Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Josh Ward. Extends to 2025!

[HawthornHawk]

Andy was only playing 50% game time in his first 2 seasons and was running with an opposition gun midfielder.

Freo had Fyfe, Neale and Mundy getting the bulk of the midfield numbers at that stage.

After Neale left, Brayshaw’s role became more like Ward’s is now.

50% game time sounds like a bit of a stretch mate.

None of this information disproved my point, I could just as easily point out the fact that Ward has had to play in an unfamiliar role and also had his face smashed in but has still managed to come back and have a significant impact at senior level.

He hasn't had to run with players yet because he's already capable of finding and using the pill himself.

 

[H00t]

50% game time sounds like a bit of a stretch mate.

None of this information disproved my point, I could just as easily point out the fact that Ward has had to play in an unfamiliar role and also had his face smashed in but has still managed to come back and have a significant impact at senior level.

He hasn't had to run with players yet because he's already capable of finding and using the pill himself.

Ward has been concussed but Andy was subjected to the worst onfield act since the Barry Hall punch and literally had his face smashed in. Especially when he was building momentum similar to Ward now.

 

[HedgeFund]

50% game time sounds like a bit of a stretch mate.

None of this information disproved my point, I could just as easily point out the fact that Ward has had to play in an unfamiliar role and also had his face smashed in but has still managed to come back and have a significant impact at senior level.

He hasn't had to run with players yet because he's already capable of finding and using the pill himself.

I coached him at TAC level and have followed his rise very closely. He was genuinely on/off 50% for his first 2 seasons.

He was clearly capable of finding it and using it just as well, if not better than Ward.

He simply had an apprenticeship under Neale / Fyfe / Mundy / S. Hill / B. Hill / Langdon / Walters being a much deeper, more experienced midfield than we have at the moment.

So Fremantle didn’t need to throw him or Cerra into the middle as much as we have had to with Ward.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I coached him at TAC level and have followed his rise very closely. He was genuinely on/off 50% for his first 2 seasons.

He was clearly capable of finding it and using it just as well, if not better than Ward.

He simply had an apprenticeship under Neale / Fyfe / Mundy / S. Hill / B. Hill / Langdon / Walters being a much deeper, more experienced midfield than we have at the moment.

So Fremantle didn’t need to throw him or Cerra into the middle as much as we have had to with Ward.

Funny thing is, it’s not really into the midfield group all the time for Ward lately. His best has come as a winger who’s at the contest and is getting a few CBAs because learning more parts of the game is more important and he didn’t have an impact as much earlier in the year when he had 20+ CBAs.

 

[Fleabane]

What a pick up for us.
This kid is going to be a ripper for us.

Really happy with Ward. Clever player and a natural leader (noticed he was confident enough to pull Sicily back from a confrontation a few weeks ago, lol)

 

[theiaofseed]

Andy was only playing 50% game time in his first 2 seasons and was running with an opposition gun midfielder.

Freo had Fyfe, Neale and Mundy getting the bulk of the midfield numbers at that stage.

After Neale left, Brayshaw’s role became more like Ward’s is now.

He averaged over 70% game time in his first 2 seasons, theyre not hard numbers to look up.

 

[Slainte]

Threaded the needle with a foot pass on one occasion. Very impressive.

 

[tommyk72]

Looking great. I hope he can continue on and skip the second year blues that plague so many young guns!

 

[KermitJagger]

I coached him at TAC level and have followed his rise very closely. He was genuinely on/off 50% for his first 2 seasons.

He was clearly capable of finding it and using it just as well, if not better than Ward.

He simply had an apprenticeship under Neale / Fyfe / Mundy / S. Hill / B. Hill / Langdon / Walters being a much deeper, more experienced midfield than we have at the moment.

So Fremantle didn’t need to throw him or Cerra into the middle as much as we have had to with Ward.

He has had one game of 50% game time or less in his entire career and that was when he got punched in the mouth by Gaff, otherwise he played roughly 70% game time.

 

[HawthornHawk]

I coached him at TAC level and have followed his rise very closely. He was genuinely on/off 50% for his first 2 seasons.

He was clearly capable of finding it and using it just as well, if not better than Ward.

He simply had an apprenticeship under Neale / Fyfe / Mundy / S. Hill / B. Hill / Langdon / Walters being a much deeper, more experienced midfield than we have at the moment.

So Fremantle didn’t need to throw him or Cerra into the middle as much as we have had to with Ward.

My point isn't to diminish Brayshaw's achievements, but rather pump up Ward's. I look at Brayshaw as the type of player Ward can become, and think he's made great progress already.

 

[HedgeFund]

My point isn't to diminish Brayshaw's achievements, but rather pump up Ward's. I look at Brayshaw as the type of player Ward can become, and think he's made great progress already.

My point is to suggest Wards start to his career compares favourably to Andy Brayshaw overlooks the reality of how Andy was utilised by Ross Lyon in his first 2 seasons. That’s the point I was making and we may well be at cross purposes.

Brayshaw played the role Finn is playing for us. It taught him the hardness and discipline required to be an elite 2 way midfielder. Ward isn’t being used that way - not because he didn’t need to be taught that or he was such a better ball user.

We can’t afford to give him such a role because our midfield is so shallow.

If he still develops into a Brayshaw clone in 3 years time I’ll be popping the champagne for sure.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

My point is to suggest Wards start to his career compares favourably to Andy Brayshaw overlooks the reality of how Andy was utilised by Ross Lyon in his first 2 seasons. That’s the point I was making and we may well be at cross purposes.

Brayshaw played the role Finn is playing for us. It taught him the hardness and discipline required to be an elite 2 way midfielder. Ward isn’t being used that way - not because he didn’t need to be taught that or he was such a better ball user.

We can’t afford to give him such a role because our midfield is so shallow.

If he still develops into a Brayshaw clone in 3 years time I’ll be popping the champagne for sure.

I don’t think Brayshaw compares to Wards ability with the ball, who I feel is a better decision maker and is a classier and better ball user. Tho early on.

Brayshaw is a genuine tough two way mid, Ward will want to develop his defensive game to get to the level of his two way ability while Ward again i feel has more tools offensively.

Compare Ward more to Walsh personally at this stage.

 

[daniel23]

Looking very good early and personally I think Marc Murphy is a perfect comparison. He isn't super physical In the contest and doesn't have elite speed, but will run all day and has very neat skills, very similar to Murphy who at one stage was a top 3 player in the comp.

 

[MrPremiership]

Got to giggle at earlier posts panicking we may have made an error taking him at 7

 

[KermitJagger]

Got to giggle at earlier posts panicking we may have made an error taking him at 7

We may be the worst fanbase in the league for being panic merchants when draftees aren't stars year 1, day 1.

 

[MrPremiership]

We may be the worst fanbase in the league for being panic merchants when draftees aren't stars year 1, day 1.

Similar panicked comments are now being made about DGB, when will people learn.

Some posters wanted Finn delisted earlier this year....

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Looking very good early and personally I think Marc Murphy is a perfect comparison. He isn't super physical In the contest and doesn't have elite speed, but will run all day and has very neat skills, very similar to Murphy who at one stage was a top 3 player in the comp.

I'd take a Marc Murphy clone for pick 7 every day if the week.

 

[cryptor]

Similar panicked comments are now being made about DGB, when will people learn.

Some posters wanted Finn delisted earlier this year....

There was a post late last year ahead of the trade period suggesting that we'd seen enough of Lewis and we should trade him for whatever we could get or delist.

So glad this board doesn't make list management decisions.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I'd take a Marc Murphy clone for pick 7 every day if the week.

Same.

Though I think Ward is more direct than Murphy, who was a bit of a twinkle toes mover. He was all class of course. But I think Ward is a very direct player and a harder runner, he will prove to be a better two way player than Murphy. Let's hope he can play with the same level of class though.

 

[Slysh]

To be fair to those that were panicking, how many players improve after 7 games? How many improve after the age of 18? How many players being played out of position take some time to adjust to that role?

Ward is clearly just an outlier and a rare case of not being a finished product after 6 games.

 

[Billyc]

Ward was considered at the time of the draft to be one of the safest picks in the pool and he's already shown why. His last month makes it hard to see him not being a good long-term player. He does all of the things a midfielder needs to do well and he's disciplined and of good character. The question is whether he becomes an elite player or just a very good one. That's a matter for development but I think we can be pretty comfortable we've done well with this pick (the entire 2021 draft haul for that matter).

 

[KermitJagger]

Ward was considered at the time of the draft to be one of the safest picks in the pool and he's already shown why. His last month makes it hard to see him not being a good long-term player. He does all of the things a midfielder needs to do well and he's disciplined and of good character. The question is whether he becomes an elite player or just a very good one. That's a matter for development but I think we can be pretty comfortable we've done well with this pick (the entire 2021 draft haul for that matter).

For mine he just seems quick with his decision making when he has the ball, he shepherds well, does little touch handballs where he doesn't take possession or does little 45 degree kicks to a player that others wouldn't see. I don't mind if he misses those now, just want him to keep taking them because he's seeing stuff out there that other midfielders on the team aren't and he's just going to get better at it.

The question of elite vs very good is a tough one, because barring a few outlier drafts you're lucky to get 3 elite players out of each one. Some have none. Brendan Goddard may be the only genuinely elite player from 2002, Mundy from 2003 but it took him 10 years to get there. It's seriously lucky to draft an elite player at all, so I'm happy with very good even with a pick that early.

 

[Lotus]

For mine he just seems quick with his decision making when he has the ball, he shepherds well, does little touch handballs where he doesn't take possession or does little 45 degree kicks to a player that others wouldn't see. I don't mind if he misses those now, just want him to keep taking them because he's seeing stuff out there that other midfielders on the team aren't and he's just going to get better at it.

The question of elite vs very good is a tough one, because barring a few outlier drafts you're lucky to get 3 elite players out of each one. Some have none. Brendan Goddard may be the only genuinely elite player from 2002, Mundy from 2003 but it took him 10 years to get there. It's seriously lucky to draft an elite player at all, so I'm happy with very good even with a pick that early.

Yes, he got the vision. He's not only deceiving the opposition players but also the crowds. How many time do you hear crowds gasping with his kick selection and the target option to start scoring chain.

That VFL game against Giants is so good. If he can kick beautifully in that condition he can play in any condition.

Looking forward for his career progression.

 

[Billyc]

For mine he just seems quick with his decision making when he has the ball, he shepherds well, does little touch handballs where he doesn't take possession or does little 45 degree kicks to a player that others wouldn't see. I don't mind if he misses those now, just want him to keep taking them because he's seeing stuff out there that other midfielders on the team aren't and he's just going to get better at it.

The question of elite vs very good is a tough one, because barring a few outlier drafts you're lucky to get 3 elite players out of each one. Some have none. Brendan Goddard may be the only genuinely elite player from 2002, Mundy from 2003 but it took him 10 years to get there. It's seriously lucky to draft an elite player at all, so I'm happy with very good even with a pick that early.

Agree. Bottom line is that nearly 1 season in, the only players drafted in 2021 (in any draft) that would be clearly ahead of Ward to date are Daicos and Newcombe. One wasn't available to us, and the other is his teammate. Ward would be on that next line with Rachelle, Hobbs, Gibcus as players who look very likely to be very good long term players. As it currently stands, we have 2 of the top 5 performed 2021 draftees. And McDonald would be in the top 10. Granted we are a rebuilding side and giving them opportunities, but nonetheless a very nice position to be in.

 

[hk89]

Similar panicked comments are now being made about DGB, when will people learn.

Some posters wanted Finn delisted earlier this year....

Others that frequently appeared on the deslist shortlist were Nash and Moore. Sometimes fans should just admit that it is hard to have a clue when you're not inside the club.