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

The only weakness in his game as a midfielder is he doesn’t kick goals. If Ward can start adding that to his game he has the capacity to go to another level.
 
The only weakness in his game as a midfielder is he doesn’t kick goals. If Ward can start adding that to his game he has the capacity to go to another level.
Jesus, that's harsh. He has played 11 games FFS and he has one goal and 3 goal assists. Tom Mitchell has only kicked 3 goals this season in 18 games.
 

Dewyyyyy

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Jesus, that's harsh. He has played 11 games FFS and he has one goal and 3 goal assists. Tom Mitchell has only kicked 3 goals this season in 18 games.
it’s harsh yes but btw Titch has kicked 5 goals from 18 games but also averages 0.4 behinds (0.3 goals) which is 0.9 shots per game.

Ward is at 1 goal for the year 0.1 average goals and behinds and 0.3 shots on goal per game.

Again it is harsh however.
 

Turly

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it’s harsh yes but btw Titch has kicked 5 goals from 18 games but also averages 0.4 behinds (0.3 goals) which is 0.9 shots per game.

Ward is at 1 goal for the year 0.1 average goals and behinds and 0.3 shots on goal per game.

Again it is harsh however.
Yeah that's not compelling at all. 5 goals and hasn't been playing full time mid.

How many games has Ward played? BTW I am agreeing with you, somewhat.
 
it’s harsh yes but btw Titch has kicked 5 goals from 18 games but also averages 0.4 behinds (0.3 goals) which is 0.9 shots per game.

Ward is at 1 goal for the year 0.1 average goals and behinds and 0.3 shots on goal per game.

Again it is harsh however.
Interesting that you chose to read the post as an attack on Tom Mitchell and saw fit to make corrections. FMD.
 
It's not harsh, it's just an observation.
Come on, mate. You said "The only weakness in his game as a midfielder is he doesn’t kick goals."
How can you make such a call after 11 games? And, if we want to be pedantic, he has kicked one, so you are in error.
 
It's true though. Goal kicking mids are worth their weight in gold.
It's probably for the best that he currently isn't then. If Josh Ward was to become one then at his listed weight of 77kg and the current price of gold bullion at AU$94.57/g he would be worth $7.28M. That would totally blow our cap!

Best we sign him up long term now at a more reasonable contract price while he's not a goal kicking mid and then reap the value when he does start kicking them.
 
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Dewyyyyy

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Yeah that's not compelling at all. 5 goals and hasn't been playing full time mid.

How many games has Ward played? BTW I am agreeing with you, somewhat.
Wards played 11 I think. And no it wasn’t I was just correcting because a shot on goal a game vs 0.3 is a big enough difference especially considering Mitchell isn’t a goal kicking mid himself.
 

Dewyyyyy

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Interesting that you chose to read the post as an attack on Tom Mitchell and saw fit to make corrections. FMD.
I read it as both, Mitchell isn’t a goal kicking midfielder however a shot on goal per game in comparison to 0.3 is a decent gap, however it is Harsh seeing as Wards played what. 11 games?
 
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I read it as both, Mitchell isn’t a goal kicking midfielder however a shot on goal per game in comparison to 0.3 is a decent gap, however it is Harsh seeing as Wards played what. 11 games?
Tom Mitchell is averaging 0.7 scoring shots to Ward’s 0.2.

Honestly I don’t understand the fuss around goal kicking mids as much. If a player is getting the ball forward and setting up goals from the middle it’s just as valuable if not more valuable than kicking them.

What is promising it’s Ward’s contested game is improving from earlier in the year. He still as a way to go but making promising strides. Like a few of our younger mids have.
 

Dewyyyyy

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Tom Mitchell is averaging 0.7 scoring shots to Ward’s 0.2.

Honestly I don’t understand the fuss around goal kicking mids as much. If a player is getting the ball forward and setting up goals from the middle it’s just as valuable if not more valuable than kicking them.

What is promising it’s Ward’s contested game is improving from earlier in the year. He still as a way to go but making promising strides. Like a few of our younger mids have.
You’re not taking into account on the fulls or shots that didn’t make the distance for score. 0.9 and 0.3 are the numbers 🫡

Yeah I think you can compare Ward if he doesn’t have a massive impact as a goal kicker to someone like Jack Macrae who is usually the one who sets them up. Depends how his career progresses.
 
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You’re not taking into account on the fulls or shots that didn’t make the distance for score. 0.9 and 0.3 are the numbers 🫡

Yeah I think you can compare Ward if he doesn’t have a massive impact as a goal kicker to someone like Jack Macrae who is usually the one who sets them up. Depends how his career progresses.
That’s why I said scoring shots. Out on the fulls and kicks falling short aren’t a positive.

Will be interesting to see how Ward’s kicking develops, he gets into the right positions to set up the play. It’s now just about him executing.
 

Dewyyyyy

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That’s why I said scoring shots. Out on the fulls and kicks falling short aren’t a positive.

Will be interesting to see how Ward’s kicking develops, he gets into the right positions to set up the play. It’s now just about him executing.
They’re still shots on goal.

I don’t think kicking will ever be an issue and what we see now is the genuine bottom of it, he’ll start to show how good a kick he is when he grows his confidence at the level. His ability with the pill is very good just need to unlock it.
 
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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.
I largely agree with this, except I rank McDonald equal to or maybe even just slightly ahead of Ward at this point. I might be on my own here but that's how I see it, although Ward is closing the gap week by week.
 

Dewyyyyy

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I largely agree with this, except I rank McDonald equal to or maybe even just slightly ahead of Ward at this point. I might be on my own here but that's how I see it, although Ward is closing the gap week by week.
Think Ward is slightly ahead but MacDonald is in the same tier and that’s the one just behind Daicos and Newcombe.

Which just shows how good and consistent he’s been, so talented and the fact he was a 2nd rounder 👐
 
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They’re still shots on goal.

I don’t think kicking will ever be an issue and what we see now is the genuine bottom of it, he’ll start to show how good a kick he is when he grows his confidence at the level. His ability with the pill is very good just need to unlock it.
I think it just stems from my pet peeve of professional players overestimating how far they can kick the ball and having their shots fall just short rather than taking a different option.

If you don’t score with it, it probably wasn’t the right option. Or was a terrible kick.

I agree that Wards ball use will only go up from here. How far it improves is anyones guess.
 
I largely agree with this, except I rank McDonald equal to or maybe even just slightly ahead of Ward at this point. I might be on my own here but that's how I see it, although Ward is closing the gap week by week.
McDonald had a bit more impact initially I feel, now Ward is back in and at the speed of the game he's edged ahead. They're both playing really good football for 1st year players though, and you add Butler to that we've got 3 kids who can take the step up in level from the 1 draft.
 
It's true though. Goal kicking mids are worth their weight in gold.
I'm with arupist on this one, it's still a weird critique, given he's played 11 games, is in his first and playing exclusively through the middle. Sure, it'd be great if he did kick a few, but it's unlikely to be one of his directives and no-one is going to look back at his season and go "He's been great but I really wished he kicked a few more snags!".
 

Dewyyyyy

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I think it just stems from my pet peeve of professional players overestimating how far they can kick the ball and having their shots fall just short rather than taking a different option.

If you don’t score with it, it probably wasn’t the right option. Or was a terrible kick.

I agree that Wards ball use will only go up from here. How far it improves is anyones guess.
Yeah that’s fair enough.

And yeah I do think you can see genuine talent with his kicking, pretty good non preferred, his ability with his decision making is ridiculous with and without the ball, he sees kicks most don’t. He can weight kicks and pick gaps which is a genuinely unteachable talent.
 
I'm with arupist on this one, it's still a weird critique, given he's played 11 games, is in his first and playing exclusively through the middle. Sure, it'd be great if he did kick a few, but it's unlikely to be one of his directives and no-one is going to look back at his season and go "He's been great but I really wished he kicked a few more snags!".
It's a weird critique for Ward to judge him on goals right now, sure.
 
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