Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn pick 13: Will Day 2023 PCM!

[HAWKSBESTEVA]

IMO Day has the hugest ceiling out of anyone from that draft but the most talented is Rowell. Day could end up being anything.

Day just has all the tools to be one of the most impactful players in the afl. He reminds me heaps of Whitfield/pendles/bont.

 

[Dipper]

Talk on the telecast last night that those inside HFC already think this.

Yeah I think to paraphrase what was said, whichever commentator had been speaking to a highly esteemed Hawthorn insider this week who told him that 'Day is the most talented player on the Hawthorn list'.

So it's from the horse's mouth.

On moto g(7) using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Day just has all the tools to be one of the most impactful players in the afl. He reminds me heaps of Whitfield/pendles/bont.

I like the pendles and bont comparison.

Seems to have more time when ball in hand to calmly make the right option just like those two.

Also probably going to be a tallish midfielder down the track like those two as well.

 

[moginie]

You sir, appear to be an astute judge of young talent..

And has Ian Curtis as his avatar, which is a huge tick from me.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

 

[Holy Rioli]

Just had to bring this one up.

Kemp has played zero games.
Robertson 1.

Day came fifth in the rising star and has shown on the weekend he can be a genuine match saver and winner.

Rule here is no more judging draft picks the day of the draft.

Mate I'm happy to wear this one - I was 100% wrong and couldn't be more wrapped in young Will Day now.

 

[jameses]

I still don't understand why the majority on here was so pessimistic about the selection initially? Was it his slight frame, or something else? I didn't think he would make such a high level impact in such a short period of time, but I still thought the commentary on Hawthorn's 'wasted' pick was ridiculous on here.

 

[KermitJagger]

I reckon Anderson, Jackson and Serong still get picked ahead of him at the moment by many who aren't Hawks fans, but he's coming with a bullet.

Anderson and Serong, but are we talking Jackson that the dees drafted?

Not sure he deserves to be anywhere near that level.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I still don't understand why the majority on here was so pessimistic about the selection initially? Was it his slight frame, or something else? I didn't think he would make such a high level impact in such a short period of time, but I still thought the commentary on Hawthorn's 'wasted' pick was ridiculous on here.

I think when you don’t use a first round pick for a bull midfielder or exciting forward then you get natural disappointment for many. Happened for a few when using a high pick on DGB.

 

[Slysh]

I still don't understand why the majority on here was so pessimistic about the selection initially? Was it his slight frame, or something else? I didn't think he would make such a high level impact in such a short period of time, but I still thought the commentary on Hawthorn's 'wasted' pick was ridiculous on here.

I think it was the frame and also the fact up until a few weeks out i honestly think a lot had barely heard of him and also considered it a reach at that selection.

Just comes down to the fact a lot of people don't watch underage footy so they are basing everything off 1 paragraph summaries of players and 360p youtube highlights.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I still don't understand why the majority on here was so pessimistic about the selection initially? Was it his slight frame, or something else? I didn't think he would make such a high level impact in such a short period of time, but I still thought the commentary on Hawthorn's 'wasted' pick was ridiculous on here.

I didn’t get it either as it was clear from the small amounts of footage of him playing that he had class and a top shelf footy brain.

 

[cryptor]

I still don't understand why the majority on here was so pessimistic about the selection initially? Was it his slight frame, or something else? I didn't think he would make such a high level impact in such a short period of time, but I still thought the commentary on Hawthorn's 'wasted' pick was ridiculous on here.

People probably had flashbacks to Xavier Ellis. Highly talented but (ironically) couldn't put on weight and eventually just ended up spending a lot of time out injured and never lived up to the promise.

 

[Roddy]

I still don't understand why the majority on here was so pessimistic about the selection initially? Was it his slight frame, or something else? I didn't think he would make such a high level impact in such a short period of time, but I still thought the commentary on Hawthorn's 'wasted' pick was ridiculous on here.

Lots of people are just plain negative, lots of people just love to whinge, lots of people's default position is to hate and be critical.

 

[Milkshaker]

I still don't understand why the majority on here was so pessimistic about the selection initially? Was it his slight frame, or something else? I didn't think he would make such a high level impact in such a short period of time, but I still thought the commentary on Hawthorn's 'wasted' pick was ridiculous on here.

There was a bit more to it than that.

Clarko indicated he planned to finish top four and have a tilt. This was incongruous with picking a skinny kid who would (and they usually do) take time to develop. Many expected the club to take different path given the clubs high expectations and team deficiencies at the time (e.g. shallow one paced midfield)

No-one said he would never be a player. People thought he would take time. He has not which is awesome! The club made a great decision which is why all of us are on BF and they are not.

 

[tommyk72]

People probably had flashbacks to Xavier Ellis. Highly talented but (ironically) couldn't put on weight and eventually just ended up spending a lot of time out injured and never lived up to the promise.

I hope that this doesn't happen also to Rowell. It's bloody sad when promising kids don't get a good crack at it due to injury. At least X got his big day and a medal.

 

[wizzard400]

At the end of the day, none of us are scouts, list managers or footy managers. And while everyone's entitled to their opinion, there's a reason they're employed at the highest level to do what they do, and to be perfectly honest, our clubs recruiters have enough runs on the board for people to trust their judgement when it comes to draft picks.

 

[tommyk72]

At the end of the day, none of us are scouts, list managers or footy managers. And while everyone's entitled to their opinion, there's a reason they're employed at the highest level to do what they do, and to be perfectly honest, our clubs recruiters have enough runs on the board for people to trust their judgement when it comes to draft picks.

Agreed. But it’s also not like they also don’t make a hell of a lot of mistakes!

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Agreed. But it’s also not like they also don’t make a hell of a lot of mistakes!

Can't really agree with this.
Scouting and selection is only one peice of the puzzle to a player making it.

If that player doesn't want to rehab properly, listen to instructions or work hard enough on his weaknesses then that's not on the scouts or the people who call out his name on draft night.

 

[eldorado]

I would be happy if anyone who has ever put their hand up about being wrong about a player they really didn't know much about just stops to reflect that they were wrong the next time they are about to say exactly the same thing about the next player they don't know much about.

I mean, I know it's an 'opinion' world, and we all have the 'right' to one, which are all sacred, valid, and intellectual manna from heaven*,but what I really find unfathomable is how few people also claim the 'responsibility' to be well-informed, rational, and aware of the limits of their own perspective when they do so. It's a responsibility that accompanies the right.

Personally, I hate having to admit I'm wrong, I manage to avoid this most of the time by having a complete lack of certainty and faith in my own perspective when I am aware it is very limited, and just 'wait and see' what evolves, rather than try to predict the future, and then staunchly and irrationally defend my opinion as it was actually reality.

Maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon. I really need to farm for 'clicks', 'likes' and 'retweets'. Don't sit on the fence, man! Have a strong opinion! It's where it's at!!!

Self-righteous and sanctimoniously moralising and pompous tool, over and out.













*(not really manna from heaven...more like Satan's Turd Nuggets)

 

[theiaofseed]

No-one said he would never be a player. People thought he would take time. He has not which is awesome! The club made a great decision which is why all of us are on BF and they are not.

That's simply not true.

 

[tommyk72]

Can't really agree with this.
Scouting and selection is only one peice of the puzzle to a player making it.

If that player doesn't want to rehab properly, listen to instructions or work hard enough on his weaknesses then that's not on the scouts or the people who call out his name on draft night.

Isn't it though? Surely we do psychological assessments, look at players' backgrounds, pathways, ability to overcome challenges, perseverance, etc. There's such a focus these days on socio-emotional education/health that it would be negligent if our scouts/recruiters weren't assessing these factors.

There's obviously grey areas in both talent and psychological assessment, but if good practice assessments of BOTH of these things don't occur and impact drafting then we don't have the right systems in place.

 

[Brishawk]

Isn't it though? Surely we do psychological assessments, look at players' backgrounds, pathways, ability to overcome challenges, perseverance, etc. There's such a focus these days on socio-emotional education/health that it would be negligent if our scouts/recruiters weren't assessing these factors.

There's obviously grey areas in both talent and psychological assessment, but if good practice assessments of BOTH of these things don't occur and impact drafting then we don't have the right systems in place.

After the top 5, clubs land players that reach 200 games a very low proportion of the time. There is no evidence that any club has sustainable player identification advantages. Essentially, it is a crap shoot that talent identification and psychological assessment aim to provide a small but significant improvement over gut feel

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I will always put my hand up.

In Day's case I was won over very quickly - just by watching his highlights. I felt that based on the highlights you could tell that he was a class act. By the time he played I was already on the hype train.

I did however want us to select Kemp with our pick, as he sounded like the ideal player that we needed. It wasn't a matter of Day needing time to develop given Kemp was recovering from an ACL injury, so waiting wasn't an issue.

But as eldorado has pointed out, it was more about not actually knowing anything about him at the time I initially had my reservations.

 

[The Chad and I]

I didn’t get it either as it was clear from the small amounts of footage of him playing that he had class and a top shelf footy brain.

It took me a second viewing.
At first I was underwhelmed to be targeting a skinny guy with no obvious elite qualities.
Then I watched the clip again and noticed that he used the ball exceptionally every single time!
Always created space and put the ball to advantage, no matter the circumstances.
I changed my mind in a flash.

 

[VandoHawk]

I will always put my hand up.

In Day's case I was won over very quickly - just by watching his highlights. I felt that based on the highlights you could tell that he was a class act. By the time he played I was already on the hype train.

I did however want us to select Kemp with our pick, as he sounded like the ideal player that we needed. It wasn't a matter of Day needing time to develop given Kemp was recovering from an ACL injury, so waiting wasn't an issue.

But as eldorado has pointed out, it was more about not actually knowing anything about him at the time I initially had my reservations.

I was in the same boat. Fell in love with Kemp and was convinced he'd be a top 5 pick before he did the ACL. Was gutted when we passed on him for a skinny halfback who had basically no fanfare before draft day. But Will Day has proven himself a completely different beast and I'll happily wear the egg on my face.

That being said I wouldn't complain if we tried to trade for Kemp - those irrational attachments stick around.