Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Pick 18, Josh Weddle - Round 10, Rising Star!

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sam says Blicavs…

 

[burner1]

I loved how he steadied after being caught holding the ball.

The whole last quarter he seemed to be playing without pressure or panic or fear. Was grabbing everything. I dunno, I just get the sense that something clicked with him.

He came good when game was largely over. Think it’s happened a few times - a watch for me.

Recall the port game last year - he had one of the worst quarters of footy you’d see and port smashed us. Then when pressure off he came alive and played a good 2nd half of footy.

 

[TheFourPillars]

He came good when game was largely over. Think it’s happened a few times - a watch for me.

Recall the port game last year - he had one of the worst quarters of footy you’d see and port smashed us. Then when pressure off he came alive and played a good 2nd half of footy.

Its actually not a negative because players have a natural tendency to go into their shell after having a bad qtr or two. For him to have the resilience and courage to fight on after that is a great thing. He didn't give up kept trying and turned it around. Its so easy to think to yourself that its just a bad day.

 

[TheFourPillars]

barbster interested to know why u laughed. Is anything I said funny or misrepresented?

 

[cryptor]

He came good when game was largely over. Think it’s happened a few times - a watch for me.

Recall the port game last year - he had one of the worst quarters of footy you’d see and port smashed us. Then when pressure off he came alive and played a good 2nd half of footy.

The strength of his running power and endurance comes to the surface more as the game wears on and others tire. I think it makes perfect sense that we'll often see his best and him standing out later in games because of this.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Recall the port game last year - he had one of the worst quarters of footy you’d see and port smashed us. Then when pressure off he came alive and played a good 2nd half of footy.

You mean the one where his opponent was allowed to shove him right in the middle of his back as he was taking off to mark, which resulted in said opponent's first goal?

Which was followed by other similar nonsense umpiring, and some more cheap goals with Weddle being shafted again.

He was hardly the worst guy on the ground in the first half even accounting for this.

Not sure what you were watching, I guess only the guy kicking the soft goals.

 

[The hands of stone]

Some its bizarre reading tbh . I get this board is generally super negative on any player but particular young players we have .

17 other clubs would throw a top 10-12 pick at us for him.
He isnt 20 yet and has played less then 20 games.

Yes he has a flaw or two but thank goodness we got this guy because he will be winning us games over the next 10 years or so .

But lets pick at a bad 1/4 or so ...

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Some its bizarre reading tbh . I get this board is generally super negative on any player but particular young players we have .

17 other clubs would throw a top 10-12 pick at us for him.
He isnt 20 yet and has played less then 20 games.

Yes he has a flaw or two but thank goodness we got this guy because he will be winning us games over the next 10 years or so .

But lets pick at a bad 1/4 or so ...

Agree, I read all the praise for Blakey from Swans his first year, so set about watching them play in a neutral game - thought he was trash, unaccountable, soft and just run and dump kicked long, turning as many over as he found a team-mate. I didn't see anything other than raw pace - not a footballers' behind. Saw him play again later the same year against us and he tore us to ribbons, we simply had no-one to go with him defensively. It didn't matter he was soft and not manning up - he was a weapon behind the ball we could not counter.

Weddle (and CJ and Seamus too) are best running long straight(er) lines from HBF - using their pace to generate overlap by hand as they don't seem to have the nous to play ahead of the ball with their backs to goal. Working with others to create an overlap, rather than relying on kicking skills in traffic (eg Amon, d'Ambrosio, McKenzie), or long powerful kicks (Sicily, Hardwick) to clear the first offensive rebound line.

 

[peetoo]

Agree, I read all the praise for Blakey from Swans his first year, so set about watching them play in a neutral game - thought he was trash, unaccountable, soft and just run and dump kicked long, turning as many over as he found a team-mate. I didn't see anything other than raw pace - not a footballers' behind. Saw him play again later the same year against us and he tore us to ribbons, we simply had no-one to go with him defensively. It didn't matter he was soft and not manning up - he was a weapon behind the ball we could not counter.

Weddle (and CJ and Seamus too) are best running long straight(er) lines from HBF - using their pace to generate overlap by hand as they don't seem to have the nous to play ahead of the ball with their backs to goal. Working with others to create an overlap, rather than relying on kicking skills in traffic (eg Amon, d'Ambrosio, McKenzie), or long powerful kicks (Sicily, Hardwick) to clear the first offensive rebound line.

When do we get the 3 on the ground together?

 

[Billyc]

A valid concern a lot of people have is that despite years near the bottom and some good young players, we might not have the budding superstars that other sides have. Weddle has very high potential. Doesn’t mean he reaches those great heights but he’s an exciting work in progress because his attributes cannot be developed or taught. I like him further afield

 

[Leather Poisoning]

A valid concern a lot of people have is that despite years near the bottom and some good young players, we might not have the budding superstars that other sides have. Weddle has very high potential. Doesn’t mean he reaches those great heights but he’s an exciting work in progress because his attributes cannot be developed or taught. I like him further afield

Yeh it's funny - there's just no real excitment about him.
Everyone gets all revved up when he goes for a run but that's about it. (Don't get me started on Gerard Healy saying 'weddle waddle' and thinking its comedy gold).
It's his pack marking and aerial work thats the real gaem changer. And he uses the ball well. Modern prototype footballer. He's awesome.

 

[Walshawk]

Yeh it's funny - there's just no real excitment about him.
Everyone gets all revved up when he goes for a run but that's about it. (Don't get me started on Gerard Healy saying 'weddle waddle' and thinking its comedy gold).
It's his pack marking and aerial work thats the real gaem changer. And he uses the ball well. Modern prototype footballer. He's awesome.

Agree. He is quick for his size, but not lightning fast like Saad, Blakey, CJ. His marking is what we need forward of centre.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Some its bizarre reading tbh . I get this board is generally super negative on any player but particular young players we have .

17 other clubs would throw a top 10-12 pick at us for him.
He isnt 20 yet and has played less then 20 games.

Yes he has a flaw or two but thank goodness we got this guy because he will be winning us games over the next 10 years or so .

But lets pick at a bad 1/4 or so ...

I'd tell the other clubs to go take a long walk of a short pier if they only offered us pick 10-12 for Weddle.

He's tracking like a top 5 pick.

Could be a top ten player in the leauge by the time he is 23 - 25.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Yeh it's funny - there's just no real excitment about him.
Everyone gets all revved up when he goes for a run but that's about it. (Don't get me started on Gerard Healy saying 'weddle waddle' and thinking its comedy gold).
It's his pack marking and aerial work thats the real gaem changer. And he uses the ball well. Modern prototype footballer. He's awesome.

We are just not a very exciting team at the moment.

If/when we are a finals team pushing for a top four place I am willing to bet that the talking heads would be waxing lyrical about guys like Weddle, Watson, Day, Sicily and Newcombe.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Yeh it's funny - there's just no real excitment about him.
Everyone gets all revved up when he goes for a run but that's about it. (Don't get me started on Gerard Healy saying 'weddle waddle' and thinking its comedy gold).
It's his pack marking and aerial work thats the real gaem changer. And he uses the ball well. Modern prototype footballer. He's awesome.

He takes marks that make him look to be a KP player. They're not even just arms in the air type pack marks, more monstrous launches that have made it seem like he's playing in another era (on at least a couple of occasions). I can't help but wonder about him at CHF at some stage.

It's going to be interesting to see where he ends up. He's not as savvy a footballer as Pavlich was, at least at this stage. But he's the only player I've seen at Hawthorn who could approach that kind of versatility. Seems more he's got DNA somewhere between Pav and Kouuta.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

I really liked him spending time in the ruck last week it got him into the game and around the ball. I’d love to see him in the middle I think he has real potential as a mid who can push fwd. his best moments to date have been fwd of centre. I don’t like him in defence.

 

[Hawthorn United]

Been to 2 open training sessions, and both times, Josh has been the last one to leave the track and head to the rooms after autographs.

Just loves to spend time with the fans and kids.

Has become my son's favourite player and mine too, just due to his attitude.

 

[Goatie]

I would love to see Josh play some midfield minutes. I’m not sure if he did any preseason training with the mids. He has the ability to be one of the best players in the game.

If all these players continue to improve
imagine what our midfield could look like 2026.

Ramsden - Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

22

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

Weddle - Bontempelli
Newcombe - Petracca
Day - Fyfe/Hird

That is a premiership midfield you can build a team around.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Still only 19 years old.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

I would love to see Josh play some midfield minutes. I’m not sure if he did any preseason training with the mids. He has the ability to be one of the best players in the game.

If all these players continue to improve
imagine what our midfield could look like 2026.

Ramsden - Luke Jackson
Weddle - Bontempelli
Newcombe - Petracca
Day - Fyfe/Hird

That is a premiership midfield you can build a team around.

 

[Goatie]

Still only 19 years old.

After all three games I’ve left the G depressed. But then I think of a passage of play he was involved in

 

[mustang]

I would love to see Josh play some midfield minutes. I’m not sure if he did any preseason training with the mids. He has the ability to be one of the best players in the game.

If all these players continue to improve
imagine what our midfield could look like 2026.

Ramsden - Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

22

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

Weddle - Bontempelli
Newcombe - Petracca
Day - Fyfe/Hird

That is a premiership midfield you can build a team around.

Butters - Butter

 

[MrPremiership]

Weddle is our best young player.

Is primed to be the next big thing.

 

[Hodginator]

Been to 2 open training sessions, and both times, Josh has been the last one to leave the track and head to the rooms after autographs.

Just loves to spend time with the fans and kids.

Has become my son's favourite player and mine too, just due to his attitude.

Saw him doing this pre game at the Dee’s game as well. Plenty of time for the fans.

 

[TFFM]

He's a young leader. I've seen him at training encouraging other players to go hard to finish running drills.
I agree that he is the player on our list with the most upside and potential.

 

[TassieGrown]

I'd tell the other clubs to go take a long walk of a short pier if they only offered us pick 10-12 for Weddle.

He's tracking like a top 5 pick.

Could be a top ten player in the leauge by the time he is 23 - 25.

Agree, he could be the A grade match winner we are desperate for.

He could be anything.