Our bumper mid-season review

So how are the Hawks travelling?

Bye round. Yawn.

Why not check out our mid-season review - our thoughts on everything 2021 to date, including the highs, the lows and how each player is faring.

Summary:

It has been a season of honesty and a season of truth. Finally the shackles have been broken and we have been able to admit where we are at as a club and as a playing group. The reality has well and truly sunk in - we are at the start of what will be a long, long rebuilding phase. It took Clarko longer than he should have, but he’s on board now. Operation “Next Piece of Silverware.”

And that is OKAY.

Because now we have admitted it, we can assess each area of our club with an eye to the future. Look at where we are heading, assess who we have, what we need, how we will get there.

That has been the story of 2021, and sets the tone for the second half of the year and beyond.

🙌  Highlights:

Ned Reeves: He is tall. He can play. And more often than not gets first hands to the footy in a ruck contest. It augurs well for the young kid and for our group moving forward that we have a monster who can take over from the likes of Ben McEvoy, Jon Ceglar and Keegan Brooksby - our other listed rucks. Exciting times where hit-outs to advantage will be one of the stats we look up on a weekly basis - two games in, and already high (211cm worth) hopes.

High hopes.

Jars is Back: It’s easy to forget that Jarman Impey was flying in 2019 before doing his knee in round 18. Despite missing the last quarter of that season he still finished sixth in the Peter Crimmins Medal. He played five games in the abridged form of the game in 2020, but has enjoyed the new rule in place where the man on the mark must stay stationary. Has meant his running off half-back has been a highlight of 2021 so far.

Kids playing games: Regardless of quality (they are still finding their feet), we have managed to get matches into a lot of young players on our list. Brocky, Morris, Kosi, Lewis, Reeves, Greaves, Cousins, Maginness, Morrison, Hanrahan to name a few, all getting valuable on-field minutes.

👎 Lowlights:

Pre-season dramas: First it was Tom Scully, and then it was Jon Patton. Both players were embroiled in their own off-field dramas that subsequently led to their retirements from footy. Very un-Hawthorn-like, but in a positive twist that’s forced us to continue the regeneration.

Losing to North Melbourne: It is widely acknowledged that we are mud. But having watched a lot of footy this year, the Kangas are more than just mud - they are the entire swamp. They are what sits between us winning a wooden spoon or retaining some level of pride, so to lose to them was a bit of a battering to the ego.

A sorry, sorry sight versus North.

Will Day: The great brown-and-gold hope. His injury in round two against the Tigers meant we were denied the chance to continue the heaving love affair that grew and blossomed throughout 2020. It was a moment of stark realisation for the faithful that we could be in for a very, very long year ahead.

Jack Gunston: Had a bulging disk that was causing him significant discomfort in December so the decision was made to place him under the knife in the hope he would be right to go in the first few rounds of the season. That didn’t eventuate, and our only forward that knows how to lead has managed just the one game before again succumbing to injury.

Games played:

Player Review:

#1 Harry Morrison: Played the first 10 games of the season before being relegated to the medical substitute for the round 11 game against the Suns. A touch unlucky given he kicked two goals against the Blues the week prior. Has been okay in patches but has struggled to put a consistent game together. Will be interesting to see if he gets back in after the break and where he sits in our overall list rebuild. 

#2 Mitch Lewis: Incredibly, Mitch Lewis has scored in all eight matches he has played this year - four times scoring one goal, and the other four scoring a brace for 12 in total. But it is his lack of a contest, inability to clunk strong marks, and non-existent leading that has frustrated fans. Right to be given plenty of time given his age, but with McEvoy looking ever a threat up forward and Jeka and Callow waiting in the wings, he will surely be looking over his shoulder.

#3 Tom Mitchell: Second behind only Jack Macrae of the Dogs for most possessions in the competition this year. Titch has had some good patches and even been back to his 2018 form at times - like his 44-touch BOG performance against the Blues in round 10. But that has generally been sporadic, he has been racking the ball up but has been part of a midfield that has been dominated almost every week. Almost going through the motions, and will need plenty of support in the second half of the year.

#4 Jarman Impey: See highlights section above. Jars is going at 23 disposals per game and already has 43 rebounds from 50 to his name - the equal most that he has recorded in any season, and we are only halfway through. If there has been one shining light as we look ahead to the future, our young defenders as a unit have been that , and Jars is certainly at the forefront of that.

#5 James Worpel: I’m just going to say it. Worps has been disappointing this year and part of the midfield group that has been constantly criticised. He averages 20 disposals a game which is influenced by his best game of the year where he registered 33 touches against St Kilda. We know he is a key part of the future, and can cut him some slack as he is still only 22, but the trouble is how he fits into the same team as Titch and how we make it work. His tackling has been okay, but has registered 3.4 so far this season so needs to make more of an impact on the scoreboard. It’s just hard to define a Crimmins Medallist as a project player, but the reality is that he is still just that.

#7 Ben McEvoy: Our second ruckman. Look perhaps that’s a bit harsh - he has actually had an okay season and played a very important role providing a big body and leadership in the middle of the ground. However, with the emergence of Ned Reeves, and Big Boy’s two-goal effort against the Suns, it is clear that his best footy now may be up in the forward line - where on current evidence, he would be our most functional key forward (sad but true). Also shown up in terms of hitouts and hitouts to advantage compared to Reeves in his two matches, so thought needs to be given to ruck department functionality. Could be an important part of the next few years up forward as a big marking body, while giving Reeves a chop out in the ruck late in quarters.

Big Boy shows his class up forward.

#8 Sam Frost: Heart? Tick. Run? Tick. Dash? Tick. Carry? Tick. Turnovers? Tick? Frustrating? Tick, tick, tick. Frosty has worked hard through the first half of 2021, and no one could ever accuse him of not trying his best and wearing his heart on his sleeve. However the frustration has intensified as the number of errors he makes by foot continues to grow. They are usually so bad that they become all too obvious, and often result in direct turnovers in dangerous areas. Clearly we have a lack of key hardened bodied defenders, so for now he is untouchable. But our golden eras have been built of the back of precision foot skills, and that is something Frost will never possess.

#9 Shaun Burgoyne: Has managed seven games in 2021 averaging just under 12 touches per game. It is not the Burger we know, and as sad as it is to say, age has caught up with our battle-hardened warrior. With only four more games until he reaches the big 400, we feel like the right thing to do will have an almighty celebration when the milestone is reached, before letting him ride off quietly into the sunset.

#10 Jaeger O'Meara: Forgive your writer for having a sense of sadness writing about Jaeger’s season to date. Because in 2021 through the first six rounds of the season, we got to witness a Jaeger not yet seen in the brown and gold - the contested ball bull which we have been crying out for the past half decade.  He went at 28.5 possessions per game, and 13 contested possessions on average in those matches and increased his average clearance numbers from five (previous Hawthorn average) to eight. But he went missing against North, was ineffectual against Carlton, before succumbing to a hospital pass from Titch, concussing him and leaving him out of round 11. Which Jaeger will we see in the back-half of the year?

#11 Conor Nash: One game for the year, when our Irishman had five touches, three marks and one tackle. Seems to go okay at Box Hill, but surely the experiment is over - not expecting much more in the second half of the year than we got in the first half.

#12 Will Day: If we were writing a horror story script at the start of the year for how bad our season could be, this surely would have been written in. Our best young footballer hobbled off the ground in round two against the Tigers, as Hawks fans near and wide gasped in anguish at the sight. Ensuing surgery on his ankle meant that Day has not been a major part in the first half of the year, and he was immediately tagged ‘indefinite’ on the injury list. The good news is that in recent weeks he has been recovering well, and he should be available post-bye which will be a welcome breath of fresh air into the second half of the season.

Not great news.

#13 Ollie Hanrahan: Another player who has finally been given a string of games in the seniors, without much to show for it. After playing in the opening two rounds of the season Ollie slipped out of the senior until round five, before a five game stretch where he kicked five goals. He was dropped for the round 11 game against the Suns, and the back-half of 2021 will be critical for him to stake his chances to stay on our list long-term.

#14 Jack Scrimshaw: What a season the former first round pick is having. He was underdone leading into the start of the year missing round one, before being activated as the sub for Will Day in round two. Since then he has played every game going at 21 touches and six marks on average, and being one of our most consistent players all season. Finally stringing games together and putting some of the injury doubts to bed - forever being compared to Grant Birchall, and for great reason. A more apt comparison might be to Ryan Burton and it says here he is a better footballer.

#15 Blake Hardwick - Finished second in the 2018 PCM, and wouldn’t be surprised if he is currently at the pointy end at the halfway point of the season. Having a stellar year going at nearly 24 touches a game, and ranked above average in 9 of the 12 disposal player rating variables by the AFL. Seven rebounds per game, over 82% disposal efficiency, and our trusty user when it comes to kick-ins. Criminally underrated by fans of opposition fans, Hardwick has again proven based on his 2021 performances he is worth of wearing Luke Hodge’s #15.

Relevant. Social. Media.

#17 Daniel Howe: How has his season been? It has just been. Played in eight of 11 matches (excluding the non-playing game as a sub in round nine) and has been going at less than 20 touches per game. His value has been in the fact that he is a genuine utility - can play in the middle, down back or up forward as required - it’s just that there is no position where he excels. Another fringe player that is on borrowed time to prove his worth ahead of the major culling over the next two years. Just hasn’t shown enough in the opening 11 rounds.

#18 Jonathon Ceglar: Cegs managed the first four games of the season before being sent back to Box Hill, where he injured his ankle that set him back another few weeks. He hardly set the world on fire in the first four games he played, and had minimal impact up forward as the rotating ruck/forward with Big Boy. It is hard to see how he will get another game in the seniors (excluding due to other injuries), with the Reeves/McEvoy combination preferred for now. Was lucky to get his three-year deal at the start of 2020, and will surely be looking for another club to continue his career at the end of the season.

#19 Jack Gunston: Disappointing as noted above. Gunston has only managed the one game this season, which in hindsight he was rushed back in for and should never have played. At his age with his injury it’s perfectly natural to wonder if we have seen the best of him, and given the list at the moment, if we should have facilitated the off-season trade mooted at the end of last year. Hard to write - hard to comprehend. Hopefully he will be back for some much needed forward line leadership in the coming weeks.

#20 Chad Wingard: Another tough player to gauge, but Chad has played decent football throughout this season. Has registered 20 touches in six of his eight games played after a pre-season injury (sound familiar?) kept him out of the opening two rounds of the year. Has looked fantastic when put into the midfield to assist getting the ball forward, but you can’t help but feel that his output would look so much better if it was in a good team.

#21 Tom Phillips: Disappointing start to his life in the brown and gold having come into the year with high hopes as our star recruit. With no Mitchell or O’Meara in the pre-season game against the Bulldogs, Phillips starred in the middle and that boosted hopes of the type of player we had on the books. Has averaged less than 20 disposals per game - nowhere near the 24 he averaged on a wing for the Pies in 2019, and again has made key mistakes with his disposal that have contributed to our ball use frustrations. Hoping to see some improvement over the coming rounds.

Which do you prefer?

#22 Luke Breust: 18 goals from 11 matches this season has Punky sitting as our leading goalkicker. He has frustrated some at times, but his leadership is still evident and class is permanent. An important part of teaching the likes of Brocky, Moore, Hanrahan and Josh Morris their roles as the small forward and if he hits the 40 goal-mark for the season it would be a huge result.

#23 Tim O'Brien: Depends who you ask, but when is enough enough? Averages 3.5 marks a game through his nine matches in 2021 - he averages 9.5* dropped marks a game for the year. Frustrating. Has been given many opportunities up forward, down back, and even as a pinch hitter in the ruck. But has failed to make any impact in the games played this season - as is the case in his 87 career games. Prefer the likes of Callow, Jeka and even Mitch Lewis throughout the remainder of 2021 as TOB is not part of the way forward.

*Figure may be made up.

Not quite…

#24 James Cousins: Into the team in round six, his six-game stretch from rounds six to 11 has equalled his longest run of senior matches since he started at the club. In his past five games has averaged more than 22 possessions per game, but uncertainty exists as to his position and role in the team. With Jai Newcombe now on the scene and Lachie Bramble coming back from injury, it’s hard to read where Cousins is at, and despite looking good at times would just like to see him take his game to the next level.

#26 Liam Shiels: You know what you get with Liam Shiels and this season has been no different. A mid 20-touch, half a dozen tackle game is what he usually cooks up and he continues to be incredibly consistent. However, with our one dimensional midfield being dominated and called out each week, Shiels’ value to the team must be questioned. Would like to see him become more damaging on the scoreboard, perhaps rotated through half-forward.

#27 Michael Hartley: Three matches this season including round four against Freo when he had 26 disposals and kicked a goal before being dropped the next week. Two more games in rounds eight and nine, but here’s a measure of where he sits - despite Kyle Hartigan’s suspension in round 11, he could not make it as a direct key defender replacement for our full-back. Can’t help but feel it was his last real shot at getting a crack in this team. Has never played in a winning Hawthorn team.

#28 Kyle Hartigan: Much maligned at times, but the fact of the matter is he is the ONLY player that we have that can handle the big gorillas. Frawley to Hartigan was effectively a straight swap for a player three years younger, and he’s done a serviceable job. He is in the top handful of defenders in contested one-on-one situations which is just as much a reflection on the team than himself as an individual. Has the odd turnover and is never totally assured by foot, but again has performed his role with a minimum of fuss on the big units of the opposition. Let himself and the team down by getting himself suspended for three weeks.

Why.

#29 Changkuoth Jiath: Lit up the competition in the opening rounds of the 2021 season, with 22, 25, 23 and 24 touches in the first four rounds. Like Jars, another player benefiting from the man-on-the-mark rule, and his speed off the half back line (and his intercept marking) looked incredible. However, inconsistency set in, and slowly his output and influence has waned. The big knock coming into the season was his disposal and tendency to make poor decisions which he seemed to have addressed through the opening few rounds. But like Sam Frost, his mistakes by foot have become glaring and have contributed to the inept brand of footy we have been seeing. A fan favourite, and still very much a project player.

#30 Damon Greaves: After a fantastic run home over the final three rounds in 2020, it was unfortunate that Greaves could not crack a game in the seniors until round 10 (he was the unused medical sub in round seven). He has been okay without being exceptional in the two games he has played, and should definitely be part of our core group getting games into them over the second part of the year.

# 32 Finn Maginness: Only two games so far in 2021 - round three when he came on as the medical sub replacing Shaun Burgoyne, and in round three when he played against the Saints at Marvel. He actually did a pretty good job head-to-head against Jack Steele in the first half, and found a bit of it in the second. But that was the last we saw of him and he continues to frustrate given how enamoured fans have been since he arrived at the club.

#34 Jacob Koschitzke: One of the good news stories of the season, Kosi has managed 10 matches and averages four marks per game. He has scored 12.10 for the season so is getting plenty of opportunities in front of goal, and will get better as he learns set-ups, leading patterns and the like. Second efforts are generally good, and is clearly a player that we will be putting plenty more development into.

#35 Josh Morris: Twice an unused medical sub, Morris finally got a chance in the final game before the bye. He had little impact with only three touches for the match, and is still very much a project player.

#36 Dylan Moore: Has been one of our improvers of the season so far - finally given an opportunity off the back of his vote-winning round 18 game against the Gold Coast in 2021. Funnily enough his best game of the year came in round 11 also against the Suns, where he managed eight marks, had 18 disposals (16 of which were effective), had a team-high eight score involvements and kicked two goals as well. Has kicked 13 goals in 11 matches, and has been impressive playing deep but also pushing up high at half forward. Should play every game this year and at nearly 22 years of age shapes as another player that will form part of our rebuild.

#37 Ned Reeves: See our most recent player review from his second career match - the round 11 game against the Suns: “The shining light on an otherwise dreary night. Reeves backed-up his outstanding debut with an even better performance second time around. Was given a fair bit of time in the ruck with McEvoy deployed forward, and showed that he already has so much ruck-craft ability which is clearly something to get excited about. Kicked his first goal in league footy after taking a strong contested grab in the forward line and kicking truly.” Must play the rest of the season, a genuine highlight of 2021 thus far.

#39 Emerson Jeka: Came into the team after a rich vein of form for Box Hill, playing two games for the Hawks across rounds seven and eight. Managed four marks and ten touches combined across the two games, so failed to make any sort of an impact. Plenty of time though - he’s young and is definitely part of our rebuild moving forward.

#42 Tyler Brockman: Played the first four matches of the season in which he kicked two goals, and was definitely a player who excited fans in the early part of the year. Has struggled to get a look in since, with Hanrahan and even Morris preferred in the small forward role after the latter strung together a couple of strong performances at Box Hill. If Brocky ends up with 10 games under his belt in his opening year it will be considered a good season and launching pad for 2022 and beyond.

Brocky shows his class at Box Hill

Follow Hawks Insiders on Twitter and Facebook.