Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn, Chad Wingard. 200 games! Signed to the end of 2024

[Hodgey 15]

Posters saying Chad was lazy need to have a serious hard look at themselves.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[tommyk72]

Why why why was he not playing more midfield minutes earlier? Match fitness/body robustness?

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Ok we've seen how good Chad can be in patches. Is he capable of doing it over a whole season in 2022 ?

 

[Lickmesocks]

Chads last month has been elite. Top couple of players in the league during this period.

Kicking big goals, creating for others, hitting targets by foot and winning ball out of the middle.

 

[Billyc]

Ok we've seen how good Chad can be in patches. Is he capable of doing it over a whole season in 2022 ?

There has never been a question over the quality of Chad’s best. His best is better than anyone else’s on our list. But save maybe for a couple seasons at Port (though even then he had ups and downs as a small forward if I recall), he’s just never been able to consistently sustain that best over the course of a season. I’m not expecting him to become consistent at 28.

 

[Gaston]

Did we secretly send him to some German blood curdling guru during his latest injury break?
By golly, he is a different player since his return.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

The improvement in form is mainly because of two things:

1) he's now playing where he should be
2) he loves Clarko

 

[CHUBBSS]

The improvement in form is mainly because of two things:

1) he's now playing where he should be
2) he loves Clarko

Have quite a few playing where they should be - who would have thought it makes a difference…

in saying that the pain of them playing them in off positions means they can support if required or rotate through

 

[theiaofseed]

Why why why was he not playing more midfield minutes earlier? Match fitness/body robustness?

Clarkson wanted Cyril replacement, it's why he kept playing Minchington ahead of Moore.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Clarkson wanted Cyril replacement, it's why he kept playing Minchington ahead of Moore.

The sad part in all this is I think Clarko has realised now the kids are alright and let go of some of the stubbornness

 

[Lickmesocks]

The sad part in all this is I think Clarko has realised now the kids are alright and let go of some of the stubbornness

100% it’s the perfect storm.

outgoing legend everyone wants to lift for.
fresh new face in charge, players are trying to impress.
lots of players playing for another contract or to stay at the club.

No doubt our pressure across the ground has lifted massively the past 4 weeks. You can see we are making the opposition second guess themselves now when they have the ball and we are cracking in much harder on the inside.

 

[tommyk72]

The improvement in form is mainly because of two things:

1) he's now playing where he should be
2) he loves Clarko

The second seems odd to me. Why try and play better for someone you love when you know they're leaving. Why not play that way when you're building something with them?

 

[The Chad and I]

Chad has been one of our best players since he arrived at the club.
Not sure why people cast aspersions on his character because he is playing even better now.
The whole team is playing better, so is it any wonder a forward/mid is also playing better?

 

[WWSD]

Chads last month has been elite. Top couple of players in the league during this period.

Kicking big goals, creating for others, hitting targets by foot and winning ball out of the middle.

He’s arguably been our number one player this month.

 

[PhatHQ]

With some significant pieces coming together you can see here Chad fits in the puzzle.
He has been touted as cream when analysing the list but I have always thought that Chad at his best is both cake and cream.
With the right support at stoppages (insert..Nuke, Nash, combination cohesion) he is the perfect release player who can also get out quickly when Reeves is giving him first touch. Staple cake player.
Get Chad on the outside and he becomes the cream. Enough pace to get out of trouble and get the ball in flat to the forwards.
Chad, Bramble, Worps at times, Hardwick, Day, Brockman, Moore, Morrison and Scrimshaw have all got a wicked inside 50kick that is flat and penetrating over 30-40m and getting the forward of center structure right and some space for Lewis and Kosi to do their work will be key moving forward.
When you take some of that and apply Chad as a pillar to build around who sets really high standards for himself and others around him he becomes a key ingredient, not just cake or cream.

I would love to see Chad develop his defensive game a little more to be able to line up off half back now and then just to really mix up the looks we give on paper. Switching up with Scrim, Bramble, even Hardwick to have 5 mins up the ground would be pretty sweet I recon.
Almost as a mr fix it type player would suit his abilities but we can’t have it all I guess

 

[MrPremiership]

Last month of Chad has been great. Think he is the one we MUST keep.

Hope Mitchell feels the same, and plays him as a Midfielder.....

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Wingard had 30 disps, 8 score involvements, 5 tackles, 6 clearances and kicked 2.1.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Wingard had 30 disps, 8 score involvements, 5 tackles, 6 clearances and kicked 2.1.

* I hope he stays. I know Burgoyne is staying on but we've had such a rich history of multicultural players in the past couple of decades and I would love Chad to lead the way for blokes like Brocky going forward.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Wingard had 30 disps, 8 score involvements, 5 tackles, 6 clearances and kicked 2.1.

An elite end to the season. When he's playing in the middle he's one of the best players in the competition.

The question is why didn't we see him in there earlier in the season when we were crying out for it? And more importantly, will Mitchell keep him in there moving forward?

Since the Giants game where he was injured / return in round 19, he's averaging:

28.4 touches
4 marks
4.8 tackles
1 goal
2 direct goal assists
6 I50's
9.4 contested touches
5 clearances
418.2 metres gained

116.8 SC points

Whilst only playing 81% TOG

 

[BobHawk]

IMO Wingard didn't look like he was fitting in (on field) for a long time. He's turned it around but not sure if he'll be at the club next year if we are to embark on a significant rebuild. He was recruited on the basis that we would be contenders anyway but again, IMO it just has not felt like it has worked.

 

[GinniAndTonic]

Chad going nowhere!

 

[CHUBBSS]

Wingard had 30 disps, 8 score involvements, 5 tackles, 6 clearances and kicked 2.1.

Absolute gun but I just wish he fixed his dam handball, no idea why it’s so messy

 

[CHUBBSS]

IMO Wingard didn't look like he was fitting in (on field) for a long time. He's turned it around but not sure if he'll be at the club next year if we are to embark on a significant rebuild. He was recruited on the basis that we would be contenders anyway but again, IMO it just has not felt like it has worked.

He has really bought into the pressure game, getting better and better now - if he can lift 10% next season he would be in the top 5 players

 

[threesixpio]

I have really liked Chad.

but this preseason is going to be enormous

I get the feeling that we shouldn’t get attached to anything or anyone, including Chad

So I’m finding it hard to connect to threads like this atm

 

[The Chad and I]

Chad going nowhere!

Been saying this for a while - Chad LOVES being at Hawthorn.
It shows in everything he does.

People read into things that aren't there.
TOP player and TOP character.
Plays to win with a big heart.