Prediction Best 23, Round Zero 2026

[Judd2Sewell]

Hardwick - Barrass - Battle
Sicily - Scrimshaw - Amon

Meek - Newcombe - Ward
Weddle - Day - D'Ambrosio

Moore - Lewis - Ginnivan
Watson - Chol - Gunston

Bench:
 Impey
MacDonald
Dear
Nash
Mackenzie / Butler

 

[Wungong Warrior]

Agree with the squad of players and majority of starting 23.

Just think Weddle will be on a wing or fwd of centre player and Butler needs to come into the midfield for tackling, pressure and speed.

Will 4 talls in fwd line work if we don't win enough centre clearances to make it count?

There is depth available to carry a few injuries that will no doubt come.

The midfield after losing Worpel and not trading in a ready made is a little light. Frenchie and Butler have an opportunity presented here.

Go Hawks.

Agree with squad but gotta feeling the 5th man my alternate between Reeves and Finn. Apart from injuries Reeves as extra tall when needed and Finn to use as tagger when necessary. If Finn can quell opposition's best mid ie Daicos it will go a long way to us winning more games. Interesting situation as our squad to me is well balanced. Unfortunately some good players are going to miss out from time to time. I think we are in for a very good season regardless what players get selected. Sam knows best.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Agree with squad but gotta feeling the 5th man my alternate between Reeves and Finn. Apart from injuries Reeves as extra tall when needed and Finn to use as tagger when necessary. If Finn can quell opposition's best mid ie Daicos it will go a long way to us winning more games. Interesting situation as our squad to me is well balanced. Unfortunately some good players are going to miss out from time to time. I think we are in for a very good season regardless what players get selected. Sam knows best.

Assuming Chol, Lewis and Dear are picked we won't need an extra tall - given Gunston and Weddle can play pseudo-tall roles if needed.

The game is going to get faster with the extra player on the bench and the updated boundary rules. Adding Reeves as a relief ruckman makes us slower, both in general and comparatively to our opponents if they aren't running two ruckmen. Meek, Chol (relief), Weddle and Nash (around the ground if needed) are enough ruck options IMO.

Wouldn't mind us using Finn as a tagger or a "minder." We'd certainly have room for him now with the additional bench spot. I think he'd be best used against damaging/running HBF players like Dale, Zorko, Rioli, Whitfield, Clark, etc.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

It probably does but feel like Hawthorns backline is better than most and the forward line is aswell.

You don’t need to have all 3 at the very best level to give it a shake, definitely helps tho.

It changes big time if say Ward announces himself as an A Grader to join Day and Newcombe leading the midfield with help from the rest and more growth from Butler, Mackenzie and co

Currently I rate our lines as;
Backline - A
Forward Line - B+
Midfield - C+

For us to take the next step from a Preliminary Final to a GF we probably need to get that midfield unit up to a solid B / B+.

I agree we don't need the best midfield given how strong our backline and forward line is but we do need to strengthen it.

 

[Hawkinspired]

Ideally, for our midfield to be right in the mix we need at least 2 or 3 of the following:

• Day and Newcombe playing 90% matches.
• A non best 22 such as Ward in 2025 elevating form and playing 90% games such as MacKenzie, Butler, BMac etc
• A best 22 player having a positions change to the midfield that works - like Weddle, CMac etc.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Currently I rate our lines as;
Backline - A
Forward Line - B+
Midfield - C+

For us to take the next step from a Preliminary Final to a GF we probably need to get that midfield unit up to a solid B / B+.

I agree we don't need the best midfield given how strong our backline and forward line is but we do need to strengthen it.

I’d go
Backline - A
Midfield - C+ (Day fit full season B-)
Forwardline - A-

Backline is one of the best in the competition, forwardline has been up there aswell with the midfield having a lot of development and improvement to bring it to a very good standard (B and beyond).

I agree with you, pieces are there tho, adding someone else in would only be extra icing on the cake.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Ideally, for our midfield to be right in the mix we need at least 2 or 3 of the following:

• Day and Newcombe playing 90% matches.
• A non best 22 such as Ward in 2025 elevating form and playing 90% games such as MacKenzie, Butler, BMac etc
• A best 22 player having a positions change to the midfield that works - like Weddle, CMac etc.

Ward is best 22 and has been for a while.

He’s probably third best in the midfield and capable of becoming an A Grader in 2026.

• Day and Newcombe play majority of the season.
• One of Mackenzie, Butler or a draftee take a step into the best 22 consistently and become consistent performers.
• Best 22 player makes successful positional change such as Weddle, MacDonald, Moore etc (this also includes pinch hitting inside such as Watson or if that is said case for the above).

There is more to that but I’d say that is it.

 

[grumbleguts]

What about our 2036 season? Who apart from Gunston makes best 23?

 

[Manila_Hawk]

What about our 2036 season? Who apart from Gunston makes best 23?

Best 28 by then.

 

[JaegarTime]

Hardwick - Barrass - Sicily
Impey - Battle - Amon

Weddle - Ward - D’ambrosio

Ginnivan - Lewis - Moore
Watson - Chol - Gunston

Meek - Day - Newcombe

MacDonald - Scrimshaw - Nash - Dear - Butler/Frenchie/Morrison

 

[Hawkinspired]

Ward is best 22 and has been for a while.

He’s probably third best in the midfield and capable of becoming an A Grader in 2026.

• Day and Newcombe play majority of the season.
• One of Mackenzie, Butler or a draftee take a step into the best 22 consistently and become consistent performers.
• Best 22 player makes successful positional change such as Weddle, MacDonald, Moore etc (this also includes pinch hitting inside such as Watson or if that is said case for the above).

There is more to that but I’d say that is it.

Ward wasn’t best 22 the year prior. He played less than half of our total games and played the last 5 or 6 of the year which is why I used him as an example.

Mackenzie (12 games) and Butler (6 games) fit the mould perfectly to secure permanent 22. Butler in particular playing the last 3 games which was much like Ward the year prior.

 

[earthworms]

Ideally, for our midfield to be right in the mix we need at least 2 or 3 of the following:

• Day and Newcombe playing 90% matches.
• A non best 22 such as Ward in 2025 elevating form and playing 90% games such as MacKenzie, Butler, BMac etc
• A best 22 player having a positions change to the midfield that works - like Weddle, CMac etc.

I think it would be a good idea to regularly rest and manage Day just like Gunston and Barrass. Hopefully we take a conservative approach with Day since he’s so injury prone. Whatever we’ve been doing the past 2-3 years hasn’t been working so hopefully we make a radical change or he’s just going to get injured again. I don’t know if Day playing 90% of games would be possible, I would rather a consistent and reliable 70% since he only played about 20% of our games last year and we still made a prelim.

 

[Coathanger]

Assuming Chol, Lewis and Dear are picked we won't need an extra tall - given Gunston and Weddle can play pseudo-tall roles if needed.

The game is going to get faster with the extra player on the bench and the updated boundary rules. Adding Reeves as a relief ruckman makes us slower, both in general and comparatively to our opponents if they aren't running two ruckmen. Meek, Chol (relief), Weddle and Nash (around the ground if needed) are enough ruck options IMO.

Wouldn't mind us using Finn as a tagger or a "minder." We'd certainly have room for him now with the additional bench spot. I think he'd be best used against damaging/running HBF players like Dale, Zorko, Rioli, Whitfield, Clark, etc.

The game will not be any faster due to 5 on the bench, as we still have the same amount of interchanges per game.
People are grossly underestimating this fact. I think you will find a lot of coaches will still keep the fifth man to limited time on field in case there is any injury after halftime.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

The game will not be any faster due to 5 on the bench, as we still have the same amount of interchanges per game.
People are grossly underestimating this fact. I think you will find a lot of coaches will still keep the fifth man to limited time on field in case there is any injury after halftime.

I disagree with that, but either way it will be interesting to see how coaches and tactics adapt.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Ward wasn’t best 22 the year prior. He played less than half of our total games and played the last 5 or 6 of the year which is why I used him as an example.

Mackenzie (12 games) and Butler (6 games) fit the mould perfectly to secure permanent 22. Butler in particular playing the last 3 games which was much like Ward the year prior.

Ward was best 22 last year, wasn’t the year before but that wasn’t how I thought it was said. It was that he wasn’t now and needed to become one. Thought you meant him not as an example, I do agree in that case.

Think it’s crucial.

 

[TheFourPillars]

The game will be faster next year due to the last out free kick between the arks. It will favour endurance athletes

 

[Since 2001]

B: Hardwick Sicily Barrass
B: Impey Battle Amon

C: D'Ambrosio Day Weddle

F: MacDonald Gunston Ginnivan
F: Watson Lewis Chol

R/M: Meek, Newcombe, Moore

B: Nash, Scrimshaw, Dear, Ward, Mackenzie

Depth: Morrison, Reeves, Maginness, Mraz, Butler, Hustwaite, Blank, Macdonald, Ramsden.

The team is strong, balanced and now after two years of finals, primed to make that run for a grand final.

I really want to get Butler into the team, the form he hit coming into finals and finals has gotten me very excited. Finally after injuries we have seen the player he can become. I am the same with Finn, however, when I put the best 25 together he just misses for me.

I could see Mackenzie not starting at round 0, for one of the above mentioned players. Hopefully Hustwaite can go to the next level, he dominates VFL, but the AFL is a different kind of beast. Really want to see his tank improve, understanding of AFL ball movement and decision making with the ball, in my opinion he looks abit lost when playing AFL.

Contract wise we need to sign up Mackenzie, Weddle, Dear, Impey, Lewis and McCabe. I don't think we will have any troubles signing the last 4 names. Mackenzie I can see a team like Collingwood, West Coast, Essendon and Bulldogs being interested in luring him out. Weddle, obviously he has the big offer from Essendon, but I can't see any team in the league other than the lions not throwing their hat in the ring.

 

[Malik90]

It’s hard to see Morrison, Maginness and MacKenzie making the final team, with Day back and the improvement from Butler who I think can bring more to the table. Good position to be in as they all play different roles and provide good depth going into 2026.

IN: Day, Dear

OUT: Worpel, Jiath


B: Hardwick, Barrass, Impey

HB: Scrimshaw, Battle, Sicily

C: Amon, Nash, D’Ambrosio

HF: Moore, Chol, Gunston

F: Watson, Lewis, Ginnivan

R: Meek, Newcombe, Day

INT: MacDonald, Weddle, Ward, Dear, Butler

EMG: Morrison, Maginness, MacKenzie

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Surprised so many have McKenzie in the side ahead of Morrison.

 

[kazzooka]

Surprised so many have McKenzie in the side ahead of Morrison.

Morrison is a winger and we anticipate Weddle and Dambrosio will be first picked for that.

That being said, we did play Weddle, Dambrosio and CJ as wings when Morrison was injured and Weddle came back.

I think it's fair to say that we may go 3 wings and less inside mids. Day, Newcombe, Nash, Ward are probably the automatic picks, and it'll be either 1 of or both Butler and McKenzie. So if we choose to go with just the 5 inside mids (plus having half forwards push rotate in) Butler and Mckenzie will fight and Morrison is in.

Also Maginness played 13 AFL games and only 4 VFL games (BOG in every VFL game he played, 12 out a possible 12 JJ Liston votes) before getting injured so he's probably more likely to play 1s than 2s again.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Unless Morrison is injured i see him lining up in the team its upto the other players to kick him out

 

[MazHawk]

Respect your opinion TFP but I'm the other way about Harry.
We've seen his best as being good, team-oriented footy and that's great but with the team we now have brewing (with no injuries) I think Harry will go back to being A-class backup at best.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Respect your opinion TFP but I'm the other way about Harry.
We've seen his best as being good, team-oriented footy and that's great but with the team we now have brewing (with no injuries) I think Harry will go back to being A-class backup at best.

Let's see who replaces him

 

[Simon Crawshay]

When I look at some of the players that won't make our collective best 23s it strikes me that Box Hill are going to have a very, very strong team in the VFL next year.

That's usually a good sign that your Seniors team is in the premiership window in my opinion.

 

[DearJai]

A good chop out in the ruck? According to champion data he is the best ruckman in the league. The highest tap to advantage ratio of all ruckmen and the highest team score conversion while rucking

He genuinely looked that good at times during finals too, and during the season proper. Great to read it though.

Chol's improvement has been ongoing pretty much his whole time at Hawthorn imo. He's just involved a lot more now, and is fighting harder through contests and asserting himself more than before. He's just upped his work rate, first through tackling when he got to the club, and now during contests like the one he had with Taylor near the point post where he turned a half chance into a goal in our first final.

I honestly think his improvement is down to finally getting a measure of confidence, and then the maturity that comes with getting that, as much as anything.

The one knock people continue have on him is that 'he doesn't look like he's trying'. I heard criticism of him during last year in televised games and my jaw was just hanging open. It's like he's expected to win every single contest he's in at times.

Plenty of footballers dream of performing like he does at his best. He's a club leading goal kicker now, provides pressure to defend easy rebound 50s, is extremely effective pinch hitting in the ruck, and takes monster grabs and marks it on the lead as a key forward.

Those stats rating you mention are not bad at all for a guy 'who doesn't try, or get involved' according to people in the media.