With Hawthorn on a bye this week, Robert Harvey has given his insight on how he thinks each Hawk midfielder has performed throughout the 2022 season so far.  

Harry Morrison  

“Harry has been really consistent, playing predominantly on the wing and a little bit off half-back. He has been really strong with the structural side of things on the wing, and has been a real leader for the midfield group. As a player that has been around the system for a couple of years, we’re seeing his game develop really well. His ball-use has been really strong, his ability to make decisions, his tackles and contest work are also both impressive. We’ve been really pleased with his consistency this year.” 

Tom Mitchell  

“Tommy had a bit of a slower start, getting his bearings early on. As he continues to build into the season, we’re starting to see his strengths shine. When he plays a strong inside game, it is at an elite level. We’re working hard on that with him, and I think he’s getting better. I think we’ll see the best of him in the second half of the year.” 

James Worpel  

“James has been probably below his best this year. He’s been back to the VFL recently, where he has found his form and looks confident again. So, we’re just trying to get his inside game back to display his weapons. His inside game and clearance work is where it starts, and we’re getting that back. His confidence has really started to build over the last few weeks, so we expect to see the best of him in the second half of the year.” 

Ben McEvoy 

“Ben has had the neck injury since Round 2, so we’re hoping that we see him later in the season. But he has been really good with his leadership around the place, staying connected with the players. Being really invested and engaged while he has been injured has been a real strong suit. He works really hard in the gym to stay fit, he has been a real great role model for the young players – he hasn’t dropped the ball at all there, he has been fantastic.” 

Jaeger O’Meara   

“Jaeger had a slow-ish start probably for his standards, but we’ve seen the real best of him in the last month. His ability to get to contests has been really strong, he’s obviously really elite inside. But also his ability to burst away and spread – we’ve seen that more in the last few weeks. We’re now starting to see his impact outside the contest as well as inside the contest. His leadership is an area he really wants to continue to work on, and he has been a strong leader for our midfield group. He has been role-modelling the behaviours that we’re after, but he’s also been strong around his demand of getting the best out of his teammates too.” 

Conor Nash   

“Nashy moved into the midfield late last year and we’re seeing a really strong progression with his game. What we’re finding with Conor is that he makes others better, he does a lot of stuff inside the contest and outside it that people wouldn’t see. His ability to put pressure on the opposition is one of our best in the midfield group. He has built his run and spread, and his cover for others is really strong. He’s very trusted by his teammates.” 

Max Lynch  

“Max has had a really tough run. He’s had a couple of head knocks this year which has been disappointing for him, but he’s working really hard to get back. We expect to see him back in action in the second half of the season. His game was coming along really well as a ruckman. Obviously with Ben out, and Ned out for a while, that gave him the opportunity. He’s got some areas of his ruck craft that he needs to work on, but hopefully he’ll be back and gets himself in that right headspace after the bye.” 

Tom Phillips  

“Tommy was just coming to the fore with us before he got injured. He has since been out for a lengthy period, but he is due back soon. He was really fit before he went out, he was tackling really well, and his inside game was good too. I expect to see a real spike from Tommy in the second half of the season when he comes back after the bye.” 

Josh Ward  

“Josh is another one who has faced an interrupted start to the season, he is a first-year draftee and came pretty much straight into our team. His fitness and work rate to get to the contest really stood out. I think coming in straight in with the ‘big boys’ was really good for him and a real learning curve. But he then got a head knock himself and missed a game with an injury as well. He’s due back after the bye also. We’re excited for the future with Josh and where he can take us. He’s one of the future guys for our midfield group, and we’re really happy with where he’s at.” 

Liam Shiels  

“Liam is the ultimate teammate for our group, he is a very trusted and loved member of the group. He’s played many roles for us this year, including being back in the VFL. He’s played in the midfield, forward and a little bit of wing. But if there is a role to do – like he did against Lachie Neale – when we need a role done, we often turn to Liam. He’s working really hard on his game – even at this age – to keep getting better.” 

Finn Maginness  

“Finn came in early in the season, and his work rate stood out. We played him on the wing, so he’s learning all the craft that comes with that. He’s a good, self-driven athlete that we think has a great future. He’s gone back to the VFL to learn more and keep improving aspects of his game. We expect to see the best of him in the second half of the season.” 

Ned Reeves  

“Ned was really starting to blossom before he got injured with his shoulder. We saw great signs of his ruck craft getting better and improving. Now that he’s back from injury, I think he’ll make us better. He has played two games since and he’s only going to get stronger for us in the second half of the season. He’s an exciting young ruckman who is learning his craft, and as he builds a strong body around his frame now, he’s going to become even better.” 

Jai Newcombe  

“Jai has been an exciting player for us. He’s a very, very self-driven athlete that only wants to get better. You always look for self-driven athletes and he is the type of guy that drives his own ship. He comes in first every week to get his tape done. He’s very receptive to feedback too, he only wants to keep improving and that’s the best thing to have in a player. We’re seeing great signs of him balancing his game from inside to outside and he just works so hard to get to contest and we love that. And when he gets there, he just plays with such instinct, he just lets himself go. We love what he is bringing to the side this year.” 

Ned Long 

“Ned is another first-year player that we’re really excited about. He’s a big-bodied midfielder who covers the ground extremely well for his size. He’s a super hard worker, and we were really happy with how he was tracking, but then he got injured. He has been out for the last few weeks, and we expect him back after the bye. It would be great to see him debut in the second half of the season. We’re really excited about the future with Ned, and we see him as a long-term prospect in our midfield.” 

Jack Saunders 

“Jack initially came to the club as a small forward with a lot of speed. He’s lightly framed, but really fast. We’ve been getting his development to come along on the wing at VFL-level and we’re seeing good signs there. He is learning the wing patterns and how different they are. So, he’s still learning and getting better as he gets a stronger body to go with that speed. He has got areas of his game that he’s working on as well. His graphs going up, and we’re excited where the future lays there.”