It's half way through the 2017 season, and the Hawks have posted four wins and seven losses across the first 11 rounds.
It's mid-season review time: Follow along as midfield Coach Brett Ratten dissects each Hawthorn midfielder's performance so far.
Tom Mitchell
11 games, 35 disposals (average per game)
“Tommy has been a fantastic acquisition into the club. He wins a lot of inside ball and he’s the number one player in the competition for disposals. So, he’s getting his hands on the footy a lot and he’s been really tough and hard in the contest.” BR
Read: Mitchell reaches the magical 50
Billy Hartung
7 games, 21 disposals
“Billy has played seven games this year. He’s come in and shown some real run and dash, which is really important for Billy, when he’s doing that he is at his best. So, we want to keep seeing that from Billy when he plays.” BR
Ben McEvoy
11 games, 12 disposals, 33.5 hitouts
“’Big Boy’ has been outstanding in the contest, he has really provided a contest for us, whether it’s been in the ruck or down the line. He’s been able to get his hands on it a lot for a big fella, and some of his follow-up work and his running away from the stoppage has been very good this year, and he’s having a big impact around the ball for us.” BR
Jaeger O’Meara
4 games, 22 disposals
“Jaeger showed through the pre-season what he is capable of. He’s got the knee injury at the moment, which he is working on getting over. But he is showing great signs in his ability to win the footy and his transition running away, he can really accelerate and use his pace. Some of the games he played early, he was getting high-20s with his possessions and showing a bit of flair so we hope to see him soon.” BR
Isaac Smith
11 games, 23 disposals
“He’s become vice-captain this year, so he has taken on that extra responsibility this season. I think everyone sees Isaac’s run and carry and his long kicking, but I think what has been really impressive has been his leadership, being our vice-captain. In the last few years that has really grown for Isaac, with his instruction around the club, whether it be at training or game-day he has been very good. I think he has been a great support for the younger players as well, so that has been a real area of improvement for Isaac.” BR
Dallas Willsmore
2 games, 10 disposals
“Played his first game last week, where he started winning the ball straight away. He had some impact and showed that he can play at the level. He gathered a bit of the footy playing on the wing and at half-forward. He has a beautiful kick on him too. When you play your first game there is always a lot of nerves so for him to get over that will be good for him and now he can look to learn a lot about playing AFL footy.” BR
Liam Shiels
11 games, 21 disposals
“A little bit like Isaac, with both having taken on the vice-captaincy this year. Liam’s performance last week (against Sydney) was outstanding. He was tough and hard and really worked hard both ways. He’s a player that has worked extremely hard over his time in the game and when he is up and about he has huge influence. He’s one player that can be a bit of a barometer for us, when he’s on fire, the Hawks are on fire. He’s a very good player when he’s up and going.” BR
Will Langford
9 games, 19 disposals
“He’s played most games to start this year. Will, at his best, is really hard and tough in the contest, and really exploding out of the stoppage. He can find the ball and hit the scoreboard, and when he’s doing that, he’s really important to our team.” BR
Ricky Henderson
8 games, 23 disposals
“He started in the seniors and then went back to VFL level. It’s always difficult when you’re coming from another club, it’s about finding the method or the system that they play with, but Ricky has since come back into the team and hasn’t missed a beat. We just had to re-educate him on a couple of different things, but he has been very good for us. His running ability is strong and he can play multiple positions which has also been helpful for us. He has a beautiful, long kick on him. He’s really settled in well and is a great clubman too.” BR
Kade Stewart
1 game, 14 disposals
“Kade played most of the JLT Series. He’s come from the rookie list. He’s a real goer. Plays as a midfield/forward, and has a good ability to consistently hit the scoreboard as well as always laying multiple tackles. He’s working on trying to get the ball a bit more in his games. But he is one competitive kid, and he puts everything on the line, which is what we love about him. He can mark the ball for a smaller player as well, which is one of his strengths as well.” BR
James Cousins
2 games, 13 disposals
“’Cuz’ played his first game last week (against Sydney). He looks a real footballer, with a no-fuss, “go get ‘em” attitude. He’s very clean with the footy, he tackles hard and generally works hard around the contest. He’s a real stoppage player and I think, over time, he is going to develop into a big-bodied midfielder, which he is already showing the makings of but we think he has a bit more size to put on yet at just 19 years of age. He had a good debut with 14 possessions considering he only play 58% game-time, whilst also tackling hard and hitting the scoreboard so he had a great first up performance. We think he’s going to play a lot of AFL footy at the Hawks and one to look out for in the future.” BR
Read: Mid season review - forwards
