Welcome Welcome to Hawthorn: Cody Anderson

[CaptainWorpedo]

He’s quite literally never played a game, so how is he not getting credit where it’s due?

If he knocks it out of the park next year he’ll get the recognition.

I was referring to Dear, the quoted poster mentioned him.

I feel Anderson will be a squad player in 2025. Not best 22, but he will get ago as we manage players and / or get injuries. So long as he continues his 2024 form at Boxhill.

Pressure forward who can kick a goal and relieve in the middle if required for rotations.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

There's shades of dare I say it Dane Swan. Similar body shape, pace low centre of gravity, slightly awkward kicking action but more importantly looks a ball magnet who gets to the right spots also like Swan. He will definitely start forward early on, absolutely loves the defensive side of the game, relishes it. He's exactly the type of player Sam Mitchell would want.

Spot on

 

[Davo-27]

i think he'll be a handy Worpel injury backup, he wins the loose tough ball on the inside which is Worpels role, but he also has good burst pace which means he could play a small forward role too if needed, love his tackling, speed, only downside is his wayward kicking, but chaos balls from contested inside mids are fine imo and he can work on kicking down the line to contests instead of turning it over going sideways.

 

[parsons nose]

I feel Anderson will be a squad player in 2025. Not best 22, but he will get ago as we manage players and / or get injuries. So long as he continues his 2024 form at Boxhill.

He won’t only be best 22, he will surpass all others. His recruitment is blessing as it will allow the entire squad to be rested from rounds 1 through 4, where he will perform as a soloist, having his way with the barbarians in Sydney, Essendon et al.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Okay.

If Anderson’s “appetite for the contest” is sufficient for him to leapfrog all those other mature/alternative midfield options I’ve listed, then frankly I think that’s an indictment on our current list.

Would suggest none of them are capable of the same appetite for the contest despite their time at the club and superior “basic skills”.

Anyhow, time will tell.

He'd start as a pressure forward.

He wouldn't be competing for a spot in the midfield just yet.

Somebody compared him to Beau McCreery and I felt that was a pretty good comparison. He started as a very limited footballer with above average closing speed and an elite intensity when applying pressure. It also helps that he's naturally as strong as an ox.
Now he's best 22 and a premiership player.
Without the aforementioned physical gifts he wouldn't even have a career as a footballer.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Everytime I hear the name Beau Mcreery , I get the American country rocker vibes. Don't know why.

 

[tommyk72]

I assume that those who expect him to play regularly in 2025 expect him to leapfrog Mackenzie and Ward, let alone Hustwaite. With Day coming back and some of our defenders moving forward, it's likely they will be the only positions available.

 

[Tall Tales and True]

If he can do what he does in those highlights on a regular basis at Box Hill, how could you not pick him?

On SM-S916B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

I know people get excited from some of the highlights they have seen, but the reality is he was a pick in the 60s.

Claims on him quickly surpassing any of the current starting mids or fringe mids are way overblown. He is a young bull that will still need a pre season or two to get his body right to handle the rigours of a long season against men, most who will have equal or more body mass.

If he gets some games during the season, which would be later in the season, then it has been a good first year for him and the club.

 

[The Chad and I]

I know people get excited from some of the highlights they have seen, but the reality is he was a pick in the 60s.

Claims on him quickly surpassing any of the current starting mids or fringe mids are way overblown. He is a young bull that will still need a pre season or two to get his body right to handle the rigours of a long season against men, most who will have equal or more body mass.

If he gets some games during the season, which would be later in the season, then it has been a good first year for him and the club.

Puopolo was pick 66.
Played 20 games in his debut season.

I don't need to repeat my observations re:Anderson's weaknesses, but I really believe he could be of value almost immediately as a pressure forward.

We don't know if Mitchell is going to prioritise that role for Anderson, but he could do it from round 1.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Puopolo was pick 66.
Played 20 games in his debut season.

I don't need to repeat my observations re:Anderson's weaknesses, but I really believe he could be of value almost immediately as a pressure forward.

We don't know if Mitchell is going to prioritise that role for Anderson, but he could do it from round 1.

He also wasn’t 18. Puopolo was 23 when drafted and had played with men for a few seasons

 

[kazzooka]

He also wasn’t 18. Puopolo was 23 when drafted and had played with men for a few seasons

And we had a need in the 22 for puopolos type.

Anderson is an inside mid that like others have done, play forward at the beginning to get games.

The issue is from our semi final side, we already have Day and Mackenzie needing to force their way back in and their ward and Maginness who replaced them really stepped up so would be hard to drop.

Then you have Weddle moving forward or mid, CJ returning. We have 4 top line small forwards and Butler and Bruest as 5 and 6.

 

[The Chad and I]

He also wasn’t 18. Puopolo was 23 when drafted and had played with men for a few seasons

I don't think it matters.
Anderson is already quite strong and he excelled in a half at BH.
Only a question of whether Mitchell wants him in that role.

 

[FB19]

Cody (nickname “Ark”) Anderson. The namesake father son (especially with our other draftee) we should have had. 2025 All Australian, Brownlow medallist and Norm Smith medallist.

 

[TONYC3163]

If he can do what he does in those highlights on a regular basis at Box Hill, how could you not pick him?

On SM-S916B using BigFooty.com mobile app

Because there are others, on 2024 performances, before him.
As stated previously, if people think he is best 23 in 2025, post your sides, I'm interested in who you leave out.

 

[HawthornHawk]

Does anyone know what Cody's background is that meant he was able to be part of our academy?

 

[HedgeFund]

The hunger for the contest body on body, second and third efforts, tackles like Newk early Boxhill days.

There’s plenty of kids in the Coates league with similar hunger and defensive intent.

They just don’t get a 4 minute highlights package (which I dare say is what most people have watched in making their assessment) made by someone at a AFL club.

Reason being - they don’t actually get drafted to an AFL club.

Cody was the 64th player picked out of 71 this year, which is a big difference to being one of the 50-100 who just missed out.

He played a single game for Vic Metro in the elite junior championships against a state side and amassed…..1 kick and 1 handball. Lots of players performed better than that yet didn’t get drafted at all.

Don’t think the highlights package included that game did it?

IMHO what we see on that tape re: tackle, run and chases is good to see, but it’s not particularly special.

Anderson may well become a long term Hawk, but for every Calsher Dear who comes from nearly nowhere, there’s 2-3 draftees who don’t end up staying more than 3 seasons.

I hope he goes well, but I’ll leave the predictions of how/when he ends up in what we expect to be the best AFL midfield in the competition to others.

 

[TylerDurden]

Does anyone know what Cody's background is that meant he was able to be part of our academy?

Indigenous background.