Training Summer Footy Fix - 2022 training watch

[Yardie]

Nuke looks good in here from the 0:57 timeline.

And how about Bramble's kick into the forward line!

 

[Slainte]

Preseason is such a funny time isn't it? We all get (probably over) excited about our young prospects and the improvement of players. We all make commentary on who has bulked up or slimmed down, with interpretation of both to mean they are set 'for their best year ever'. We like to compare young players to established stars, dreaming of the possibilities.

and yet, in many ways, pre-season is like "dancing with your sister" in that one player dominating means another Hawthorn listed player is the one being dominated. Every goal kicked by one is a goal kicked on another, etc.

A summary of the feelings being evoked for me by the pre-season reports so far:

The comeback - Gunston and Sicily are fit and demonstrating they are capable of everything they were before. We know what they offer and that this is elite. It's great to be welcoming them back.

The excitement - We need emergence amongst our young midfield. It sounds like Newcombe, Ward and McDonald are all performing well and showing signs of matching it with the known quantities (Titch, O'Meara, Shiels, etc.). Will we see a (or multiple) midfield 'break outs' to support Worpel and co? Lewis and Moore are also generating excitement up forward. Can they both take the next step? with Lewis (as a key forward) being of particular importance.

The question mark - Quite a few really. Who gets picked in defence? Where do the quality players not picked in defence line up? Who gets the 2nd ruck spot? Will one of Kozi, Jeka or Callow stamp their mark on the preseason to partner Lewis?

The worry - The injuries to CJ and Day for me. CJ had a huge preseason last year and started the season with a bang. His injury seems to have lasted a very long time and I think we should expect a slow start to the season from him. Day too has been injured for a long time and seems to miss more than he plays - he is a special talent so I hope his body can withstand the rigours of AFL.

Overall, their is an air of intrigue and excitement. New coach, promising draftees, new game plan and younger players appearing to be more prominent than in previous years. Will this translate to the intensity and pressure of real match conditions? Can't wait to find out....

I agree with all the points in the summary and would add:
The depth - We have few injuries and genuine competition for every spot (except maybe full-back).

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Hawkboy62]

According to the Blues board we are having a shared training session with them on the 17th. Closed to the public but fans can follow by social media coverage.

It's great to be getting closer and closer to the real thing.

Great news also to have CJ and Scrimshaw re-signed until the end of 2024. CJ would attract serious attention on the open market and Scrimshaw is a gun

 

[cryptor]

Our ball movement could not be any slower or boring the past couple of years.

Precisely. Not only was it slow but it was to bad positions. It made it very hard for a player like Lewis who is best when he can set himself up with a set shot on a good angle. Even under those tough conditions he's been good for a goal or more a game. With better quality delivery, his stronger frame and confidence, and a bigger team focus on scoring I'm anticipating a sharp increase in his output to something around 3 goals a game as our main tall target. If he stays fit then that's 60+ goals and he's right in the Coleman running based on the last 5 years.

 

[Buttonsticher]

So we're playing Cartlon at Ikon next Thurs in a scratch match apparently.

Been years since I've been to Princes Park. Used to meet up up at Y&J's for a few pots then grab a slab and jump on the tram. Catering and transport covered.

 

[Buttonsticher]

Life must suck as a pessimist

Lighten up

Actually your either always right or pleasantly surprised

 

[hawkman]

According to the Blues board we are having a shared training session with them on the 17th. Closed to the public but fans can follow by social media coverage.

It's great to be getting closer and closer to the real thing.

Great news also to have CJ and Scrimshaw re-signed until the end of 2024. CJ would attract serious attention on the open market and Scrimshaw is a gun

Carlton will probably have a rule that we can't tackle Walsh.

Don't want their entire future destroyed in one training session by Newcombe

 

[GerryLewis]

On a side note, the hawthorn social media team have been absolutely top notch so far this season. Heaps of content with a huge jump in quality. Really enjoying it.

 

[H00t]

Precisely. Not only was it slow but it was to bad positions. It made it very hard for a player like Lewis who is best when he can set himself up with a set shot on a good angle. Even under those tough conditions he's been good for a goal or more a game. With better quality delivery, his stronger frame and confidence, and a bigger team focus on scoring I'm anticipating a sharp increase in his output to something around 3 goals a game as our main tall target. If he stays fit then that's 60+ goals and he's right in the Coleman running based on the last 5 years.

I definitely feel Lewis should be in for a much better year. A more offensive gamestyle should suit him massively. In 2019 he was assisted massively by Henderson hitting him lace out.

Not sure I can see him averaging 3 goals a game though or competing for the Coleman. (Even with the reduced tallies)

He’s never kicked more than 3 goals a game and only kicked 3 in 4 games out of 36. I’d be very happy him kicking a bag of 5 and finishing with around 40 goals.

 

[cryptor]

I definitely feel Lewis should be in for a much better year. A more offensive gamestyle should suit him massively. In 2019 he was assisted massively by Henderson hitting him lace out.

Not sure I can see him averaging 3 goals a game though or competing for the Coleman. (Even with the reduced tallies)

He’s never kicked more than 3 goals a game and only kicked 3 in 4 games out of 36. I’d be very happy him kicking a bag of 5 and finishing with around 40 goals.

True, but I did say it was a sneaky chance. I wouldn't be disappointed if he only ended up with ~40 goals.

Just seems like there's a lot of factors aligning that could allow him to get close if he stays fit.

 

[Mississippi]

Why you on here again mate? If all you're after is a post season breakdown of actual recorded results by our players for premiership points over the 22 rounds, maybe start a thread on October 2nd or some such - you know, after we've won the cup.

Fortunately for me I've lived long enough to have watched a good portion of Leigh's playing career.
In 47 years actively watching the team, I've never seen a kid arrive at the Club mid season from the second tier, having only had a run with that lower team for a few games - AFTER being called to come down for a run from country footy - AFTER being passed over in the National draft and subsequent rookie draft as an 18 year old, only to look like a dead set player from game one without a single professional pre season.
IN FACT, I CAN'T REMEMBER IT HAPPENING AT ANY OTHER CLUB.

Oh, and then for him to be good enough to stand out amongst all his teammates through multiple match sim sessions and considered near best afield as we prepare for the 2022 season. After only a few weeks upon recovering from Covid I believe.......IN HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL PRE-SEASON!

Yeh nah, he's must just be a lucky kid in a rich vein of form who will wilt to bog average or worse once the big ole mean AFL opposition teams test him.

Of course I was making a visual comparison I find striking, NOT a comparison of career results. Newk's built like a brick shithouse, popeye forearms, carries a mo, runs through the midfield and arches the back just like Lethal did his first half dozen years, is a physical confrontation no player in the league is going to enjoy meeting, and has seeming unlimitted self belief.
Hodgey is a legend. Never once did I get the feeling watching his playing style that he looked like Matthews - excepting his courage perhaps.
Platts is my choice for best ever on-baller at the Club. Never once did he resemble the greatest number 3 the game has seen.
You may not see anything to jibe with the feeling I get, that's fine. Perhaps keep the sooking to yourself though over others conceptions?

Lets see where he goes shall we, but for the purposes of a pre-season thread it must really roil your head to having glowing and optimistic expectations being posted....so perhaps you should stick to the 'where are they now' thread where you can enjoy all the failed promise shown by prospects past and luxuriate therein.

Love the comparison of Newcombe with Lethal Leigh. That doesn't necessary infer that Newcombe is going to match Leigh as the GOAT! But Duke's attitude to the game and his physical attributes, and tackling ability, are a fair comparison with the great man. And Newcombe's impact in his first game was sensational and displayed the guts and courage that Lethal had in truckloads. Bring it on.

The beauty of this game is that we can do exactly that - look at the traits of rookies and compare them to champions such as Cyril, Bucky, Lethal or whoever.
There's nothing worse that some boring fart-arse asserting that it's laughable to compare a rookie with a champion. Bloody hell.

BTW, looking at debut games - don't forget schoolboy Kevin Heath who came to Glenferrie mid-season - hardly trained at the club - and played his first game on seasoned champion Royce Hart - and beat him.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I’d love to use omeara as a game breaker rolls Royce instead of a grunt midfielder who needs to lead all the pressure activity. Play him as a high half forward with runs through the middle. Save his best efforts for late in the quarter and when we need to change momentum etc. not sure if that is the plan but I think we would get most out of him doing that. Mitchell can also prosper off of the hff.

Me too. Hopefully JOM, Wingard and Ward provide the class that compliments the grunt work of the others.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Love the comparison of Newcombe with Lethal Leigh. That doesn't necessary infer that Newcombe is going to match Leigh as the GOAT! But Duke's attitude to the game and his physical attributes, and tackling ability, are a fair comparison with the great man. And Newcombe's impact in his first game was sensational and displayed the guts and courage that Lethal had in truckloads. Bring it on.

The beauty of this game is that we can do exactly that - look at the traits of rookies and compare them to champions such as Cyril, Bucky, Lethal or whoever.
There's nothing worse that some boring fart-arse asserting that it's laughable to compare a rookie with a champion. Bloody hell.

BTW, looking at debut games - don't forget schoolboy Kevin Heath who came to Glenferrie mid-season - hardly trained at the club - and played his first game on seasoned champion Royce Hart - and beat him.

In fact Newcombe's first goal in the intra was very lethal like. Broke through three tackles and snapped it. Brute force just ran through them. I think i said at the time to a fellow track watcher that was "lethal like"

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I honestly think our game plan the last 3 years was to bore the opposition to submission!

We played the AFL equivalent of a 5-4-1 formation, jeez it was hard to watch at times

It made for very painful watching. Slow, arduous, turgid, tedious ball movement. We were never going to succeed playing like that.

 

[TylerDurden]

That tackle Newk laid on Farrell at Port that did his ACL was absolutely brutal.
Pure brute force.

 

[rei154]

Can't tell if he's been done dirty by the social media team here

 

[rei154]

Also noted from the footage from the videos today: Hartigan in the possibles as opposed to the probables is really interesting imo.

 

[HomerJayS]

Maybe we just wanted to give him a decent workout against our best KPFs?

 

[H00t]

Also noted from the footage from the videos today: Hartigan in the possibles as opposed to the probables is really interesting imo.

Could have just been to give the defenders a challenge putting them in the possibles side.

 

[rei154]

Could have just been to give the defenders a challenge putting them in the possibles side.

this seems fairly likely, and I would have assumed as such if we didn't have a new head coach and weren't being super vocal about wanting fresh blood.

Still fully expect him to play R1, regardless.

 

[grumbleguts]

OK, so I didn't call myself Guardian Hawk for nothing - I know I am prone to being ultra defensive about Hawthorn players and being able to write narratives about how underappreciated certain Hawthorn players can be.

But I don' think we need to attack less optimistic posters when they express their opinions. This can be a very optimistic place at times and some balance can have value when added to the discussion. Not everyone will turn out a superstar cos of some nice moves at training. I think The 4 Pillars is a great example of someone who writes training reports, points out many positives but also highlights players weaknesses, areas of concern and players who may not make it.

Benji's example above is not necessarily what I'm referring to as it was somewhat condescending but in general I think we can welcome more pessimistic views as well - especially if they are things like "Newcombe and Matthews are not really comparable" or "Nash has only played 2 ok games so the jury is still out" which to me are both pretty fair opinions.

Apologies for a potentially unpopular opinion.

Benji's post was stupid. THAT'S what he was being attacked for. Not because it was pessimistic. It was stupid. Here's why. flinchfree I think it was, said Newcombe looks like Barney (Leigh Matthews) Actually he does. A LOT, in build, he is the image of him. He didn't say he played like him he said he LOOKED like a modern day leigh matthews and I had been thinking exactly the same thing. THEN having put words in that posters mouth, the genius went on a rant sh!tting on another player who hadn't even been mentioned JUST because he can. He isn't here to be cautious, he's here to sh!t on players he doesn't like and leave.

 

[flinchfree]

....

BTW, looking at debut games - don't forget schoolboy Kevin Heath who came to Glenferrie mid-season - hardly trained at the club - and played his first game on seasoned champion Royce Hart - and beat him.

See now THAT's what I'm talking about!!!! So nice to find older eyes than mine to have seen times I missed and can speak to Hawthorn legend.
Heath came down to the Hawks in 68', the year I was born, and his last season in 75' was my first really following the team.
We were damn good in 1975, finished on top regular season but I was nervous about that Grand Final with the Kangas.
They had a devastating list of champions and mongrels evenly spread and they could sweep away teams before them effortlessly when they were flowing.
Kekovich, Breidis and Crosswell were the dirty hitmen that allowed Greig, Schimma, Cable and Blight to soar with incredible skill.
My ever abiding dislike for the Kangaroos was born that year when even Knightsy couldn't stop them, though he was glorious in his efforts.
He got them the next year though.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Also noted from the footage from the videos today: Hartigan in the possibles as opposed to the probables is really interesting imo.

Players switched jumpers during the match. You could jump to conclusions on a bunch of players.