2021 Team Preview – Hawthorn

No Premos in the top six, and only one as an upgrade.
Where are the Hawks at? See what Thommo has to say.

 

First we need to address the elephant in the room.

No, that is not a Jonathon Patton joke.

I am referring to the mess that has become of Hawthorn’s list. The Hawks have lost multiple experienced players to retirement and to trades,  they have lost Clarko’s right-hand man, Graham Wright, to the Systematic Racism club, they have suffered injuries and interrupted preseasons to key players and there have been unsettling reports of inappropriate photography.

Hawthorn players don’t generally retire in early February and nor do they ask to be traded to bloody Geelong.

Things are stinky at Glenferrie oval and not just the players’ SnapChat accounts.

So where does this leave us in Supercoach terms?

It leaves us with some high-risk mid-price options, a few possible rookies and a possible premium upgrade target.

The Hawks are just not that relevant in Supercoach in 2021!

DEFENDERS

Lock and Load: Nothing here. James Sicily will be cheap in 2022 though!

Feeling Lucky:  There has been plenty of talk about Jack Scrimshaw (Def, $399,600) as a cheap defensive option given Sicily is out, mostly due to his finish to 2020. After Sicily’s injury, Scrimshaw averaged 85.5ppg with a high score of 118 points against Adelaide. While that is an improvement on his average, it is only 10 points up on his average, and given the Hawks will have a complete defensive restructure in 2021, it will take a very courageous coach to start Scrimshaw over a rookie or a much cheaper mid-pricer.

While Damon Greaves (Def, $389,700) only played three matches in 2020 after his round 16 debut, they were impressive.  The nuggety red-head was not afraid to throw his body into packs in defence and he proved adept at finding the pill. Despite the short quarters he averaged 17 possessions and 6 marks which culminated in a healthy SC average 91 points per match. At age 21 in April, he has a mature body and seems very likely to hold his position given the retirements and that Sicily is out for the season.

He is an awkward price but Greaves should have a decent early price rise given he is priced at just 73 to start 2021. That said, there are likely cheaper options available in defence in 2021!

Will Day (Def, $384,400) is one of those, “footy smarts” type of players. He doesn’t have the impressive physique of his cousin Sam, but his slender frame is loaded with considerably more talent. When this kid gets some size about him, he could be anything.

Does that mean you should select him in Supercoach given he is priced at his average of 72ppg?

No, I just needed a few other players to write about! He’s too high a risk at that price, but don’t be surprised if he pushes his average comfortably into the 80s.

 Money Makers:

Daniel Howe (Def/Mid, $280,500) gets cheaper every year as he struggles to cement his spot in the team after recurrent injury woes. He has struggled to push his average over 75ppg in his career because his role has fluctuated from a back flanker to a midfield tagger to an outside midfielder but he has had short patches of good form where he has averaged 90+ppg. Given he is priced at just 58ppg, he could be a useful pick-up if rookies are scarce but he’ll never be a keeper!

Selected with pick 6 in 2020,  Denver Grainger-Barras (Def, $184,800) is the first top 10 selection for the Hawks since Mitch Thorpe in 2006. Sam Mitchell recently called him green but likened him to James Sicily, handy given Sicily’s absence. Denver still appears pretty skinny but he did play every game for the Swan Districts seniors last year so he should cope with the rigours of senior footy. In addition, he is a good intercept mark and can play tall and short so expect him to play a lot of games early this season.

MIDFIELDERS

Lock and Load: Again, nope! Tom Mitchell (Mid, $610,000) got his mojo back in the latter half of 2020 after his nasty broken leg but he has had off-season shoulder surgery and is in doubt to play Round 1. I hate to say it, but he is an upgrade target only.

Feeling lucky:  After an enormous second year in 2019 where he averaged 97ppg in the absence of Tom Mitchell, James Worpel (Mid, $474,200) was unfairly judged in 2020. As a 21-year-old playing an inside midfield role in just his third season, he was always likely to struggle to maintain his scoring when joined again by Tom Mitchell. He often seemed frustrated with Mitchell as they struggled to find a working relationship around the ball and his disposal numbers dropped from 27 to 23 (adjusted for short quarters) and his SC average dropped to 88ppg.

Now 22 and entering his fourth season, Worpel has all the hallmarks of a breakout contender but you’ll need courage to take the leap!

 Money Maker:  The wraps on Finn Maginness (Mid $195,600) were huge heading into the 2020 season but unfortunately he only played the one match in round 17 where he gathered 10 possessions, 5 tackles and 52 SC ppg. From what I have seen, he has hit the gym and looks even bigger now than he did last season and looks ready to take some inside-midfield time. Considering Tom Mitchell’s shoulder surgery and Jaegar O’Meara’s injury history, he is likely to play games early in 2021.

The Hawks are not big on giving games to draftees, but the Hawks have one wingman and two wings so Connor Downie (Mid, $117,300) is a chance to play Round 1. A product of the Hawks’ Next Generation Academy, Downie is known for his run-and-carry and his penetrating left foot so he is perfect to fill the role.

RUCKS

Lock and Load: He might be the new team captain, but that doesn’t mean you should choose Ben McEvoy for your Supercoach team! Every now and then he will play as the ruck and pump out a big score, but he will also spend time in defence and score some 30s and 40s! Stay away!

Feeling Lucky: At some stage, the Hawks will have to play Ned Reeves (Ruck, $123,900). McEvoy and Ceglar are both over 30 (Ceg turns 30 before the season starts) and Keegan Brooksby ($206,900)  seems to be a back-up option only so surely Clarko will need to blood the 22-year-old Reeves sooner rather than later. Watch him closely in the one preseason match we get.

FORWARDS

Feeling Lucky:  With the departure of Isaac Smith and retirement of Tom Scully and Ricky-Bobby Henderson, the Hawks have gone from too many wingman to just the one: Tom Phillips (For/Mid, $402,600). Now, while the Hawks are not the Supercoach team that the Pies are, Tom Phillips certainly knows how to find the ball and he has zero competition for his spot.

At Collingwood, before he fell out of favour, Phillips averaged 90ppg in 2018, with a purple patch of 106ppg between rounds 2 and 11. Priced at an average of just 75ppg, he could be a steal at the price.

Feeling lucky: Call 0424 654 666: Jon Patton is awaiting your call.

Money Maker: Mitch Lewis (For, $199,500) seems to be out of favour at Hawthorn. Despite the Hawks needing a tall forward in 2019 and Lewis playing decent footy at full-forward, the Hawks dropped Lewis based on attitude alone. Then in 2020 when the Hawks traded in Patton he received the full-forward role ahead of Lewis who again found himself in the reserves to start 2020.

Now that Patton is out of favour with the girls and the club, Lewis should have an uninterrupted run at full-forward and surely can get back to his 65-70 point average of 2019. If he plays round 1, Lewis should make some decent cash.

Priced just above the rookies, Jarman Impey (FWD, $212,800) is sure to make you some cash. His best scoring was done in 2019 as a defender before his ACL injury. On his return in 2020 he played just 5 games as a forward where he struggled to have an impact. With so many defensive retirements, he seems likely to return to the backline, but wherever he plays, he is cheap enough that you might as well just lock him in and grab some cash.

THOMMO’S TOP 6

Look, it’s not pretty, but if they appear in the pre-season, they are:

1. Jarman Impey
2. Denver Grainger-Barras
3. Finn Maginness
4. Connor Downie
5. Lewis Mitchell
6. Tom Phillips

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