Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn, James Worpel, pick #43 2017 - Peter Crimmins medalist 2019

[Dewyyyyy]

It's a prediction at this point, but he hasn't come close to recapturing 2019 form in 2020 and 2021. Hopefully he can in 2022.

Backhalf of 2021 was pretty good, was kicking a goal and game and had mid 20s in terms of disposals and was good in terms of his clearance work. he's still young, plenty of development.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Backhalf of 2021 was pretty good, was kicking a goal and game and had mid 20s in terms of disposals and was good in terms of his clearance work. he's still young, plenty of development.

22 touches per game. But 7 goals in 8 games was very encouraging.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

22 touches per game. But 7 goals in 8 games was very encouraging.

he 2nd half of both 2020 and 2021 was very good

so we need to ask, why the slow starts?

 

[TheFourPillars]

he 2nd half of both 2020 and 2021 was very good

so we need to ask, why the slow starts?

No pre season but that is letting him off the hook

 

[CHUBBSS]

Have to say Worpel has been the ultimate professional from the moment he got to the club, another in for a big year and he looks in great condition.

I reckon he will be one that thrives under Sam and the new midfield setup.

 

[TylerDurden]

He looks in the shape of his life.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Page 1 of this thread is a riot.

A lot of you disappointed we passed on Joel Garner

27

Joel Garner

Age

24

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.0

3star

K

8.8

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.5

4star

T

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.0

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.5

4star

T

1.3

4star

.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

So.. how goods the Worpedo!

 

[Noel Gallagher]

Have to say Worpel has been the ultimate professional from the moment he got to the club, another in for a big year and he looks in great condition.

I reckon he will be one that thrives under Sam and the new midfield setup.

Agree, I have had some concerns with his form last 2 seasons but confident that he will go up another gear under Sam. Love the fact that Geelong passed on him twice in his draft year. He would have been the perfect replacement to Selwood but not to be..

 

[Mojo]

Agree, I have had some concerns with his form last 2 seasons but confident that he will go up another gear under Sam. Love the fact that Geelong passed on him twice in his draft year. He would have been the perfect replacement to Selwood but not to be..

He began to find some form in the second half of 2021, didn't he? That has me buoyed he'll find another gear this season.

 

[Brishawk]

He began to find some form in the second half of 2021, didn't he? That has me buoyed he'll find another gear this season.

I felt he developed a more complete game through the course of last season. But did his firm rise with the tide of the side’s improvement or was he partially responsible for the rising performance? Obviously hoping for the later and I’m confident he will show that in 2022.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Been watching a few of Hawthorn23 ’s highlight packages from our games in 2019, and Worpedo is such a big part of them. Some of his work in tight, his steps through traffic, goalkicking, etc looked like we’d really unearthed a genuine star.

There’s really no reason he can’t get back to being that player, particularly under Sam.

 

[burger09]

Been watching a few of Hawthorn23 ’s highlight packages from our games in 2019, and Worpedo is such a big part of them. Some of his work in tight, his steps through traffic, goalkicking, etc looked like we’d really unearthed a genuine star.

There’s really no reason he can’t get back to being that player, particularly under Sam.

Our midfield structures will be facinating viewing.

 

[H00t]

Our midfield structures will be facinating viewing.

Our midfield set up is surely in for a big change. Offensively and defensively we’ve struggled both in contested situations and open play.

With changing roles it should open up Worpel to get back to his best footy. Now that he will hopefully not be in a mainly defensive role.

 

[Pessimistic]

They looked pretty good last pre season though

 

[killerspud]

What I'd dearly love to see from Worps as well as Tom Mitchell and JOM is all our midfield kicking goals. Great midfields contribute on the scoreboard. The Dees final series last year - Gawn, Petracca, Oliver all hit the scoreboard. The Dusty led Tigers midfield. Sam Mitchell and Hodgey and Lewis used to regularly chime in

 

[Brishawk]

Our midfield set up is surely in for a big change. Offensively and defensively we’ve struggled both in contested situations and open play.

With changing roles it should open up Worpel to get back to his best footy. Now that he will hopefully not be in a mainly defensive role.

Being asked to be accountable doesn’t mean he was in a primarily defensive role. He struggled at the beginning of the year to know when to go or stay. It was easy in 2019 as he just got to go every time and to hell with the consequences. Can’t play like that unless you are a top mid on the comp. He will be a better player for the experience he got last year even if his role does change.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

our 3 big dog midfielders are so good individually, it's just never really clicked synergy-wise

it would be so good if it finally does

 

[H00t]

Being asked to be accountable doesn’t mean he was in a primarily defensive role. He struggled at the beginning of the year to know when to go or stay. It was easy in 2019 as he just got to go every time and to hell with the consequences. Can’t play like that unless you are a top mid on the comp. He will be a better player for the experience he got last year even if his role does change.

I definitely agree he will be much better for the experience learning to be more accountable.

But from what I witnessed he was given a more defensive role with how we set up before he went to tagging. By setting JOM up to be the one winning the clearance and Tom playing more of a receiving role, we got very little defensive pressure out of those two.

This set Worpel up to be a more defensive player but with his inexperience he wasn’t able to showcase his ability in this role and looked so indecisive. Hence he got moved to tagging.

To me, the defensive aspect is why Tom, JOM and Worps doesn’t work. Or Tom, JOM and Wings. There’s just not enough defensive positioning and preventing your direct opponent getting free which is why we often get exposed from such situations.

 

[Brishawk]

I definitely agree he will be much better for the experience learning to be more accountable.

But from what I witnessed he was given a more defensive role with how we set up before he went to tagging. By setting JOM up to be the one winning the clearance and Tom playing more of a receiving role, we got very little defensive pressure out of those two.

This set Worpel up to be a more defensive player but with his inexperience he wasn’t able to showcase his ability in this role and looked so indecisive. Hence he got moved to tagging.

To me, the defensive aspect is why Tom, JOM and Worps doesn’t work. Or Tom, JOM and Wings. There’s just not enough defensive positioning and preventing your direct opponent getting free which is why we often get exposed from such situations.

The biggest issue our midfield has had over the last few years is we over commit to the inside of the contest. This leads to one or more players on the ground frequently. Even if we win it, we are surrounded by opposition players but when they win it they are able to belt away from the stoppage and make us look slow. Having Newcombe and Nash in the side gave us a very different shape. Those two were able to knock opposition players over and keep their feet and draw the opposition to the inside leaving our players on the outside of the contest more often. We absolutely need that size on the inside so the likes of Worpel, Mitchell and omeara can play outside them and provide both defensive pressure and offensive threat.

 

[KermitJagger]

The biggest issue our midfield has had over the last few years is we over commit to the inside of the contest. This leads to one or more players on the ground frequently. Even if we win it, we are surrounded by opposition players but when they win it they are able to belt away from the stoppage and make us look slow. Having Newcombe and Nash in the side gave us a very different shape. Those two were able to knock opposition players over and keep their feet and draw the opposition to the inside leaving our players on the outside of the contest more often. We absolutely need that size on the inside so the likes of Worpel, Mitchell and omeara can play outside them and provide both defensive pressure and offensive threat.

Exactly what I think RE Nash and Newcombe, it really turned the tables. They were able to body opposition players off their feet and simultaneously keep the ball in front of them, both through sheer size and in Nash's case ability to trap the ball with his feet, with Newcombe's strength being intensity at the ball carrier allowing him to barrel them over or tackle them without having shot off a neat handball to the outside.

 

[grumbleguts]

He began to find some form in the second half of 2021, didn't he? That has me buoyed he'll find another gear this season.

The best thing about his late season resurgence is that it coincided with TMitch's rise in form. There was always that worry that when one was up the other, down.

 

[kirbatron]

i think they key is hitting the scoreboard more. Aim should be 15+ snags

 

[CHUBBSS]

Elite condition…

 

[tommyk72]

i think they key is hitting the scoreboard more. Aim should be 15+ snags

I’d prefer the aim to be 17 - cracking 100 points each week (with straighter kicking than 15.10!).