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

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Simon Crawshay]

He dumps blokes harder than Sewell did, as he's much bigger than Brad. Not saying Brad wasn't a better player, but Jai is an absolute beast of a kid.

I can definetly see similarities in Jai and Sewell myself.

Jai is definetly bigger than Brad was but Sewell was absolutely super fit in his playing days (still looks in great nick even now) which hopefully Jai can obtain over the next couple of pre seasons.

Still it's amazing that Jai can compete so well without even having done a VFL pre season, says a lot about his level of natural footy ability.

If Jai turns out to be our 2020s version of Sewell that is pretty good outcome!

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I can definetly see similarities in Jai and Sewell myself.

Jai is definetly bigger than Brad was but Sewell was absolutely super fit in his playing days (still looks in great nick even now) which hopefully Jai can obtain over the next couple of pre seasons.

Still it's amazing that Jai can compete so well without even having done a VFL pre season, says a lot about his level of natural footy ability.

If Jai turns out to be our 2020s version of Sewell that is pretty good outcome!

Might be and is a seriously hot take but he'll be better than Sewell, natural talent wise to go with the body + no pre season he will imo, better kick, bigger kick, bigger body, better tackler and able to hurt blokes more. Needs to find the accumlation Sewell had (18 today is a good *ing effort) which comes with fitness, running to contests and linking up.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Thought it was much more noticeable that players used him as an outlet and option yesterday - but also no suprise that a large amount have played box hill with him we’re playing yesterday.

His the one this pre season - got very lucky here.

 

[Beandip]

Loving Nash, Duke and JOM in the midfield, those are some strong bulls who can really make opposition mids feel it. Throw in TOM for sheer skill at the coalface, and Wingard for polish and it's looking very tidy... Worpel becomes interesting.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Glad he got another game and hope he plays next week. Cannot wait to see what he does after a pre-season with Mitchell coaching him.

 

[theiaofseed]

Rowell Vs Newcome

 

[hfc70]

Footballers Footballer

Hunts the footy naturally. Great hands. Tackling machine.

Very good overhead mark

Kicking is well above average & makes great decisions

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Might be and is a seriously hot take but he'll be better than Sewell, natural talent wise to go with the body + no pre season he will imo, better kick, bigger kick, bigger body, better tackler and able to hurt blokes more. Needs to find the accumlation Sewell had (18 today is a good f*n effort) which comes with fitness, running to contests and linking up.

If your reality comes to pass then we will be 8peating. Cousins a superstar, Finn a Hodge/Judd hybrid with a touch of JPK, The Duke better than Sewell. We are in for the most golden of eras.

 

[KermitJagger]

I can definetly see similarities in Jai and Sewell myself.

Jai is definetly bigger than Brad was but Sewell was absolutely super fit in his playing days (still looks in great nick even now) which hopefully Jai can obtain over the next couple of pre seasons.

Still it's amazing that Jai can compete so well without even having done a VFL pre season, says a lot about his level of natural footy ability.

If Jai turns out to be our 2020s version of Sewell that is pretty good outcome!

Bit off topic but good to mention, my brother spent a bit of time in South America staying at the same places as Brad Sewell a few years back - backpackers and whatnot - said he was one of the best blokes you'd ever meet. Used to enjoy showing people the way his fingers bent at wrong angles, and how his ribs were messed up from various injuries. Just what you'd expect from a bloke who spent their career cracking in as hard as Sewell did.

 

[Roddy]

Loving Nash, Duke and JOM in the midfield, those are some strong bulls who can really make opposition mids feel it. Throw in TOM for sheer skill at the coalface, and Wingard for polish and it's looking very tidy... Worpel becomes interesting.

Yep, this. I honestly don’t think our midfield situation is anywhere near as dire as many on here think it is. This group will rise significantly in output and impact as the overall team rises in performance and confidence. Throw the big Noodle in there, with 30-50 games under his belt, giving them improved service, and it starts to look very good for the medium to longer term future.
Not saying I’d say no to recruiting and/or drafting another midfield gun of course!

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Bit off topic but good to mention, my brother spent a bit of time in South America staying at the same places as Brad Sewell a few years back - backpackers and whatnot - said he was one of the best blokes you'd ever meet. Used to enjoy showing people the way his fingers bent at wrong angles, and how his ribs were messed up from various injuries. Just what you'd expect from a bloke who spent their career cracking in as hard as Sewell did.

One of my absolute all time favorites is Sewell. He cracked in as hard as anyone and made the absolute most out of every drop of talent he possessed

Thanks for the story, just imagining Brad backpacking through South America showing his messed up fingers to the locals has bought a smile to my face

 

[moginie]

Might be and is a seriously hot take but he'll be better than Sewell, natural talent wise to go with the body + no pre season he will imo, better kick, bigger kick, bigger body, better tackler and able to hurt blokes more. Needs to find the accumlation Sewell had (18 today is a good f*n effort) which comes with fitness, running to contests and linking up.

Just out of interest, how many games did you see Sewell play?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Just out of interest, how many games did you see Sewell play?

He was 10 when Sewell retired, so….

 

[moginie]

He was 10 when Sewell retired, so….

......hence my question.

 

[MrPremiership]

Loved seeing him back in the side.

Needs to find the balance between the tackling defensive stuff and getting more involved when the ball is in motion and that will get his disposal count up from low teens to low 20s

 

[TheFourPillars]

I cant wait for pre season

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[MrPremiership]

If the Rising Star nom doesn't go to Idun, then Duke should be a chance

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Just out of interest, how many games did you see Sewell play?

Fair amount, whys that.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

He was 10 when Sewell retired, so….

Age doesn't matter cause i've rewatched a fair amount of our games in the 2010s and 2000s + beyond that.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

If your reality comes to pass then we will be 8peating. Cousins a superstar, Finn a Hodge/Judd hybrid with a touch if JPK, The Duke better than Sewell. We are in for the most golden of eras.

You take my positives too literally, Cousins has some good aspects but his negatives atm outway them. Finn i've never mentioned with Hodge and he probably doesn't have the speed from contest that Judd had, JPK is probably his ceiling. (Bit more athletic in terms of speed and running).

 

[moginie]

Fair amount, whys that.

Because your hyperbole is remarkable.

So, which of Sewell's games did you watch? As between 2006 - 2012 he was the absolute bull.

 

[cryptor]

If the Rising Star nom doesn't go to Idun, then Duke should be a chance

Would be pretty silly for a kid to smash the 'tackles on debut' record with an amount that some other midfielders in the league haven't reached in half a seasons worth of games (seriously) and follow that up with another double digit effort and end the season without a nom.

He's got more tackles (not just as an average - total) than both Dangerfield and Martin and that's with both of them playing 2-3 times more games than him.

 

[lyger]

Not just a brute, got some finesse as well!
Can’t wait to 2022.