We caught up with Assistant Coach Kade Simpson to get his take on every Hawks defender's 2023 campaign after his first season in the role.

James Sicily

“I think Sis solidified himself as the best intercept defender in the game – he was recognised in the All Australian team for his first time. He played 19 games this season, and the opposition regularly had to send someone to him or try and shut him down, but to his credit he was still able to have an impact. When he played well, we were always a chance of winning. There were a few games this year where he produced some of the best individual performances I’ve ever witnessed. The St Kilda game (43 disposals), the Collingwood game (37 disposals), the Brisbane game (32 disposals) to name a few. He had a really, really impressive season. Also being in his first year as captain as well, to still be able to perform under the pressures of being captain is a real credit to himself.”

Jarman Impey

“Jars had a really consistent season, he played every game except one and averaged a career-high in disposals. He provided plenty of run and attack from our back half, he was always linking up with the midfielders, getting handball receives and driving the ball into our forwards. I also loved his speed to shut down an opposition option and get a turnover for us was a big highlight throughout the season. His leadership is really underestimated. He shows a lot of care, he plays the right way. He is the one to lead through his actions a lot of the time.”

Karl Amon

“Karl moved down back just after the half-way point of the season. He was really good at setting us up behind the ball, almost like a bit of a quarter back. When he got the ball, we looked better as a team as he usually does something really good with it. He found plenty of the footy, while providing plenty of run and drive from half back. His left foot is a real weapon for us. Multiple times when he’s kicking the ball inside 50, it usually results in a mark and a shot at goal for us. I think he adapted to the role really well, having never played back before. We’re looking forward to him doing a pre-season with the defenders and continuing to grow and improve down back.”

Blake Hardwick

“Dimma had another really consistent year, he played every game and regularly had jobs on the best medium to small forwards and rarely lost a contest. Dimma’s biggest strength is that he makes everyone else around him a better player. He is so good in the contest, great with his voice and setting everyone else up.”

Sam Frost

“Frosty had a bit of an up and down year, battled through injury. He still managed to play 18 games, but he wasn’t at 100 per cent body-wise a lot of the time. One thing I love about Frosty is his effort, physicality, and his willingness to try and get the job done for the team. He had a couple of stand-out performances against quality opposition, including when he played against North Melbourne’s Nick Larkey. I think both times he kept him to one goal and a handful of touches, and everyone has seen what Larkey has been capable of this season. It’s important Frosty has a big pre-season where he tries to get on top of his body, as that will hold him in good stead. We know at his best, he is a very good defender for us.”

Jack Scrimshaw

“Scrim worked really hard on his craft this year. But it probably didn’t go the way he was hoping, he was in and out of the team a little bit early. But I think we saw the benefits of the work he put in towards the backend of the season. He strung together some really consistent performances. We got to see what he can do with intercepting the ball and obviously his left foot is a weapon for him and for us. I’m looking forward to seeing Scrim continuing to work hard. I think what we saw from him in the end of the year is what we can look forward to next year. It’s important he has a really good pre-season, stays fit and healthy and then we’ll get to see the best of Scrim intercepting and setting us up with his left foot.”

James Blanck

“Blancky showed a really good year of growth and learning across his 15 games. The jobs he gets given each doesn’t get any harder, he played on the best key forward every week. I think the reason the boys love playing with him is that he is so physical, his effort is always 100 per cent. He is still so young in his career, I think he is only going to keep improving and we’ll see him get more and more confident the more he plays on those dangerous key forwards. A big off-season and he’ll keep getting stronger, getting fitter, and then honing in on his defensive craft and looking at ways he can continue to get better.”

Josh Weddle

“Josh had an outstanding first year of AFL footy. He played 17 games, he won a Rising Star nomination and played in multiple roles down back. He could play on the dangerous small forward, the key forward, or the resting ruck. For a first-year guy to be able to do all that is quite amazing. He has got a bright future, it looks like he has been in the system for years. The great thing about Josh is that he continually kept improving throughout the year in his positioning and skill execution – pretty much everything we went to work on during the week you would then see transition on game day. He works incredibly hard at his craft. I think Hawthorn supporters should be incredibly excited to watch him for years and years to come.”

Seamus Mitchell

“Seamus had a really good year. He came from nowhere. He started playing some consistent footy at VFL level at the start of the year off the back of missing a big chunk of the pre-season. Every week he just kept showing up in the VFL’s best players, so when it came to Round 5, we had to get him into the AFL team because he was continually getting his job done and playing at a really high level. Once he came into the seniors, he was ultra-consistent, he provided plenty of run and speed, and we got to see his kicking ability at speed. He was also really good in the contest, whether that be at ground level or in the air. We’re really excited to see him have a big off-season and pre-season. I think he could be a really damaging attacking half back next year.”

Changkuoth Jiath

“It was a disappointing year for CJ through multiple injuries. It was really frustrating for him. He works incredibly hard on the track and in the gym to get his body right. It was disappointing that he suffered a couple of different injuries that kept him out for big chunks of the year. I think he still worked incredibly hard on his game, just watching different players from different teams, trying to learn and get better. He’d often be sitting in the coaches’ box on game day too. I think he would’ve learnt a fair bit as well from that, just seeing a different point of view on the game and how we want to play. I’m looking forward to CJ having a big pre-season, we know he is a special player when he’s up and going.”

Lachlan Bramble

“It was a bit of an up and down season for Brambs. He was in and out of the side, he played 11 games in a few different roles on the wing and across half back as well. The thing with Brambs is that when he goes back to VFL he is so accomplished and consistently good, so now it’s about him trying to transfer that to the AFL and find some consistency with his performances. When he gets the footy he is so damaging with it, so we’re just trying to see that a little bit more regularly at AFL level and see him nail down that wing half back position.”

Bailey Macdonald

“I was really pleased to see Bailey get a taste of AFL in his first year, playing two games. He has so many attributes that could be really damaging at AFL level with his speed and his run and carry. Hopefully, that little taste of the AFL he got this year really drives him over the summer to improve and continue to work on his defensive actions and his positioning. Along with Mitchell, Weddle, Impey and Amon, we’ve got this really good group of offensive half backs that could cause opposition a lot of issues, so we’re excited to see Bailey continue to develop.”

Jai Serong

“It was a big year for Jai, he had a lot happen. He switched from forward to back mid-way through the year, but I think a lot of people forget he also had his heart condition early on in the season and missed close to three months. The fact he was even playing football this year is a credit to how hard he worked. The way he adapted to playing back was impressive. He put in some really consistent football at VFL level and then was rewarded at the end of the year with two games in the AFL. I think having Jai now do a pre-season with the defenders is only going to help him with his positioning and defensive craft. I’m really excited about his future as a defender.”

Josh Morris

“Josh had his shoulder surgery towards the end of last year and just didn’t quite come good for a lot of the pre-season which set him back. Then throughout the year he had a few little incidents with it again which set him back. But he played some good footy at VFL level, playing on some really dangerous small forwards. He is really reliable, I know the boys have a lot of trust in him that he can get the job done for the team. With a full pre-season and no shoulder issues, it would be good to see Josh continue on from what he did in the back end of 2022 when he played some really consistent AFL football.”

Emerson Jeka

“Jek had an up and down year. He started down back and then he switched and went forward before ending up down back again. He also had a couple of injuries that also really set him back, he just couldn’t get a good run at it. I think it’s great now that it looks like he is on top of his body. He started to play some consistent footy at VFL level at the end of the season.”

Fionn O’Hara

“It was a frustrating year for Fionn. He just couldn’t get a run at it, having faced several injuries. He would play a couple of VFL games, and then miss four or five weeks which would really set him back. It was frustrating for him I know, so hopefully during the off-season he can get his body right and get on top of the multiple niggles that he had throughout the season.”