What Clarko says
4. Matt Suckling
Wearing the number 4 guernsey this season will be Matt Suckling who is part of a quintette of up and coming players whose surnames all begin with the letter 'S'. Suckling, Shiels, Shoenmakers, Savage and Smith all emerged as significant players for us in 2011. We're hopeful that with further progress throughout season 2012, they will be a key reason why we can challenge signifanctly at the end of September.
Matty has been on our list for some time and he's a great example of why, as a coaching group we need to be patient and wait for the bodies of our players to mature enough to withstand the rigors of AFL.
Matt Suckling has emerged enormously and we've been really pleased with his progress over the last 12 months.
It would be fair to say that both Matt and our supporters would have been wondering about the security of his spot on the list at the end of 2010. It was the work he did over the next pre-season that provided the launching pad needed for a tremendous 2011. The potency of his left foot in the back half and his competitiveness in the backline was terrific for our rebound from defence.
His footskills have probably been the most significant feature of his game. The length of his kicking and precision passing has been impressive, and that is something that allows him to be flexible enough to play in a number of positions. He can play off half back, on the wing, or at half forward where he's played some good football for Box Hill.
We see him as an important part of our mix in the years ahead.
Tomorrow I'll feature guernsey number 3, joint vice-captain Jordan Lewis.
We look forward to you visiting hawthornfc.com.au again to read about Jordan's progress and prospects for season 2012.
Cheers for now.
What are your thoughts?
Leave your comments on Matt Suckling below with fellow Hawks fans. What impresses you most about Matt? How can he take the next step in 2012?
Read about more players from Clarko's Summer Series
