Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn - Emerson Jeka - delisted 2023

[Judd2Sewell]

The side and lineup we are watching this year will not be the same when we are playing finals

Sicily to the forward line is a bannable offence

 

[Mrzohs]

Sicily to the forward line is a bannable offence

I keep a open mind and i will explain why but simply we need two of him!

The simple answer of we have tried it before it doesn't work is not looking in to our list enough now. We have intercept players very capable of playing 3rd man up and effectivly if we have two key posts in the side. The forward line we have zero depth in talls and due to loose some of our best assest in a few yrs time.

So I keep an open mind to it the list is evolving , we didnt have Blanck or Jeka in the side when Sicily last went up forward. This side also won 3 games in a row without him in the back 6 vs Bris,Pies,Bulldogs Aug 2020.

Jeka ability to hold down a key position could very well make Sicily a swing man again.

Lewis,Sicily,Gunston,Wingard, Bruest, Butler. Is a potent forward line we have Gunners,Bruest for 2/3 more yrs tops. Wingard is barley on the park the need for a gun forward to help Lewis when our Defence and Midfield is coming thru in 2-3 years time is pivotal.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

We need two of him. The simple answer of we have tried it before it doesn't work is not looking in to our list enough we have players very capable of playing 3rd man up very effectively if we have two key defends. Up forward we have zero depth in talls and due to loose some of our best assest in a few yrs time.

So I keep an open mind to it the list is evolving se didnt have blank or Jeka in the side when Sic last went up forward we also went on a winning steak when he wasnt in the aide last year our needs are changing.

Jeka ability to hold down a key position could very well make Sicily a swing man again.

Lewis, Sicily ,Gunston, Wingard, Bruest , Butler. Is a potent forward line we have Gunners,Bruest 2-3 more yrs tops. Wingard is barley on the park the need for a gun forward to help Lewis when our Defence and Midfield is coming thru in 2-3 years is pivotal.

He's our best player, the best player in the league in that role and one of the best few defenders full stop. You don't move your best player from his best position to try and fit in players like Jeka.

Especially when he's never shown anything close to his current output whilst playing as a forward.

He's the calibre of player that you build the side around. It's up to others to find their roles. It's not up to him to move in order to accommodate others.

 

[Mrzohs]

He's our best player, the best player in the league in that role and one of the best few defenders full stop. You don't move your best player from his best position to try and fit in players like Jeka.

Especially when he's never shown anything close to his current output whilst playing as a forward.

He's the calibre of player that you build the side around. It's up to others to find their roles. It's not up to him to move in order to accommodate others.

You play your best player in the hardest position on the ground or where he is needed most for the team to win games of footy! CHF. it's not to accommodate anyone.

Like I said I keep an open mind, he is a gun defender, but don't be shocked if it happens we have no forwards and about 7 half back flanks

 

[Topiary]

Promising game v Suns from Emerson.
Limited Mabior Chol to just 8 touches and 5 marks (with no goals). And had 16 touches and 7 marks himself.
His aerial work was sound (4 spoils) and he gave Chol very little space (after looking a little loose against St Kilda a couple of times).

Hope he keeps this role to season's end and maybe beyond.
Would love to see him mentored by hard nuts like Sicily and Hardwick.
Some of those queries about Jeka's atttide and competitiveness might go the same way as the doubts on Mitch Lewis from not so long ago.

Again I hope you are right.

 

[tommyk72]

He's our best player, the best player in the league in that role and one of the best few defenders full stop. You don't move your best player from his best position to try and fit in players like Jeka.

Especially when he's never shown anything close to his current output whilst playing as a forward.

He's the calibre of player that you build the side around. It's up to others to find their roles. It's not up to him to move in order to accommodate others.

Last time a hawthorn coach moved the best player in the league from their role we won’t two more premierships. Team performance before individual brilliance.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Port had bigger problems. Richmond did fine with Grimes who is an undersized KPD, and Brisbane have struggled with the tallest KPD in the league. Reckon you'd find very little, if any, correlation between the size of defenders and success.

Grimes is 194. Not exactly small he's the same height as Balta. Has a unique skill set which allows him to play on talls and smalls. An extremely valuable asset. Sicily is 5cm shorter and bats way above his height most weeks. It makes what he does every week all the more special. I've said in the past if he was a genuine KPD height he would be the best defender in the game by a stretch such is his 1 on 1 ability. We do need him however to bring back some versatility and I think moving forward when it's needed at times is going to benefit the team in the long run.

 

[KermitJagger]

Grimes is 194. Not exactly small he's the same height as Balta. Has a unique skill set which allows him to play on talls and smalls. An extremely valuable asset. Sicily is 5cm shorter and bats way above his height most weeks. It makes what he does every week all the more special. I've said in the past if he was a genuine KPD height he would be the best defender in the game by a stretch such is his 1 on 1 ability. We do need him however to bring back some versatility and I think moving forward when it's needed at times is going to benefit the team in the long run.

Do you think Sicily is actually his billed height? Ffs. They haven't updated that since he got to the club and he was obviously a late bloomer. Grimes is not noticeably bigger than Sicily, don't be ridiculous.



You don't move your best defender because you have worse options to replace him.

 

[SammyC]

I agree but having the option to use sic how and where we need him most without robbing Peter to pay Paul would be nice.

Personally I think that’s more likely letting jeka/ DGB / Blanck take the best fwds and sic zoning off a lesser player or playing loose. But it also might mean swinging forward occasionally or even the odd centre bounce.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Sicily to CHF is the new Roughy to CHB.

Sicily hasn’t played forward since 2016 and never completely looked at home there. Him kicking the odd running goal =/= moving an AA level defender to a position they never really locked down.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Last time a hawthorn coach moved the best player in the league from their role we won’t two more premierships. Team performance before individual brilliance.

There's a huge difference from moving from the forward line to playing slightly higher up in the forward line, compared to backline to the forward line.

Also, Clarko considered that the team was too Franklin focussed which was potentially a hindrance to us. In what way is Sicily playing that may be having a similar issue with our backline?

 

[Blackhawk42]

If Jeka is going to turn into a backman then we will probably line-up like this:

Hardwick - Blanck - DGB
Scrimshaw - Jeka - Sicily

Then CJ and Day can be used in other roles - rotating through the wing (CJ) and midfield (Day).

I think Jeka being dual footed and a long kick makes CHB a better position for him. I still hope he develops into our CHF though.

Great position to be in as a club.

Personally I think we'll day Day move to a midfield/half forward rotation with his mate Moorey and Connor Macdonald. Remember Sam has stated that was the plan for Will last pre-season but he was injured.

CJ is a perfect bench option for mine. Bring him on 5 minutes into each quarter with the licence to go hammer and tong off the back flank. Ideally he'd line up on a player who hasn't been off yet and is starting to fatigue before their own rotation.

 

[badgrill]

Wtf are you talking about, Jeka has never missed a target ever in his life on either foot

or even in his mind...

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I want to see him go up a level this week.

 

[Toasted]

Sicily to CHF is the new Roughy to CHB.

Sicily hasn’t played forward since 2016 and never completely looked at home there. Him kicking the odd running goal =/= moving an AA level defender to a position they never really locked down.

I beat you to it….
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Post 874

 

[burner1]

I want to see him go up a level this week.

In his 2nd full afl game as a kpd?

He only kept the oppositions best power forward (and a form player of comp) goalless in his first full game. If he keeps lynch goalless he’ll have done well.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

In his 2nd full afl game as a kpd?

He only kept the oppositions best power forward (and a form player of comp) goalless in his first full game. If he keeps lynch goalless he’ll have done well.

Contained him well in the first half. In the second half he got away from him and it was only his being bested by the Launceston breeze that kept him goalless.

Jeka did well on Saturday but he still turned over half of his possessions. Let's not pretend there's not room for improvement.

 

[sven_inc]

I find a lot of these positional switches go one of two ways:

• The player thrives and finds their new niche as an AFL footballer.
• The player thrives, develops the confidence and capacity as an AFL footballer and can then translate that back to their original position.

For me, if Jeka shows great promise as a key back, it might give him the confidence and capacity to be become a better AFL key forward down the track. So many players are drafted as key forwards, learn the game down back, and then take off as a key forward later on.

Either way, if he can show himself that he belongs it's a good problem to have. Who knows, DGB could thrive as a KPF if spots are tight back there. Scrimshaw could travel into the mids with Day and suddenly our riches in defense could easily spill out further afield.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

I find a lot of these positional switches go one of two ways:

• The player thrives and finds their new niche as an AFL footballer.
• The player thrives, develops the confidence and capacity as an AFL footballer and can then translate that back to their original position.

For me, if Jeka shows great promise as a key back, it might give him the confidence and capacity to be become a better AFL key forward down the track. So many players are drafted as key forwards, learn the game down back, and then take off as a key forward later on.

Either way, if he can show himself that he belongs it's a good problem to have. Who knows, DGB could thrive as a KPF if spots are tight back there. Scrimshaw could travel into the mids with Day and suddenly our riches in defense could easily spill out further afield.

Agreed.

 

[FB19]

A

Contained him well in the first half. In the second half he got away from him and it was only his being bested by the Launceston breeze that kept him goalless.

Jeka did well on Saturday but he still turned over half of his possessions. Let's not pretend there's not room for improvement.

At 20 with a exposed bank of 5 games under his belt? Delist!

 

[Billyc]

The nitpicking of his game on the weekend is a bit odd. He played key defence, beat a good opponent, took some nice marks and we know he can kick better than he showed. Pretty encouraging outing for a 20 year old key defender i'd have thought.

I have seen people praising DGB for 3-4 possession games because his opponent didn't do a lot. There seems to be a different standard applied to Jeka. Late draft pick v early draft pick syndrome. Number 1 whipping boy Kosi suffers from it too.

 

[Jazzfan]

The nitpicking of his game on the weekend is a bit odd. He played key defence, beat a good opponent, took some nice marks and we know he can kick better than he showed. Pretty encouraging outing for a 20 year old key defender i'd have thought.

I have seen people praising DGB for 3-4 possession games because his opponent didn't do a lot. There seems to be a different standard applied to Jeka. Late draft pick v early draft pick syndrome. Number 1 whipping boy Kosi suffers from it too.

It was also windy as * and his first game in Launceston, so the missed kicks should be tolerated at this point given the overwhelming positives.

Said it on the day, watching live Jeka looked and plays with a presence, has the size of a key position defender and looked like the pick 6. At times he was just a vacuum to the long ball in.

It was just clear as day how effortlessly talented he is. Obviously it's going to come down to his mental maturity if he really makes it.

But on tools in his kit, he's more promising than DGB right now for mine.

At both VFL and AFL level I think its fair to say Jeka has shown more than DGB at this point, and probably has the greater physical attributes too.

 

[SammyC]

I find a lot of these positional switches go one of two ways:

• The player thrives and finds their new niche as an AFL footballer.
• The player thrives, develops the confidence and capacity as an AFL footballer and can then translate that back to their original position.

For me, if Jeka shows great promise as a key back, it might give him the confidence and capacity to be become a better AFL key forward down the track. So many players are drafted as key forwards, learn the game down back, and then take off as a key forward later on.

Either way, if he can show himself that he belongs it's a good problem to have. Who knows, DGB could thrive as a KPF if spots are tight back there. Scrimshaw could travel into the mids with Day and suddenly our riches in defense could easily spill out further afield.

Rough battled early as a fwd. We played him back for a few weeks late in his first year I think. He finally looked like he belonged, went fwd the next year and great things happened.

Think it’s better for us if Jeka can do the same but if not we potentially have a very good defender on our hands.

 

[The Chad and I]

It was also windy as * and his first game in Launceston, so the missed kicks should be tolerated at this point given the overwhelming positives.

Said it on the day, watching live Jeka looked and plays with a presence, has the size of a key position defender and looked like the pick 6. At times he was just a vacuum to the long ball in.

It was just clear as day how effortlessly talented he is. Obviously it's going to come down to his mental maturity if he really makes it.

But on tools in his kit, he's more promising than DGB right now for mine.

At both VFL and AFL level I think its fair to say Jeka has shown more than DGB at this point, and probably has the greater physical attributes too.

DGB escapes scrutiny and is lauded by many on this board, while rookie-pick Jeka is treated quite harshly despite having shown significantly more promise as a defender in just 2 games. Very strange.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

DGB escapes scrutiny and is lauded by many on this board, while rookie-pick Jeka is treated quite harshly despite having shown significantly more promise as a defender in just 2 games. Very strange.

Don’t agree with this at all. DGB has clearly polarised many supporters so for a variety of reasons. I think going at pick 6 has has quite a few supports wanting him to be showing more - in only his second season. I am personally very comfortable on how he is tracking - love his attack on the ball and attacking mindset

Jekas main detractors basically all point out the same thing - lack of intensity and consistency in contested ball situations, which is funnily enough one of the main reasons he was overlooked in his draft year