News Hawthorn midfielder Xavier Ellis finds inspiration on Kokoda pilgrimage

[tommyk72]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...okoda-pilgrimage/story-e6frf9jf-1226200574039

DETERMINED to banish memories of a frustrating season, Hawthorn midfielder Xavier Ellis has vowed to train harder than his teammates over summer and repay the faith the club has shown in him.

Good article on Ellis. Hopefully a big year. Seems like he is a great bloke and gives his all, just that his body hasn't held up.

Am also surprised they've already been and come back from Kokoda. I thought it was after the draft was held. Can't believe we haven't heard anything about it as yet.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Just want this bloke to have an injury free pre-season so we can see what he can do.

Will need to make big strides because I can't find a spot for him in our best 22 at the moment.

I quite like them getting Kokoda out the way and prefer if the newbies go in year 2 when the club can assess bodies, injuries, etc.

 

[fugu]

Hopefully inspiration was garnished with 5 kilograms of lean muscle.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Amazing he has done only 2 full preseasons to date. What concerns me is that even after a sustained period of time in the AFL system his body still doesn't look that of an AFL footballer. Let's hope that changes when he runs out in the preseason comp in 2012 after a full preseason and is fit and strong before he starts playing games so his body can take the punishment without breaking down.

After several seasons of being an automatic selection when he was fit - even half fit - the tables turned this year. Needless to say a big year next year. Could be handy. Could be curtains.

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

i hope he has an injury free season to prove those baggers wrong !

 

[Hodgepodge]

Come back when you're over 80 kg thanks

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Amazing he has done only 2 full preseasons to date. What concerns me is that even after a sustained period of time in the AFL system his body still doesn't look that of an AFL footballer.

I was of the understanding and I could be completely wrong, that because he had hip problems, etc, he had to be careful about bulking up because the extra weight would have caused him to break down even more often.

Could be wrong. Hopefully, either way, they don't go silly, let him get back into it, add a bit more weight and look to have an injury free year, so he can build more in 12 months time.

 

[BobDay]

Xavier Ellis is a very good and very committed footballer.
Through his career he has played with and through significant injuries.
As i understand it the fitness staff have now decided to say "no" on his behalf. They want to give him a realistic chance to recover from the injuries.
If they succeed we will have a great addition to our midfield. Those 30m chips to lose upfield players are important to our success

 

[Leather Poisoning]

2012 is year of the Xav. Watch out league.

Big part of the reason we'll be contenders next year.

Our 2011 team, which finished a clear 3rd, will have Roughead, Gilham, Ellis and Gunston added to it. No other team in the top 4 will be adding 3 premiership players and a young gun to their starting line up. We're looking good fellas!

 

[TheFourPillars]

Amazing he has done only 2 full preseasons to date. What concerns me is that even after a sustained period of time in the AFL system his body still doesn't look that of an AFL footballer. Let's hope that changes when he runs out in the preseason comp in 2012 after a full preseason and is fit and strong before he starts playing games so his body can take the punishment without breaking down.

After several seasons of being an automatic selection when he was fit - even half fit - the tables turned this year. Needless to say a big year next year. Could be handy. Could be curtains.

i don't think he is done a full pre season yet has always been on a modified program or hasn't done a 100% of the work

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

2012 is year of the Xav. Watch out league.

Big part of the reason we'll be contenders next year.

Our 2011 team, which finished a clear 3rd, will have Roughead, Gilham, Ellis and Gunston added to it. No other team in the top 4 will be adding 3 premiership players and a young gun to their starting line up. We're looking good fellas!

I'd add Stratts as well as we didn't get a heap from him this year.

This is at the same time that the Cats are losing Ottens, Mooney, Milburn and Ling; and the Pies, Davis and L. Brown and whilst they are getting another Brown back, guys like Didak, Jolly and Ben Johnston all look like they are at the end.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I'd add Stratts as well as we didn't get a heap from him this year.

This is at the same time that the Cats are losing Ottens, Mooney, Milburn and Ling; and the Pies, Davis and L. Brown and whilst they are getting another Brown back, guys like Didak, Jolly and Ben Johnston all look like they are at the end.

Geelong losing Ottens and Ling is a big deal. They'll still be a quality side, and at least for the first half of the year they'll still be the team to beat. But those guys are a big reason they were so good. Even if their replacements are quality, they won't be A graders.

I wouldn't bank of Jolly, Johnston and Didak sliding though - one good pre-season can fix what ails them. Their biggest problem is the coaching exodus.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Saw X in Toorak on Sunday, and noted that he looked very thin. That said I'm a huge fan, and believe if he can get himself half right he'll more than silence the doubters.

A decent hip injury is no small thing though. Without a solid core, and transfer of weight through both hips, you're pretty much buggered in terms of trying to jump, run and hold your position.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Come back when you're over 80 kg thanks

Harsh, but agree. If he could just bloody bulk up and get a good run with injuries, he could become a very good player for us.

 

[Dewnior]

2012 is year of the Xav. Watch out league.

Big part of the reason we'll be contenders next year.

Our 2011 team, which finished a clear 3rd, will have Roughead, Gilham, Ellis and Gunston added to it. No other team in the top 4 will be adding 3 premiership players and a young gun to their starting line up. We're looking good fellas!

Could be 4 if Clint gets on the park

 

[cuttlefish]

Should he get his body right, I would not be surprised if he became a lot of people's fav. He's gonna have a huge upside if he gets up and going. If he doesn't though, it'll be a great shame; for us, for the club, and for Xavier himself. I think we'd all love to see him really get going.
He's a good leader type. We need players with his on-field nous.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. He's actually really good through his core. He knows how to use his body to give himself first shot at a contested ball. Just needs to get that tiny bit more confidence in his body and some strength to increase his leg speed a smidge, and needs a little run of luck, perhaps

 

[J0NNY B]

Achilles and hip issues, makes sense as Ellis could barely run to the interchange bench when playing for box hill late in the year. He made running look painful, and it obviously was. just read the article, where it stated he was going to sit down with the fitness staff to sort out what he can do. Must have been a mistake as surely he has already been working on building strength since the end of the season.

 

[Cynic]

Ah the yearly "Ellis is going to put on weight & surprise everyone" thread

 

[Hodginator]

Ah the yearly "Ellis is going to put on weight & surprise everyone" thread

Had to laugh. As much as I'd like to see Ellis take on the world and cement a spot, I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Goody1971]

Ah the yearly "Ellis is going to put on weight & surprise everyone" thread

Don't be such a cynic...oh, wait..

 

[Big A]

With the quality around him, fully in our premiership window (or open door!), and fully fit and firing, he will be like a totally new B+ recruit next year. Then into the A's the year after C'mon X-man you can do it!

 

[Jason Dunstall]

Xavier Ellis is a very good and very committed footballer.
Through his career he has played with and through significant injuries.
As i understand it the fitness staff have now decided to say "no" on his behalf. They want to give him a realistic chance to recover from the injuries.
If they succeed we will have a great addition to our midfield. Those 30m chips to lose upfield players are important to our success

if this is true its not good. All of us could see he wasn't right & that his body wasn't coping, why didn't they do this sooner?

I know you have to take the players word for it, but surely they relised he wanted to be out there all the time & that maybe he was fudging a bit when asked if he was ok.

I'm sure even the knockers grudgingly admit he has talent, but he needs to be on the track to show it.

Hope he gets there, always been a fan, but i think unfortunately it might be beyond him physically.

 

[Brishawk]

if this is true its not good. All of us could see he wasn't right & that his body wasn't coping, why didn't they do this sooner?

I know you have to take the players word for it, but surely they relised he wanted to be out there all the time & that maybe he was fudging a bit when asked if he was ok.

I'm sure even the knockers grudgingly admit he has talent, but he needs to be on the track to show it.

Hope he gets there, always been a fan, but i think unfortunately it might be beyond him physically.

He missed most of 2009 after hip surgery and then played every game in 2010 before undergoing hip surgery again. I'd say the approach taken this years was in line with the a more conservative approach and it has become obvious that he still wasn't able to perform to a high enough level. Thus, we are being even more conservative.

 

[Dr.J]

Blah Blah Blah

We've heard it all before.

This operation will fix me for sure,
I now realise the value of a good pre season.
I'm inspired by the Kokoda Trip.

Well to put it bluntly actions speak louder than words.
Xavier has allways said the right things but as a footballer he's failed to improve on the areas that need the most work (strength and disposal).

Hope like crazy he can do it but after 5 years I'm yet to be convinced he had the body type to meet the demands of AFL footy.

 

[ACTion Hawks]

Blah Blah Blah

We've heard it all before.

This operation will fix me for sure,
I now realise the value of a good pre season.
I'm inspired by the Kokoda Trip.

Well to put it bluntly actions speak louder than words.
Xavier has allways said the right things but as a footballer he's failed to improve on the areas that need the most work (strength and disposal).

Hope like crazy he can do it but after 5 years I'm yet to be convinced he had the body type to meet the demands of AFL footy.

unfortunately that is my worry too!

Should the recruiting team be held to account for this? I recall when he was picked up that there was always a question on his capacity to pick up the necessary weight to play AFL.

We really did use three of our six top ten draft picks poorly through that 2004-06 period!! Thank our lucky stars that 2004 worked out well