Can Hawthorn succeed while ignoring the elite end of the draft?

[WillHayward]

A bit off to say Hawthorn have "ignored" the draft.

The reality is they have made finals for the last decade so haven't had access to a top 5 pick. Due to their own success.

This is not "ignoring" the pointy end of the draft. It is the system. They have no choice.

 

[Kanga Commando]

Peter Crimmins Medal (Hawks B&F) currently a little over half-way done.

Henderson (31), McEvoy (29) both in top-10 - rest are all 28 or under. Worpel (20) looks like winning it.

Curious to see how the end result compares with the "younger" sides.

In the end, 5 of the top 6 players are all 25 and under.
Worpel our youngest PCM medalist since Leigh Matthews. Not bad for a player with second year blues...

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

To be fair to Goddard - he did admit he was wrong ( maybe not an apology ), on last Monday’s “The Trade Game” Ch 7.
He also declared him an A-grader..

He’s had to.

Every Hawthorn supporter with a social media account has hit him on the button.

It was a really dumb call, even when he made it.

 

[blaisee]

I think this worpel love fest needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Inside midfielder ina middle of the range team is probably the easiest position to play in the afl.

its not like he is a young KP defender or forward dominating in a middle of the road team.

He is a one paced extractor, not dissimilar to Anthony Miles to be honest

Getting stats in the AFL is closely correlated to opportunity, he gets plenty of opportunities to get the ball, and arguably just like Tom Mitchell this opportunity is allowed by the oppo coaches because to be honest the hurt factor is very very low

Good honest battler but with a limited ceiling

 

[hk89]

Good honest battler but with a limited ceiling

Good description of about 75% of the Richmond best 22. Great top shelf. Great game plan. Great team ethos. Lots of battlers that would struggle outside the Richmond system though.

 

[HolyWars]

I think this worpel love fest needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Inside midfielder ina middle of the range team is probably the easiest position to play in the afl.

its not like he is a young KP defender or forward dominating in a middle of the road team.

He is a one paced extractor, not dissimilar to Anthony Miles to be honest

Getting stats in the AFL is closely correlated to opportunity, he gets plenty of opportunities to get the ball, and arguably just like Tom Mitchell this opportunity is allowed by the oppo coaches because to be honest the hurt factor is very very low

Good honest battler but with a limited ceiling

Strange.

Most would say playing as an inside midfielder is probably the hardest position to play, and be good at it. It requires strength, endurance, is physically taxing, and probably requires the most awareness.

I'd say playing as an inside midfielder is far more difficult than an outside midfielder.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

I think this worpel love fest needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Inside midfielder ina middle of the range team is probably the easiest position to play in the afl.

its not like he is a young KP defender or forward dominating in a middle of the road team.

He is a one paced extractor, not dissimilar to Anthony Miles to be honest

Getting stats in the AFL is closely correlated to opportunity, he gets plenty of opportunities to get the ball, and arguably just like Tom Mitchell this opportunity is allowed by the oppo coaches because to be honest the hurt factor is very very low

Good honest battler but with a limited ceiling

Honestly one of the worst takes i have seen in the history of Big footy.

 

[OneEyedHawk]

Honestly one of the worst takes i have seen in the history of Big footy.

You must not be familiar with blaisee. Yes it was terrible, but he usually smashes out 2-3 worse calls than this before breakfast.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Honestly one of the worst takes i have seen in the history of Big footy.

The ignore list is your friend.

 

[Chaisa]

Peter Crimmins Medal (Hawks B&F) currently a little over half-way done.

Henderson (31), McEvoy (29) both in top-10 - rest are all 28 or under. Worpel (20) looks like winning it.

Curious to see how the end result compares with the "younger" sides.

On this, just did a ranking of the average and median ages for B&F Top 10's. Here they are:

Average:

Geelong	27.7​
North Melbourne	27.7​
West Coast	26.8​
Adelaide	26.7​
Richmond	26.54545​
Brisbane Lions	26.3​
Collingwood	26.3​
Carlton	26​
Hawthorn	25.9​
Fremantle	25.2​
Gold Coast	24.9​
GWS	24.9​
Essendon	24.7​
Port Adelaide	24.7​
Sydney	24.7​
St Kilda	24.3​
Western Bulldogs	24.3​
Melbourne	23.6​

Richmond would rank 3rd with an average age of 27 if you took out one of the players that finished equal 10th.

Median:

Geelong	28​
North Melbourne	28​
Adelaide	27​
Richmond	27​
West Coast	27​
Hawthorn	26.5​
Brisbane Lions	26​
Carlton	26​
Collingwood	26​
Gold Coast	26​
Fremantle	25.5​
Essendon	25​
GWS	24.5​
Port Adelaide	24​
Western Bulldogs	24​
St Kilda	23.5​
Sydney	23.5​
Melbourne	23​

So yeah, they don't fare as badly as what you otherwise might assume.

 

[Gavin Excell]

I think this worpel love fest needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Inside midfielder ina middle of the range team is probably the easiest position to play in the afl.

its not like he is a young KP defender or forward dominating in a middle of the road team.

He is a one paced extractor, not dissimilar to Anthony Miles to be honest

Getting stats in the AFL is closely correlated to opportunity, he gets plenty of opportunities to get the ball, and arguably just like Tom Mitchell this opportunity is allowed by the oppo coaches because to be honest the hurt factor is very very low

Good honest battler but with a limited ceiling

In terms of a ceiling which player do you think he may be comparable to (I take the Miles reference as he is now and not what can be)

 

[blaisee]

Good description of about 75% of the Richmond best 22. Great top shelf. Great game plan. Great team ethos. Lots of battlers that would struggle outside the Richmond system though.

Yea nah

 

[blaisee]

In terms of a ceiling which player do you think he may be comparable to (I take the Miles reference as he is now and not what can be)

I think Miles is it

 

[Gavin Excell]

I think Miles is it

Doubling down

 

[blaisee]

Strange.

Most would say playing as an inside midfielder is probably the hardest position to play, and be good at it. It requires strength, endurance, is physically taxing, and probably requires the most awareness.

I'd say playing as an inside midfielder is far more difficult than an outside midfielder.

True

I was comparing him to how exciting it would be if a 20 yr old Kp player won the best and fairest in a middle of the road side

 

[blaisee]

Honestly one of the worst takes i have seen in the history of Big footy.

Of course it is.

it is backed up by clear honest reasoning as opposed to emotion and wishing

 

[Marcel Proust]

True

I was comparing him to how exciting it would be if a 20 yr old Kp player won the best and fairest in a middle of the road side

like Andrew Raines

 

[blaisee]

like Andrew Raines

Probably better than Raines in that he can get his own ball.

Raines came second in the rising star award so I do get your point

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Of course it is.

it is backed up by clear honest reasoning as opposed to emotion and wishing

yeah nah

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Looking at the BnF results they are in strife. 6 of the top 10 only have a few years left. I reckon they'll finish 12th to 8th next year then drop off

5 of the top 6 are under 25 and we have our best player to come back still... Terrible signs for the future.

 

[Marcel Proust]

worpel strikes me as a bit of a plodder. Would he get a game at tigerland? i dunno

Richmond were without Stack, Higgins, Graham, Ross for the grand final

 

[Marcel Proust]

5 of the top 6 are under 25 and we have our best player to come back still... Terrible signs for the future.

best and fairest for the 9th ranked team isnt that important is it?

might as well ave an analysis of the saints or dees b&f

 

[mattwa]

5 of the top 6 are under 25 and we have our best player to come back still... Terrible signs for the future.

You have a journeyman finishing 2nd. You have a bloke who strung a good end to the season winning easily and he wouldnt be in the top 50 players in the comp. Places 7 to 10 are going on the point end of the career and will be phased out soon. The one gun on that list is Sicily. Hardwick plays a role and I can see how he finished high and every team needs a player like that.

I don't agree with the sentiment it's all rainbows down at hawthorn ahead based off that. Theres going to be some challenging seasons to come if you cant lure some more big fish

 

[Sonny Hayes]

best and fairest for the 9th ranked team isnt that important is it?

might as well ave an analysis of the saints or dees b&f

You can argue the importance of it if you want but he said we were in strife looking at it, i can't see how you can get that.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

You have a journeyman finishing 2nd. You have a bloke who strung a good end to the season winning easily and he wouldnt be in the top 50 players in the comp. Places 7 to 10 are going on the point end of the career and will be phased out soon. The one gun on that list is Sicily. Hardwick plays a role and I can see how he finished high and every team needs a player like that.

I don't agree with the sentiment it's all rainbows down at hawthorn ahead based off that. Theres going to be some challenging seasons to come if you cant lure some more big fish

Henderson was in the AA discussion for a fair chunk of the season... What he was in the past is irrelevant he would place highly in a lot of teams B&F this season.

Worpel aeraged 27 disposals and over 6 clearances a game, he was a gun this season.

Big difference between thinking it is all rainbows and sunshine and claiming the majority of our top 6 best players this season being under 25 is concerning. So the fact that 7-10 on our B&F will need replacing is concerning now? One of those is even Breust who is 28 years old, not exactly close to the end yet.