Is Mitch Lewis best 22 (23) when available?

[hr_23]

First off let me preface this thread by saying there's no greater Lewis fan than me,

Is Mitch Lewis a walkup best 22 player when he returns from his ACL?
or has Hawthorn's game plan moved past a Full Forward in the Lewis mould?
During the clubs remarkable run they have found great success with Mabior Chol & Calsher Dear as the 2 main targets & a scintiliting array of small forwards.
Chol for all his supposed flaws, plays second ruck averages better than a goal a game & pressures like no other for a player his size,
Calsher is the prototype of the game plan flies for his marks but is fleet of foot to butter up when the ball hits the deck,
Also worth noting that when Lewis played last season the club didnt win a game & his return game against the Cats was the worst the side played since the 0-5 start.

i would love to see Mitch Lewis up & firing kicking bags for the Hawks but where does he fit into the team that has been flying in his absence???

Would love to know what fellow Hawk fans think

 

[BIGHAWK23]

Yes

 

[TylerDurden]

Yes

 

[Hawked Wings]

Yes

 

[TassieGrown]

 

[badgrill]

S

 

[Manila_Hawk]

Checks calendar...... Is it April 1st today ?

 

[OnTheRocks]

There's a spot for him, however he has to earn it.
We're not carlol & won't panick & rush him in back in. It will be earned the Hawthorn way the Hard way. I'm keen as to see him on the lead again & again & again

 

[Sixpence]

Yes

 

[TheFourPillars]

He is one of the players that i have earmarked as having an integral part in our next premiership

 

[extractasam]

Go watch his 22/23 highlights and you don’t even need to ask this.

However I do hope we let him find form in the VFL and really dominate a game first. Then he’s straight in

 

[eldorado]

Yes.

When fit and ready.

 

[Buttonsticher]

Absofu**inglutley. Due to great management there is no rush

On SM-A546E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[hr_23]

Go watch his 22/23 highlights and you don’t even need to ask this.

However I do hope we let him find form in the VFL and really dominate a game first. Then he’s straight in

2022 was 3 years ago...
2023 had some decent games without setting the world on fire
& has been injury prone since then
Game has changed massively since hes had an extended run of games, just unsure if a slow cumbersome FF is required with how this side plays,
He was bog average at the start of last season
look ill probably have egg on my face when he returns but i think its a worthy conversation

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

S

 

[Fleabane]

2022 was 3 years ago...
2023 had some decent games without setting the world on fire
& has been injury prone since then
Game has changed massively since hes had an extended run of games, just unsure if a slow cumbersome FF is required with how this side plays,
He was bog average at the start of last season
look ill probably have egg on my face when he returns but i think its a worthy conversation

He's a lot more than this when he's in form. Are you ML and you're just fishing for compliments?!

 

[TheFourPillars]

2022 was 3 years ago...
2023 had some decent games without setting the world on fire
& has been injury prone since then
Game has changed massively since hes had an extended run of games, just unsure if a slow cumbersome FF is required with how this side plays,
He was bog average at the start of last season
look ill probably have egg on my face when he returns but i think its a worthy conversation

Yep he is fitter and quicker than he has ever been. In a holding pattern at the moment which would be really frustrating. Like a caged lion he will come out ready to explode

 

[Lando_]

Just to be different... Absolutely!

 

[Cannyman]

Yep

 

[hr_23]

Yep he is fitter and quicker than he has ever been. In a holding pattern at the moment which would be really frustrating. Like a caged lion he will come out ready to explode

Grouse

 

[Hawkers Hero]

I would like to think we are past best 23 discussions now. With everyone fit he is 100% best 28 and from there form has to be recognised.

My fear for the team is getting too tall of we end up playing Chol, Lewis and Dear. The key question is whether all 3 can play together and if not, who misses.

 

[KermitJagger]

First off let me preface this thread by saying there's no greater Lewis fan than me,

Is Mitch Lewis a walkup best 22 player when he returns from his ACL?
or has Hawthorn's game plan moved past a Full Forward in the Lewis mould?
During the clubs remarkable run they have found great success with Mabior Chol & Calsher Dear as the 2 main targets & a scintiliting array of small forwards.
Chol for all his supposed flaws, plays second ruck averages better than a goal a game & pressures like no other for a player his size,
Calsher is the prototype of the game plan flies for his marks but is fleet of foot to butter up when the ball hits the deck,
Also worth noting that when Lewis played last season the club didnt win a game & his return game against the Cats was the worst the side played since the 0-5 start.

i would love to see Mitch Lewis up & firing kicking bags for the Hawks but where does he fit into the team that has been flying in his absence???

Would love to know what fellow Hawk fans think

I'm going to add a bit more context to other answers.

Yes, but not straight away. The amount of time since he has played consistent footy will mean he'll need a fair bit of game time before he's a lock best 22.

We certainly haven't moved past Lewis because I don't think you've sold him for what he's best at. He's not a full forward, he's a searching CHF. When he was playing his best he was covering 14 or 15km a game, clunking marks on the wing, outside 50, kicking them long. Even with Lewis' limited game time over the past 5 years he's had the same number of shots from outside 50 as Gunston, Chol and Dear combined.

I see him as the CHF, I see Dear as the FF and I see Chol as the third tall / part time ruck. We can carry all 3, in my opinion.

 

[cryptor]

I don’t think Mitch Lewis’ biggest fan would start this thread.

 

[hr_23]

I'm going to add a bit more context to other answers.

Yes, but not straight away. The amount of time since he has played consistent footy will mean he'll need a fair bit of game time before he's a lock best 22.

We certainly haven't moved past Lewis because I don't think you've sold him for what he's best at. He's not a full forward, he's a searching CHF. When he was playing his best he was covering 14 or 15km a game, clunking marks on the wing, outside 50, kicking them long. Even with Lewis' limited game time over the past 5 years he's had the same number of shots from outside 50 as Gunston, Chol and Dear combined.

I see him as the CHF, I see Dear as the FF and I see Chol as the third tall / part time ruck. We can carry all 3, in my opinion.

Thats because the game plan has moved past bombing long to the wing for an outlet kick & long bombs from outside 50 its now pinpoint kicking with run from half back & lowering eyes when going inside 50 with constant movement
Yes covering 14-15kms 3 years ago
I hope they can carry 3 talls but i dont see it

 

[Guardian Hawk]

To answer what I think is at the heart of the question....

Assuming his body is 100%, he is match fit and playing well at Box Hill, I think what Mitch Lewis offers absolutely suits our game style and team composition.

To elucidate, even teams that play lots of small forwards and try to use fast ball movement (i.e. us!) still benefit from having a reliable marking target. This offers an 'outlet' kick when stifled/under pressure, it offers a 'down the line' option when the opposition are well set up and most crucially, it ensures the ball gets to ground in a predictable fashion for the small forwards to get to work (rather than intercept marks from opposition backs and/or balls landing unpredictably (i.e. like when it goes straight through Chol 's hands)). The times Lewis takes a contested mark and slots the goal is an added bonus! When he is on top and doing so, he often ends up attracting multiple opponents, which allows more space and time for our smalls (and Chol) to thrive.

For anyone doubting the usefulness of adding Lewis (or a Lewis type) to the lineup only needs to look at the way we have been using Sicily. Every time we need to win the game, we throw Sicily forward cos when the game is on the line and things tighten up/gets more congested, you need someone who is able to take a contested or pack mark and kick the goal. This is what Lewis offers (and will allow us the luxury of keeping Sicily in his best position all game).

He can play well with Chol and I would argue that Chol is better suited to a second forward anyway (where holding marks against the #1 defender is not his forte - when he gets the Lewis Young type, he excels, the Weitering type, not so much). Dear is an emerging talent and a great mark but he still needs a clear run and jump at the ball. Lewis is the more mature body and contests well even without a 'run and jump where Dear is progressing but still gets outbodied in those situations.

In short, assuming Lewis returns to his best, he is still our #1 forward. Chol compliments him well and can provide a ruck chop out and Dear's inclusion will start to rely on team composition and whether we play 3 talls (we often have) and if not, he may end up replacing Chol as continues to develop.

(Of course f Lewis doesn't return to his best, that is a different story)