Wild about Harry
Not everyone can be a star, but everyone can be a star in their role, and that is exactly what Harry Morrison has done for the past 99 games
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As Harry Morrison suits up for game 100, HI contributor and avid Morrison enthusiast Andrew Johnston tells us exactly why he is wild about Harry.
There is something loveable about the fringe player, especially the fringe guy who feels like they belong when they are there.
The guy who could get a game if he was somewhere else, but stays put, continues to contribute at VFL and seemingly always takes the chance when they are in the ones.
I love Harry Morrison.
If you follow me on X, listen to the HI Safe Spaces or read here on the Substack, you will be aware that I think incredibly highly of him.
You may not know why.
In the 2019 pre-season, an announcement was made. Hawthorn were un-retiring the number one jumper. In 2011, the club had retired the number and dedicated it the fans, but now it was coming back into circulation. Clarko had made the call to hand it to Harry Morrison.
If you didn’t know, Harry is the godson of Hawthorn premiership player and later coach Ken Judge. Ken was just 58 when he died of cancer — close to two years before Harry would debut for the club.
After playing one game in 2017, and playing 21 in 2018, Clarko saw Harry as a piece of the club’s future, and in his desire to continue to honour the club’s history, he asked Harry if he wanted Ken’s old number.
At the time, I was working in a newspaper in Northern Victoria, and occasionally wrote for the Benalla Ensign, which covers Harry’s home town.
I thought this would be a perfect front page story, so after getting his number through some local footy circles, I set up an interview with Harry.
We talked about Ken’s influence on his life, how much it meant to play in brown and gold, how Luke Hodge helped him grow, and Kokoda.
What was apparent very quickly was his desire to contribute to Hawthorn long term. He didn’t want to be flash in the pan, he wanted to be someone who made the club better.
We put the article, along with the photo of Harry with the number one jumper on the front page, and I started to follow his development as a player.
It may be a bit of fun on X, and I’m usually the one who gets tagged in the Harry tweets, or cops the ribbing from fellow Insiders team members, but I’m fine with that. He’s earned the love for mine.
We’ve all seen players who have been stuck in the middle. The guy who is too good for the VFL, but just falls short of being AFL talent.
That’s not Harry.
There is a reason we are on the verge of 100 games. He’s a player who whenever he’s in the 22, he performs. You can throw him into any spot, he doesn’t feel out of place.
At the end of 2022, a year he played 21 of 22 games, we were talking about him as our best 22 on the wing. Then an injury hit, and players moved in front of him. That’s seemingly been a story for Harry.
When he’s in the team, he looks like he belongs. He gets the footy, he uses well (his DE% is usually pretty high), he can slot into a rebound role if you need, but he can also kick goals if they need him to go forward (25 goals in 99 games may not be a lot, but that’s not a bad stat).
Versatility can sometimes be a curse. It’s why we’ve seen him in the sub role regularly and coming out of the team after a few games because he hasn’t slotted in perfectly.
He goes back to VFL level and gives you a performance that reminds you he had the ability, and when he comes back in, he usually performs (check the weekend against Carlton.)
Not everyone is the star of the side. Not everyone is the player you notice the most, who shows flash and skill and makes you take notice. Sometimes the player you’re looking for just does his job. Reliability isn’t a bad thing in footy.
Harry Morrison has earned every one of 100 games. He’s been someone this club has turned to when they need him, and has delivered as needed.
Back in the Clarkson days, we often heard about “next man up”.
When someone came out of the team, you looked at the next guy and expected him to deliver.
Harry Morrison is exactly what you want when that next man is needed.
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Role players allow your stars to shine. 👏👏
Ever reliable, never nervous when he has the footy.