Hawthorn midfielder Harry Morrison on his difficult journey to 100 games

It’s one of the toughest conversations in footy — and one Harry Morrison knows all too well. He opens up to JOSH BARNES about the yo-yo life on the fringes of Hawthorn’s team.

Harry Morrison. Picture: Getty Images

It’s a conversation Harry Morrison has sat through too many times.

Seemingly forever on the fringe of selection at the Hawks, Morrison has been told he wasn’t required this week more than his fair share.

He has been dropped three times this season alone, played nine VFL games this year and sat through four weekends without footy.

The adaptable midfielder was omitted twice last year and played eight games with Box Hill.

Harry Morrison gets around the fans. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos

But each time he has taken stock and tried to find a way back into Sam Mitchell’s side, having notched his 100th game on Sunday, eight years after his debut.

“It is tough, it is tough. I have had to find a fair bit of resilience over the years,” he said.

“I have been told it is not your week this week a few times. At the end of the day, you just have to control what you can control and that is just playing good footy.

“I feel like I do that most of the time and come game day, I just want to be a reliable teammate to play with.”

Morrison said those dreaded conversations with Mitchell are clear cut and he walks away knowing what he needs to do to get back in the team.

“He is good, he is very honest which is very good,” Morrison said.

“Very transparent in his thoughts so you know where you are at as a footballer and what you need to work on.”

Morrison counts himself as “a footballer first not an athlete” and so has to study the game to find himself in the right spots on field.

The mental side of the game is never easy when you are trying not to look over your shoulder each game.

“It is hard to sort of play sometimes when you know next week is on the line,” he said.

“But in saying that, you just have to compartmentalise and put that to the side and focus on the task, which is playing good footy.

“I feel like there is always pressure on guys like me to perform. There are probably 6-7 blokes playing at Box Hill right now that could be in the side as well. We have a healthy list, we are playing well and spots are up for grabs each week.”

A Hawk on the move. Picture: Michael Klein

Morrison is one of seven surviving Hawks – alongside Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Blake Hardwick, Jarman Impey, Conor Nash, James Sicily and James Worpel – that played in the club’s last final in 2018.

Drafted at No.74 in 2016 just as the club’s giant premiership window was closing, he chose not to wonder whether he arrived at the wrong time.

“You can look at it that way but me coming into the footy club at that time, I had some pretty incredible mentors, leaders,” he said.

While he didn’t quite see this dramatic upswing coming when the Hawks were 0-5 to start this season Morrison “knew we had it in us”.

Having stuck around, the Hawthorn survivor is now hopeful of holding his spot if the Hawks make it back into September.

Originally published as Hawthorn midfielder Harry Morrison on his difficult journey to 100 games