Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn - Connor Downie - #35 2020 National Draft

[lethalselbow]

Allergic to the hardball gets. Doesn’t bode well playing for Sam.
He looks like a Clinton young to me

Not a fan of that. When you've got to go, you've got to go.

Can you teach it? I'd hesitate to say that if you're shirking the hard ball at the age of 20, you're always going to.

Might be sweating bullets in the off-season. Will be a lot at Hawthorn in the same boat.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Not a fan of that. When you've got to go, you've got to go.

Can you teach it? I'd hesitate to say that if you're shirking the hard ball at the age of 20, you're always going to.

Might be sweating bullets in the off-season. Will be a lot at Hawthorn in the same boat.

I think this has been blown out of proportion.

I watch nearly every Box Hill game and every Hawthorn game. I have not seen Downie shirk a contest.

That is quite different from struggling to cope with the physicality of playing against stronger bodies which is what Sam wrote about him in his reviews last year for BH.

They are two very different things.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

I think this has been blown out of proportion.

I watch nearly every Box Hill game and every Hawthorn game. I have not seen Downie shirk a contest.

That is quite different from struggling to cope with the physicality of playing against stronger bodies which is what Sam wrote about him in his reviews last year for BH.

They are two very different things.

Good on ya RR. Good to hear the opinion of someone who actually watches box hill games. I would take your word over the majority here who have written him off as “soft” for whatever reasons

Hope he gets another year to see what he can do with a good preseason and and a decent run with injuries

 

[The German Hunter]

I think this has been blown out of proportion.

I watch nearly every Box Hill game and every Hawthorn game. I have not seen Downie shirk a contest.

That is quite different from struggling to cope with the physicality of playing against stronger bodies which is what Sam wrote about him in his reviews last year for BH.

They are two very different things.

Not sure RR, I’ve seen him shorten his steps and shirk a contest on numerous occasions. Then again, Brad Hill hated contact and became a very good player for us

 

[Roger Rogerson]

If you have the AFL app check out Connor's stats in the tracker.

Of all players on the ground...

1st for total distance covered at high speed.
3rd for total distance covered.
1st for average moving speed.
3rd average speed in attack.
2nd for average speed in defence.


He's a workhorse.

Bump

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Sam made some comments in his VFL game wraps early in the year that implied Connor was a bit soft in the contest, and it had me worried as I could see that too when watching him play, but after watching him on the weekend the fears of him not being able to put his body over the ball have gone.

He's a bit of a conundrum though in the way he moves, as he looks like he's putting in half efforts and not pushing himself, but his numbers(GPS) say otherwise.

Bump 2.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Not sure RR, I’ve seen him shorten his steps and shirk a contest on numerous occasions. Then again, Brad Hill hated contact and became a very good player for us

Respect your views without question. Haven't witnessed anything in the games i have seen that has made me sit up and question his commitment.

 

[The German Hunter]

Bump 2.

I don’t mind you bumping old posts, but does this Strapping Young Lad have any cred?????

 

[TheFourPillars]

Connor aint going anywhere. Will be there ready day 1 of pre season

 

[Brant]

Connor aint going anywhere. Will be there ready day 1 of pre season

Hopefully on-field, not in re-hab.
Whether he makes it or not, I hope it’s on his merits - not because he couldn’t get fit - I guess I hope that for every player drafted (to us).

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I think this has been blown out of proportion.

I watch nearly every Box Hill game and every Hawthorn game. I have not seen Downie shirk a contest.

That is quite different from struggling to cope with the physicality of playing against stronger bodies which is what Sam wrote about him in his reviews last year for BH.

They are two very different things.

Exactly. Completely overblown IMO. He needs time to gain confidence in his body.

Did he not cop that debilitating corkie because he went in hard?

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Downie
Seamus
Saunders

These 3 push up to the top level next season we are on the way up. Hope we put another year into them.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I reckon at best he's 50/50 to be on the list in 2023.
Won't at all surprise if he's delisted, as I think the queries on his temperament in the contest might have already stamped his papers in the mind of our coach.

Alas i think you might be right

Connor aint going anywhere. Will be there ready day 1 of pre season

What happened here in only a few hours?

 

[TheFourPillars]

Hopefully on-field, not in re-hab.
Whether he makes it or not, I hope it’s on his merits - not because he couldn’t get fit - I guess I hope that for every player drafted (to us).

What happened here in only a few hours?

A revelation

 

[TheFourPillars]

Downie will be at hawthorn 100%

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Really hope he takes the next step.
A booming kick from outside 50 is a real weapon in modern footy

 

[lethalselbow]

I think this has been blown out of proportion.

I watch nearly every Box Hill game and every Hawthorn game. I have not seen Downie shirk a contest.

That is quite different from struggling to cope with the physicality of playing against stronger bodies which is what Sam wrote about him in his reviews last year for BH.

They are two very different things.

I was just commenting on what others have said. I don't know if he's hard at the contest or not.

If you are at most Box Hill games and say he's not, that sounds pretty good to me.

Are those calling him weak at the contest regular Box Hill goers?

 

[Randy Campbell]

I will back Connor to make it.

 

[toomanysquibs]

When I hear players bagged for being too outside, I can't help but think of how good Brad Hill was during our three peat despite the looney tune criticism of him that went on and on in the face of obvious evidence of his value.

For all the talk of him hating contact, I don't recall a single finals effort where he didn't go when it was his turn. This was particularly evident in the Grand Finals. He could turn up on that front when he needed to. He just didn't take big hits all year, because his job was to run and carry (hard to do that if you can't run).

More and more each year teams need outside run and accurate kicking. If pace is an issue for Downie, then that's another thing altogether.

But I'll never be convinced someone is too outside until they've at least played at the highest level where the value of run and clean possession is the currency most teams lack.

 

[Tomohawks]

Really hope he takes the next step.
A booming kick from outside 50 is a real weapon in modern footy

Yes booming but he takes ages to get it to boot which is problematic in the high pressured AFL. This is my major concern outside of his obvious hammy issues.