Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn - Emerson Jeka - delisted 2023

[Hawkthorn33]

Little Sheep Jack Watts was put amongst the wolves by Melbourne and was rightly set upon by the ravenous Collingwood players. I think that first tackle by multiple players wrecked him.

Jeka moves like a talent, he kicks like a talent, he marks like a talent, but can he take a hit like a talent... the Hawks will not throw him to the wolves to find out. Some players need to put on size, others to improve their skills, others again to improve their endurance... my thought is that if Jeka is given time... puts on muscle... maybe does a karate class or boxing class.. or whatever he needs to feel powerful... he could be something great.

I am very happy the Hawks get to find out if he is as good as I think he could be.

I was told his old man already owns a boxing gym and used to be a professional boxer. I don’t think the kid will have any issues finding a bit of mongrel in his game

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

I was told his old man already owns a boxing gym and used to be a professional boxer. I don’t think the kid will have any issues finding a bit of mongrel in his game

Tyrone's dad was the boxing coach at the tigs.

Lots of alarm bells ringing!

 

[Hawk_Train]

I was told his old man already owns a boxing gym and used to be a professional boxer. I don’t think the kid will have any issues finding a bit of mongrel in his game

Tyrone's dad was the boxing coach at the tigs.

Lots of alarm bells ringing!

The boxing gym your referring to is owned by his Dad’s cousin it’s not his dads gym nor is his dad a boxer the gym / ex pro boxer is the boys cousin

 

[OnTheRocks]

The boxing gym your referring to is owned by his Dad’s cousin it’s not his dads gym nor is his dad a boxer the gym / ex pro boxer is the boys cousin

Hi Cuz

 

[Hawkthorn33]

The boxing gym your referring to is owned by his Dad’s cousin it’s not his dads gym nor is his dad a boxer the gym / ex pro boxer is the boys cousin

Thanks for clarifying.

Well hopefully his cousin has taught him a thing or two over the years that will hold him in good stead with how to prepare for professional sports

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[TylerDurden]

"Hawthorn offered no warning"
Wright at his best.

 

[Since 2001]

I think we will look back in ten years time and wonder how we got Emerson Jeka and Mitchell Lewis at where they were drafted.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

"Hawthorn offered no warning"
Wright at his best.

No warning to other clubs or to Jeka himself? I read it as the latter, which makes me wonder what kind of dialogue, if any, the club had with Jeka throughout the season.

 

[TylerDurden]

No warning to other clubs or to Jeka himself? I read it as the latter, which makes me wonder what kind of dialogue, if any, the club had with Jeka throughout the season.

To Jeka.

 

[Bugs1977]

"Hawthorn offered no warning"
Wright at his best.

Insert the picture of GW with those sarcastic eyes

 

[Agent Smith]

Wow, you can tell how determined he is in his words. There's no thought in his mind that he won't make it. That's half the battle already fought.

 

[Brant]

I think we will look back in ten years time and wonder how we got Emerson Jeka and Mitchell Lewis at where they were drafted.

And Worpel, Skrillex*, Patton*, Frost*, Scully*, Hardwick & Sicily!

(Trades, obvs)

 

[Aramis]

Exciting prospect, seems like he has a great temperament and has the drive to achieve the best he can. Saying someone "could be anything" is overused and borderline cliche but it genuinely fits this bloke, he could be an absolute superstar or a bust. For the price we paid, we are already ahead.

 

[The Chad and I]

Talls need talls to be tested and we've got a good bunch.

Jeka is partnered with Patton and Lewis - both men on a mission - so i would expect that they will set a high standard for Jeka.
...and he will be training against physical beasts in Frawley, Frost, Kosi and Hartley.

 

[Mojo]

Implore everyone to read yesterday's AFL.com article.

'I don't want to be mediocre': Draft rollercoaster fails to dent Hawk's ambition

New Hawthorn rookie Emerson Jeka had to wait for his AFL chance but he's determined to make it count

www.afl.com.au

Not sure if he's got ticket's on himself but he comes with a self-belief in his ability, which is bloody exciting!

Love his last two quotes:

"I'm just going to give it 110 per cent this pre-season, put my head down and if they are impressed, then I might get a senior game, but I don't really mind.

"If I don't, I can go and play VFL, hopefully dominate and develop my game, then when I'm ready, I'll play senior football."

 

[The Chad and I]

Implore everyone to read yesterday's AFL.com article.

'I don't want to be mediocre': Draft rollercoaster fails to dent Hawk's ambition

New Hawthorn rookie Emerson Jeka had to wait for his AFL chance but he's determined to make it count

www.afl.com.au

Not sure if he's got ticket's on himself but he comes with a self-belief in his ability, which is bloody exciting!

Love his last two quotes:

"I'm just going to give it 110 per cent this pre-season, put my head down and if they are impressed, then I might get a senior game, but I don't really mind.

"If I don't, I can go and play VFL, hopefully dominate and develop my game, then when I'm ready, I'll play senior football."

He is expressing ambition, mindful that he will need to earn it with good form.
He knows that he needs to show he is better than VFL to deserve a game.
I don't read anything to be concerned about.

Isn't this what you want to hear?

 

[threesixpio]

Implore everyone to read yesterday's AFL.com article.

'I don't want to be mediocre': Draft rollercoaster fails to dent Hawk's ambition

New Hawthorn rookie Emerson Jeka had to wait for his AFL chance but he's determined to make it count

www.afl.com.au

Not sure if he's got ticket's on himself but he comes with a self-belief in his ability, which is bloody exciting!

Love his last two quotes:

"I'm just going to give it 110 per cent this pre-season, put my head down and if they are impressed, then I might get a senior game, but I don't really mind.

"If I don't, I can go and play VFL, hopefully dominate and develop my game, then when I'm ready, I'll play senior football."

I always think that if you are going to go above 100% you may as well say gogolplex percent. Why stop at 110?

 

[Brishawk]

I always think that if you are going to go above 100% you may as well say gogolplex percent. Why stop at 110?

Laws of diminishing returns or maybe don’t want to seem to keen?

 

[Jason Dunstall]

Certainly seems confident in his own abilities, which of course can be good (Brereton), or bad (Thorpe) - hopefully the former

 

[MrPremiership]

Certainly seems confident in his own abilities, which of course can be good (Brereton), or bad (Thorpe) - hopefully the former

Mitch Lewis was a very confident draftee also.

Club and senior players had to knock him down a bit when he first got to the club. Seems to be going ok now.

 

[The Ghost Of Glenferrie]

No warning to other clubs or to Jeka himself? I read it as the latter, which makes me wonder what kind of dialogue, if any, the club had with Jeka throughout the season.

Apart from this year, Torin Baker nursed and developed Emerson Jeka from 7th through 11th Grade - his most successful time(s) at junior level. He knows his football and ability inside and out, so I wouldn't be surprised if he provided a fair bit of I.P to recruiters regarding Emerson's strengths and weaknesses. Torin was Head of Maribyrnong Sports Academy and his coach at Western Jets when Emerson made the AIS U16 and U18 Squads. He also knows what makes the lad tick between the ears, so that should be a fast track for the coaching staff i.e: what works and what doesn't.

This year was tough for Emerson with injury and a few other things. The thought around school and club level was that he lost confidence in himself (re: his draft prospects) and his body after the AIS vs Casey game. He really has a lot of the natural tools a player needs to make at league level - just needs some consistency of games to bring it all together. Time will tell I guess, but considering he's a Rookie pick, I suspect if he makes it will be seen in time as a Highway Robbery - that along with the fact that he once considered by some a top 10 pick only a few years ago.

 

[threesixpio]

Mitch Lewis was a very confident draftee also.

Club and senior players had to knock him down a bit when he first got to the club. Seems to be going ok now.

If you convert it into passion and commitment it = good

 

[KermitJagger]

If you convert it into passion and commitment it = good

AFL teams don't do a good enough job at this, and we tend to beat down any player that has confidence in what they can do and displays it. Just look at how much is spoken about Sicily and his antics, Duursma with the bow and arrow. It's always negative.

I love Tom Mitchell as a player but he's a relatively boring personality outside of footy and on the field, Wingard and Sicily are the type of guys I go to watch. Excitement, some arrogance, a lot of ability.

 

[MrPremiership]

AFL teams don't do a good enough job at this, and we tend to beat down any player that has confidence in what they can do and displays it. Just look at how much is spoken about Sicily and his antics, Duursma with the bow and arrow. It's always negative.

I love Tom Mitchell as a player but he's a relatively boring personality outside of footy and on the field, Wingard and Sicily are the type of guys I go to watch. Excitement, some arrogance, a lot of ability.

We're not mature enough as a culture to accept the confidence/arrogance. Sicily would thrive in USA sports culture