Position 2022: Defender Discussion

Joined
17 Feb 2013
Messages
1,474
Likes
3,407
AFL Club
Collingwood
Would be interested to hear everyone's assessment on Hewett after the Saints game. Does it strengthen anyone's views one way or the other? Thought he did enough to be a value starting pick, with a view to finishing D6. Attended a lot of CBs and bobbed up a fair bit in both the arcs, suggesting his role is sound.
 
Joined
27 Feb 2021
Messages
171
Likes
1,009
AFL Club
Carlton
Would be interested to hear everyone's assessment on Hewett after the Saints game. Does it strengthen anyone's views one way or the other? Thought he did enough to be a value starting pick, with a view to finishing D6. Attended a lot of CBs and bobbed up a fair bit in both the arcs, suggesting his role is sound.
If you were keen on him, there was nothing to suggest you think otherwise.

He, Cripps and Cerra were the main 3 at centre bounces. If anyone was to lose significant rotations when Walsh returns it would be Kennedy IMO.

Cripps and Cerra were both more noticeable in getting 30 each, but Hewett still quietly accumulated 28. I'm not as good as Wogi at watching 36 things at once, but to my eye his last quarter was quieter. I couldn't tell you whether his TOG dropped, he was just not on my TV screen as much!
 
Joined
23 Mar 2014
Messages
298
Likes
1,191
AFL Club
Collingwood
Would be interested to hear everyone's assessment on Hewett after the Saints game. Does it strengthen anyone's views one way or the other? Thought he did enough to be a value starting pick, with a view to finishing D6. Attended a lot of CBs and bobbed up a fair bit in both the arcs, suggesting his role is sound.
Has been in my team since SC opened. Currently not happy that he is attracting attention ;)
 
Joined
2 Feb 2022
Messages
679
Likes
2,351
AFL Club
Essendon
Having had Lloyd Crisp Dawson and Ridley in my team all pre season I've decided to go with 3/4 and Milera/another mid pricer at D4, this allows me to go with Darcy/Grundy rather than Darcy/Draper which I think is probably a safer play. Have got rid of Ridley for now but that may change. And need to look over other mid pricers too as alternative to Milera.
 
Joined
8 Aug 2012
Messages
418
Likes
2,699
AFL Club
Bulldogs
Having had Lloyd Crisp Dawson and Ridley in my team all pre season I've decided to go with 3/4 and Milera/another mid pricer at D4, this allows me to go with Darcy/Grundy rather than Darcy/Draper which I think is probably a safer play. Have got rid of Ridley for now but that may change. And need to look over other mid pricers too as alternative to Milera.
Thinking along the same lines. I had hopes for Draper and watched the PS game against the Dogs with interest, but he was almost unsighted.
 
Joined
7 Apr 2012
Messages
3,096
Likes
5,921
AFL Club
Adelaide
Noah Answerth: Discuss

I did a search of the site and I have seen a few little snippets on this guy but think he warrants more discussion.

I see parallels with Milera but with perhaps a little less historical scoring form mainly due to him playing lockdown roles i believe. More exposed pre-season form that Wayne as he has played a game too. From what i have read he is very fit and the coach loves him. He had a good practice game and if he has a half back/wing role he certainly warrants being in the conversation with Coleman/Milera types. He has moved onto my shortlist for that forward back bunch of 220-280kers along with Coleman, Brodie, Curnow, Milera etc..
 
Joined
30 Jan 2013
Messages
1,376
Likes
5,070
Noah Answerth: Discuss

I did a search of the site and I have seen a few little snippets on this guy but think he warrants more discussion.

I see parallels with Milera but with perhaps a little less historical scoring form mainly due to him playing lockdown roles i believe. More exposed pre-season form that Wayne as he has played a game too. From what i have read he is very fit and the coach loves him. He had a good practice game and if he has a half back/wing role he certainly warrants being in the conversation with Coleman/Milera types. He has moved onto my shortlist for that forward back bunch of 220-280kers along with Coleman, Brodie, Curnow, Milera etc..
If he continues playing off a wing he'll be interesting. To date he's been a defense first HBF. His disposal is hit or miss, with regular shanks heading OOB. Not sure whether we're seeing a changing of the guard of the wing or if it's just a preseason test out. If he maintains it for the next couple of trial games it'll be a different story.
 
Joined
18 Jul 2016
Messages
3,769
Likes
26,255
AFL Club
Sydney
Noah Answerth: Discuss

I did a search of the site and I have seen a few little snippets on this guy but think he warrants more discussion.

I see parallels with Milera but with perhaps a little less historical scoring form mainly due to him playing lockdown roles i believe. More exposed pre-season form that Wayne as he has played a game too. From what i have read he is very fit and the coach loves him. He had a good practice game and if he has a half back/wing role he certainly warrants being in the conversation with Coleman/Milera types. He has moved onto my shortlist for that forward back bunch of 220-280kers along with Coleman, Brodie, Curnow, Milera etc..
Solid player but a bit too much unknown there for me. No demonstrated scoring history, durability concerns and role/job security concerns is the trifecta of doom for those 200-300k picks. You really only need one of them to go wrong and it starts to derail things but when a guy has all 3 as genuine questions you're probably reaching with the pick.

None of that means he can't work, Impey last year pretty fairly hit all 3 of them and he was an outstanding pick, but it does mean you'd want to see something demanding from him in the next game.

I personally struggle to have him any better than 21st picked when I pick their team.

B: Rich Andrews Starce
HB: Coleman* Adams Gardiner
C: Berry Neale Robinson
HF: Zorko Daniher Bailey
F: Cameron McStay McCarthy
R: OMc Lyons Clug
Int: Rayner Fort*

To me you could argue Coleman is vulnerable but I loved what I saw last year, perhaps Gardiner/Adams but that's to another KPD, and then it's Berry/Robinson/Rayner who are the least secure guys in that 22 for mine. Fort obviously is structural and could be ousted but it may be for Fullarton, eventually would be for Hipwood. So basically have two spots there that are open and I'd say you've got Answerth, Cockatoo, Wilmot (who I thought was the best of this bunch in the praccy game), Ah Chee, Madden, Mathieson, Robertson, Prior, T. Berry, Payne and Lester all very much vying for these spots.

Makes it tough to really pick any of them, imo. I reckon we probably see Cockatoo and Madden/Wilmot/Answerth to start, the latter 3 ability to play wing or defensively and Cocky capable of mid/forward.

Tough side.
 
Joined
9 Dec 2020
Messages
2,370
Likes
12,058
AFL Club
Essendon
Lots of Sicily talk - definitely makes for an interesting decision. My big worry is the reported crackdown on demonstrative behaviour and likelihood of extra 50m penalties, especially early in the season. One thing I've observed in other games is often if a player gets a 50m penalty their scoring takes a hit for the rest of the game.. purely observation and may be wrong, but the negative points alone are a worry. Sic is a hothead so it's definitely a worry in him replicating past season scoring...
 
Joined
28 Dec 2016
Messages
747
Likes
3,842
AFL Club
Richmond
Would be interested to hear everyone's assessment on Hewett after the Saints game. Does it strengthen anyone's views one way or the other? Thought he did enough to be a value starting pick, with a view to finishing D6. Attended a lot of CBs and bobbed up a fair bit in both the arcs, suggesting his role is sound.
Most of preseason I had consider Hewett and ok pick, never actually had him in any drafts.

His performance in the praccy wasn't amazingly eye catching, but he was very solid, role was pure, Walsh missing, but would assume he would eat up the CBAs that the likes of Kennedy were getting before impacting Hewett.

With the conclusion of the rest of the praccy matches, and it now looking like we may have to pay up for some more costly rookies, and a few of those options being in the backline, I have him sitting at D3.

Have never liked the idea of starting a player with the goal of them finishing up as D6/M8/F6, but this is the only way I can maintain my prefered structure.
 
Joined
18 Jul 2016
Messages
3,769
Likes
26,255
AFL Club
Sydney
Most of preseason I had consider Hewett and ok pick, never actually had him in any drafts.

His performance in the praccy wasn't amazingly eye catching, but he was very solid, role was pure, Walsh missing, but would assume he would eat up the CBAs that the likes of Kennedy were getting before impacting Hewett.

With the conclusion of the rest of the praccy matches, and it now looking like we may have to pay up for some more costly rookies, and a few of those options being in the backline, I have him sitting at D3.

Have never liked the idea of starting a player with the goal of them finishing up as D6/M8/F6, but this is the only way I can maintain my prefered structure.
FWIW, if Hewett works he's got the ability to push higher than 95 but I do think that 95 is a pretty reasonable expectation in the right role. He never had that role for a whole season at Sydney but we had Parker and Kennedy really blocking the way, among others, and it's really just Cripps at Carlton with Walsh and Cerra both more hybrid types.
 
Joined
6 Jul 2012
Messages
4,890
Likes
11,150
AFL Club
West Coast
Would be interested to hear everyone's assessment on Hewett after the Saints game. Does it strengthen anyone's views one way or the other? Thought he did enough to be a value starting pick, with a view to finishing D6. Attended a lot of CBs and bobbed up a fair bit in both the arcs, suggesting his role is sound.
Here is some stats from last year when thinking about Hewett.

Round 15 and after where he was over 50% CBA's he averaged 97.
This includes 55 vs Bulldogs where he may have tagged (67% CBAs).

round 20/21 he had 27% and 43% CBAs for scored of 56 and 75 vs Ess/Saints.

Silvagni view below who thinks they need to tighten midfield role with Cripps/Walsh offensive weapons - does Hewett get more CBA's yet defensive role or does he get to play inside role.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...-blues-over-hewett-trade-20210922-p58too.html
 
Joined
24 Feb 2015
Messages
6,697
Likes
30,160
AFL Club
Sydney
I thought there was some talk Walsh is coming back earlier than expected?

Hewett worries me as he is so role dependant and if he sways just a little from that inside role his scoring really takes a hit so he needs high CBA's. He doesn't strike me as someone who can hurt you if you don't have him and in fact at his best I still think he would struggle to be a top line defender against Lloyd, Dawson,. Whitfield, Ridley, Stewart, Crisp, Ziebell, Rich etc.
 
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
6,769
Likes
14,766
AFL Club
Fremantle
I thought there was some talk Walsh is coming back earlier than expected?

Hewett worries me as he is so role dependant and if he sways just a little from that inside role his scoring really takes a hit so he needs high CBA's. He doesn't strike me as someone who can hurt you if you don't have him and in fact at his best I still think he would struggle to be a top line defender against Lloyd, Dawson,. Whitfield, Ridley, Stewart, Crisp, Ziebell, Rich etc.
Agree. He'd have to get to 110 to crucify non owners. If he gets to 100 it's a nice little legup but not season defining.
 
Joined
18 Sep 2012
Messages
3,404
Likes
7,197
AFL Club
Essendon
Hewett has always been one of the better defensive midfielders in the league and I don't see why he'd suddenly turn into a ball-winning accumulator capable of pushing a 100 average. Cripps, Cerra and Walsh are all going to take priority over him when it comes to clearances and he's too good of a tagger to not be given jobs throughout the year.
 
Joined
18 Jul 2016
Messages
3,769
Likes
26,255
AFL Club
Sydney
Hewett has always been one of the better defensive midfielders in the league and I don't see why he'd suddenly turn into a ball-winning accumulator capable of pushing a 100 average. Cripps, Cerra and Walsh are all going to take priority over him when it comes to clearances and he's too good of a tagger to not be given jobs throughout the year.
Because if all he wanted to be was a good defensive midfielder he'd have stayed at Sydney. It's not like he got a big contract at Carlton so he went there for one reason and that's for opportunities to play a bigger/better role (He's not Victorian either fwiw, this was a pure football move).

Similar to Lyons leaving Adelaide, Kennedy leaving Hawthorn, Lipinski, so on and so on.

Perhaps an even better example though is Steele and Miller, they both were also excellent defensive midfielders but I'm pretty sure their teams are pretty happy they developed beyond that role that any fit and disciplined player can do to a similar level.

Carlton have a need, Hewett has a desire, it's a good mix.

I think 100 is definitely within reach, he's been close for extended periods at Sydney in a lesser role.

I agree his hurt factor isn't big though, I think 110 is very unlikely, so realistically you're looking at a D5/6 type as his high end outcome, the simple reality is that during the year there will be a couple of guys available for similar prices that can be nabbed, so really you're taking the value in advance rather than at the end. For comparison you could have had Dawson for 440k at round 6/7 and got a 107 average from there, Daniel at 412k at round 7 netted a 99 average.

Definitely think he's got the potential to be a very good pick. He's their 4th best midfielder and their 2nd best inside midfielder and Cripps is not exactly very durable so there's a very real pathway to the #1 inside role with not a lot of competition from behind. He also does a lot of good SC things, very clean disposal and good tackler is a good foundation point. I'm certainly tempted by him, if his role is locked in again next week then that would only help the case.
 
Top