Who's improved in 2025?

[HoldingThe Ball]

I thought it would be interesting to see who you guys think have improved this season.

By 'improve' , I mean added something extra to their game, not something that an extra year in the system / age might generate. Something that's really pleased you.

I'll throw a couple out there...

Mabior Chol - Evolution

If you described a player as 'probably the best pressure big man in the forward 50' then Cholly probably wouldn't have been the name most footy fans would have gone to over his career.

But that what he is. He's evolved his game to chase, harry, corral and generally terrorise opposition defenders every week.

He's now a genuine 'second ruck' and follows up tap work by providing an extra outlet option in the middle.

He really is a very smart Forward / Ruck - and for me, in the top 3 in the AFL in that role.


Harry Morrison - Consistency

Before this year the gap in Harry's game was enormous - he could be very good one game and then turn in a stinker the next.

Not now.

Harry has grown into a genuine B grader - and delivered pretty much every week.
His 'footy smarts' have really come to the fore as the number of 'last-line' intercept marks he's made this year, the number of opposition stopping tackles and a becoming a reliable 'switch' wing outlet have shown.

Jack Ginnivan - Approach

It all seems to have clicked with Jack. I mean, just look at the guy!
He's stronger, fitter and faster than ever before and it really shows in his workrate. Something that Jack does, and is rarely mentioned by the 'footy experts' is his tenacity. A toe-poke off the ground. An intercepting hand preventing a mark. A subtle shepherd.

He wasn't doing any of those things at Collingwood. He is now and has taken his game to another level - and it's mighty close to A grade.


It's a testament to the culture at Hawthorn I reckon, that 'established' players can add a new and potent string to their bow, regardless of age or position.

Bodes well for the future of Hawthorn footy club, doesn't it.

Who's caught your eye?

 

[ahhhhhh]

Ward.

 

[hardway]

Gunston and Ward.

 

[SSSSSS]

Dimma.

From a bog average forward to an elite small defender in the space of 8 weeks. Who would have thunk it?

 

[Brant]

Mitch Lewis
Josh Ward
Jack Ginnivan

 

[threesixpio]

Ward wins this thread by far for me. I’d say Watson too except he kind of got there in the finals last year

 

[Ka Norkers]

Gunston
Battle
Barrass
Chol
Bailey Macdonald
Serong
Ramsden
Ginnivan
Ward
Sam Mitchell

 

[Elhawko]

Out of sight, out of mind, but I reckon Weddle gets the nod. He's gone from exciting to an actual influencer of games. I watched the replay today and the commentators said he's in our top five players now.

 

[Big Hotdog]

Josh Ward has turned into mini Merret. Has gone from being indecisive and doubting himself to rolling around the ground racking up solid possessions like a boss.

 

[barbster]

Gunston


Ward
Weddle
Ramsden
B. Mac
Reeves

 

[MuzzHawk]

I’m going to leave out guys who have had relatively incremental improvement or have lifted consistency, and focus more on the guys who have levelled up by either becoming more complete players or just taking their best to another degree.

Josh Ward has gone from a promising fringe player to an established midfielder trusted to influence games. Gone from feeling rushed in contests to now looking really slippery.

Jarman Impey has gone from a reliable running back to an influential leader and that can impact across all lines on the field.

Mabior Chol

18

Mabior Chol

Age

28

Ht

200cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.5

2star

K

5.3

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

2.0

1star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.3

3star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.2

4star

has become more aggressive in presenting at the ball which is keeping him engaged in the game for longer. First quarter yesterday shows he can still be nervy in moments which shows there’s still more upside. Just needs a coach to continue believing in him.

Jack Ginnivan is now more than an opportunist. His running capacity seems to have expanded dramatically and he’s often the one that turns transition into legitimate scoring opportunities.

Max Ramsden, Bailey MacDonald, Seamus Mitchell and Sam Butler have all shown they are AFL quality players capable of more than just keeping someone’s seat warm. Probably Ned Reeves and Serong too but they never really got the chance to prove it this year.

 

[parsons nose]

Gunston is the big improver. From going from a mentor around the club/bit player, to an integral part of our fortunes has caught all by surprise, including the brains trust. Ward has cemented himself in the team as has Harry. With honourable mentions to Ginni, Chol and Amon, all whom have outperformed their previous seasons in one way or another.

We’ve got a couple coming good at the right too. With Sic, Moorey, Mass, Worps and Scrimmers beginning to lift as finals approach. Only a couple of players treading water atm which would give every indication we are finally getting all the ducks in a row.

 

[DearJai]

Ward - gets noticeably better almost every week, bouncing off tackles, showing great evasion, and looking really strong over the ball. Starting to use his right foot more often, and better.
Mabior Chol

18

Mabior Chol

Age

28

Ht

200cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.5

2star

K

5.3

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

2.0

1star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.3

3star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.2

4star

- improved body work and hustle playing the lone tall, and kept us winning. Has contributed well when he's in the ruck. Kicks goals.
Weddle - pre injury was really taking over in patches
Impey - he's influenced games in previous years with marking and rebound, but this year it's happening every week and he's somehow added another layer of value added damage.
Harry M - has started to win the one on ones, including taking strong marks as a target coming out of D50
Newcombe - carried the entire midfield for extended periods as Ward was growing into his role, and Nash, Worpel and Day were out injured. Often beat a tag or extra attention while playing that lone hand. Has had down games, but him being there has allowed us to be pushing for top 4.

 

[hardway]

It’s not too late for many more to reach their form from 2024 and try better it. There could be a medal riding on it if they can.

 

[Flag08]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Meek. Easily in our top 5

 

[cryptor]

Amon, Morrison and Massimo while I’ve never considered “soft” are clearly the more slightly built outside players. I reckon they’ve added a relative hardness to their games this year. They’re far more competitive in a contested situation than before. They don’t just get run through or outbodied around the ball or when sitting under a high ball. They’re all much more like Impey now who can stick tackles and take a grab with opposition closing in.

Yes. Our 4 Jarman Impey’s have arrived as was prophesied. And I think this hardness on the outside will be a point of difference in finals should we make it.

 

[barbster]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Meek. Easily in our top 5

His stats are very similar to 2024, with disposals slightly down.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Chol, Ginnivan, Ramsden, Ward, Watson, Impey, Weddle, B Mac. Mitch Lewis will be on this list in a week or two, is about to tear the comp a new one despite the meagre stats.
He is getting up and down the ground really well. Primed for a big September

 

[DearJai]

Chol, Ginnivan, Ramsden, Ward, Watson, Impey, Weddle, B Mac. Mitch Lewis will be on this list in a week or two, is about to tear the comp a new one despite the meagre stats.
He is getting up and down the ground really well. Primed for a big September

Lewis and Dear will do some damage sooner rather than later.

The way Calsher has looked in his return games, he's only a couple of clunks and straighter kicking away from a bag.

If the heat goes onto him, then Mitch will step up as well.

And vice versa.

Never mind Chol and Gunston.

 

[MisterBean]

All of the previously mentioned players have been noticeable improvers this year.

Gunston on output and physical resilience.

Ward the very obvious one. He hasn't just improved his strengths. He keeps adding more complementary strengths. If this guy keeps growing at this unchecked rate, he will be a ruckman by the end of next year.

Chol's improvements have been in completely unexpected and previously uncharacteristic areas. The three tackles in a few seconds of the different Collingwood defenders, the run down tackle from 25 metres away against North, and the match saving perfect spoil against the Crows in Tasmania. These are all things you don't expect from your second ruck who is also your second highest scorer.

Harry Morrison

1

Harry Morrison

Age

27

Ht

184cm

Wt

79kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

8.5

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

13.4

3star

K

9.8

4star

HB

3.6

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.6

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

18.4

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

7.0

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.2

4star

CL

2.0

4star

's consistency is right. If he's your worst player, it usually means you won. Not many other teams bottom six players would be better than Harry. Before he had the mindset. Now he has the endurance and strength to back it up.

Jack Ginnivan is near the top of the league for some unusual stats, like "loitering around midfield contests". That's not the exact name of the stat, but idea is that very few other midfielders get to as many contests as Jack. He's still a good forward, and I prefer him as a forward, but it's undeniable that more midfield time is good for both Jack and Hawthorn's future.
The only worry is that Ginny's output has greatly diminished in the key stat of "clickbait headline generation assists".

The biggest one for me is Karl Amon

10

Karl Amon

Age

30

Ht

181cm

Wt

71kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

6.8

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.6

4star

MG

294.5

4star

D

21.0

5star

K

15.0

5star

HB

6.0

3star

M

6.0

5star

T

2.0

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.0

4star

MG

146.8

3star

. He was already one of the competitions best wingman when he came to Hawthorn. It looks like he's the one who had benefited most from the addition of Barrass and Battle. Out of all defenders, he averages most goal assists after Nasiah, who also plays more up the ground. Karl also has an incredible efficiency rating for someone who hardly kicks it sideways and is usually moving the team forward. The team structure has helped make him into a more integral part of the team.

 

[Cyril says]

Sam Mitchell. Game plan to win without Will Day involves believing you aren’t tackled until you can’t move - Impey, Amon, Worpel, Newk, Meek have all bought in. I think the game plan can take us deep in Sept - further than last year.

 

[QuietB]

Josh Ward has turned into mini Merret. Has gone from being indecisive and doubting himself to rolling around the ground racking up solid possessions like a boss.

The thing that I love about Ward and it was on display against Collingwood is how much ground he covers. He bobs up everywhere. With that work rate and his disposal which is very good he is growing nicely.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Amon, Morrison and Massimo while I’ve never considered “soft” are clearly the more slightly built outside players. I reckon they’ve added a relative hardness to their games this year. They’re far more competitive in a contested situation than before. They don’t just get run through or outbodied around the ball or when sitting under a high ball. They’re all much more like Impey now who can stick tackles and take a grab with opposition closing in.

Yes. Our 4 Jarman Impey’s have arrived as was prophesied. And I think this hardness on the outside will be a point of difference in finals should we make it.

Great call cryptor

I watched Massimo take I think three overhead marks under pressure last weekend which hasn't been one of his strengths previously.

Harry as well is actually now one of our better marks under a high ball and he is sticking some big tackles this year.

I like the Jars comparison, Impey is just a ball of muscle despite being only 178cm tall.

Our 3 peat teams were widely lauded for their skills and talent (rightly so) but what often went underreported was just how hard they were. Players like Goo, Hale, Poppy, Mitch etc were all as hard as a cats forehead. It's obvious Sam puts a high standard on his playing list in regards to this.

.

 

[DearJai]

Great call cryptor

I watched Massimo take I think three overhead marks under pressure last weekend which hasn't been one of his strengths previously.

Harry as well is actually now one of our better marks under a high ball and he is sticking some big tackles this year.

I like the Jars comparison, Impey is just a ball of muscle despite being only 178cm tall.

Our 3 peat teams were widely lauded for their skills and talent (rightly so) but what often went underreported was just how hard they were. Players like Goo, Hale, Poppy, Mitch etc were all as hard as a cats forehead. It's obvious Sam puts a high standard on his playing list in regards to this.

.

Massimo marking like it's 2024!

He's back close to his best now, beautiful to watch!

Toughness in this team is a developing trait. Pretty much everyone puts their head over the ball.

The campaigner quotient is rising. So too are the guys who look like the wiggles but take a belting and just walk through it like the Korean Zombie. Jack Ginnivan is very impressive on that front. Lloyd Meek is the one who needs angry pills perhaps.

He's the biggest unit we've had since Robbie Campbell, and seems a similar type of guy (friendly!).

 

[seysearles]

This might sound strange but in the games he has played Day looked like he was about to go to that next superstar level. Lets hope thats just on pause until 2026.