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

[threesixpio]

not only is your forum name cursed, but you married into an essendon family, i pity you

I am taking many for the team.

Clarko would be happy with how I play my role

 

[threesixpio]

Remember that scene in walking dead when carol asks the little blond girl to look at the flowers?....

Don’t watch it

My wife does though

 

[HedgeFund]

Worpel’s kicking is below average for AFL, but his ability to hit hard in contested situations is off the charts for a 20 year old.

He is the extractor who should be dishing to better players by foot until his gets his kicking up to AFL standard.

Every recruiter knew that in 2017. Hence he dropped to pick 53. He will be fine and will play 200+ games for us.

He will never be a Darren Jarman or a Darrin Pritchard, butnwe didn’t recruit him for that purpose.

 

[Zack]

Worpel’s kicking is below average for AFL

It's the one issue I have with ppl watching Worpel, Worpel is an above average passer to a leading forward by a long way.
When he gets the ball and smashes it 50 forward I really don't give a damn the result as he's been instructed to do it by the team/coaches, I have a bigger issue that our forwards are not playing in front.

I just went through the top 35 clanger machines currently in the AFL, almost everyone is a midfielder or ruckman. Dangerfield's about 3 possies behind Worpel. It's the way of the new 6/6/6 if your ruckman is short and rarely wins a centre bounce when you get it, bloody hoof it forward b4 someone gets you. On average half your kicks should be clangers and half not. Dangerfield, like say Cripps and Bont should be one of the few exceptions as they are big enough to break the tackle most times. BTW Bont is one less clanger than the worst 35 and Cripps is closer to Worpel, worse than Dangerfield. Worp's is a midget compared to them and he's approximatly .375 of a clanger per game worse.

I'll agree his kicking doesn't have penetration, but that not below average AFL, Judd for example hardly hit a target in his career over 30m and nobody cared. But could kick around 50m if the goals were in front of him.

 

[MrPremiership]

the knock on Worpel's kicking is overblown. It needs work but he's no Clangerfield.

 

[bris tarangau]

It's the one issue I have with ppl watching Worpel, Worpel is an above average passer to a leading forward by a long way.
When he gets the ball and smashes it 50 forward I really don't give a damn the result as he's been instructed to do it by the team/coaches, I have a bigger issue that our forwards are not playing in front.

I just went through the top 35 clanger machines currently in the AFL, almost everyone is a midfielder or ruckman. Dangerfield's about 3 possies behind Worpel. It's the way of the new 6/6/6 if your ruckman is short and rarely wins a centre bounce when you get it, bloody hoof it forward b4 someone gets you. On average half your kicks should be clangers and half not. Dangerfield, like say Cripps and Bont should be one of the few exceptions as they are big enough to break the tackle most times. BTW Bont is one less clanger than the worst 35 and Cripps is closer to Worpel, worse than Dangerfield. Worp's is a midget compared to them and he's approximatly .375 of a clanger per game worse.

I'll agree his kicking doesn't have penetration, but that not below average AFL, Judd for example hardly hit a target in his career over 30m and nobody cared. But could kick around 50m if the goals were in front of him.

Judd was not a footballer. Footballers are those that use the balls better by foot!

 

[KermitJagger]

Worpel’s kicking is below average for AFL, but his ability to hit hard in contested situations is off the charts for a 20 year old.

He is the extractor who should be dishing to better players by foot until his gets his kicking up to AFL standard.

Every recruiter knew that in 2017. Hence he dropped to pick 53. He will be fine and will play 200+ games for us.

He will never be a Darren Jarman or a Darrin Pritchard, butnwe didn’t recruit him for that purpose.

Not a fan of this type of comment because it's not strictly true. I crunched the numbers a few weeks ago in a previous thread.

Worpel at that point was 32nd in Turnovers Per Game this year - or, 1 every 5 possessions.

Dangerfield 1/4.3 poss
Bont 1/4.75 poss
Taranto 1/4.4 poss
Shuey 1/4 poss
Gaff 1/3.8 poss
Yeo 1/4.1 poss

Relative to the role he's playing, he was running at a similar if not better turnover rate than most other inside midfielders.

He's gone up the order in turnovers recently, which is understandable considering the fact that we have struggled. If you actually watch him use the ball when hitting up a leading player, he's a beautiful kick and he identifies those players well - but his turnover rate has suffered due to the style we're obviously being asked to play.

 

[threesixpio]

I think Worpel can occasionally do some pretty classy passing - and it pretty much always surprises me

 

[threesixpio]

And in front of the sticks he does well - as does Cousins

 

[moistie]

Be better than the present in laws

Bombers...

I feel your pain threesixpio, my entire in-law family is Essendon. They know to not invite me to games.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Argy]

Worpel’s kicking is below average for AFL, but his ability to hit hard in contested situations is off the charts for a 20 year old.

He is the extractor who should be dishing to better players by foot until his gets his kicking up to AFL standard.

Every recruiter knew that in 2017. Hence he dropped to pick 53. He will be fine and will play 200+ games for us.

He will never be a Darren Jarman or a Darrin Pritchard, butnwe didn’t recruit him for that purpose.

I view Worpel as more of a a Brad Sewel type than a Sammy Mitchell.

 

[Hawker55]

It's the one issue I have with ppl watching Worpel, Worpel is an above average passer to a leading forward by a long way.
When he gets the ball and smashes it 50 forward I really don't give a damn the result as he's been instructed to do it by the team/coaches, I have a bigger issue that our forwards are not playing in front.

I just went through the top 35 clanger machines currently in the AFL, almost everyone is a midfielder or ruckman. Dangerfield's about 3 possies behind Worpel. It's the way of the new 6/6/6 if your ruckman is short and rarely wins a centre bounce when you get it, bloody hoof it forward b4 someone gets you. On average half your kicks should be clangers and half not. Dangerfield, like say Cripps and Bont should be one of the few exceptions as they are big enough to break the tackle most times. BTW Bont is one less clanger than the worst 35 and Cripps is closer to Worpel, worse than Dangerfield. Worp's is a midget compared to them and he's approximatly .375 of a clanger per game worse.

I'll agree his kicking doesn't have penetration, but that not below average AFL, Judd for example hardly hit a target in his career over 30m and nobody cared. But could kick around 50m if the goals were in front of him.

Very good post. Sam Mitchell and Sewelly both used to have terrible kicking percentages when they played in and under as that's the role. But both were fine with field kicking generally.

If you watch Worpel most of the time he bangs it on the boot as soon as he gets it - obviously what he's supposed to be doing.

 

[seysearles]

 

[KermitJagger]

View attachment 675444

I'm very big on Hugh McCluggage, would love him at the hawks.

 

[Brishawk]

I'm very big on Hugh McCluggage, would love him at the hawks.

The kid is a star. Big fan also.

 

[tommyk72]

View attachment 675444

Silly question - what's the table of?

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Silly question - what's the table of?

I'm guessing the five highest rated players (according to AF points or similar) from each of the last draft years.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Very good post. Sam Mitchell and Sewelly both used to have terrible kicking percentages when they played in and under as that's the role. But both were fine with field kicking generally.

If you watch Worpel most of the time he bangs it on the boot as soon as he gets it - obviously what he's supposed to be doing.

I actually think that Worpedos biggest flaw with his disposal is that often he has more time than he thinks in general play and tends to rush his kicks due to perceived but not actual pressure from the opposition.
Given time and space he is actually a decent field kick, especially into the forward 50 to leading forwards.

 

[threesixpio]

I feel your pain threesixpio, my entire in-law family is Essendon. They know to not invite me to games.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

We need a support group Moistie

 

[TylerDurden]

He just shaved his head. Getting serious!

 

[Brishawk]

Very good post. Sam Mitchell and Sewelly both used to have terrible kicking percentages when they played in and under as that's the role. But both were fine with field kicking generally.

If you watch Worpel most of the time he bangs it on the boot as soon as he gets it - obviously what he's supposed to be doing.

Sewell was a terrible kick. I recall in about 2012 he accumulated about 50 inside 50s before he recorded a single goal assist!

 

[Brant]

I actually think that Worpedos biggest flaw with his disposal is that often he has more time than he thinks in general play and tends to rush his kicks due to perceived but not actual pressure from the opposition.
Given time and space he is actually a decent field kick, especially into the forward 50 to leading forwards.

I hate the 1m handball when he's breaking away from a pack/clearance.

I know it has become the trend: handball to a static guy & run past to break contact & if the static guy gets tackled well then he hasn't had 'prior opportunity' anyway... But, I notice Worpel's handballs are creating more trouble than they're worth & I'm constantly wishing he'd just back himself & break away using his natural attributes.

 

[jaitachi]

Yeah it’s so obvious, when he is rushed he sometimes passes the ball half a second before he gets tackled (I haven’t seen him break a tackle like dusty or Breust would) and results in bad kick or handball that results in a turnover or he puts his teammate under immense pressure by passing the footy to them when the opposition has a player right next to the guy and usually they get tackled, and he takes too long to dispose the ball, yeah u could excuse him if he was a beautiful kick like hodge/Mitchell but he’s not...I cringe a bit when he has the ball, espically when he is forced to have a contented possession, seems like hell either turn the ball over, or put his teammate in to extreme danger when he passes to them and I noticed he can’t pick up the ball very well, esp when he’s running, even franklin or roughy can/could pick up the ball easier on the run or bending over to pick it up and they got like 20cm in height over him? Usually the small guys pick up the ball easier no? Example , Cyril. Hope he improve, I really do, we need another good midfielder

 

[moistie]

We need a support group Moistie

Hi, my name's moistie. (Hi moistie) My wife's family support Essendon.

It's bloody hard when they discuss footy and you cannot think of one redeeming feature about their club. And they bought the lie about the drugs program but they know not to discuss it with me.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[threesixpio]

Hi, my name's moistie. (Hi moistie) My wife's family support Essendon.

It's bloody hard when they discuss footy and you cannot think of one redeeming feature about their club. And they bought the lie about the drugs program but they know not to discuss it with me.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

I’m giving you a group hug through the internet