While the Round 6 clash wasn’t exactly enjoyable viewing for fans of the brown and gold, there are a couple of positives Hawthorn members can take from the match.
Their names? Will Day and Josh Morris.
Friday’s game marked the first time Hawthorn had blooded two debutants in one match since Round 1, 2014.
And while the opportunity to seal their first game with a win went begging, the pair certainly didn’t look out of place on the AFL stage.
In the backline, Will Day looked composed beyond his years. It wasn’t an easy night to line up in defence, with Magpies’ forward 50 forays coming from every angle. But Day never stopped trying, intercepting six Collingwood balls and finishing the match with 16 disposals at 81 percent efficiency.
Up the other end of the ground, Morris was somewhat starved of opportunity in the forward line with the Hawks unable to get the game on their terms. But even without the ball in hand, the youngster was doing all he could to make his presence known.
Morris finished with the game with 15 pressure acts, a respectable figure in its own right. However, when you take into account his minutes played (68:08), he would have applied a pressure act every four and a half minutes. Compare it to the rest of the competition’s general forwards, and that number would have him placed 10th in the league – not a bad effort from a debutant.
While the positives from Hawthorn’s 32-point loss to Collingwood may be few, the emergence of two youngsters who are willing to put their body on the line and play their role is certainly cause for optimism.
Watch their debut highlights below.
