Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn : Pick 7, Cam MacKenzie, extends to 2026!

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Hrvat Hawks]

Needs to work on the setup for goal kicking. Very awkward style.

 

[Accipiter]

He has been the good luck charm as the substitute this year. Each time he has come on, we have won or picked up our performance. Cam just finds himself in an unfortunate position at the moment as probably the 23rd or 24th man. And that's only because of how good our midfield group already is and having Maginness there as the tagger who plays all over the ground. We've all seen the great qualities that Mackenzie possesses, which could make him the cream of our young elite crop. He may take a few years to breakout due to our midfield depth, but we have a versatile midfield with players who can play in multiple positions (Newcombe and MacDonald up forward, Day can obviously play in defence or on the wing, and Ward could swing back if need be). He will make a role for himself at some point; it may just take a while. Keep the patience

Mac is still a boy, he will benefit from the next draft as supporters will have some shiny new toys to dissect. He can then go about his business in developing into an AFL player.

 

[humid hawk]

Josh Ward was at the same stage last year. Posters were doubting that he would make it, was seen as slow, some started bemoaning our recruiting etc etc.

Frenchie will come on in leaps and bounds over the next couple of years.

 

[KermitJagger]

Needs to work on the setup for goal kicking. Very awkward style.

Yeah not sure about that grip. Holds the end of it, looks very strange.

 

[burger09]

Needs to work on the setup for goal kicking. Very awkward style.

Horrific set shot technique. Not sure how a kid who can kick like him goes about it so badly.

 

[kirbatron]

hes low on confidence atm. will be fine in time

 

[MasterSamurai]

He and Will Day both need to fix the mini set shot yips in time. nail those .

 

[Colloquy]

Horrific set shot technique. Not sure how a kid who can kick like him goes about it so badly.

Didn’t even make the goal line from not even 50mtrs out.

 

[Big Hotdog]

Horrific set shot technique. Not sure how a kid who can kick like him goes about it so badly.

Has progressively lost confidence with every shot on goal... Will learn to relax and kick the ball to someone behind the fence.

On Nokia 6.1 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Elhawko]

Josh Ward was at the same stage last year. Posters were doubting that he would make it, was seen as slow, some started bemoaning our recruiting etc etc.

Frenchie will come on in leaps and bounds over the next couple of years.

Ward was a rising star nominee in round 18 last year with a 30+ possession game. He was BOG or thereabouts. He had 20 plus possessions in every game thereafter, or four out of the remaining five from memory. I don't think anyone is saying MacKenzie will not be a good player, only that his progress has been slower than we might have hoped given he looked ready-made after his first game.

 

[Walshawk]

Being the sub does not suit him at all. Prefer him in the 22 or at Box Hill.

 

[detox]

I reckon Mckenzie just needs another preseason in the gym and some good form on the Track.

He has everything he needs just needs to back himself and stay involved. I'm almost certain he make it

 

[SammyC]

He’s played 14 games, maybe half of those as sub.

I’ve seen enough to be certain we have a 200 game player. Time, clean hands and disposal and good decision making.

Just relax and wait until late 2026

 

[HawthornHawk]

He's quicker than you think. Saw him opposed to Markov on the wing in the last quarter as Collingwood were in transition and assumed he'd get blown up but he stayed with Markov the whole way.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Just for reference, for those who seem to lose sight of what a talented youngsters first 20 games can often look like....

Sam Mitchell averaged 11 disposals in this first year of AFL.

Cam is averaging 13 disposals in his first year, and that includes 4 games of under 50% game time as the Sub.

Take those sub games out and he's averaged 14.7 disposals a game.

I hope he plays out the year, but I think he's the sort of player that will just go to the next level in 2024 with a preseason and some confidence.

 

[SSSSSS]

Just for reference, for those who seem to lose sight of what a talented youngsters first 20 games can often look like....

Sam Mitchell averaged 11 disposals in this first year of AFL.

Cam is averaging 13 disposals in his first year, and that includes 4 games of under 50% game time as the Sub.

Take those sub games out and he's averaged 14.7 disposals a game.

I hope he plays out the year, but I think he's the sort of player that will just go to the next level in 2024 with a preseason and some confidence.

I'd argue some of his sub games have been just as impressive as when he starts.

He has a great ability to adjust to the speed of the game quickly. Good footy brain.

Biggest issue at the moment is probably strength and conditioning. Just not getting enough easy outside ball and doesn't yet have the body strength to play against the big dogs. Give him a few preseasons and he will be smashing it.

Doesn't lack courage. Cracks in hard. Uses the ball well. All good traits for a Premiership midfielder.

Just needs to work on a new set shot. Whatever the * that set shot 'technique' is he needs to bin it.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Josh Ward was at the same stage last year. Posters were doubting that he would make it, was seen as slow, some started bemoaning our recruiting etc etc.

Frenchie will come on in leaps and bounds over the next couple of years.

Your first paragraph is simply not true. As others have pointed out Ward had a very strong end to the season, and in particular had a big performance against WCE at the stage last year.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

MacKenzie will be a gun.

 

[Reggie Mombasa]

He's quicker than you think. Saw him opposed to Markov on the wing in the last quarter as Collingwood were in transition and assumed he'd get blown up but he stayed with Markov the whole way.

 

[H00t]

View attachment 1769009

While this looks nice. Average moving speed isn’t a great way of measuring overall speed.

 

[barbster]

Just for reference, for those who seem to lose sight of what a talented youngsters first 20 games can often look like....

Sam Mitchell averaged 11 disposals in this first year of AFL.

Cam is averaging 13 disposals in his first year, and that includes 4 games of under 50% game time as the Sub.

Take those sub games out and he's averaged 14.7 disposals a game.

I hope he plays out the year, but I think he's the sort of player that will just go to the next level in 2024 with a preseason and some confidence.

Yes, players don’t hit their straps until in the system for 3 - 4 years and Sam knows this. 2025 we will be good. Have seen enough from MacKenzie to know he’ll be a star.

 

[eldorado]

Horrific set shot technique. Not sure how a kid who can kick like him goes about it so badly.

Completely different to his normal kicking technique...he leans back so far, he's almost falling. Head isn't down.

Like watching Kosi on a bad day, but three times worse...

 

[theiaofseed]

While this looks nice. Average moving speed isn’t a great way of measuring overall speed.

He's the fastest player at our club, this notion he lacks speed is the weirdest thing i've seen on this site and there has been some real s**t posted.

 

[H00t]

He's the fastest player at our club, this notion he lacks speed is the weirdest thing i've seen on this site and there has been some real s**t posted.

MacKenzie? No way he’s our fastest player. No way he gets close to Brockman, Impey, Frost or Mitchell. And for longer distances he gets smashed by Weddle, Finn and CJ.

But what my earlier post was getting it is using average speed isn’t a great thing when MacKenzie only played 25% of the game. He should be moving fairly quickly for the time he’s on. Same with Markov only being on the field for 30%.

 

[cryptor]

While this looks nice. Average moving speed isn’t a great way of measuring overall speed.

Also should be noted that it's both the subs that are at the top. Which means they had energy to burn to run faster over a far shorter period of game time than if they were having to play a full game. Which is why burst players tend to make the best subs.

I could have the highest average moving speed if I only had to play for 30 seconds and just sprinted for that time.