Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Ned Long Pick 5, 2021 Rookie Draft

[CD Xbow]

With his all round game, bigger physique, decent to good hands in marking contests, forward nous, nice skills and balance, great tank for some repeat efforts, I'm going with a throwback Hawk for possible comparison.
We had a fella by the name of Russell Morris back in the 80's who coulda been anything his star shone so bright early in his career. Good size, could really get on the gallop leading up out of the forward line or run through the middle/wings, very nice mark, could slot a goal.......we had a star in the making.
He got taken out behind play one day by a scray's man called Jimmy Edmonds, broke his jaw from memory, and from that day on ole Russell could never quite find the groove again. His confidence was shattered near as bad as his face and he never loved standing under the high ball again or he'd run himself out of the marking contest.

I could really see Ned, if he tracks right and plays with undiluted confidence, maybe finding a similar role up forward for us.
Not KPP, not medium or small forward, just that tweener size who can do everything including tackle and go all day. Hird Lite-Lite if you like.

Anyways, really pulling for the kid.
Lets go.

Agree. Russel Morris was never the real thing after he broke his jaw.

 

[grumbleguts]

Watching him beat up a very very average Gippsland Power team doesn't fill me with confidence.

Welcome aboard Ned

You really felt the need to post this didn't you. Says so much about you in so few words.

 

[LukeHodge15]

You really felt the need to post this didn't you. Says so much about you in so few words.

Hahaha.
I like to keep things slightly real.

Love the fact we rolled through dice on young kid as a rookie. Wish we had of cut deeper into the list if I'm honest.

Hope he turns onto Paddy Cripps V2 but I just don't see it in the games and footage I've seen.

Long has some big weaknesses in his game to make it AFL level Is the realisation that many on here are blindly ignoring or blindly cant see.

 

[flinchfree]

Geoff Ablett was racehorse

Ah yes!
The Ablett and Chappelli brothers, pure athletic dna gold running though those veins.
Has there ever been as good a set of brothers - incredibly TRIOS - as those two in sports?
Krakouer bros maybe?

 

[KermitJagger]

Hahaha.
I like to keep things slightly real.

Love the fact we rolled through dice on young kid as a rookie. Wish we had of cut deeper into the list if I'm honest.

Hope he turns onto Paddy Cripps V2 but I just don't see it in the games and footage I've seen.

Long has some big weaknesses in his game to make it AFL level Is the realisation that many on here are blindly ignoring or blindly cant see.

He's a rookie pick, people can be excited about the prospect of him without it meaning that they believe he'll be Cripps V2 or whatever else.

If people are making comparisons to great players it's about qualities or skills that he has which are also present in another player, it's not a prediction that they'll definitely be as good as another player.

I guess most on this board don't get the sense of superiority you do from being dismissive about anyone who dares to see the potential in a player. They prefer to see what could be instead of being a professional parade-rainer.

 

[Blackhawk42]

He's a rookie pick, people can be excited about the prospect of him without it meaning that they believe he'll be Cripps V2 or whatever else.

If people are making comparisons to great players it's about qualities or skills that he has which are also present in another player, it's not a prediction that they'll definitely be as good as another player.

I guess most on this board don't get the sense of superiority you do from being dismissive about anyone who dares to see the potential in a player. They prefer to see what could be instead of being a professional parade-rainer.

Nailed it.

I mentioned Patty Cripps but it's only because of the genetic similarities. It will be up to Ned and our development coaches to do their best to iron out his deficiencies and accentuate his strengths. On a realistic level we should be hoping for an output somewhere between Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Kyle Langford if Ned can force his way into our best 22 during his career. Anything more than that is an absolute bonus.

Good luck to the kid. I'm very happy to have him on board.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Hahaha.
I like to keep things slightly real.

Love the fact we rolled through dice on young kid as a rookie. Wish we had of cut deeper into the list if I'm honest.

Hope he turns onto Paddy Cripps V2 but I just don't see it in the games and footage I've seen.

Long has some big weaknesses in his game to make it AFL level Is the realisation that many on here are blindly ignoring or blindly cant see.

Heaven forbid you offer an opinion based on what you saw about a football player. Condescending personal attacks are fine of course, but opinions or observations regarding football players... How very dare you.

 

[KermitJagger]

Heaven forbid you offer an opinion based on what you saw about a football player. Condescending personal attacks are fine of course, but opinions or observations regarding football players... How very dare you.

You can't frame it as an opinion when the whole intention of the post was to dismiss the opinion of everyone else.

 

[tl92]

With his all round game, bigger physique, decent to good hands in marking contests, forward nous, nice skills and balance, great tank for some repeat efforts, I'm going with a throwback Hawk for possible comparison.
We had a fella by the name of Russell Morris back in the 80's who coulda been anything his star shone so bright early in his career. Good size, could really get on the gallop leading up out of the forward line or run through the middle/wings, very nice mark, could slot a goal.......we had a star in the making.
He got taken out behind play one day by a scray's man called Jimmy Edmonds, broke his jaw from memory, and from that day on ole Russell could never quite find the groove again. His confidence was shattered near as bad as his face and he never loved standing under the high ball again or he'd run himself out of the marking contest.

I could really see Ned, if he tracks right and plays with undiluted confidence, maybe finding a similar role up forward for us.
Not KPP, not medium or small forward, just that tweener size who can do everything including tackle and go all day. Hird Lite-Lite if you like.

Anyways, really pulling for the kid.
Lets go.

The Fly!

 

[Lethality]

Not a lot of confidence in this one, but it's worth a shot with that frame, endurance and goal sense.

 

[tommyk72]

Question for those who know more than I about player development. We know it normally takes the tall players a little longer to find their groove. Has experience taught us that this also includes tall midfielders, or is it more just the KPP players?

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

You can't frame it as an opinion when the whole intention of the post was to dismiss the opinion of everyone else.

Haha how do you know that?!

If you dont like dissenting opinions, just put them on ignore.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

You can't frame it as an opinion when the whole intention of the post was to dismiss the opinion of everyone else.

"Watching him beat up a very very average Gippsland Power team doesn't fill me with confidence."

Where exactly is the intention to dismiss the opinions of everyone else? It's a stand alone post, that's clearly his opinion.

 

[eldorado]

I shall dub him "Lunk"

 

[Brant]

"Watching him beat up a very very average Gippsland Power team doesn't fill me with confidence."

Where exactly is the intention to dismiss the opinions of everyone else? It's a stand alone post, that's clearly his opinion.

You're fighting the same fight, I think

 

[Hawkboy62]

Welcome to Hawthorn Ned. It's good to have a strong injection of youth, without having to go to the reject bin for back ups, like many clubs.

The new season always throws up a few wildcards. Who'd have predicted the 2021 seasons of Bramble, CJ, Koschitzke, Nash and Newcombe? Sam was instrumental in all of their development, and in the case of Kossie and Nash a change of roles. Maybe form or injuries will enable Ned to show his wares later next year.

We are well stocked in the back line so if the midfield can replicate it's post bye form we can easily outperform predictions.

 

[James Colorado]

Question for those who know more than I about player development. We know it normally takes the tall players a little longer to find their groove. Has experience taught us that this also includes tall midfielders, or is it more just the KPP players?

I have no idea, but that is a very good question. The one that springs to mind is, well, Patrick Cripps, who was a gun early on, but don't know of many others (for us, Nash only really hit his straps this year, but it took Mitch to identify his best role at BH so he was wasted as a forward for a few years).

I'm not gonna compare Ned to Cripps at this stage, but if he turns out like that...

Patrick Cripps makes me sad. Absolute superstar wasted at that rabble. If he played at a decent club his career would be extended by a few years.

 

[MrPremiership]

Welcome Ned

 

[MrPremiership]

Did we not? I remember us picking up a bloke who won a VFL and an AFL premiership in the space of a week. Name another club who's done that!

Marlion Pickett

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Marlion Pickett

12 years before Pickett, Steven King.

 

[PT Bar None]

194cm midfielder. Taller than Don Scott and Sam Newman. My the game has evolved.

Hope he goes well. I do like a midfielder who can find the goals on the reg. I feel like we had a weakness there the last few seasons.

Welcome

 

[cryptor]

Wow - definitely gone for running power this draft. Three of the top five* (including ties) in the time trial on the list now.

Butler and Serong 17th and 18th overall also. Not too shabby.

 

[cryptor]

Question for those who know more than I about player development. We know it normally takes the tall players a little longer to find their groove. Has experience taught us that this also includes tall midfielders, or is it more just the KPP players?

I don't think the club has drafted a midfielder this tall before. Closest would probably be Nash, but he wasn't specifically recruited as a midfielder.

Would need to look to other clubs for those answers. Even then there's so many unknowns. But I would say that the fact he's already listed over 90kg while still being one of the better testing athletes at the combine is a really good sign. If he's anywhere close to ready he should pretty quickly start dominating at Box Hill and from there I suspect we'd be looking to get him into the seniors ASAP given we lack his type. Nash being more of the defensive support type of tall mid while Long looks to be the traditional accumulating, ball winner type.

 

[CHUBBSS]

I don't think the club has drafted a midfielder this tall before. Closest would probably be Nash, but he wasn't specifically recruited as a midfielder.

Would need to look to other clubs for those answers. Even then there's so many unknowns. But I would say that the fact he's already listed over 90kg while still being one of the better testing athletes at the combine is a really good sign. If he's anywhere close to ready he should pretty quickly start dominating at Box Hill and from there I suspect we'd be looking to get him into the seniors ASAP given we lack his type. Nash being more of the defensive support type of tall mid while Long looks to be the traditional accumulating, ball winner type.

Imagine having nash and long rock up to the midfield and your playing on them thinking wtf

 

[cryptor]

Imagine having nash and long rock up to the midfield and your playing on them thinking wtf

I'd still be more worried about being crunched by Duke...