Player Watch #9 Will Hayward

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Will Hayward
Spritely Sydney Swans forward Will Hayward enjoyed a rocketing start to his career as he became the 11th-youngest player in the AFL era to reach 50 career goals in 2018. The 2016 draftee’s nippy pace and cunning goal awareness have made him a dangerous option in coach John Longmire’s forward line. A broken jaw and a persistent hip injury limited Hayward to just 12 goals in 13 senior games in 2019, but the South Australian is attacking the 2020 campaign on the back of his first full pre-season. Don’t be surprised if the exciting Swan finds himself on a wing this year.

Will Hayward
DOB: 26 October 1998
DEBUT: 2017
DRAFT: #21, 2016 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Walkerville (SA)/North Adelaide (SANFL)

 
Jun 19, 2011
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I don't think I'm as sold on Hayward being bound to having as great a career as some are expecting. I think he'll play 200+ for us and that's certainly excellent, but I think he needs to get much, much stronger physically if he is to become the top shelf forward that he is being mooted to be. I'm not sure his body frame will allow it tbh.

Very happy to be proven wrong, he certainly has a lot of skill but I'm not sure what I'd bet on if asked "will Will Hayward make an AA team at some stage in his career?". I think I'd veer towards no.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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And by getting stronger, I mean in the realm of a De Goey or Martin when they play forward. Hayward is the same height, not significantly less skilled (he's less skillful than Martin for sure but I don't think he's out of the ball park with De Goey), but what they have as top-shelf medium forwards is superior strength and explosive athleticism. Hayward I don't think has those things currently and I'm not sure how much explosive strength he can pack on as time goes on.
 
And by getting stronger, I mean in the realm of a De Goey or Martin when they play forward. Hayward is the same height, not significantly less skilled (he's less skillful than Martin for sure but I don't think he's out of the ball park with De Goey), but what they have as top-shelf medium forwards is superior strength and explosive athleticism. Hayward I don't think has those things currently and I'm not sure how much explosive strength he can pack on as time goes on.

He has never needed to be anything more than himself to kick bags of goals. He has all the requisite skills to be a dynamite forward.
If he can turn into Micky O II (sans the injuries) that would be awesome.
 
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He has never needed to be anything more than himself to kick bags of goals. He has all the requisite skills to be a dynamite forward.
If he can turn into Micky O II (sans the injuries) that would be awesome.

He'd need to develop a lot of strength to be Micky O II. As skillful and canny as Mick was, he was exceptionally strong.

If Hayward has anywhere near as good a career as O'Loughlin had, I'll be supremely happy. I doubt that will happen too, though.
 
He'd need to develop a lot of strength to be Micky O II. As skillful and canny as Mick was, he was exceptionally strong.

If Hayward has anywhere near as good a career as O'Loughlin had, I'll be supremely happy. I doubt that will happen too, though.

I agree in part. But for me the biggest standout in his game is his footy smarts, like Micky O.
He will naturally get stronger, as far as strength goes I am not convinced he needs to go too far beyond where that natural strength takes him.
 

Tedeski

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He'd need to develop a lot of strength to be Micky O II. As skillful and canny as Mick was, he was exceptionally strong.

If Hayward has anywhere near as good a career as O'Loughlin had, I'll be supremely happy. I doubt that will happen too, though.

50 games & 3 to 4 consecutive pre-seasons is the magic number for when players really start to hit their straps. Have no fear, Florent & Hayward will take off in these next two years. They each played 23 games which is a huge season on the body with Florent on 32 & Hayward with 40. These two along with McCartin 15 games, will be the future guns of our club. Exciting times actually.
 
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50 games & 3 to 4 consecutive pre-seasons is the magic number for when players really start to hit their straps. Have no fear, Florent & Hayward will take off in these next two years. They each played 23 games which is a huge season on the body with Florent on 32 & Hayward with 40. These two along with McCartin 15 games, will be the future guns of our club. Exciting times actually.

I'm excited about all three, to be sure. Perhaps just not quite as excited about Hayward as others.

I have more confidence that Florent and McCartin will ascend to being near the top of their respective fields actually. I think they have more definable, clear strengths that can make them excellent players in the positions which they're being developed in.

I guess my concern with Hayward is that, despite how talented he is, I don't see his athleticism or strength as being good enough to take him to the very top - he'll be really good, just not great is where I stand. It's nit-picky I guess, but I don't see his skill as being as sublime as, say, Steve Johnson that his lack of height/strength will be compensated for.
 
I'm excited about all three, to be sure. Perhaps just not quite as excited about Hayward as others.

I have more confidence that Florent and McCartin will ascend to being near the top of their respective fields actually. I think they have more definable, clear strengths that can make them excellent players in the positions which they're being developed in.

I guess my concern with Hayward is that, despite how talented he is, I don't see his athleticism or strength as being good enough to take him to the very top - he'll be really good, just not great is where I stand. It's nit-picky I guess, but I don't see his skill as being as sublime as, say, Steve Johnson that his lack of height/strength will be compensated for.


You can never tell really, all three look good.

Hayward has some great footy smarts but to be more than bit part player he will have to elevate his game and find a way to stay involved, can he have a run on the ball effectively? I dont know

Florent looks a natural wing player, silky smooth and the best of the three at the moment IMO

Mccartin is raw and talented, but his kicking is shithouse, I cant think of many forwards off the top of my head who went from god awful kicks to great- he could be that forever promising key big like a Sam Reid- who never quite becomes what you hoped he would be
 
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You can never tell really, all three look good.

Hayward has some great footy smarts but to be more than bit part player he will have to elevate his game and find a way to stay involved, can he have a run on the ball effectively? I dont know

Florent looks a natural wing player, silky smooth and the best of the three at the moment IMO

Mccartin is raw and talented, but his kicking is shithouse, I cant think of many forwards off the top of my head who went from god awful kicks to great- he could be that forever promising key big like a Sam Reid- who never quite becomes what you hoped he would be

I fear Hayward becoming a bit part player, like you say. I think he could quite easily become just a good player rather than a really high quality player.

I also like Florent the best right now and I get the worries about McCartin's kicking but he's so young that I think it can be ironed out. I doubt he'll ever be AA either too tbh but he shows so many mature, repeatable habits already as a CHF that I'm very optimistic about his future.
 
I fear Hayward becoming a bit part player, like you say. I think he could quite easily become just a good player rather than a really high quality player.

I also like Florent the best right now and I get the worries about McCartin's kicking but he's so young that I think it can be ironed out. I doubt he'll ever be AA either too tbh but he shows so many mature, repeatable habits already as a CHF that I'm very optimistic about his future.


Mccartin only has to become an average kick to take a massive leap next year that’s for sure

Hayward yeah time will tell, a more attacking game plan will help him
 
Mccartin only has to become an average kick to take a massive leap next year that’s for sure

Hayward yeah time will tell, a more attacking game plan will help him

This X 2
 

Deccas

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Haywards best traits are his high marking which would have to be as good than just about any forward his height, and his goal sense, which has seen him be the fastest player to 50 goals in a decade. He just consistently finds space.

He showed at junior level an ability to just get off the chain and dominate a game. Its no surprise he hasn't yet done that at senior level, but I would not be surprised if he kicks a few big bags over the next 2 seasons. He already has goal scoring consistency. You add 3 or 4 match winning bags a season to his consistent output and he becomes one of the most valuable players in the game.

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J_Moore

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I look at Hayward and the most recent player that comes to mind is Will Hoskin Elliott. You’d like to think he could be Gunston, who essentially plays as a leading medium forward (when bloody Longmire isn’t throwing him in defence because he hates scoring!!!) but he’s three inches shorter and slower.
 
Why is he even a talking point at this point I don't really understand it. He just kicked 28 goals in his second season. In a season where our forward line was an absolute shambles (isn't Jaidyn Stephenson just the luckiest?). Yeah Hayward faded as the season went on, but which youngster didn't? By the final rounds, McCartin looked like a fish out of water, nothing Ronke did seemed to go right, and even my golden boy O Flo wasn't getting quite as involved as he was earlier in the year.

It's because these guys are still kids in the grand scheme of their AFL careers. They're all in their first and second years, not getting the luxury of developing in the NEAFL and being able to adapt to senior game time once they're called upon like Hewett was able to. They had a helluva lot asked of them, probably too much for where they're at in their development.

Did they stop trying? No.

Hayward became the 11th fastest player to kick 50 career goals. Ronke had two bags of 5+ goals in his first season. Florent showed for a solid stretch of the year he can be a midfield gun and rack up some big numbers. McCartin is the youngest player in the competition and he's already got his first final out of the way.

If you said at the start of the year that any four of those things would happen with these youngsters, you'd take it any day of the week. Relax people. Enjoy the youth while they're still youthful. In a matter of years they'll be at the point where watching them do good things on the footy field won't be as exciting because you'll be expecting and/or demanding it of them. I'd rather try and avoid that stage for as long as possible personally..
 
Fairly handy 50 first games!


Interesting the Stevie J interview on the Swans site where he basically said they try to encourage Hayward to play with more flair and back himself more. Wouldn’t have pegged him as the type who needs more confidence in himself, but there you go! Shows we as spectators don’t know a lot of what goes on. Might also explain his current case of the yips!
 
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