Kiwi Hawk spreading wings

DEECEE

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Cmarsh

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#2
Smart move by Hawks to let him come to Australia to immerse himself in the game and build his footy smarts and skills. May just pay off, too.
 

Barkly St End

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#4
Hawthorn should be applauded for thinking outside the box. Hopefully they'll get some reward for their innovation and investment (and not be stifled if it becomes too successful).
 

dermott

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#5
Does anyone know if Heatherley can play for Box Hill in 2013?
The article said he was training and playing with the Sandy Dragons next year. He may play the odd game at Box Hill but the club will bring him along at the right pace.

We don't want to throw him to the wolves before he is ready.

Nevertheless he looks a great KPD prospect for the future.
 

Slick

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#6
This makes me bloody excited. It's the Hawks equivalent of what Melbourne are doing with Hogan and the Suns are doing with Martin. We're on to a winner with Kurt, some experts I have heard from already rate him in the top 15-20 for next years draft.
 

Buddy Guy

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#9
This statement from that article blows my mind.

At 192cm and 83kg, Heatherley is one of the leading underage key position talents in the country, despite only taking up football after being spotted by the Hawks at age 14
 

Ned Ryerson

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#10
We must tap into the USA next. Freak athletes over there.
I think there are a vast amount of athletes over there that play both basketball and American football at the highest levels in high school. Only a handful of those kids will make it to the NFL or NBA - there would have to be some kids there with skills the Hawks could exploit to turn them into AFL players. Hell if Mike Pyke can become a premiership player and Karmichael Hunt can become a capable AFL level player - why the hell not look into it.
 
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Moderator #11
He's rated as a top 20 pick in next years draft.

So far this experiment has worked beyond expectation.

There's so much talent out there.

We must tap into the USA next. Freak athletes over there.
We've done some pretty slick things in recent years.

Picking up Savage as an under-age player meant we got him at pick 70 something instead of needing a top 10-20 pick.
Picked up Jed Anderson in exchange for Gilham (wtf?).
Are now in a position to pick up Heatherly for free (in terms of draft picks), who is starting to look a decent prospect. (who said he was rated as a top 20 pick?)
Also managed to pull Luke Breust out of nowhere.

This is canny drafting that has been necessary, but excellent, and will hold us in good stead over the coming years.
 

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Baz_hawk

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#12
Good news and great recruiting by the club. Looks very promising.

Any word on Tatupu? He was a boy in a man's body last I heard but haven't heard much about him since
 

Bardo State

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#13
We've done some pretty slick things in recent years.

Picking up Savage as an under-age player meant we got him at pick 70 something instead of needing a top 10-20 pick.
Picked up Jed Anderson in exchange for Gilham (wtf?).
Are now in a position to pick up Heatherly for free (in terms of draft picks), who is starting to look a decent prospect. (who said he was rated as a top 20 pick?)
Also managed to pull Luke Breust out of nowhere.

This is canny drafting that has been necessary, but excellent, and will hold us in good stead over the coming years.
And Kilkenny seems promising too

Also getting Gunston for about pick 20, Suckling for next to nothing. Also picked a few up in the 30-50 range that look like they'll play for quite a while (Stratts, Shiels, Whitey, Hill etc).

We've done pretty well since we had a few high picks not come on quite as expected
 

nickrebellious

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#15
And Kilkenny seems promising too

Also getting Gunston for about pick 20, Suckling for next to nothing. Also picked a few up in the 30-50 range that look like they'll play for quite a while (Stratts, Shiels, Whitey, Hill etc).

We've done pretty well since we had a few high picks not come on quite as expected
We also have Woodward, who seems to be our next big thing by the way Fagan rates him. Also, if Frank comes good, he'd be the best of the lot as we pulled him out of literally nowhere.
 
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Moderator #16
We also have Woodward, who seems to be our next big thing by the way Fagan rates him. Also, if Frank comes good, he'd be the best of the lot as we pulled him out of literally nowhere.
It's amazing how highly they talk of Woodward.
On it's own it doesn't seem that weird, but when you consider he's pick 50 something, a short ass and busted his knee before ever playing a game. Hope he comes good. Great to see that he was in good enough shape to play at the end of last year.
 

Big A

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#20
We've done some pretty slick things in recent years.

Picking up Savage as an under-age player meant we got him at pick 70 something instead of needing a top 10-20 pick.
Picked up Jed Anderson in exchange for Gilham (wtf?).
Are now in a position to pick up Heatherly for free (in terms of draft picks), who is starting to look a decent prospect. (who said he was rated as a top 20 pick?)
Also managed to pull Luke Breust out of nowhere.

This is canny drafting that has been necessary, but excellent, and will hold us in good stead over the coming years.
This :thumbsu: plus Gunston, Woody, Kilkenny et all!....I need to get my hand off it

Much optimism around these places this week....coming off a bit of pessimism about our list prior to this, has got me all excited again

Now to land another gem tonight!
 

Hawks1994

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#22
He's rated as a top 20 pick in next years draft.

So far this experiment has worked beyond expectation.

There's so much talent out there.

We must tap into the USA next. Freak athletes over there.

You know it!!

As others have said, so many high school kids not going pro, but still very good athletes.

Size, speed, strength, dunking abilities........ they have it all....
 

Buddy Guy

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#24
Our boy Heatherley is absolutely slaying them, what an absolute steal he is going to be..

Callum Twomey@AFL_CalTwomey
It's testing morning at the AIS-AFL Academy. Hawthorn's New Zealander Kurt Heatherley a standout in 20-metre sprint, running 2.91 seconds.
 

Roger Rogerson

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#25
I think we should temper expectation on the kid a bit.

It is an article by the club. Of course they are going to be full of praise and it is a pretty easy statement to make that he is potentially top 20 in next years draft - it is a HUGE tag to put on him 12 months ahead of the draft. I dont necessarily buy it.

I am going to reserve judgement on the kid until I have seen him on the ground with a football in play. From what I have seen of him in match simulation at training he still has a lot to learn about the game and is no certainty to make it regardless of how fast he can run 20m.

I dont doubt his promise and I am full of praise for the club for identifying him and getting him outside of the draft.
 
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