Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn - Mabior Chol

[Brant]

well apparently Hardwick is going to do a Hardwick role up forward. Maybe Gunston has been brought in to do a back-up Hardwick role?

I do like a Gandalf gif though

True... Gandalf.gif does trump all tactical reasoning when it comes to team selection!

 

[tommyk72]

I agree re: punctuation.

But I do think we need 3x Tall Forwards & have no problem playing the Fwd/Ruck out of the FP as the 3rd Tall.

The ultimate (of course) is to play dual-Fwd/Rucks in Chol + Ramma, chopping out Reeves at will. 3x Ruckman, each more dynamicly devastating than the last!!!

What would be amazing would be if both Chol and Ramma can genuinely earn their spots as forwards - and function well together in that forwardline.

God they would be bloody good "chop outs".

 

[FB19]

What would be amazing would be if both Chol and Ramma can genuinely earn their spots as forwards - and function well together in that forwardline.

God they would be bloody good "chop outs".

F#%k me that’s a frightening array of large hands!

 

[Slainte]

Give Calsher a couple of years and we could have our third tall. Looks like a smart and versatile player to me.

 

[peetoo]

The game v collingwood was Ryan Lewis and kosi. 3 tall talls went ok then. Still spread much better than Collingwood up the field

 

[mac11]

I agree re: punctuation.

But I do think we need 3x Tall Forwards & have no problem playing the Fwd/Ruck out of the FP as the 3rd Tall.

The ultimate (of course) is to play dual-Fwd/Rucks in Chol + Ramma, chopping out Reeves at will. 3x Ruckman, each more dynamicly devastating than the last!!!

Lewis, Chol and Rama are all pretty mobile too. Combined with our new array of quick/smart smalls and our forward line has huge potential. Really excited to see how it develops this year.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

HedgeFund I agree with all that you wrote. But there is more to it than Chol being the 3rd banana in a 2 pronged GC tall-fwd set up in 2023.

GC have known for some time that Walter is a talent and that he will be coming to them. For GC it has been about list management. With Jed Walter falling into their lap it makes sense to pair him with a person is in that later part of his career, specifically Casboult. Play Casboult for parts of the 2024 season and then Walter when the time suits. Casboult is the perfect list management pair for Walter.

Unlike Chol: at his age he should want to be AHEAD of the new guy (Walter) for the entire year. Chol has not fit into GC’s plans from the time they knew Walter was a talent and that he would be on their list in 2024.

From my POV: this situation is All Good as the Hawks have snagged Chol at a time when the Hawks greatly need his skill set.

This is a trade that suited both teams and Chol. In this trade everyone wins... IF Chol gets the best out of himself.

Chol now has everything in his favour. A team that needs him and a position in the team that is his to lose. It is now down to Chol to see if he can reach the potential that we all see in him.

If he gets the best out of himself, it will be brilliant to see him flourish!

GC played Jack Lukosiius at CHF last season. King and him pushed Chol out. Casboult was 3rd tall. Walter coming in was the icing on the cake for Chols exit

 

[number23]

GC played Jack Lukosiius at CHF last season. King and him pushed Chol out. Casboult was 3rd tall. Walter coming in was the icing on the cake for Chols exit

In any case, from what I have read, Chol is coming to the Hawks without a significant pay bump but with a longer contract if he performs. It's not a high risk proposition to fill a KPF role that we need.

 

[HoldingThe Ball]

Chol, if he plays all H & A games will be our highest goal-kicker in 2024.

Bookmark this guys and gals.


I reckon Sammy has got into his head, and Mabs now understands what he needs to do to be a genuine A grader.

Expecting 60+ from the big fella - I watched him a lot at GC - he's a genuine star who's ability has been masked by a bad attitude to hard work.

Different beast now is Mabior, fitter, hungrier and finally a team first player.

Sky is the limit for this guy.

 

[TassieGrown]

Who is our 3rd?

leaning Towards Gunna

 

[toomanysquibs]

leaning Towards Gunna

All this talk about a fit Gunston playing the Gunston role seems premature, we all know he’s yet to prove he can.

 

[Slainte]

All this talk about a fit Gunston playing the Gunston role seems premature, we all know he’s yet to prove he can.

To me, the starting point is that he can, not that he can't.

The reason I say that is because I doubt the club would have recruited him out of charity or so he could coach. They would have given careful consideration to what he could contribute on the field (aside from leadership and coaching) before committing to a contract. I think they believe that he has a couple of years of genuinely high quality football in him and that they are in a much better position to make that call than are we.

There are no certainties in footy and it might turn out to be the wrong decision. But I reckon starting with the assumption that it is wrong until proven otherwise defies common sense and presumes that the football department are incompetent or soft in the head.

 

[tl92]

To me, the starting point is that he can, not that he can't.

The reason I say that is because I doubt the club would have recruited him out of charity or so he could coach. They would have given careful consideration to what he could contribute on the field (aside from leadership and coaching) before committing to a contract. I think they believe that he has a couple of years of genuinely high quality football in him and that they are in a much better position to make that call than are we.

There are no certainties in footy and it might turn out to be the wrong decision. But I reckon starting with the assumption that it is wrong until proven otherwise defies common sense and presumes that the football department are incompetent or soft in the head.

Think it was a joke, because it’s literally Jack Gunston playing the Gunston role

 

[Slainte]

Think it was a joke, because it’s literally Jack Gunston playing the Gunston role

If that is a joke, my advice to TMS is, hang on to your day job, lad.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I watched him a lot at GC - he's a genuine star who's ability has been masked by a bad attitude to hard work.

Different beast now is Mabior, fitter, hungrier and finally a team first player.

Sky is the limit for this guy.

I am positive about what Chol can do for us, and I want to believe like you do, but what have you drawn this conclusion from considering we’ve not even had an intra club as yet?

 

[HoldingThe Ball]

I am positive about what Chol can do for us, and I want to believe like you do, but what have you drawn this conclusion from considering we’ve not even had an intra club as yet?

His general physical conditioning - his approach to training.

That tackle on MacKenzie was never seen at GCS or Richmond.

Most importantly, he seems like he is part of the team now - if you remember at Richmond he was pretty much bullied out of the club.

Plus I know someone he is fairly close to - and apparently he is the most excited and focussed in this pre-season he has ever been.

Great signs I think.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I'd rather we play a forward line of Chol, Lewis and a mix of four smalls - Breust, Wiz, Ginnivan, Moore and Hardwick (if that's what we are doing).

Hardwick was a leading forward as a junior. He's really strong on the lead and has good hands. The club has mentioned this as well, and mentioned that his kicking from outside 50 will be a feature.

I expect he will play that hard leading role and will hopefully prove to be a hard matchup. Opposition sides will likely need to put a 3rd tall on him, which he may be able to get away from.

Chol moves like a gazelle and Lewis is a work horse up and down the ground. Obviously marking is the concern if we just bomb it long, but if Chol/Lewis provide contests then we'll have the smalls to capitalise.

 

[Big Hotdog]

If that is a joke, my advice to TMS is, hang on to your day job, lad.

Tough crowd...

 

[cs61]

I'd rather we play a forward line of Chol, Lewis and a mix of four smalls - Breust, Wiz, Ginnivan, Moore and Hardwick (if that's what we are doing).

Hardwick was a leading forward as a junior. He's really strong on the lead and has good hands. The club has mentioned this as well, and mentioned that his kicking from outside 50 will be a feature.

I expect he will play that hard leading role and will hopefully prove to be a hard matchup. Opposition sides will likely need to put a 3rd tall on him, which he may be able to get away from.

Chol moves like a gazelle and Lewis is a work horse up and down the ground. Obviously marking is the concern if we just bomb it long, but if Chol/Lewis provide contests then we'll have the smalls to capitalise.

Also think we are keeping an eye on what to do post Breust, Gunston, and Wingard as well. Hardwick , Watson and Ginnivan are three who offer very different traits, and that also frees up Moore and MacDonald to play much higher rather than stay alone forwards. It is a little bit similar to how we moved Campbell Brown who was All Australian defender to the forward line later in his career, who put on great defensive pressure and had that physical presence, but also could play above his height in terms of marking ability and snare a few goals. His first goal in the 08 final was awesome.

 

[TylerDurden]

I'd rather we play a forward line of Chol, Lewis and a mix of four smalls - Breust, Wiz, Ginnivan, Moore and Hardwick (if that's what we are doing).

Hardwick was a leading forward as a junior. He's really strong on the lead and has good hands. The club has mentioned this as well, and mentioned that his kicking from outside 50 will be a feature.

I expect he will play that hard leading role and will hopefully prove to be a hard matchup. Opposition sides will likely need to put a 3rd tall on him, which he may be able to get away from.

Chol moves like a gazelle and Lewis is a work horse up and down the ground. Obviously marking is the concern if we just bomb it long, but if Chol/Lewis provide contests then we'll have the smalls to capitalise.

For this reason Gunston will cause headaches. He'll actually get a s**t defender and make him look silly. Picture him one-out with Heppell or McGrath in R1. Yes please.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

For this reason Gunston will cause headaches. He'll actually get a s**t defender and make him look silly. Picture him one-out with Heppell or McGrath in R1. Yes please.

If we play to his advantage he will beat them. I worry that his opponents will run off him every chance they get, but that just modern defending these days and we may be able to make that work in our favour. We just can't have a repeat of last year where Redman and co ran around doing whatever they wanted all game.

 

[burner1]

If Lewis is pushing up ground lots of pressure on Chol to compete hard on most forward 50 entries. Kosi had has issues but always contested and chased hard.

If we’re dominating through middle our forwards will look good. But unclear if we have enough guys who will compete and chase when it’s not going our way.

Will be lots of eyes on Chol when the real stuff starts.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

His general physical conditioning - his approach to training.

That tackle on MacKenzie was never seen at GCS or Richmond.

Most importantly, he seems like he is part of the team now - if you remember at Richmond he was pretty much bullied out of the club.

Plus I know someone he is fairly close to - and apparently he is the most excited and focussed in this pre-season he has ever been.

Great signs I think.

From what I have read he missed a lot of pre Xmas pre season due to a knee injury so what makes you so confident about his conditioning?

 

[Newmo89]

If we play to his advantage he will beat them. I worry that his opponents will run off him every chance they get, but that just modern defending these days and we may be able to make that work in our favour. We just can't have a repeat of last year where Redman and co ran around doing whatever they wanted all game.

Which is why Dimma playing as that 3rd tall at times could be a real winner. Great on the lead, has an excellent mark, excellent defensive pressure and hates losing. Heppell or McGrath line up on Dimma and we win that match up hands down. Still a lot to play out between now and round 1 with the intra club in a few weeks, followed by the Match simulation against the Bulldogs and then the pre season game against them.

 

[Brant]

I expect he will play that hard leading role and will hopefully prove to be a hard matchup. Opposition sides will likely need to put a 3rd tall on him, which he may be able to get away from.

On Hardwick...

Like the Jamie Elliott role?

*just wish he was a bit quicker & more agile. He's not going to provide nearly the defensive pressure that people are hoping for.