Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn : Jai “Duke” Newcombe - 2022 AFLCA Best Young Player, extends to 2026!

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Worth noting for those comparing his stats to last year, in the earlier rounds of this year he was playing up forward. His averages over the last few weeks would be well up I’d imagine.

Being rated so similar to how Mitchell was rated early on.
It's almost forgotten how young they both were

 

[theiaofseed]

Some elite company.

 

[matey]

Jai just keeps on working on his game and watching him at ball ups this year he’s gone up a level and is the one niggling, bumping …….. he won’t take any crap from the opposition. He loves it! He is Tonka Tough Built and will be a warrior, a real bull for us for many years ahead

 

[KermitJagger]

Some elite company.

Considering that we've lost a few of those games comfortably, very elite.

 

[cryptor]

Some elite company.

All those other midfielders average at least 26.5 disposals this year. Newcombe barely 23 a game.

He'll continue to find ways to get his hands on it as he continues to focus on impacting with his disposals.

He scored a goal or more in 6 matches last year. He's already matched that after round 10.

Coaches love him in the AFLCA votes. Champion Data love him in their ratings system. He polled as well as Daicos in the Brownlow last year while in a non-finals team.

Hard to not see him at least place in the Brownlow in the next 3 years at his rate of improvement.

 

[peetoo]

Loved his last goal in the eagles game. Dare I say lethal like?

 

[kazzooka]

I think it's clear there is no ceiling on him, I fully expect him to be robbed of multiple all Australian honours and brownlows.

He'll win many Peter Crimmons medals. And be the best player in the competition (underrated by the media like his coach of course)

What's exciting is that he could be that next teir hall of fame player that are the best of their generation. Hodge, Mitchell, Ablett, Voss, Buckley types.

 

[MrPremiership]

Having a stellar season but not getting talked about that much, which in itself tells you how highly though of he is when that high level is an expectation now.

 

[Hodgey 15]

So often you think he's going to get pinged for holding the ball but that is a rare thing with Duke. I love how is just so uncompromising when he has the ball in those contested situations.

The guy is a beast.


.

 

[cryptor]

Who needs Harley Reid when you have JAI ******* NEWCOMBE!

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Who needs Harley Reid when you have JAI ******* NEWCOMBE!

 

[naysayer]

Quietly racks up 30 touches and as many clearances as you need. He keeps getting better. He and Day are what, 22? The sky is the limit.

 

[peetoo]

Will we back up in this MSD? Surely that’s being greedy

 

[HairyO]

Some elite company.

And 8 more votes coming his way.
Huge again and so much confidence to challenge himself and take risks. Because they pay off over and over.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

I still pinch myself we uncovered this absolute jet in the MSD as he is clearly in the top 3 players of that 2020 year. And he is producing this output at 21.
Not much is made of his marking but he has strong hands and takes it at the highest point. He just makes me smile watching his footballing skills

Reid to play to Jai‘s level. I’d like to see that

 

[grumbleguts]

By who and in which thread? Because that sounds pretty reasonable, even back then.

He was probably laughed at because he is far more like Matthews than Petracca.

 

[Buckemenico]

Jai will soon be a top 5 mid in the AFL.
Yesterday he came on for last 5 mins and carried side through to the win. He was mighty and bullied saints mids. If he played for Collingwood he would be AA this year

 

[hardway]

Rambo is back to his best! However he is not going to Vietnam on his own he has fellow commandos!

 

[Buzz Hawk]

Dermie, amongst his verbiage yesterday, actually made a decent comparison of the duke to dipper and his ability to barge through packs with the ball ahead of him, then execute perfectly. Pretty good comparison actually.
I didn’t notice duke in the centre clearances all that much in the third quarter and that’s when the saints started to get on top in that area.
He’s that important to us.

 

[H00t]

Dermie, amongst his verbiage yesterday, actually made a decent comparison of the duke to dipper and his ability to barge through packs with the ball ahead of him, then execute perfectly. Pretty good comparison actually.
I didn’t notice duke in the centre clearances all that much in the third quarter and that’s when the saints started to get on top in that area.
He’s that important to us.

Interestingly enough all 4 of our main mids had 7 CBA’s in the 3rd. Duke and Worps had 1 centre clearance each. Duke had 2 other stoppage clearances.

Day and Nash had no clearances for the quarter and only 3 between them for the whole game.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Interestingly enough all 4 of our main mids had 7 CBA’s in the 3rd. Duke and Worps had 1 centre clearance each. Duke had 2 other stoppage clearances.

Day and Nash had no clearances for the quarter and only 3 between them for the whole game.

Day plays on the outside he sets up to run through the lines. Why put a jet to do a bulls job when we have worps nash and duke. Its just awesome to see him dodge weave and charge out of the stoppage after receiving it. Did it many times yesterday

 

[H00t]

Day plays on the outside he sets up to run through the lines. Why put a jet to do a bulls job when we have worps nash and duke. Its just awesome to see him dodge weave and charge out of the stoppage after receiving it. Did it many times yesterday

He’d still gathered at least 5 clearances in every game apart from the first one where he didn’t really play as a mid. Lowest contested possession tally since then as well.

Definitely great to see him weave out of the contest. And get on the end of some other mids contested work.

What makes him so dangerous though is he can do both.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Day plays on the outside he sets up to run through the lines. Why put a jet to do a bulls job when we have worps nash and duke. Its just awesome to see him dodge weave and charge out of the stoppage after receiving it. Did it many times yesterday

Great point
having this new group with different strengths is what makes it so exciting

 

[naysayer]

Great point
having this new group with different strengths is what makes it so exciting

I'm sure that there'll be ups and downs, injuries and whatnot, but for now the Hawks midfield is one of the hardest match ups in the league. Our ruck division is a real weapon. Reeves is about the tallest ruck in the competition and Meek is about the heaviest. God help teams who play one ruck against us, that's a really tough assignment.

Nash, Worpel, Day and Nuke are flying, and when Mackenzie, MacDonald and Ward hit their straps over the next few years, it's going to be a joy to watch.

 

[KermitJagger]

Jai continues to climb up the ranking ladder as the season goes on, he is now the 9th highest ranking player in the AFL with over 5 games played this season.