Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn : Jai “Duke” Newcombe - 2022 AFLCA Best Young Player, extends to 2026!

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[LeBuddyRoughShow]

Box Hill have the bye this round, I expect Duke will return to the senior side next round refreshed. The only change he needs to make is getting a haircut, short back and sides or buzz cut. It's the Hawthorn way, no fuss, get the job done

 

[On Topic]

Box Hill have the bye this round, I expect Duke will return to the senior side next round refreshed. The only change he needs to make is getting a haircut, short back and sides or buzz cut. It's the Hawthorn way, no fuss, get the job done

I kinda like the hair. If you ask some Hawks posters here, its the only point of difference in the midfield.

 

[Bugs1977]

Box Hill have the bye this round, I expect Duke will return to the senior side next round refreshed. The only change he needs to make is getting a haircut, short back and sides or buzz cut. It's the Hawthorn way, no fuss, get the job done

I say we go back to the original Hawthorn way where you let guys like Dermie be who they wanted to be. He was the AFL version of Dennis Rodman… first to have the fluro yellow boots and his hair any way that he wanted with crazy earrings. It worked well for us then let you individuals be just that… individuals!

 

[MrPremiership]

I hope we put him straight back in next week, and we give him PRIME midfield minutes and role. Fast track his development. Move out titch, Worps and JOM to other roles. There isn't much else to gain from this year.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Box Hill have the bye this round, I expect Duke will return to the senior side next round refreshed. The only change he needs to make is getting a haircut, short back and sides or buzz cut. It's the Hawthorn way, no fuss, get the job done

Do you need a haircut mate?

 

[Beandip]

I hope we put him straight back in next week, and we give him PRIME midfield minutes and role. Fast track his development. Move out titch, Worps and JOM to other roles. There isn't much else to gain from this year.

Will be interesting, he could end up pretty demoralised watching Gawn endlessly feed absolute bulls in Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca and Clarry to round it out... he might not even see it.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

I hope we put him straight back in next week, and we give him PRIME midfield minutes and role. Fast track his development. Move out titch, Worps and JOM to other roles. There isn't much else to gain from this year.

Agreed. Would like to see Finn come in too. Would be great seeing Reeves, Finn, Worps and Jai start at a centre bounce.

We need to get games into our next generation.

 

[MrPremiership]

Agreed. Would like to see Finn come in too. Would be great seeing Reeves, Finn, Worps and Jai start at a centre bounce.

We need to get games into our next generation.

Yes, something like this is worth a shot.

Put JOM to the HFF or bench, Titch on HBF/wing and let's see what the 4 young guys can do

 

[Brant]

Will be interesting, he could end up pretty demoralised watching Gawn endlessly feed absolute bulls in Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca and Clarry to round it out... he might not even see it.

If Gawn wants to put his team mates at risk by tapping to them & making them targets for Duke's tackles... then that's on him!

 

[Billyc]

Mitchell, JOM, Worpel, Shiels, Cousins, Howe beaten in the midfield again, this time by the second worst midfield in the comp. Newcombe deserves a proper run at the rest of the season.

 

[daniel23]

Mitchell, JOM, Worpel, Shiels, Cousins, Howe beaten in the midfield again, this time by the second worst midfield in the comp. Newcombe deserves a proper run at the rest of the season.

The only reason I can think of why he isn't in is fitness based. We looked so much better with him in there and it made jags especially look more damaging where he could work on the outside more often. The cousins experiment is finished, play guys that will be on the list next year with jai being one and let him build some confidence like bramble has.

 

[extractasam]

Mitchell, JOM, Worpel, Shiels, Cousins, Howe beaten in the midfield again, this time by the second worst midfield in the comp. Newcombe deserves a proper run at the rest of the season.

Honestly no idea why we still try and run that midfield combo every now and then when we’ve seen it not work so many times

 

[Hawker1167]

The only reason I can think of why he isn't in is fitness based. We looked so much better with him in there and it made jags especially look more damaging where he could work on the outside more often. The cousins experiment is finished, play guys that will be on the list next year with jai being one and let him build some confidence like bramble has.

agree there must be a reason and it could be fitness - but hopefully the last month we throw the kids in that will be on out list next year - no Box Hill playing will be hurting a few chances of getting a game or 2

cousin’s injury might be a blessing in disguise

 

[burner1]

The issue with Jai is he is a bit of ‘more of the same’ of our current mids. Mid sized accumulators with neither elite pace or skills. Yes he can tackle but that’s not enough if you can’t keep up with your opponent. Maybe after a preseason or two we’ll see a different player but needs to find a yard and a tank.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

The issue with Jai is he is a bit of ‘more of the same’ of our current mids. Mid sized accumulators with neither elite pace or skills. Yes he can tackle but that’s not enough if you can’t keep up with your opponent. Maybe after a preseason or two we’ll see a different player but needs to find a yard and a tank.

Mm
Jai is 6'1, definitely not short

 

[burner1]

Mm
Jai is 6'1, definitely not short

Didn’t say short. He’s 186cm - ‘mid sized’ for a mid would seem fair? About same size as worpel. But he’s not a 190cm+ plus beast in Fyfe, mundy, bont, Cripps mould.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Mitchell, JOM, Worpel, Shiels, Cousins, Howe beaten in the midfield again, this time by the second worst midfield in the comp. Newcombe deserves a proper run at the rest of the season.

Honestly, shiels this year is reminding me of stratton last yr.
Doesn't deserve a game based on output, but is too valuable to drop at the same time

 

[Dewyyyyy]

The only reason I can think of why he isn't in is fitness based. We looked so much better with him in there and it made jags especially look more damaging where he could work on the outside more often. The cousins experiment is finished, play guys that will be on the list next year with jai being one and let him build some confidence like bramble has.

Cuz isnt done.

 

[daniel23]

Cuz isnt done.

Depth at best

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Depth at best

Nah.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Depth at best

He's good enough to be best 22 if he can fix the little things.

 

[daniel23]

He's good enough to be best 22 if he can fix the little things.

I wish he could a player like him is what we need in the 22 because he does have a bit of burst from stoppages. Unfortunately the little thing you talk of is actually a very big thing and I don't think can be fixed , even at vfl level where there is more time and space his kicking is still very poor. I have a lot more faith in jai .

 

[eldorado]

Opinion is divided on Cuz...

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I wish he could a player like him is what we need in the 22 because he does have a bit of burst from stoppages. Unfortunately the little thing you talk of is actually a very big thing and I don't think can be fixed , even at vfl level where there is more time and space his kicking is still very poor. I have a lot more faith in jai .

His kicking last year was really good went at 80% DE with like 20 disposals a game, 5 inside 50s a game and that was in short qtrs. Had a footy injury and looks to of affected him. He's slowly getting back to it. But some of his touches are genuinely elite, like the left foot bullet to Kossie, but he has like 1-2 a game that are just complete s**t mungrels or a big long kick forward. But even then it's little because it's not like he's doing it almost every possie with the occasional good kick it's usually good with a hint of genuinely shocking.

 

[Brishawk]

His kicking last year was really good went at 80% DE with like 20 disposals a game, 5 inside 50s a game and that was in short qtrs. Had a footy injury and looks to of affected him. He's slowly getting back to it. But some of his touches are genuinely elite, like the left foot bullet to Kossie, but he has like 1-2 a game that are just complete sh*t mungrels or a big long kick forward. But even then it's little because it's not like he's doing it almost every possie with the occasional good kick it's usually good with a hint of genuinely shocking.

Pretty sure he shined one they other week against the dees. I didn’t think an AFL could do that without been pushed but there it was. He has to cut that kind of howler out as it is team deflating.