Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Oliver Hanrahan

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Tomohawks

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Why? Because he's over 30?

His role in the side is defensive pressure. With Cyril gone, we don't have other small forwards who do that as well as Poppy.
Why? Because he's over 30?

His role in the side is defensive pressure. With Cyril gone, we don't have other small forwards who do that as well as Poppy.

He just doesn't get any touches anymore, he is getting rushed in his disposal more often than not and it's not going to get better at his age. So yes partly to do with his age as history suggests he's not going to improve at age 31 and 32 later this year. When we have to choose between Poppy and Ollie going forward, Ollie needs to play every time now due to his offensive abilities. This is in no way any dig at Poppy who's been a star for us but age catches up with us all and it's time to pass the baton now.
 

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He just doesn't get any touches anymore, he is getting rushed in his disposal more often than not and it's not going to get better at his age. So yes partly to do with his age as history suggests he's not going to improve at age 31 and 32 later this year. When we have to choose between Poppy and Ollie going forward, Ollie needs to play every time now due to his offensive abilities. This is in no way any dig at Poppy who's been a star for us but age catches up with us all and it's time to pass the baton now.
Poppy's role has never, and will never, be graded on how many disposals he gets.

Where he has been poor this year is hitting the scoreboard. If he can address that, then he is fine.

I'll never understand the rush to retire players.
 

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Poppy's role has never, and will never, be graded on how many disposals he gets.

Where he has been poor this year is hitting the scoreboard. If he can address that, then he is fine.

I'll never understand the rush to retire players.

I agree he doesn't need touches to be valuable, however if he's a non factor on actually touching it all then his spot in the team becomes an area for discussion. No team can afford to have a player in the team for only tackling pressure who does nothing else. I love his pressure and it's valuable but he's giving nothing else whatsoever. Poppy has been magnificent for us over the journey but he's done.
 

TylerDurden

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I agree he doesn't need touches to be valuable, however if he's a non factor on actually touching it all then his spot in the team becomes an area for discussion. No team can afford to have a player in the team for only tackling pressure who does nothing else. I love his pressure and it's valuable but he's giving nothing else whatsoever. Poppy has been magnificent for us over the journey but he's done.
On point.
 
I agree he doesn't need touches to be valuable, however if he's a non factor on actually touching it all then his spot in the team becomes an area for discussion. No team can afford to have a player in the team for only tackling pressure who does nothing else. I love his pressure and it's valuable but he's giving nothing else whatsoever. Poppy has been magnificent for us over the journey but he's done.

Do you not think that Poppy's situation is systemic of our whole team struggling?

Forward pocket is a lonely place in a bad team, and it's difficult to insert yourself into the game if everyone is struggling.

I agree he's not at his best, but he's playing a role vital to our structures to which we have no replacement. No replacement is even on the horizon. He gets another year on that alone.
 
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I think between Hanrahan, Nash, Moore, Minchington and even Walker we do have a Poppy replacement coming up through the ranks. We forget how good he's been and we may never find another Poppy clone, but each of the guys above could turn into their own version of what he's given us. Hardwick could also end up there of we find a suitable back pocket to replace him.
 

11sjw

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I think between Hanrahan, Nash, Moore, Minchington and even Walker we do have a Poppy replacement coming up through the ranks. We forget how good he's been and we may never find another Poppy clone, but each of the guys above could turn into their own version of what he's given us. Hardwick could also end up there of we find a suitable back pocket to replace him.
Moving Hardwick forward (now Birchall's up and running and with Scrimshaw around) would be a signal re Poppy.
 

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Tomohawks

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Do you not think that Poppy's situation is systemic of our whole team struggling?

Forward pocket is a lonely place in a bad team, and it's difficult to insert yourself into the game if everyone is struggling.

I agree he's not at his best, but he's playing a role vital to our structures to which we have no replacement. No replacement is even on the horizon. He gets another year on that alone.

I don't believe that Poppy's current situation is due to the sides struggles. He is being rushed and fumbles when he is in a position that he would have normally swallowed. Both signs of a player in decline. Yes there is a concern as we don't appear to have a like for like replacement but we can't give him games when a player such as Ollie can provide us something different in a positive way. He won't be getting another year in my opinion.
 

SHAKESPEARE

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Has potential to be HBF/Mid. I hope we see him waltzing around the ground a bit more...but with the occasional goal or two
 

Zack

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For a bloke who had his number stamped.. at BH mind you he's turned he's career around quite well the past 2 months, Wasn't great today but when he does get it in open space it always hits someone. My understanding is it's because he never really was into it... if the past few weeks he's been into it, there is a fair bit to like even if he's just a puppy replacement.
 
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He's really smart with his ball use, just needs to get it more. He's still playing pretty limited minutes compared to other players though.
He gets the ball enough for a small forward.
 
He gets the ball enough for a small forward.

He gets the ball enough, sure - but he's such a smart user of it that I'd love for him to get it more. He didn't register a turnover all game, and every time he got the pill it went to advantage.
 
One quality he has which is perhaps elite is the ability to get the ball to boot incredibly quickly and with limited steps after taking possession. He has kicked 2 incredibly opportunistic goals this season using this trait. It means the opposition will learn they can't give him an inch of space which as a forward group we will be able to use to our advantage.
 

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