Past #34: Charlie Ham - picked at #16 in '21 MSD - delisted end '21 - thanks Charlie

Oct 4, 2006
15,812
33,663
The hood
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Clearly we're trying to get this HB line right

Perez - Hall - Ham - McDonald - P.Walker - Hayden

Hopefully Charlie can win his share of contested ball to go along with his neat skills

Had a 50% rate for contested possessions in his 9 NAB league games as an underager in 2019. That bodes well I think 👍
 
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SOME advice from his brother to make sacrifices for his dream helped Charlie Ham into the big time.
The Torquay Tigers, Geelong Falcons and St Mary’s product was plucked by North Melbourne with the 16th pick during Wednesday’s mid-season draft.

He followed in the footsteps of his older brother Brayden, who has played 26 games with Essendon across the last three seasons.

After missing out in the national draft last year, Charlie said he was told by Brayden to treat his football as a lifestyle, not a hobby.


“I guess you have to make those sacrifices about what you shouldn’t be doing like going out with mates and drinking and you have to do everything by the books,” Charlie said.

“Even after being drafted, he said you don’t just fit straight in and get a game. You have to work for it right from when you get drafted and have a positive mindset when you go.”

Ham was relaxing on the couch on Wednesday night when his world changed.

He was watching the draft on mute on his father’s phone, with his mother watching it separately, a split second behind in the kitchen.

“Dad’s phone was a bit ahead and I think I saw (Nat Edwards) read out my name and I could read (her lips) and a second later I heard Mum’s phone say ‘Charlie Ham’ and it was like ‘Geez, this is unreal’,” Ham said.


“It still hasn’t sunk in yet, it’s pretty crazy at the moment.”

Ham had undergone a medical with North Melbourne in the days leading into the draft but still didn’t expect to be picked up.

Once he realised he was on the way to Arden Street, Ham’s phone began lighting up and in the commotion he missed a call from his new coach David Noble.

“My phone was going crazy, I missed a phone call from Noble,” Ham said.

“He sent me a text message straight away and called me the next day and we had a good chat … he gave me an indication that he wants me as a future prospect.

“I put my phone down for an hour and was just sitting down with the family and relaxing and two days after the draft I finally got to the messages and replied to all of them.”

One call Ham did take was from his good friend, former Falcon and now current Kangaroo teammate, Charlie Lazzaro.

Ham is set to move in with Lazzaro’s host family in Niddrie when he first arrives at his new club on Monday.


NEW North Melbourne defender Charlie Ham could be set for an AFL debut in a matter of weeks according to his Geelong Falcons coach Paul Corrigan after he was picked up in the mid-season draft.

The left-footer joined his brother, Essendon midfielder Brayden, in the big leagues when he was taken with the 16th overall pick on Wednesday night.


The dasher was the only player with a Geelong connection to be snapped up, after potential draftees with former Geelong players Wylie Buzza and Blake Schlensog overlooked.

Ham was hopeful of being picked up in last year’s national draft but was overlooked and Corrigan said that had driven him forward this year.

“He was determined to put his best foot forward and he knew that the top age, 19 year olds were going to get an opportunity and we were going to try and help him get on an AFL list and he has been able to do that,” Corrigan said.

Corrigan said he expected Ham to have an immediate impact for the struggling Kangaroos, who also picked up ruckman-forward Jacob Edwards with the first overall choice on Wednesday.

“(Ham) can go in there and have an impact straight away, he is quite mature,” Corrigan said.

“When you think about the draftees that have already played some senior footy at the Kangaroos he can fit in there.

“Once he gets locked in to that environment, I would be surprised if he doesn’t play this year


Ham, who spent most of his junior days at Torquay before moving clubs, is the latest in a growing line of St Mary’s products to make it to the big time, following the likes of Ollie and Jack Henry and Jackson Nelson.

Former Saint Charlie Lazzaro is also in his first year at the Kangaroos and has played 10 matches so far.

Brayden Ham has developed into a regular for Essendon and has played 26 games in the last three season.

Charlie played off half-back for the Falcons this season allowing him to show off his best attribute – his kicking.

“He is a beautiful kick and he was one of the best kicks in the squad,” Corrigan said.

“The way he run and carries with the ball off half back is really enticing, he has some strengths and attributes there and his game will only keep growing.”

Noth Melbourne list manager Glenn Luff said Ham’s combination of athleticism and kicking made him a perfect fit for the backline.

“We are really pleased to bring in a player of Charlie’s quality,” Luff said.

“We believe his assets: running capacity and ability to hit targets – long and short by foot – suit where the game is going and fills a need in our team.

“He will add a different dimension to our back half and we look forward to his development.”
 

shimaburnsgrieg

Premiership Player
Apr 1, 2017
4,357
10,092
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We are really pleased to bring in a player of Charlie’s quality,” Luff said.

“We believe his assets: running capacity and ability to hit targets – long and short by foot – suit where the game is going and fills a need in our team.

“He will add a different dimension to our back half
and we look forward to his development.”

Wow - don't hold back Luffy.

Speaks volumes for what they think of the blokes back there now.

It's clear to anyone who watches North that Hall has this ability but that we have lacked it for years before Hall (Scotty Thompson easily our best.)

Hall is 30 though - Ham looks like a Hall replacement in 2-3 years time.
 
Apr 17, 2007
24,878
43,447
melb home of the kangas
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
hellas,liverpool,storm,au
We are really pleased to bring in a player of Charlie’s quality,” Luff said.

“We believe his assets: running capacity and ability to hit targets – long and short by foot – suit where the game is going and fills a need in our team.

“He will add a different dimension to our back half
and we look forward to his development.”

Wow - don't hold back Luffy.

Speaks volumes for what they think of the blokes back there now.

It's clear to anyone who watches North that Hall has this ability but that we have lacked it for years before Hall (Scotty Thompson easily our best.)

Hall is 30 though - Ham looks like a Hall replacement in 2-3 years time.

Atley *
 

nelroo

Premiership Player
Aug 8, 2004
4,212
8,333
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Clearly we're trying to get this HB line right

Perez - Hall - Ham - McDonald - P.Walker - Hayden

Hopefully Charlie can win his share of contested ball to go along with his neat skills
Hayden is odds on to get delisted IMO. Walker and Perez are unknowns for different reasons.
 
Apr 28, 2001
1,825
471
Arden Street
AFL Club
North Melbourne
we really gotta be more ruthless and turn more untried players over, especially when we have access to higher picks,
How does this work? I’m struggling to remember a high pick that we forfeited because we held on to a player instead.

What does being ruthless actually mean here anyway? Joel Crocker, Oscar Junker, Tom McKenzie, Declan Watson, Gordon Narrier etc... we’re hardly afraid of cutting untried players. Should we just ditch Eddie Ford or Phoenix Spicer so we can pick up a fourth rounder next year?

Recruiting and list management is pretty constrained when your access to top end talent is limited by the draft mechanisms which distribute picks across all 18 clubs. Every list decision comes down to whether we are more likely to get a better replacement for someone with the next available pick we have. I suppose that’s pretty ruthless in itself but I’m fairly sure that’s what Luff and co weigh up every year.
 

Ambrosia

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 11, 2010
15,596
10,422
AFL Club
Essendon
His bro been v good tonight. Very similar style of players too.

Charlie looks almost like an identical prospect to me. Maybe didn’t test as well athletically but can’t see any pace difference in the highlights. Both are; long accurate kicks, excellent athletes, small framed and deceptively good overhead.

The biggest issue so far for Brayden and I’m assuming the same will be for Charlie is putting on enough size to not be knocked off the ball easily.
 
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