly fine as he was achieving very little that season other than doing lots of rehab and light skills work. Even Kurt went home in the middle of last year for a few weeks when he was out of action injured for a month or so.

Shem was promoted to the VFL on the basis of need. Roughy went down, Schoey went up to the AFL to replace Roughy, so there was a space for Shem and fortunately he had played a career best game the previous week.

Shem played ok. Looked a little lost with where to run and lead but he has a good grasp of the basics. He has big hands, he is very clean over head, you can't knock him off the ball easily, loves to tackle and to bump. However, some one has stuffed up big time and taught the kid how to kick properly and kick straight (Rath should identify this person and have them sacked). He has an excellent kicking action for set shots as can be seen in the video clip.

I am sure that he will play some senior footy along with Heatherly. Whether or not he becomes a best 22 player is unknowable. To do so he will have to improve his tank significantly and to do this he'll probably have to shed a lot of weight from his legs and mid section so that he'll look like an AFL player a not a rugby player.

The kid has given up a very solid offers for a rugby career to follow in the footsteps of his father so I don't think people should be fooled by his easy going demeanour. He has taken up a very big challenge and I think he'll give it a fair dinkum crack.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Hawks keen to lock down NZ prospect Heatherley
Travis King July 7, 2015 2:06 PM

Hawthorn say it's only a matter of time before Kurt Heatherley makes his senior debut
Related

• Lyon downplays hype ahead of blockbuster

We think he will certainly play AFL footy, it’s just a matter of how soon
Graham Wright on Kurt Heatherley
HAWTHORN will try to block rival clubs circling New Zealand project player Kurt Heatherley by ramping-up contract talks with the athletic defender.
Heatherley is yet to make his AFL debut, but his stocks have risen during a standout VFL season for Box Hill, with his impressive form attracting rivals' interest.
Hawthorn has been delighted by the international rookie's progress and AFL.com.au understands the reigning premiers are eager to hurry along negotiations on a new deal.
Despite the lack of senior opportunities to date, Heatherley is understood to be keen to remain at Waverley.
The Hawks could offer Heatherley an upgrade to the senior list, or extend his contract and keep him on the rookie list.
The 193cm former basketballer and rugby player signed with the Hawks as an International Scholarship holder in 2009, and has worked his way up through TAC Cup and VFL Development League ranks.
In his second season at VFL senior level this year, Heatherley has played all 10 games for ladder-leaders Box Hill and been named in the best three times.
The 20-year-old has shown promise as a rebounding defender, but his natural competitiveness has also seen him groomed by the Hawks as a key position prospect.
Hawthorn needs to find replacements for its aging backline warriors in coming seasons, although Brian Lake (33) is keen to play on next year and Josh Gibson (31) has signed an extension until the end of 2016.
Heatherley played 14 VFL games last season – including the losing Grand Final against Footscray – and appears the next rookie in line to be elevated.
Recruiting and list manager Graham Wright said there was no doubt Heatherley would eventually reach the elite level after the club upgraded him as an international rookie in 2013.
"We think he will certainly play AFL footy, it’s just a matter of how soon," Wright told the club's website.
“He’ll develop in the system and I’m sure he’ll come through and play at some stage.”
Heatherley, who hails from Tuaranga, 200km south-east of Auckland, is not the only New Zealander on Hawthorn's list showing promise.
Hulking 197cm key forward prospect Shem-Kalvin Tatupu, from Auckland, booted two goals in his senior VFL debut in Box Hill's win over Frankston on Saturday.

 

[Jaeger]

Would be surprised if he left us.

We've been developing him since he was 15. You'd think he would want to stick it out and make a go of it at the Hawks.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Shem lives with his mum in Melbourne.

I am sure that he will play some senior footy along with Heatherly. Whether or not he becomes a best 22 player is unknowable. To do so he will have to improve his tank significantly and to do this he'll probably have to shed a lot of weight from his legs and mid section so that he'll look like an AFL player a not a rugby player.

The kid has given up a very solid offers for a rugby career to follow in the footsteps of his father so I don't think people should be fooled by his easy going demeanour. He has taken up a very big challenge and I think he'll give it a fair dinkum crack.

If the club has Shem slated as a full-forward, then it's likely best that he not lose too much weight....Ah la Lockett....That mass & huge legs are his one advantage & asset that needs to be taken advantage of....Dunstall was forever at the back of the long-distance pack & it never did his game any harm.

Sprint-work however would come in handy....A return to the old-fashioned full-forward is Shem....We all have high hopes that he makes it.

 

[Kuuz]

Other clubs keep your mitts off Kurt!

 

[Ordovician]

If the club has Shem slated as a full-forward, then it's likely best that he not lose too much weight....Ah la Lockett....That mass & huge legs are his one advantage & asset that needs to be taken advantage of....Dunstall was forever at the back of the long-distance pack & it never did his game any harm.

Sprint-work however would come in handy....A return to the old-fashioned full-forward is Shem....We all have high hopes that he makes it.

Unfortunately in the days of forward presses he is going to have to run up an down the ground from FF to the centre all day long, unless fashions change.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Kurt yes, Shem no, for mine.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Hope we resign Kurt ASAP. Would be pretty disappointing for him to walk out given how much time we have put into him.

 

[BobHawk]

Can't see how we could let Kurt go given we are looking for a replacement for Lake in the short term. Not sure Lake has another year in him but would be great to send him off with a third flag in three years. Wouldn't that be some sort of record.

 

[Randy Campbell]

We will get plenty from the boy from the Bay of Plenty.

 

[Procrastinator35]

Kurt yes, Shem no, for mine.

Kurt is almost a full year older than SHem & has an entire years extra development on account of Shem's foot injury last year....That amounts to 2 full year's difference....Both are still contracted till the end of 2016 as Category B rookies....Shem deserves another year to prove himself as yet; But Kurt will no doubt be up-graded onto our primary-list at years end.

 

[Ordovician]

Kurt is almost a full year older than SHem & has an entire years extra development on account of Shem's foot injury last year....That amounts to 2 full year's difference....Both are still contracted till the end of 2016 as Category B rookies....Shem deserves another year to prove himself as yet; But Kurt will no doubt be up-graded onto our primary-list at years end.

Also Kurt finished his schooling at Caulfield G. where he played school footy and TAC cup for a year, so he has years more exposure to footy than Shem, and yet Shem has the better kicking action.

 

[DannyJ]

Heatherley is a must keep. Pretty sure he signed a 3 year deal. But I'd reward him end of this year with a spot and upgraded contract for the primary list.
Shallow draft and perfect time to come on and play some AFL next season with an ageing Lake and Gibson

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

I reckon we will offer Kurt an upgrade, but if someone trumps in with a promise of certain games, then I reckon he will walk. We have been into him since he was 15, he turns 21 at the end of the year. Understandable if he is getting anxious about his future.

He is a good prospect and is improving. Not convinced he is a KPD and I would have him well behind Gus and Howe as a mid sized defender.

 

[threesixpio]

I reckon we will offer Kurt an upgrade, but if someone trumps in with a promise of certain games, then I reckon he will walk. We have been into him since he was 15, he turns 21 at the end of the year. Understandable if he is getting anxious about his future.

He is a good prospect and is improving. Not convinced he is a KPD and I would have him well behind Gus and Howe as a mid sized defender.

I remember an interview where he suggested that he was spending lots of time with Gibbo. Gibbo is kind of hard to class as a defender (because he does everything so darn well) but for want of a better description you'd say third tall defender. Would this be his role? Lithers, whilst taller than you think, I see as more of a rebounder and Howe as a utility a la Burgers etc

BUT I definitely defer to you on this as you see plenty more BH games than me!!

I'll add that Lithers is quite good as the "stopper" a la Strattons role

 

[TNTre]

I'd say Kurt is competing for Strattons position as a floating adaptable defender, however concentrating more on the tall rather stratts ability on smalls.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

I remember an interview where he suggested that he was spending lots of time with Gibbo. Gibbo is kind of hard to class as a defender (because he does everything so darn well) but for want of a better description you'd say third tall defender. Would this be his role? Lithers, whilst taller than you think, I see as more of a rebounder and Howe as a utility a la Burgers etc ...

And this is what is hard for young players at HFC. Pretty much we can only compare guys to our guys and they are AFL elite. He is certainly moving from being a lock down defender to offering more ala Gibbo. His attack is ferocious, hard not to like Kurt.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Kurt is almost a full year older than SHem & has an entire years extra development on account of Shem's foot injury last year....That amounts to 2 full year's difference....Both are still contracted till the end of 2016 as Category B rookies....Shem deserves another year to prove himself as yet; But Kurt will no doubt be up-graded onto our primary-list at years end.

Agreed, I am just concerned that Shem will never have the fitness to play in the ruck nor the footy smarts to play as a key forward. Time will tell...

 

[Randy Campbell]

Agreed, I am just concerned that Shem will never have the fitness to play in the ruck nor the footy smarts to play as a key forward. Time will tell...

No better place to learn.

 

[JD1992]

I reckon we will offer Kurt an upgrade, but if someone trumps in with a promise of certain games, then I reckon he will walk. We have been into him since he was 15, he turns 21 at the end of the year. Understandable if he is getting anxious about his future.

He is a good prospect and is improving. Not convinced he is a KPD and I would have him well behind Gus and Howe as a mid sized defender.

However I think Howe is set to be a big body mid

 

[B&GBlood]

I don't want Shem to play in the 1sts, he might eat Roughy.

He is enormous.

 

[HomerJayS]

Agreed, I am just concerned that Shem will never have the fitness to play in the ruck nor the footy smarts to play as a key forward. Time will tell...

Is that worry on his fitness based on what you've seen? Or just his size?

 

[Gralin]

Shem still has a lot of work to do on his body to make it as a modern footballer whether he can get there will be the question as it's not easy to make those kind of changes

Kurt will get his chance whether it is with us or someone else like the dogs where he can reunite with Bevo