Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn pick 13: Will Day 2023 PCM!

[Dewyyyyy]

Do everything you can please. We need you round 1. Phone Lachie Neale if you need to and find out his secret.

Great chat will definitely be calling him and making sure I can pull it out of my ass to play

 

[I wanna pash Nash]

A few days ago I saw a video of Day doing sprint drills where he was jamming his feet down hard into the ground.
I hate this version of the drill at the best of times (I had to train a former AFL player out of it last summer), but given Day's history with foot injuries, I find it concerning that the club is encouraging this stamping down action. That is the very LAST thing he needs.

And while I'm at it, I see Weddle is still doing the excessive backside and over rotation running style that a couple of years ago I predicted would cause him to develop lower back problems. I thought the club announced that they were fixing his running technique..?

Why would placing high osteogenic load through his foot be a bad thing? You would presume the conditioning staff are doing this in controlled dosages.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

A few days ago I saw a video of Day doing sprint drills where he was jamming his feet down hard into the ground.
I hate this version of the drill at the best of times (I had to train a former AFL player out of it last summer), but given Day's history with foot injuries, I find it concerning that the club is encouraging this stamping down action. That is the very LAST thing he needs.

And while I'm at it, I see Weddle is still doing the excessive backside and over rotation running style that a couple of years ago I predicted would cause him to develop lower back problems. I thought the club announced that they were fixing his running technique..?

I’ll take some coaching too thanks

 

[Sprint Artisan]

I’ll take some coaching too thanks

Hit me up...

 

[parsons nose]

I always open this thread with trepidation. Nothing to see here….thank God.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

A few days ago I saw a video of Day doing sprint drills where he was jamming his feet down hard into the ground.
I hate this version of the drill at the best of times (I had to train a former AFL player out of it last summer), but given Day's history with foot injuries, I find it concerning that the club is encouraging this stamping down action. That is the very LAST thing he needs.

And while I'm at it, I see Weddle is still doing the excessive backside and over rotation running style that a couple of years ago I predicted would cause him to develop lower back problems. I thought the club announced that they were fixing his running technique..?

Without knowing your background, I think it’s safe to assume that the fitness and conditioning staff know what they’re doing and more about Day too.

We don’t need anonymous people suggesting that they don’t.

 

[I wanna pash Nash]

If it's guiding his wider running technique then it would consistently add stress every time he sprints.

Also, it's just not effective for improving speed...

The medical team wouldn't be using it for speed. It would be to expose his midfoot bones to high impact load. Great for bone density development in appropriate dosages.

 

[Fluro Boots]

Without knowing your background, I think it’s safe to assume that the fitness and conditioning staff know what they’re doing and more about Day too.

We don’t need anonymous people suggesting that they don’t.

I get what you’re saying but at the same time like hearing Sprint artisans views as someone who seems be very knowledgeable in the field. If it’s discussion, well reasoned disagreement, or insight into what is happening I think it adds to these forums. I doubt anyone is here to undermine the club, or it’s staff but at the same time scrutiny by members is part of accountability.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Would my predictions a few years ago that Lewis would have knee problems and Weddle would have lower back problems have been useful to act on, do you think?

It's funny, because "I think the fitness staff know what they are doing" was the exact response I got back then, too...

I couldn’t care less about your predictions, to be fair.

Unless you’re privy to their daily loads, their analytics, their individual physiology and so many other things that the fitness and conditioning team are armed with, it’s just guess work on your behalf.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

If you say so.

Anyway, I'm not here to piss people off. Just making an observation and applying my professional opinion based on my knowledge and experience.

If that kind of discussion is not allowed, just show me where it's stated in the forum rules and I'll disappear into the night. No point hanging around where I'm not wanted...

While you might have experience or expertise, you’re not armed with everything our staff are.

So while there’s no rule against you having an opinion, there’s also a need for you to recognise that Burge and his team know far more than any outsider looking in about the players they’re in charge of.

 

[Sprint Artisan]

While you might have experience or expertise, you’re not armed with everything our staff are.

So while there’s no rule against you having an opinion, there’s also a need for you to recognise that Burge and his team know far more than any outsider looking in about the players they’re in charge of.

I would say that applies to virtually everything that people discuss on this forum.

Anyway, I won't bother you with my opinions anymore...

 

[tommyk72]

I would say that applies to virtually everything that people discuss on this forum.

Anyway, I won't bother you with my opinions anymore...

Appreciate your insights, in the same way I appreciate IWannaPashNash. Thanks for sharing - people can take them or leave them, and I think it's pretty clear you're not claiming to have the same knowledge as the strength and conditioning team.

 

[play2win]

I would say that applies to virtually everything that people discuss on this forum.

Anyway, I won't bother you with my opinions anymore...

If you are confident with what you have to contribute don’t waste your time debating here, email or contact the club.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

While you might have experience or expertise, you’re not armed with everything our staff are.

So while there’s no rule against you having an opinion, there’s also a need for you to recognise that Burge and his team know far more than any outsider looking in about the players they’re in charge of.

What sort of power flexing is this?

I like hearing opinions from people with expertise, doesn't take anything away from the hawks team.

We're not a cult

 

[Sixpence]

I wanna pash Nash and sven_inc are both physios who have provided some pretty interesting and appreciated insights. What they haven't done, is pot our strength and conditioning team. It's not that ****ing hard to understand.

The dickhead "wE caN't HaVe opIniOnS" crowd can get back in your holes.

 

[Turly]

Without knowing your background, I think it’s safe to assume that the fitness and conditioning staff know what they’re doing and more about Day too.

We don’t need anonymous people suggesting that they don’t.

I know someone very close to the Weddle’s (and no, I will not reveal the source). He was literally ‘taught’ how to run by a professional running coach as a kid. So I do find this suggestion about his running technique…. Interesting.

 

[Sixpence]

Heh. The fragile lack of self-awareness of the thought police circle of pals in this forum is one of the more entertaining aspects of big footy.

The irony of your use of fragile lack of self-awareness ...

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

What sort of power flexing is this?

I like hearing opinions from people with expertise, doesn't take anything away from the hawks team.

We're not a cult

Power flexing?
This is a public forum, it's not free of consequences as to what is written here.

Plenty of posters have opinions or thoughts regarding all facets of the football program, however this is not a place where posters can publicly undermine a group of employees, and seed a narrative that the HFC fitness and conditioning staff know less than Joe Random on bigfooty.

This board has never stood for the undermining of club staff, and it never will.


Anyone else wants to discuss it, you can do so via PM.

 

[I wanna pash Nash]

Firstly, to my eye it looks like Day is going about as well as anyone could have hoped for. Looks like he should be aiming to play in one of our pre season hit outs. He deserves a good run from here so let's all hope he plays a big part in our season and (hopefully) our finals campaign.

Secondly, there is no consensus on optimal running technique. It's a spectrum with multiple variables that need to be taken into consideration. There are broad principles that hold true across most athletic fields, but when you get down to an individual with an injury history it's all nuances.

The only people with the information available to make calls on any of our players techniques are the players medical team. That's not gate keeping or elitism it's just a fact. It does not preclude someone else having a better approach, but that person has to have all available and relevant information. That's what a second opinion is. When you don't have enough of the relevant information it's called a guess.

Guesses can still be correct. But, shouldn't be bundled together with critique of people who hold more information than you, even if you're proven correct (talking about the staff at Hawthorn, not any posters here).

 

[To the Hawk]

If not for the nervousness about his body, we'd be confidently calling this guy a top 5 if not 3 player in 2026. Has that very rare ability to just make everyone around him walk taller and believe we can't be beaten.

A fit and healthy Will Day come finals has us best placed of anyone to chase Brisbane imo.

I'm trying to think who else we need to jump in 2026. I think Mackenzie can improve and be best 23, but not the real jump for me.

Wiz and Weddle can have a big impact I think. But for some reason I feel it's Ward and Connor MacDonald alongside Day that are really going to elevate us...

Along with Sicily and Moore back to being elite. Could probably add Scrimma to that given he was awesome in finals despite an injury impacted season.

 

[cryptor]

If not for the nervousness about his body, we'd be confidently calling this guy a top 5 if not 3 player in 2026. Has that very rare ability to just make everyone around him walk taller and believe we can't be beaten.

A fit and healthy Will Day come finals has us best placed of anyone to chase Brisbane imo.

I'm trying to think who else we need to jump in 2026. I think Mackenzie can improve and be best 23, but not the real jump for me.

Wiz and Weddle can have a big impact I think. But for some reason I feel it's Ward and Connor MacDonald alongside Day that are really going to elevate us...

Along with Sicily and Moore back to being elite. Could probably add Scrimma to that given he was awesome in finals despite an injury impacted season.

Massimo is another one. While I'm sure his numbers this season weren't too different from 2024, it felt like he wasn't able to influence games as much as he did. Definitely got a lot more respect and attention from the opposition and hopefully it's something he can overcome to be a weapon for us again.

 

[grumbleguts]

Power flexing?
This is a public forum, it's not free of consequences as to what is written here.

Plenty of posters have opinions or thoughts regarding all facets of the football program, however this is not a place where posters can publicly undermine a group of employees, and seed a narrative that the HFC fitness and conditioning staff know less than Joe Random on bigfooty.

This board has never stood for the undermining of club staff, and it never will.


Anyone else wants to discuss it, you can do so via PM.

I thought it was amazing that he could predict Lewis' knee injury when it took a Geelong player landing on it sideways to injure it.

 

[Ka Norkers]

Will Day is just doing the classic bone-loading exercises, hypertrophy the cortex and give the bone slightly better intrinsic strength.
He's being managed perfectly at this stage, although I don't necessarily agree his initial treatment was ideal. Still, no point looking back on that, but projecting forward, there is no real reason why he can't have a pretty full run at it in 2026.
The media have conveniently ignored this bloke was missing last year, and the year before for that matter, and IMO was the difference between a preliminary final and a premiership.
He is by far the most important AFL recruit next year, and if he gets thru the entire season unscathed, I'd be very confident the Hawks will go all the way.
What a bonus that would be, with a flag and Nairn, Schubert LeRay and Dalton waiting in the wings, the whole Merrett saga will be well and truly forgotten.

 

[tommyk72]

Firstly, to my eye it looks like Day is going about as well as anyone could have hoped for. Looks like he should be aiming to play in one of our pre season hit outs. He deserves a good run from here so let's all hope he plays a big part in our season and (hopefully) our finals campaign.

Secondly, there is no consensus on optimal running technique. It's a spectrum with multiple variables that need to be taken into consideration. There are broad principles that hold true across most athletic fields, but when you get down to an individual with an injury history it's all nuances.

The only people with the information available to make calls on any of our players techniques are the players medical team. That's not gate keeping or elitism it's just a fact. It does not preclude someone else having a better approach, but that person has to have all available and relevant information. That's what a second opinion is. When you don't have enough of the relevant information it's called a guess.

Guesses can still be correct. But, shouldn't be bundled together with critique of people who hold more information than you, even if you're proven correct (talking about the staff at Hawthorn, not any posters here).

Agree with what you've said. I'm still open to hearing different perspectives from people who know more about this stuff than me, particularly as they're not presented as "fact".

The only thing I'll add is that medical science is an evolving field. A lot has changed in the last 10-20-30 years. There is nothing I'm seeing that says it will stop evolving in the future. I've heard many "experts" make pronouncements and prognoses, and later be proven wrong. All of that is to say that while I 100% agree that nuance and information is reqiured to make accurate decisions (about a player, and about health generally), I'm still open to hearing other insights.

 

[MasterSamurai]

If not for the nervousness about his body, we'd be confidently calling this guy a top 5 if not 3 player in 2026. Has that very rare ability to just make everyone around him walk taller and believe we can't be beaten.

A fit and healthy Will Day come finals has us best placed of anyone to chase Brisbane imo.

I'm trying to think who else we need to jump in 2026. I think Mackenzie can improve and be best 23, but not the real jump for me.

Wiz and Weddle can have a big impact I think. But for some reason I feel it's Ward and Connor MacDonald alongside Day that are really going to elevate us...

Along with Sicily and Moore back to being elite. Could probably add Scrimma to that given he was awesome in finals despite an injury impacted season.

Lot of talent bursting at the seams isn't it?