Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn, Pick 51, 2022: Bailey MacDonald - a Hawk until 2026

[SSSSSS]

Tough game to debut. Had some nice moments but feel he was a little bit out of his depth.

Bit fumbly and gave off the handball to a senior player in a poor position too many times. Needs a bit more confidence to back himself in and use his speed to take the game on.

Will be better for the run that's for sure. Think it will be back to Box Hill to build on his excellent year and hopefully stack on a bit more size during the preseason.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Hard to play in a defence under siege early.
will be a player in time. Still a bit raw but has a lot of modern day tools to be a good player

 

[hfc70]

Must keep in the 22

We need his run & carry out of the backline. Put Sis there to help him
Sooner we get 50+ games into Weddle, BMac, Mitchell …etc…the better.

 

[MJA33]

Must keep in the 22

We need his run & carry out of the backline. Put Sis there to help him
Sooner we get 50+ games into Weddle, BMac, Mitchell …etc…the better.

Exactly. It isn’t about today it’s about 20-30 games from now for Weddle Bmac and Mitchell. I wish that DGB would join them as he is the future not frost.

 

[eldorado]

Who goes out for BMac to be a permanent starter in the 22?

Does he keep his spot if Seamus Mitchell is better next week?

There is time for him at Box Hill, I reckon...

 

[Brant]

Who guys out for BMac to be a permanent starter in the 22?

Does he keep his spot if Seamus Mitchell is better next week?

There is time for him at Box Hill, I reckon...

Was going to be my quotation, as well.

Can Seamus Mitchell & BMac fit in the same side right now, with Impey, Hardwick & Weddle pretty much locks down back?

Weddle up to the wing, maybe?

 

[toomanysquibs]

Who guys out for BMac to be a permanent starter in the 22?

Does he keep his spot if Seamus Mitchell is better next week?

There is time for him at Box Hill, I reckon...

Scrimshaw out for Sic and the third Mac out for Seamus sounds right, both spots came up because of injury, and while both did good things the coaches would play the captain and new starter without blinking I believe.

Does DGB come in for Badger is a bigger questions imo. I'm a huge fan of Frosty. But the sound of the door being knocked on by DGB is starting to become a real thing now based on Box Hill reports.

 

[Colloquy]

Scrimshaw out for Sic and the third Mac out for Seamus sounds right, both spots came up because of injury, and while both did good things the coaches would play the captain and new starter without blinking I believe.

Does DGB come in for Badger is a bigger questions imo. I'm a huge fan of Frosty. But the sound of the door being knocked on by DGB is starting to become a real thing now based on Box Hill reports.

DGB should always play in front of Frosty if his doing well at BH.

But if we lose because DGB is getting games so be it’s about in 30 or 40 games not now.

 

[toomanysquibs]

DGB should always play in front of Frosty if his doing well at BH.

But if we lose because DGB is getting games so be it’s about in 30 or 40 games not now.

No argument from me, Denver is the future while Frosty is the ultimate soldier who has lifted our backline and shown everyone what is required in terms of attack on the ball and approach to playing.


At some point their trajectories are going to cross and they'll be very clearly heading in opposite directions.

I love Frosty. He's the closest thing we have had to an enforcer for a few years. But DGB needs a run.

Frosty can always come back in if DGB falls on his face. But I have a feeling DGB is going to take a big leap at AFL level sooner rather than later.

 

[MrPremiership]

Great to see him debut, but Seamus comes back in for him next week.

 

[TassieGrown]

Tough game to make his debut, showed enough.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Wonder if he could play as a pressure small fwd? I reckon he could. Showed enough in his debut

 

[KermitJagger]

Wonder if he could play as a pressure small fwd? I reckon he could. Showed enough in his debut

Do the old switcheroo with Mitchell who started as a forward and is now a back. He has the qualities, but I reckon it's a fair while down the track if it happens. It's probably the toughest role to learn and play so I imagine they'd maximise his time down back first, get him confident, develop his body.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Wonder if he could play as a pressure small fwd? I reckon he could. Showed enough in his debut

Not a good kick for goal but neither was poppy who knows if they switch him forward. He would definitely be crowded down there with all our other small forwards

 

[TDS7]

Wonder if he could play as a pressure small fwd? I reckon he could. Showed enough in his debut

I don't think so. He's a player who needs a paddock ahead of him to really get going and using his atributes to the best of his abilities. If you push him too far up the ground you're taking away his space and crowding him into a corner, and he's not the instinctual forward or waterbug athlete with insanse agility that lets him break the game open. He played a good game, but to grow into Impey's heir apparent at half-back it'd be good for him to focus on his defence and locking down his guy. Seamus has been working on it for a few years now and you can see how that's paid off, he's a stopper first and that's allowed us to use Sicily, Hardwick, and Impey up the ground interchangebly. To throw him in the forwardline would be a disservice to his development in my eyes, he's shown he can be really effective down back and we should let him play his best position instead of throwing him around the ground to see what sticks.

 

[TheFourPillars]

I don't think so. He's a player who needs a paddock ahead of him to really get going and using his atributes to the best of his abilities. If you push him too far up the ground you're taking away his space and crowding him into a corner, and he's not the instinctual forward or waterbug athlete with insanse agility that lets him break the game open. He played a good game, but to grow into Impey's heir apparent at half-back it'd be good for him to focus on his defence and locking down his guy. Seamus has been working on it for a few years now and you can see how that's paid off, he's a stopper first and that's allowed us to use Sicily, Hardwick, and Impey up the ground interchangebly. To throw him in the forwardline would be a disservice to his development in my eyes, he's shown he can be really effective down back and we should let him play his best position instead of throwing him around the ground to see what sticks.

So Seamus was shifted into defense at the back end of last year. His rise as a small defender has been nothing short of extraordinary.

 

[Bugs1977]

I love the Rat so much. No one harder at the pill at his size in the history of the game.

 

[Dipper]

Not a good kick for goal but neither was poppy who knows if they switch him forward. He would definitely be crowded down there with all our other small forwards

When you say Poppy wasn't a good kick for goal do you mean in general play or set shots?

Because when a game was hot, and the pressure was on there was nobody I felt more confident in taking a tricky set shot, on an angle 35m+ out, than Poppy.

Even Breust and Gunston in their super accurate periods would feel the pressure but Poppy relished it you could see, the more the pressure was on the more likely to kick it.

I don't really remember whether he was weaker than average in general play though.

 

[TheFourPillars]

When you say Poppy wasn't a good kick for goal do you mean in general play or set shots?

Because when a game was hot, and the pressure was on there was nobody I felt more confident in taking a tricky set shot, on an angle 35m+ out, than Poppy.

Even Breust and Gunston in their super accurate periods would feel the pressure but Poppy relished it you could see, the more the pressure was on the more likely to kick it.

I don't really remember whether he was weaker than average in general play though.

Poppy wasnt a great kick for goal when he first came to the club. Started as a half back at box hill before being switched forward.

 

[Faraway Hawk]

Can any Boxhill watchers confirm how BMac is tracking?

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Can any Boxhill watchers confirm how BMac is tracking?

Beautifully!

He uses the jets at every opportunity. His kicking seems calmer and more accurate. His marking in contests is sneaky good. He has been a stay at home HBF. Would love to see him move up to a wing.

 

[WWSD]

VFL - Round 22

20 disposals - 5 marks - 7 tackles - 1 goal

Bailey MacDonald was unlucky not to keep his spot in the team for another week. His game in the VFL last night was very good.

 

[tommyk72]

VFL - Round 22

20 disposals - 5 marks - 7 tackles - 1 goal

Bailey MacDonald was unlucky not to keep his spot in the team for another week. His game in the VFL last night was very good.

And aside from the stats had some quite influential pieces of play where he looked a level above in the tough conditions. Sets him up well for next year.

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

Box Hill shone under lights, taking home a 39-point win against Frankston to cap off a fine home-and-away season on Friday night.

Bailey Macdonald (1 goal, 22 disposals, 8 tackles, 5 marks, 1 goal)​

"Bailey resumed his normal role in the back six. He had 22 disposals, eight tackles and he also kicked the first goal of the game, which was his first goal for the year. That goal actually set us up really well and was an important one because we kicked into the wind - we probably had a three or four goal breeze into the wind in the first quarter. Our half-backs in Bailey and Seamus helped set us up with some really good run, dash and carry."

 

[lyger]

Box Hill shone under lights, taking home a 39-point win against Frankston to cap off a fine home-and-away season on Friday night.

Bailey Macdonald (1 goal, 22 disposals, 8 tackles, 5 marks, 1 goal)​

"Bailey resumed his normal role in the back six. He had 22 disposals, eight tackles and he also kicked the first goal of the game, which was his first goal for the year. That goal actually set us up really well and was an important one because we kicked into the wind - we probably had a three or four goal breeze into the wind in the first quarter. Our half-backs in Bailey and Seamus helped set us up with some really good run, dash and carry."

He played a solid game before going back to BH - good to hear that he has continued his strong form.

He has been developing nicely this year.