Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn - Emerson Jeka - delisted 2023

[MisterBean]

This. Apparently his kicking efficiency was right down not because of his kicking ability, but because of his decision making. Hawks should be able to coach him to make better decisions.

More importantly, welcome to the Hawks Emerson!

That's good news, it's much easier to teach a player good decision making than good kicking.

With the number of teams and different players that 17 and 18 year old play for and with, it can be hard knowing where to place the kick to advantage.

Once Jeka is immersed in the Hawthorn system, the major reason he was overlooked will be corrected.

 

[The Chad and I]

Draft Prospect - Emerson Jeka

Reminds me of Mitchell Lewis' highlights.
Excellent athleticism and overhead/contested marking.

I wonder if he has the same drive, determination & competitiveness.
If he does we could have a player here - because he has all the raw ingredients.

Only just turned 18. Almost an under-ager.

 

[Lord_Espos]

Welcome to the Hawks. Who knows what he could become.... hopefully we look back on this as a steal.

 

[mustang]

It’s good to see us drafting more talls that are over 190. Lewis a few years back and now Jeka.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Yes for some reason in the recruiting world people seem to always confuse poor kicking and poor decision making. From what I’ve seen Jeka is a great kick technically but just tries to bite off too much sometimes or takes the wrong option. Recruiters made the same mistake with Worpel who is a brilliant kick technically.

Worpel is not a great kick technically

 

[Platten44]

Worpel is not a great kick technically

Worpel is elite kick when free and running forward, watch his pass to Lewis from a centre clearance in Tassie v Freo this year.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Worpel is elite kick when free and running forward, watch his pass to Lewis from a centre clearance in Tassie v Freo this year.

I watched him closely he doesnt have a great kicking action. Watch TOB for reference. Worpel will improve but its a work in progress

 

[Rocket72]

Great pick up. At 16 he was ranked the 2nd best draft prospect in the country

 

[sven_inc]

This time last year Cal Twomey had him in his top 10 to watch for the 2019 draft.

Obviously stagnated this year, but perhaps there's good reason behind it.

Hoping he's similar to Worpel in that regard!

The next crop: 10 to watch in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft

With 2018 done and dusted, Callum Twomey looks at some of the top prospects for next year's draft

m.afl.com.au

 

[TylerDurden]

Obviously stagnated this year

The next crop: 10 to watch in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft

With 2018 done and dusted, Callum Twomey looks at some of the top prospects for next year's draft

m.afl.com.au

Cue Goddard article

 

[SuperSic]

Worpel is not a great kick technically

I disagree strongly with this, I have always said Worpel is a fantastic kick when given an ounce of space. The problem is that he plays pure inside mid so he is always under pressure. Some of his bullet passes when he finds space are sublime.

 

[Slysh]

I disagree strongly with this, I have always said Worpel is a fantastic kick when given an ounce of space. The problem is that he plays pure inside mid so he is always under pressure. Some of his bullet passes when he finds space are sublime.

Was at times one of our best inside 50 kicks this season when he had space, something that was lacking from a lot of our other mids.

 

[dixyland]

I'm looking through the list of players drafted ….. and no Luke Partington? Insanity, pure insanity.

Did Partington get picked up?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Did Partington get picked up?

I'm pretty sure he didn't. I'm amazed. There are a lot worse players than him who have been snapped up.

 

[Lawsy]

I disagree strongly with this, I have always said Worpel is a fantastic kick when given an ounce of space. The problem is that he plays pure inside mid so he is always under pressure. Some of his bullet passes when he finds space are sublime.

I think TheFourPillars means 'technique wise' which if I'm correct, I tend to agree with.
Think Sicily, think Whitfield, think D.Jarman...all technically brilliant kicks of the football due to their kicking technique which is why the teams loved the ball in their hands.
Given space, everyone on the list should be able to put the ball into the dropzone for a forward to lead into, whether they have good technique or not.

 

[stemline]

Sounds like people are more than happy with this selection.

Eveyone's E.Jeka elated.

Hopefully it's not premature.

 

[bris tarangau]

Sounds like people are more than happy with this selection.

Eveyone's E.Jeka elated.

Hopefully it's not premature.

That is wicked!

 

[Gralin]

Worpel is elite kick when free and running forward, watch his pass to Lewis from a centre clearance in Tassie v Freo this year.

Field vision vs mechanics.

Some blokes can get it there but can't see the opportunity

Some can see the opportunity but can't get it there

The ability to lower the eyes and hit up a short target doesn't make you a great kick but it does make you very effective.

The best thing about Worps to this point is how much he's working to get better.

Nobody comes in the finished product.

 

[Mojo]

That's good news, it's much easier to teach a player good decision making than good kicking.

With the number of teams and different players that 17 and 18 year old play for and with, it can be hard knowing where to place the kick to advantage.

Once Jeka is immersed in the Hawthorn system, the major reason he was overlooked will be corrected.

Politely disagree doppelganger!

Skills, endurance, speed, etc can all be improved. A player's decision making is their footy IQ; they're essentially born with it (not to say it can't be improved, however).

 

[tommyk72]

Politely disagree doppelganger!

Skills, endurance, speed, etc can all be improved. A player's decision making is their footy IQ; they're essentially born with it (not to say it can't be improved, however).

This was my initial reacion as well. However, someone else mentioned that once the game plan is drilled into a player they may be able to make better, more consistent decisions, particularly as they become more familiar with their teammates. If a player is playing for 2-3 teams in their last year of school this may make it difficult to get their heads around the multiple plans and sometimes getting confused.

Re: Jeka - I'm excited by him. Seems like a good athlete, and clearly has talent. Anyone know if there were any reasons that he stagnated this year?

 

[Hawk Dork]

This was my initial reacion as well. However, someone else mentioned that once the game plan is drilled into a player they may be able to make better, more consistent decisions, particularly as they become more familiar with their teammates. If a player is playing for 2-3 teams in their last year of school this may make it difficult to get their heads around the multiple plans and sometimes getting confused.

Re: Jeka - I'm excited by him. Seems like a good athlete, and clearly has talent. Anyone know if there were any reasons that he stagnated this year?

He got a knee injury and came back as a back when he started as a forward

AFL DRAFT WATCH: Emerson Jeka - NAB League

When Western Jets key-position player Emerson Jeka felt he needed to spark some life into an up-and-down 2019 season, he went to his head coach Ryan O’Keefe and asked for a change.

nableague.com.au

 

[tommyk72]

He got a knee injury and came back as a back when he started as a forward

AFL DRAFT WATCH: Emerson Jeka - NAB League

When Western Jets key-position player Emerson Jeka felt he needed to spark some life into an up-and-down 2019 season, he went to his head coach Ryan O’Keefe and asked for a change.

nableague.com.au

Sounds like a mature kid with a long term perspective. Also pleased that Ryan O'keefe is feeding us good kids are never quite making it to Hawthorn.

 

[Brant]

This was my initial reacion as well. However, someone else mentioned that once the game plan is drilled into a player they may be able to make better, more consistent decisions, particularly as they become more familiar with their teammates. If a player is playing for 2-3 teams in their last year of school this may make it difficult to get their heads around the multiple plans and sometimes getting confused.

Re: Jeka - I'm excited by him. Seems like a good athlete, and clearly has talent. Anyone know if there were any reasons that he stagnated this year?

I like him as a strong, reliable KPF. May not be dynamic & take the game apart by himself but he'll be a focal point & allow others to mark off his presence & contested play (at the worst).

I thought I saw a bit of Jon Patton in his play as well, but that may be just his size etc.

 

[flinchfree]

Field vision vs mechanics.

Some blokes can get it there but can't see the opportunity

Some can see the opportunity but can't get it there

The ability to lower the eyes and hit up a short target doesn't make you a great kick but it does make you very effective.

The best thing about Worps to this point is how much he's working to get better.

Nobody comes in the finished product.

I think he's a good kick, technically and in effect.
Reckon the earlier estimations pre draft were BS.
Very very difficult to be a running burst player like Worpell, lower the eyes, hit a target in stride, be effective, but not be a great kick. That's a difficult skill. I believe he was just never coached up in junior ranks to value that method and thinking, but instead to move it long to a contest where his teammates who were also elite agers were considered to be advantaged by quick ball movement.
You don't develop the ability he has over a summer break or two.
It doesn't have to look gorgeous to be technically correct, just like in a golf swing how the club goes up, what the body is doing, and how it gets back to address the ball, doesn't matter for s**t as long as when it does the club face is open correctly and planing decently you are technically correct. If you can repeat it over and over, you never mess with it as it's technically as correct as any other teaching. Every single method from Norman's to Seve's works.

4P was wrong on this I reckon - along with the murmurings from club talent observers, plain and simple.
Love you though I do 4P.

 

[sohsam]

This time last year Cal Twomey had him in his top 10 to watch for the 2019 draft.

Obviously stagnated this year, but perhaps there's good reason behind it.

Hoping he's similar to Worpel in that regard!

The next crop: 10 to watch in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft

With 2018 done and dusted, Callum Twomey looks at some of the top prospects for next year's draft

m.afl.com.au

How do you go from Top 10 to not even being selected in the national draft, just goes to show draft is a lottery. The more chances
you get at picking up potential top 20 players, you hope few of them will succeed.