Player Watch 2025 AFL Draft Thread (Welcome to our new Central Districts overlords!)

[killerspud]

Personally I can’t go past the Tony Hall comparison.

Quite amazing how similiar his game looks to Halls in his heyday.

Pre Junior Rioli and Buddy, Tony Hall was my favourite ever Hawk. If Nairn is half as good as Hally we won the draft

pS also a South Australian like Nairn

 

[danielG]

Pre Junior Rioli and Buddy, Tony Hall was my favourite ever Hawk. If Nairn is half as good as Hally we won the draft

pS also a South Australian like Nairn

Not sure about others but I am happy with the way this off season has panned out.. From being willing to trade out of the draft for 2-3 years for Merrett, to bringing in some really talented kids, and keeping and even gaining assets for next year.
It might lessen our chances to win it all next year compared to bringing in an established star but we get the chance to keep building for a sustained period at the top..
I know Hawthorn is built to win premierships, and I love that about our club but doing it this way gives us the chance to keep developing and get to the top of the mountain and stay at the summit for a prolonged period..
Go Hawks.

 

[Bremner20]

Pre Junior Rioli and Buddy, Tony Hall was my favourite ever Hawk. If Nairn is half as good as Hally we won the draft

pS also a South Australian like Nairn

I was at the GF this year was there early enough to watch the future stars game and most of the eye catching players apart from young Walker were all South Aussies according to the record . Their juniors are killing it over there at the minute.

 

[grumbleguts]

Well what an awkward situation we have here?

Greeves haters will have to cope. Do we cheer or do we boo?

Hope he dominates for us. Feel Sammy will push him to his limits and beyond.

If it comes off, this may go down as one of the greatest rookie calls. If not, I'm glad it was a rookie call and not a first round pick! Genius move.

Such a well balanced haul, well done Hawks

I'm not sure there were that many Greeves haters. Greaves haters, on the other hand, there seemed to be in abundance.

 

[hfc70]

Yep, he reminds me of Fritsch.

Fritsch is soft. That ain’t Nairn

 

[Luke_Hodgey_15]

Greeves frame and body shape remind me of Roughy, and he's got one hell of a kick on him. I'd love to see him start forward and dominate forward 50 stoppages

 

[burner1]

Would be curious to find out if we got our targets or not. The fact we traded back (twice) suggests we didn’t get our preferred first pick. But possibly Nairn was one of the targets (given we actively moved our 2nd pick forward). But Schubert slid a bit so who knows where he sat.

Dalton we traded up for so clearly one we chased. Pre draft hawks didn’t appear to be planning to use 4 picks so possibly Leray was good to to pass on.

Reckon we’ll see Nairn early. His tank would allow him to fit into our hff rotation (Connor mcd at risk) and his marking a point of difference. With 5 on bench he’s a good fit:

Expect Schubert to do a BH apprenticeship. Will need some size. At best maybe a late season debut?

Dalton is behind a few. But his tank and 5 on bench provides him a chance.

Delray I expect to have a development year on his body and footy - has the frame to be an inside mid so interesting where we see him.

 

[Randy Campbell]

I love what MM has done in this years draft - absolute masterclass! Massive upside in all picks with Greaves being the icing on the cake. Cant help but think the extra second rounders will help us package up something genuinely enticing for Humphrey

What he has done for the club since taking over from Wright has been phenomenal

Hope they start planning soon for the statue of sleepy to go alongside the legend Kennedy

 

[TheFourPillars]

Yeah the NHH lack of drafting is a mystery he’s certainly far more worthy than many picked on the field and all the talk off the field is positive. I even heard he was doing extra training with some AFL players prior to the draft. We had rookie spots for him and I was hoping for both Greeves and NHH that would have been some hail from a talent perspective. I’m at a loss here will be interesting to see what if anything comes into the public domain to explain it.

This tells u a lot more about drafting. The interviews with his coaches team mates 'other sources' him and his family didnt go well

 

[SSSSSS]

Do we have list spots open for any SPPs?

 

[MrBeefSeven]

Would be curious to find out if we got our targets or not. The fact we traded back (twice) suggests we didn’t get our preferred first pick. But possibly Nairn was one of the targets (given we actively moved our 2nd pick forward). But Schubert slid a bit so who knows where he sat.

Dalton we traded up for so clearly one we chased. Pre draft hawks didn’t appear to be planning to use 4 picks so possibly Leray was good to to pass on.

Reckon we’ll see Nairn early. His tank would allow him to fit into our hff rotation (Connor mcd at risk) and his marking a point of difference. With 5 on bench he’s a good fit:

Expect Schubert to do a BH apprenticeship. Will need some size. At best maybe a late season debut?

Dalton is behind a few. But his tank and 5 on bench provides him a chance.

Delray I expect to have a development year on his body and footy - has the frame to be an inside mid so interesting where we see him.

Interview with MM confirms that we were targeting Dalton and that we were unsure going in if we'd take 4 picks.

Leray probably a slightly longer term selection given dual focus on cricket/footy until a short while ago.

Honestly I really rate Schubert. Calsher has shown you can come in early and make an impact and I feel Aidan is coming in with a bigger frame/good endurance base.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Ok i am probably being a debbie downer here but for where the team is at I am not sure any of this years draftees play next year. They are still in line behind a few others at box hill. It will be box hill and its a good thing. Having them push the others while building themselves up physically and mentally. Playing the hawthorn way both offensively and defensively. I am going to enjoy watching our team at box hill

 

[hawkmang]

Well what an awkward situation we have here?

Greeves haters will have to cope. Do we cheer or do we boo?

Any fan that would actually boo one of our own players once they’ve pulled on the brown and gold for us needs to find another club to support

 

[dermott]

Do we have list spots open for any SPPs?

We have 2 spots available and could trial up to four players if we wish.

 

[Bremner20]

Any fan that would actually boo one of our own players once they’ve pulled on the brown and gold for us needs to find another club to support

What reasons has the young guy given for people to hate him ??? He may not have lived up to early expectations but at the end of the day he’s just a young talented athlete trying his best .

 

[FB19]

Do we have list spots open for any SPPs?

We had 33 primary 2 rookie A and 2 rookie B going in. 4 picks and blanck upgrade max the primary list out at 38. Ramsden and Greeves Cat A rookies leaves 2 spots open. Cat B Hill and JUH is max. 42 of 44 max.

 

[Atch]

Ok i am probably being a debbie downer here but for where the team is at I am not sure any of this years draftees play next year. They are still in line behind a few others at box hill. It will be box hill and its a good thing. Having them push the others while building themselves up physically and mentally. Playing the hawthorn way both offensively and defensively. I am going to enjoy watching our team at box hill

Depends on how he trains and develops this summer but no reason Nairn won't debut next year. He's a link up player between midfield and forward, that's basically what the AFLs turning into these days and at 188cms no reason he shouldn't be picked at least once next year.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Pre Junior Rioli and Buddy, Tony Hall was my favourite ever Hawk. If Nairn is half as good as Hally we won the draft

pS also a South Australian like Nairn

Such a shame that injuries limited the length of his career. Absolutely amazing set of hands on him, very talented footballer.

Agreed, if Nairn has a similar career trajectory we are in for quite a return on investment for pick 20.

 

[Tall Tales and True]

Great to see Hall getting the wraps he deserves. Midfielders, simply, aren't meant to mark like that; changes the whole dynamic of the team & contest.

 

[grumbleguts]

where did NHH go in the draft?

 

[MazHawk]

where did NHH go in the draft?

He wasn't picked up. Bit of a mystery really but there you go.

 

[hawkmang]

What reasons has the young guy given for people to hate him ??? He may not have lived up to early expectations but at the end of the day he’s just a young talented athlete trying his best .

I think it was more that people didn’t want us to pick him with our early picks, no one should be upset we took him as a rookie, low risk - high reward potentially

 

[TheFourPillars]

Depends on how he trains and develops this summer but no reason Nairn won't debut next year. He's a link up player between midfield and forward, that's basically what the AFLs turning into these days and at 188cms no reason he shouldn't be picked at least once next year.

There are players in front of him mate we r not in a rebuild phase. Its easy to get excited by new 18 year olds but they usually have to develop and learn the way we play before they get a look in.

 

[unitedhawk2]

There are players in front of him mate we r not in a rebuild phase. Its easy to get excited by new 18 year olds but they usually have to develop and learn the way we play before they get a look in.

Fair point but there's no reason one of them couldn't do a Calsh and debut earlier than anticipated. Nairn looks most likely, as some have already suggested.

 

[grumbleguts]

He wasn't picked up. Bit of a mystery really but there you go.

Yeah. Insane.