Today we look at why the Hawkers are so happy.
List:
Yes, they’re a happy team at Hawthorn, and so they should be. The list looks set to be top of the mountain this season. They have a great core based in the developing, mature, and twilight sections. Everyone of their twilight players are in their core. They have no dead wood.
Some bemoan the loss of Day and Worpel, but Day was out for most of 2025 too, and Worpel can be replaced by rising developing players.
Their extended midfield – Newcombe, Nash, Ward, Weddle, D’Ambrosio, C. McDonald, Moore, Amon, McKenzie and Greeves, along with support from Butler, Dalton, Anderson, and others – looks ominous.
Added to the list are Greeves, Schubert, LeRay, Nairn and Dalton. All at times played significant roles in the 2025 U18 championships.
Select 23:
Nearly all the team select themselves as core players. Without injury, Dear would’ve been a core player too. Reeves is as good as Meek and should be in the team as a regular change ruckman. McKenzie is another developing midfielder. While “newbie” Greeves is good enough to start on the bench.
Gee, that Hawthorn side looks strong.
B: Hardwick, Barrass, Battle
HB: Sicily, Scrimshaw, Impey
C: Weddle, Newcombe, D’Ambrosio
HF: C.McDonald, Chol, Gunston
F: Meek, Nash, Ward
I: Moore, Amon, McKenzie, Greeves, Reeves
You can follow all my list updates as they become available at https://www.ozfootylistmanager.com/2026-lists-new.html
Next are the Dees.
Read more from Micky McTigger Here
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About
It was 25 years ago that I began developing a model for analysing footy squad lists for the purpose of improving those lists into a premiership window. Since then, the model has been used to successfully predict premiership clubs and to improve either lop-sided or underdeveloped lists into premiership lists. Indeed, the model was used for an article that I had published as a double page spread in The Age 2005 Pre-Season magazine. Over the 25 years, I have analysed the annual lists of one particular club but have used it for other clubs upon request. It has always been on my bucket list to display the lists of all the clubs, using the model, which I've done since 2021 on my website - OzFootyListManager.com
Hawthorn look so good Mickey they don’t even need a ruck, ruck rover or a rover ?
Thanks Mickey, a lot to ponder as the season comes up to meet us. Here are my reflections on your post as I have been considering Hawks 2026 season. I don’t share your confidence that the Hawks are primed this year (but as fan logic goes, the more your team improves the more you imagine the worst!).
1. As per Rodney’s comment above I think you have listed the midfield as the forward line, leaving out Lewis, Dear, Wizard, Ginnivan and Maginness.
2. Also, where is the love for Henry H, Morrison, Butler and Ramsden?
3. I don’t think anyone would put Day and Worpel in the same sentence as must have Hawk players. Day is our best by far.
4. Reeves was/is a pretty good ruck but Mitch tapping Meek as our number 1 ruck was a key move that established Hawks as a consistently good (and winning) team.
5. Our midfield is shy of one but probably two great players. When Day returns (and lasts the season) we have one more great player in our midfield, along with Newk, Nash and Weddle. We get another great midfielder and my confidence rises big time. While Amon and D’Ambrosio are technically midfielders, they are our outside runners and we need them up and down the wings. No disrespect to Ward, C. McDonald, Moore, McKenzie, because they are good players. In Moore’s case, very good. But they are not great in the sense of big footy brains, with speed and precision in their decisions and movement of the ball. They are good but we need another great. As for Amon and Impey, they are brilliant, but like our wingers, we need them running off the backline. And man do we need them! Until we get that “great midfielder (you know, like an ex Dons captain for example lol) I think we are likely to be a third to sixth team on the ladder. Which is pretty good but not the whole enchilada.
Cheers
Thanks, Rodney & Rick, for your comments and pointing the error out.
Of course, it should read:
B: Hardwick, Barrass, Battle
HB: Sicily, Scrimshaw, Impey
C: Weddle, Newcombe, D’Ambrosio
HF: C.McDonald, Chol, Gunston
F: Watson, Dear, Ginnivan
R: Meek, Nash, Ward
I: Moore, Amon, McKenzie, Greeves, Reeves
Henry H, Morrison, Butler and Ramsden were all considered. In Morrison’s case, he does get a fair bit of the ball, but lacks for clearances – centre and stoppage – and for metres gained. So, he needs to do more with it.
Hustwaite, Butler and Ramsden just need more time, and a full season does provide opportunity for nearly all.
Cheers