Hawthorn pocket rocket Paul Puopolo bounced back from an ultimately disappointing 2012 with an outstanding 2013 season in which he became one of the Club’s most important players.
His ability to apply pressure is among the best in the competition because he can reach contest after contest thanks to his speed and determination, aspects of his game that would often leave media commentators and fans in awe.
But, what was most impressive in 2013 was Puopolo’s improvement around the ball.
A solid pre-season ahead of the home-and-away season provided a solid foundation for the 25 year old to move further up the field and spend time in the midfield this year.
It was there where he did the most damage as his biggest strengths – his pressure and speed were best utilised by Coach, Alastair Clarkson.
With a player like Puopolo, though possessions are almost a bonus and he knows that.
At just 173cm, the South Australian loves the defensive side of the game and his coaches and teammates in turn love the way he goes about his footy. He isn’t in the team to win 30-odd touches but rather lay five or six tackles and force the all-important turnovers.
As he begins to mature now, having played 63 career games it is safe to say 2013 was a breakout year for him.
Puopolo played 22 of a possible 25 games, missing three through injury and averaged 17.1 disposals, 4.4 tackles and almost a goal a game.
In fact, he proved a natural in the midfield with his ability to find the footy as well as apply pressure – he was also a valuable clearance player.
He was ranked sixth overall at the Club for clearances and centre clearances and ranked seventh for contested possessions.
He started the season on fire with 28 disposals and five tackles against the Cats in the Round 1 loss before a leaner month following that breakout performance.
By Round 6, however, Puopolo had found his groove in his new role as part of the Club’s midfield depth and went on to average 18.1 disposals per game for the remainder of the year.
One of his best games came in the high-pressure Round 7 Grand Final re-match against Sydney at the MCG, where he gathered 21 possessions and laid seven tackles.
He was also among the side’s best in the hard-fought win over Carlton in Round 12 with 17 disposals and four tackles.
His game against Essendon was outstanding in Round 18 – and while the margin was 56 points, it was his 10 tackles that would have pleased Clarkson and his teammates the most, rather than his 23 disposals.
Puopolo also stood up when the side struggled - named among the best in the disappointing Round 19 loss to Richmond with 18 disposals and seven tackles.
The biggest sign of his maturity came in the finals series, however, as he put his disappointing campaign in 2012 behind him and emerged as one of the key ingredients to Hawthorn’s premiership success.
He averaged 16 disposals and six tackles in the three finals.
His will and determination to do anything he can to help the team win was evident and those are the types of players you need in finals.
That importance though is best illustrated by the man’s actions rather than the words to describe him.
In the final quarter of the Grand Final, with Hawthorn seemingly holding a match-winning lead, Puopolo fought three Fremantle opponents to lock the ball inside forward 50 to keep the pressure on. He came from nowhere.
It was a moment that stands out for many Hawthorn fans as the piece of play that convinced them the premiership was ours.
But that type of attack on the ball wasn’t just shown by Puopolo in the most important game of the year, for it was the way he approached his football all season.
In Round 2, he did something similar in Perth against West Coast and dispossessed an opposition player, gathered the footy, somehow broke free and handed to Luke Breust to kick an important goal.
It is just the way he plays and that’s why he’s one of the team’s most loved and respected players.
Another big pre-season lies ahead as he embarks on his fourth year at the Club, where he hopes to spend more time in the midfield.
What Chris Fagan said: "A bit like ‘Breusty’, he is an outstanding pressure forward. He had some games where he won the ball playing in the midfield, which is a string that he’s added to his bow this year that he can go in there and win the footy.
"He is tenacious, he never gives up. There were a couple of passages in the Grand Final where he just locked the ball in the forward line somehow and that’s been the trademark of his play for so long.
"We are really pleased for him that he was able to come through and win a premiership medal."
