Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn : Nick 'the Wizard' Watson!

[Platten44]

When it all clicks in the one game it’s going to be glorious

 

[extractasam]

When it all clicks in the one game it’s going to be glorious

It’s going to be 5+ and terrifying

 

[MillerHawk]

His handballs inside are incredible, sees the game an instant before everyone else. Will blow a game apart soon enough.

 

[smish]

Every touch so clean. Can really see the class you get with such a high pick.

 

[TylerDurden]

His handballs inside are incredible, sees the game an instant before everyone else. Will blow a game apart soon enough.

This.

His footy IQ is working at such high speed, his body just can't keep up at times.

Once it catches up. Look the fk out.

 

[Tall Tales and True]

He does stuff that seems to defy the laws of physics ... the pace, the agility, the clean touch ... all in a heartbeat.

On SM-S916B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[tl92]

15 shots on goal over 5 games (3 per game)
4.10

He’ll get there.

He only played one quarter against the dogs too, so it’s closer to 4 per game

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Nick Watson is going to be a star forward of the highest calibre.

I remember watching him play in 2022 for the Eastern Ranges. You could see it then that he had all the qualities to be a star small forward.
But it was for the AFL Academy vs. Port's VFL side during the Gather Round last year where I just said to myself, "He is the one.". A lot of people said it wasn't even one of his best games. He played largely off halfback. His kicking wasn't great (it was very wet). But his pace and power off halfback, the way he looked when he received the ball, his defensive efforts, etc. All of it really did remind me of some of the greatest and most talented players to ever play the game of Australian Rules Football.

Nick Watson can be a top-15 player in the AFL as a small forward. He's that good.

 

[cryptor]

The fact he can compete aerially 1v1 with far taller opponents and then instantly recover upon landing to annihilate them at ground level with his speed and agility is why he was worth a top 5 pick.

 

[The Chad and I]

There will never be another Cyril but I’m happy we have the first Nick Watson.

Just keep in mind that for the first 3-4 years of Cyril’s career people were obsessed to distraction over turning him into a midfielder and complained that he did not get more disposals.

 

[Howe Amazing]

Pickering on SEN was questioning pre game if Hawks should have taken him with a top 5 pick, but then after a goal assist and goal was put back in his place. Isn’t he a player manager and should he know the order of each draft year

 

[Geead]

Did anyone see that diving leaping handball he did near the boundary line? Was such a touch of class, he was no where near the ball and managed to perfectly hand it off for a rebound inside 50

 

[theiaofseed]

10 Disposals and 3 scoring shots is a solid day for any established small forward let alone in a low scoring contest with the only tall being a raw second gamer.

7 contested possessions and 7 score involvements(most on the ground) from his 10 touches, he just makes things happen.

 

[mustang]

Pickering on SEN was questioning pre game if Hawks should have taken him with a top 5 pick, but then after a goal assist and goal was put back in his place. Isn’t he a player manager and should he know the order of each draft year

I heard Hodge question it also on the radio during the week.

 

[CobberRodgers]

The fact he can compete aerially 1v1 with far taller opponents and then instantly recover upon landing to annihilate them at ground level with his speed and agility is why he was worth a top 5 pick.

100% this.

We’ve been crying out for this since Cyril and this kid is going to make going to the footy over the next decade must see.

 

[peetoo]

Sobering to think a lot of people generally who don’t think themselves ‘short’ are wizards height.

He’s an excellent distributor and pressure guy so it’s almost like goals are a bonus

 

[lethalselbow]

I heard Hodge question it also on the radio during the week.

Some good ammunition for Watson to prove them all wrong.

He comes in with a huge nickname. Yet to live up to it, but starting to show glimpses of getting close.

He'll show them all.

 

[Hawk4life1990]

I heard Hodge question it also on the radio during the week.

Which is weird coming from Hodge, surely he should remember the flack Hawks got for drafting him over Chris Judd.

It's very early days yet, we'll see in time if he was worth taking at Pick 5. I see the talent there, let's just hope it can all fall into place for Watson

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

Which is weird coming from Hodge, surely he should remember the flack Hawks got for drafting him over Chris Judd.

It's very early days yet, we'll see in time if he was worth taking at Pick 5. I see the talent there, let's just hope it can all fall into place for Watson

He's a Brisbane man now.

 

[mustang]

Which is weird coming from Hodge, surely he should remember the flack Hawks got for drafting him over Chris Judd.

It's very early days yet, we'll see in time if he was worth taking at Pick 5. I see the talent there, let's just hope it can all fall into place for Watson

It wasn’t so much the talent he was questioning, it was more that we drafted someone of his height at such a high pick, when players of that height normally drop down the draft board e.g Caleb Daniel.

 

[smish]

It wasn’t so much the talent he was questioning, it was more that we drafted someone of his height at such a high pick, when players of that height normally drop down the draft board e.g Caleb Daniel.

When we have more pressing needs like a tall key defender like Curtin.

There’s no way Watson would have got past the dogs, North would have also had to be considering him.

Curtin will request a trade to WA in 2 years if he’s not playing midfield.

Hodgey should know that.

 

[mustang]

There’s no way Watson would have got past the dogs, North would have also had to be considering him.

Curtin will request a trade to WA in 2 years if he’s not playing midfield.

Hodgey should know that.

I agree he probably wouldn’t have.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Love everything bar the showboating. As a rule I don't like our players goading the opposition after turnovers, free kicks etc. Let the scoreboard do the talking.
Anyways, he's had a very solid start to his career. Playing the toughest position on the ground and having 3+ shots on goal most weeks is quite amazing tbh

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Love everything bar the showboating. As a rule I don't like our players goading the opposition after turnovers, free kicks etc. Let the scoreboard do the talking.
Anyways, he's had a very solid start to his career. Playing the toughest position on the ground and having 3+ shots on goal most weeks is quite amazing tbh

Disagree tbh. The showboating/s**t talking is what gives him and the players energy. Remove that and you remove a lot of what makes these kids tick

 

[KermitJagger]

He's a Brisbane man now.

Ah come on now. It's a perfectly reasonable perspective for someone not involved in the decision to have. A skinny player can get bigger, a player with scrappy skills can improve, but a short player can't get taller. If Watson doesn't kick on as an elite small forward we will be seen to have taken a kid with an obvious, unchangeable trait which we completely disregarded.

Is the commentary too early? Sure, but it's certainly not the most unfair thing we'll hear.