Track watch: Hawks looking to handle bevy of forward options after busy off-season
The Hawks made plenty of moves in the off-season, and although they are still a young side, they’re adamant they won’t be around to just make up the numbers, with finals well in sight.
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Hawthorn ball-winner James Worpel believes there will be some selection headaches for coach Sam Mitchell in the forward 50 with a host of new faces to choose from.
A Hawks side that ranked third-last for points per game last year added prized draftee Nick Watson, Collingwood premiership small Jack Ginnivan, key position target Mabior Chol (Gold Coast) and returning goalkicker Jack Gunston to their attack during a busy off-season.
Mitchell, who is back taking training after a serious bout of pneumonia, suddenly has a bevy of options despite forwards Jacob Koschitzke, Tyler Brockman and Brandon Ryan all joining new clubs during the trade period.
Reliable defender Blake Hardwick has also been swung forward this pre-season and was stationed there again in match simulation on Monday, showing his aerial presence with a strong contested mark at one stage.
Ginnivan also showed some good signs as a lead-up forward and was difficult to miss with his pink headband.
Worpel is excited by the forward stocks at their disposal and while he is unsure how many goalsneaks can fit in the one side, he thinks livewire Watson is right in the mix to play early.
“It’s interesting, isn’t it. I think if you asked the small forwards they probably say six of them. Good luck getting that across,” Worpel said with a laugh.
“(Watson’s) got really good foot skills as well and he reads the game really well and he’s a natural footballer, obviously he’s gone pick five in the draft for a reason. So he’s got a lot of attributes that all stand up at AFL footy.
“I think he’s hasn’t put a foot wrong and he’s training well so we’ll see how we go.
“Then you’ve got Moorey who works probably more up the ground than the other boys and (Hardwick) almost plays like a tall sometimes, you can sit him at full forward and he’ll kick you a bag of goals. Sam’s probably got a headache come selection time. But yeah, they are all looking pretty good.
“ (Chol’s) a big lad so he takes marks and he’s a beautiful kick of the footy. So the more we can get it into his hands the better we are going to be as a team and hopefully he can play a full year for us and kick us some goals.
“(Gunston’s) slotted back in nicely, it’s like he never left which is good.”
Hawks fans may be surprised to see Hardwick, with eight AFL goals to his name, in the forward arc, but his move forward was inevitable in the eyes of Worpel.
Worpel also said he was pleased to see Mitchell back taking his charges after being hospitalised in New York last month.
“I reckon (Hardwick’s) been begging Sam for however long he has been here, before that he was begging Clarko,” Worpel chuckled.
“It was no surprise to us but we loved him down back and it’s definitely a different role for him up forward but he’s looking really good. We’re excited to see what he can do.
“He’s looking really good ‘Sammy’, happy to have him back. He’s recovering well so we’re super proud of him.
“I think obviously his family probably got a bigger scare (than us), but we’re just happy he’s home and happy he’s back training.”
POINT TO PROVE
Hawthorn has hit the draft hard in recent years and last year supporters began to see the fruits of the rebuild in Mitchell’s second season at the helm.
But Worpel made it clear the young Hawks aren’t there to make up the numbers in 2024, with a rise up the ladder and finals in their sights.
And you could see it with the standards being set.
After captain James Sicily performed a double fend off on two would-be tacklers from the ‘bibs’ team, Karl Amon then waltzed his way through another defender minutes later.
A Hawks player made no secret of his disappointment.
“F---ing tackle them, make a tackle!’ a Hawks player bellowed.
The response was swift. Shortly after, a player from the ‘bibs’ side buried their opponent with a desperate rundown tackle, which was met with backslaps and support from teammates.
“I think all the Hawthorn players have a point to prove you know, we finished sixteenth on the ladder and we all want to improve and keep winning games so I think all of us got a little chip on our shoulder,” Worpel said.
“We’re definitely looking to go up the ladder, not down. But we haven’t really put a limit on anything, I think we’re going to have a red hot crack at playing finals so we’ll take each week and see how we go round one. But we’re definitely pushing for the top end of the ladder.
“The thing about our list is there’s a lot of players who have played between 50 and 100 games now so we’re all getting some more experience. We’re getting games into the young fellas and experience goes a long way in AFL footy and I think you’re gonna start seeing a lot more consistent performances from us.”
POSITION SWITCHES
SuperCoach players, keep Amon on your radar.
It wasn’t a full-ground hitout in match simulation on Monday out at Deakin University Geelong, part of Hawthorn’s high performance camp in Torquay this week, but Amon was setting up play out of defence throughout with his trusty left boot – just as he did in the final month of last year.
He scored three SuperCoach tons and averaged 27 disposals and 107 points in four games in the role, and he shapes as a point-of-difference option to consider.
His switch from the wing to halfback has opened the door for Changkuoth Jiath to move up the ground. The athletic 24-year-old was unsighted after round nine due to persistent hamstring troubles.
After returning from a trip to Qatar in December, Jiath is at full tilt and caught the eye during stoppage drills with the midfield group as he continues his new role as a wingman.
Youngsters Henry Hustwaite and Cameron Mackenzie also impressed at stages with their poise and agility in traffic during match simulation.
Worpel flagged these two young midfielders and Josh Ward as the players who can fill the midfield void if Will Day continues to be sidelined with his foot injury.
“Unfortunately ‘Daysie’ has gone down with a foot injury but yeah it gives the likes of Henry Hustwaite, Mackenzie, Ward to step up and fill his shoes. But yeah it is anyone’s spot at the moment so it’s exciting for those young fellas,” Worpel said.
“ (Jiath is) same draft as me, so gone through a bit of footy with him and he’s coming up on a wing role which is really good, use his speed and his skills out there. Hopefully he stays injury free and can get some continuity in his body.”
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