Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn: Mitchell Lewis. Extended to 2026!

[Baz_hawk]

Wouldn't be surprised if we do opt for him to have a managed run at Box Hill honestly. He's been sidelined for months now, it seems like a niggly injury so they may want to give him 60% managed game time in Box Hill just to see how he pulls up.

If he's ready to go then he comes back into the senior side, but I can see the club taking a cautionary approach to not do further damage.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Scaife showed today he probably even had Lewis pipped.

Scaife good shout but experience is key aswell, games on the line and I’m so unbelievably confident with Lewis in hand.

 

[tommyk72]

Like Lewis can’t kick the same amount or more than Gunston.

Incredible how some players get worse when they’re injured and others get better.

Has Lewis been fit at all this year? Or was he injured from round 1? His first few games were very uninspiring. I'm not juding on the injury, I'm judging on what I've seen for the last 12 months.

If he can recapture his best form, he definitely goes beyond Gunston. I'm optimistic he will, but I'm not 100% convinced.

 

[Flukey!]

To be fair to Lewis, our whole squad was uninspiring during the early games this year.

He would come into a very different team.

 

[Nugett]

If Lewis is brought straight back in who does he replace? The 2 most likely replacements would either be Gunston or Dear.

Gunston at the moment is leading from the front, directing the players on when to go, how to go, while also being highly influential himself.

Dear is providing leads, crashing packs, taking marks but most importantly of all, is creating forward pressure with his tackling.

Lewis is a better set shot than Dear, while also providing strong hands to bring in a mark. The question I have on Lewis over Dear is that he doesn’t seem to have that same manic pressure that Dear has been providing us with, which has been vital in us controlling the ball more and creating more opportunity for our smaller forwards.

Once again Lewis over Gunston, Lewis is possibly a tad quicker, strong lead up Forward, but doesn’t have the nous as Gunston, who can quickly read the play and get himself into a better position.

At the moment our forward line is working well, they are playing for each other, Adding Lewis in, changes what is currently working for us. There is also no guarantee that Lewis won’t pull up sore again. I would much rather he comes back via Boxhill for him initially to build his fitness up, once he does that, I’m happy for him to come back in. Especially as we will have to manage both Gunston and Deaf at various stages.

 

[VernonSpots]

If Lewis is brought straight back in who does he replace? The 2 most likely replacements would either be Gunston or Dear.

Gunston at the moment is leading from the front, directing the players on when to go, how to go, while also being highly influential himself.

Dear is providing leads, crashing packs, taking marks but most importantly of all, is creating forward pressure with his tackling.

Lewis is a better set shot than Dear, while also providing strong hands to bring in a mark. The question I have on Lewis over Dear is that he doesn’t seem to have that same manic pressure that Dear has been providing us with, which has been vital in us controlling the ball more and creating more opportunity for our smaller forwards.

Once again Lewis over Gunston, Lewis is possibly a tad quicker, strong lead up Forward, but doesn’t have the nous as Gunston, who can quickly read the play and get himself into a better position.

At the moment our forward line is working well, they are playing for each other, Adding Lewis in, changes what is currently working for us. There is also no guarantee that Lewis won’t pull up sore again. I would much rather he comes back via Boxhill for him initially to build his fitness up, once he does that, I’m happy for him to come back in. Especially as we will have to manage both Gunston and Deaf at various stages.

Coming back via Box Hill is more than fair and don't think that is a real issue. If / when he pulls up well, he should be straight back in. There shouldn't be a question around that....unless he really spuds it up.

Let's not forget in 2023 we were a basket case unless both he and Sicily were on the field....

 

[burger09]

I don't know what we should do.

Has anyone ever said that on here before?

 

[HedgeFund]

I don't know what we should do.

Has anyone ever said that on here before?

I don’t know and frankly I’m not really qualified to comment.

 

[eldorado]

We have actually had a great run with injuries for the past 6 weeks.

At some stage soon, the injury hammer will come down and make these tough decisions for us.

 

[HawthornHawk]

I think we have pretty short memories on here, Lewis was clearly playing injured at the start of the season, when fit he is a gun, if we can get him anywhere near his best look out

 

[Yardie]

I think we have pretty short memories on here, Lewis was clearly playing injured at the start of the season, when fit he is a gun, if we can get him anywhere near his best look out

And this is the conundrum. For me, Chad has had to do time in the two's to test his body and regain form, and so should Lewis.

 

[mustang]

Lewis could break down in his very first game back, would rather this to happen at BH than the senior side and become a man down on the bench if the worst thing did happen.

 

[threesixpio]

If Lewis comes back good wtf with our tall options? Jesus I’m going to have a dearcholewisgasm any minute

 

[badgrill]

If Lewis comes back good wtf with our tall options? Jesus I’m going to have a dearcholewisgasm any minute

Chol to CHB

 

[barbster]

Has Lewis been fit at all this year? Or was he injured from round 1? His first few games were very uninspiring. I'm not juding on the injury, I'm judging on what I've seen for the last 12 months.

If he can recapture his best form, he definitely goes beyond Gunston. I'm optimistic he will, but I'm not 100% convinced.

I believe he has been carrying it all year hence the average pre season and first few rounds. Fully fit he is easily our best forward.

 

[MrBeefSeven]

When Lewis was fit before this year he was easily a top 10 possibly top 5 kpf in the league. 100% you bring him back into the 1's

 

[threesixpio]

When Lewis was fit before this year he was easily a top 10 possibly top 5 kpf in the league. 100% you bring him back into the 1's

Yep was hard getting a win without him although that was also likely because we had no one else worth bothering about

 

[Mitchell Madness]

When Lewis was fit before this year he was easily a top 10 possibly top 5 kpf in the league. 100% you bring him back into the 1's

When has he ever had a sustained run at it? He breaks down every time he starts to get continuity, and it's never the same injury

 

[VandoHawk]

Yep was hard getting a win without him although that was also likely because we had no one else worth bothering about

Chol and Dear >>>>>>>> Kosi & Greene (with respect to the latter).

 

[MrBeefSeven]

When has he ever had a sustained run at it? He breaks down every time he starts to get continuity, and it's never the same injury

30 games over 2022-23 averaging over 2.4 goals, 5 marks, 6 SI's per game. Would be #1 or 2 for all of those among our forwards this year.

What good would it do for us or for him to have him in the ressies? If he is fit enough to play he gets a game.

 

[H00t]

30 games over 2022-23 averaging over 2.4 goals, 5 marks, 6 SI's per game. Would be #1 or 2 for all of those among our forwards this year.

What good would it do for us or for him to have him in the ressies? If he is fit enough to play he gets a game.

It’s all about getting him ready to perform at that level again.

We saw with Day coming straight back in that it took him multiple games to get up to full fitness to run out games.

Same with Lewis last year against the dogs. He started well but tired quickly.

With finals a genuine possibility Lewis needs to be able to run out the game fully especially when we have three tall forwards all performing well.

A week or two at Box Hill to get his fitness up to standard will mean he hits the ground running.

 

[eldorado]

happy for him to have minutes at Box Hill next week, and then another solid week and a half on the track.

If all goes well, look at him for the firsts after the bye.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Lewis is a key forward that is good enough to build a side around if he's fit. I don't think he'll be playing warm up games at Box Hill

 

[MrBeefSeven]

It’s all about getting him ready to perform at that level again.

We saw with Day coming straight back in that it took him multiple games to get up to full fitness to run out games.

Same with Lewis last year against the dogs. He started well but tired quickly.

With finals a genuine possibility Lewis needs to be able to run out the game fully especially when we have three tall forwards all performing well.

A week or two at Box Hill to get his fitness up to standard will mean he hits the ground running.

Day was out since Jan and spent the better part of preseason in a moon boot. We won the second game with him back. Would you have brought Day back through the VFL? Lewis played games earlier this year (albeit seemed hampered).

Obviously want him to be fit but bloke is clearly a best 22 player. If you do care about making finals surely you'd have to pick your best team?

 

[HoldingThe Ball]

What a ride!

From Greene and Kosi to Lewis Chol and Gunston to potentially starting next season with Chol Dear and Scaife.

Has a forward line ever been so fluid over 2 seasons?

Is there now a genuine argument if Lewis continues to struggle with injury and Scaife progresses as hoped, that Lewis could be offered up for another high draft pick or a player?

I haven't a concrete opinion as yet, but the thought of Chol with 2 very young KPF's in Dear and Scaife excites the hell out of me.

For now - Lewis has to come back in for Dear.

If the forward pressure drops off, or Lewis doesn't play well - then Dear comes back in, because Lewis will no longer be an automatic starter if playing poorly.