AFL games: 11
Disposals per game: 15.4
Inside 50s: 3        
Ground ball gets: 6.7

Season summary:

Worpel worked hard to battle through form and injury hurdles to play almost a dozen games in the brown in gold during season 2022.

The 23-year-old continued to provide the Hawks some much needed grunt through the midfield as he averaged almost seven ground ball gets per game.

Sadly, after returning to senior side in Round 15, his season was cut short just a week later after suffering a dislocated shoulder.

After undergoing surgery, Worpel will be primed for a big pre-season.

Best AFL game:

Worpel’s strongest performance was against Melbourne in Round 7 where he collected 26 disposals, with 14 of those contested. He ended the match with a solid 468 meters gained, along with a goal, as the Hawks were defeated by the Demons.

How the coaches saw him:

“It was a tough year for James in the fact that he probably struggled to get going early in the season. He spent some time at Box Hill where he found his form - he was just starting to get his form back - but then he hurt his shoulder. It was a disappointing and challenging year for him both early with his form and with his injury later. While on the sidelines he remained very heavily engaged and involved with the midfielders, helping them out with the structural side of things and opposition analysis. He was up in the coaches box a bit as well, he remained a really strong leader while he was out. He'll be looking to get himself cherry ripe for the pre-season and improve next year." – Robert Harvey