AFL games: 9
Disposals per game: 7.4
Spoils: 5.2
Tackles: 1.6

Season summary:

After joining the Hawks through the mid-season draft, Blanck burst his way into the senior side in Round 15 for his AFL debut.

The young key-position defender was immediately tasked with the tough jobs of shutting down some of the competition’s best forwards.

Standing at 196cm tall, Blanck showed a strong ability to compete through the air, both to defend and intercept mark.

Having only been drafted during the year, Blanck remains a very raw talent and will be one to watch over coming season.

Best AFL game:

Blank put in his best performance in his debut year in Round 22 when the Hawks tackled the Tigers at the MCG. In a disappointing loss, he was a shining light as he recorded 11 possessions, including seven intercepts, four spoils and five tackles.

How the coaches saw him:

“Blancky managed to play nine AFL games after being drafted in the mid-season draft and coming in from Box Hill, which is a great result for him. He had some exposure playing on the competition’s best key forwards and has shown his capability to defend and intercept. Since his debut, he slotted right in and never looked out of place. There was a lot of learnings for him in the back half of the year. We’re excited for what he can produce next year after he gets his first full AFL pre-season under his belt.” – Chris Newman