Toast Do we underrate Ricky Henderson?

I know the club wants to bring down the age demographic of the list and some players maybe asked to move on but of all the 30 year olds Henderson is the most deserving of a new contract extension.
 

toomanysquibs

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There's likely no-one following AFL who doesn't underrate Henderson at this point. Have we had a player steadily get better until they hit peak form at 30 before?

You wonder what he would have been like as a player, if he'd been given more seniors game time when he was younger. The last two seasons have been kind of incredible – it's not like he's a one hit wonder at this stage. He's been building to this.
 
I know the club wants to bring down the age demographic of the list and some players maybe asked to move on but of all the 30 year olds Henderson is the most deserving of a new contract extension.

He was a late starter to football, and he's an outside player.

It's not ridiculous to assume that a 30 year old could continue to play another 5 to 6 years, and I'm not sure why the league seems to think that 30 is the beginning of the end.

I honestly don't think that the Hawks are all too bothered by 'age demographic'. Clarko has said frequently that it's not about age it's about performance, and that smaller deals for older players is more due diligence than something to suggest they don't have long left.

If they were that bothered about it I doubt they would have picked up Mirra and Mohr in the previous 2 drafts.
 

essaynode

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Mate thinks I've lost the plot and wants to bet me $100 Henderson won't poll 10 votes for the year Brownlow wise.

I honestly think he maintains his form he will poll that easily...

Thoughts on taking that bet and how many votes he might end up with anyone?

Hmmm... interesting proposition. He's had 9 votes his whole career, so he certainly doesn't have runs on the board. I've watched 3-4 Hawthorn games live this year and each time he has stood out for me. Then again, I'm not an umpire and don't have their perspective.

I'm not generally a betting man, so I'd personally keep my money in my wallet - the best way of gambling responsibly is not gambling at all!
 

Nash88

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His first couple of seasons at the club I really doubted his courage and hardness at both man and ball but this season he is doing it all, going back with the flight of the ball, tackling hard and putting his head over the ball and on the line.

Was always an incredibly smart footballer with excellent skills who has seemingly flown under the radar his whole career. Also much quicker than he looks. A quality AFL footballer who is fast becoming one of our most important players who can also player a variety of positions.

I think we did underrate him at stages, but certainly not anymore.
 

HolyRioli

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There's likely no-one following AFL who doesn't underrate Henderson at this point. Have we had a player steadily get better until they hit peak form at 30 before?

You wonder what he would have been like as a player, if he'd been given more seniors game time when he was younger. The last two seasons have been kind of incredible – it's not like he's a one hit wonder at this stage. He's been building to this.

Sam Mitchell won his Brownlow at 29 (turned 30 in October), and probably played his best football 2012-2015, so 29-33
 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Henderson

Wikipedia has him signing an extension to keep him at the club (Adelaide) until the end of 2017, but being delisted at the end of 2016. May simply be factually incorrect as the same page shows him to be selected when fit & quite effective when selected.

Hard to say why he’d have been delisted by Adelaide in light of his performance whilst there; especially in comparison to someone like Dallas Willsmore, who we kept on the list for ages without any 1st-team performance to support it.
 
Mate thinks I've lost the plot and wants to bet me $100 Henderson won't poll 10 votes for the year Brownlow wise.

I honestly think he maintains his form he will poll that easily...

Thoughts on taking that bet and how many votes he might end up with anyone?

Its really too early to say... but lets have a crack and look at the games...

Round 1 Crows - wont poll
Round 2 Bulldogs - unlikely to poll, but if he does it will be 1 very lucky vote
Round 3 Kangas - Jaeger has the 3... will be a chance for 1 or 2. But Wingard, Higgins and Cunnington all played extremely well/were influential as well.
Round 4 Saints - wont poll
Round 5 Cats - granted he was our best by a mile, in a losing side. Selwood had a blinder and GAJ was huge. Will get the honourable mention 1 vote if any at all.

Best case scenario, according to my analysis, he is on 4 votes at the end of round 5.. going roughly at .8 a vote per game. 17 games left. 17 x .8 is 13.6 + the 4 he has = 17.6 votes for season.

Based on that best case scenario and IF he can maintain current blistering form across the whole season without getting injured (they are big ifs)... whilst using the 5 game sample and applying it to the rest of the games... he would end up approximately 17.6 votes.... which in my opinion seems highly unlikely.

I personally think it will be closer to somewhere around the 6-10 mark. He definitely wont make it "easily". I cant stress enough that the 4 votes from 1st 5 games were fairly generous.

I personally wouldn't make that bet as it stands right now.
 
Last edited:

bumsonseats

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In career best form at the moment.
His best year was 2016 at Crows - averaging 22 possessions per game. This year averaging 27historically averages half a goal per game. This year 1.2 per game.
Averaging 2 marks per game more than prev best.
His tackle numbers are also nearly double his output at the Crows.....averaging 3 per game this year and last.
 

Flamin Joe

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Henderson

Wikipedia has him signing an extension to keep him at the club (Adelaide) until the end of 2017, but being delisted at the end of 2016. May simply be factually incorrect as the same page shows him to be selected when fit & quite effective when selected.

Hard to say why he’d have been delisted by Adelaide in light of his performance whilst there; especially in comparison to someone like Dallas Willsmore, who we kept on the list for ages without any 1st-team performance to support it.

I think this explains it:

http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/players-voice-ricky-henderson/

Towards the end of 2016, things were changing. My partner, Jenny, and I were expecting our first child, we’d just gotten married and my contract was up at the Crows.

I fell just short of triggering a contract extension, which meant my future in the sport was uncertain and I was keen to get back to Victoria to be near family.

The wikipedia entry is correct it just doesn't go into enough detail. He was fully contracted up to 2016 with 2017 being an extension only triggered on the basis he met certain KPI's by the end of the full contract. He didn't hence the Crows decided not to extend his contract so he was delisted.
 

Hodgey09

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Its really too early to say... but lets have a crack and look at the games...

Round 1 Crows - wont poll
Round 2 Bulldogs - unlikely to poll, but if he does it will be 1 very lucky vote
Round 3 Kangas - Jaeger has the 3... will be a chance for 1 or 2. But Wingard, Higgins and Cunnington all played extremely well/were influential as well.
Round 4 Saints - wont poll
Round 5 Cats - granted he was our best by a mile, in a losing side. Selwood had a blinder and GAJ was huge. Will get the honourable mention 1 vote if any at all.

Best case scenario, according to my analysis, he is on 4 votes at the end of round 5.. going roughly at .8 a vote per game. 17 games left. 17 x .8 is 13.6 + the 4 he has = 17.6 votes for season.

Based on that best case scenario and IF he can maintain current blistering form across the whole season without getting injured (they are big ifs)... whilst using the 5 game sample and applying it to the rest of the games... he would end up approximately 17.6 votes.... which in my opinion seems highly unlikely.

I personally think it will be closer to somewhere around the 6-10 mark. He definitely wont make it "easily". I cant stress enough that the 4 votes from 1st 5 games were fairly generous.

I personally wouldn't make that bet as it stands right now.

Fair enough mate, appreciate the analysis!

Didn't mean the easily in general just meant easily if he maintained his ridiculous form right now for the rest of the season.

Champion Data has him on 5 votes so far which I found pretty interesting.
 
I watch a lot of food videos on YouTube, particularly pizza. Not sure why, they just kill time well. Oddly enough it seems Ricky Henderson also owns and operates a pizza joint in NY:

1557781968766.png
 

Simon Crawshay

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I am still not sure why it took so long to sign him up at the end of 2018. He had a really solid 2018 and was our best player in the finals.
Still it is pleasing to see Hendo making the naysayers eat humble pie with a career best season (go old man Henderson!)
 
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