Backline Coach Kade Simpson gives his review of every Hawthorn defender's 2023 pre-season so far.

Jarman Impey

"Jarsy has had a super pre-season. His body’s good, and everything he does is at speed and class. Fans should be excited about how he is going to play this year, he's got a lot of run and dash from the back half and really good ball use. And also something I probably wasn’t aware of was his leadership skills as well, it’s great to see him in the Moorditj Kuda. He’s definitely been one of those voices that I’ve leant on being a new coach."

James Sicily 

"It's great that he's the captain now - he's probably on the quieter end of leaders, but just the way he goes about it and when he does talk, players listen. So again, with me being a new coach he's sort of one of the guys that I go to a lot. One for feedback for myself, but to get a feel for the group. He had a great year last year, so I think he's set himself up really well to replicate that. He was at such a high level of performance last year. I'm really big on guys always looking to improve, regardless of their age, and he's probably in the prime of his career. You sort of say that he's old, and he's actually not in football terms, but with this group, he sort of is one of the senior guys. He's got a mountain of work under his belt and I think he is going to have have a big say in how the team goes this year."

Sam Frost

"Frosty has been really good. When he goes, he just goes at 100 per cent - so it’s about trying to manage that, making sure he doesn't do too much work while also making sure he gets enough and that he's ready for the season. I think we've balanced that really well. He’s a competitor, he’s going to have big jobs this year on key forwards, but also dangerous smalls, and all sorts of types of things. His leadership down back, he always has a lot to say and leads by example with his actions and his effort. You can never question his effort, which is what I love about him."

Lachlan Bramble

"Brambs has been playing great. He's got so many tools that he can use – he’s got great speed, great skills, great endurance. At the moment we've been working hard on ways that he can find the footy and other ways that he can impact the game. I think the Geelong practice game was a glimpse of what he's capable of, so now it's just about replicating that and making him a really consistent performer at AFL level. I think he's set himself up to launch and become a household name at that AFL level and really impact games with his skill and his strengths that he has."

Changkuoth Jiath

"He's going to play this week against the Pies – he was just a bit sore last week. He’s had a super pre-season, he works extremely hard – not just athletically, but at his craft. We probably missed him a little bit last week with his run and dash, and even his ability to close down an exit or just get a fingernail in for a spoil. He's a special player. From afar, I always thought ‘gee this guy could really be something’. But watching it up close and firsthand, it's like, ‘wow, this guy is really, really special’. I'm really excited for him, I think the opposition will be nervous about him, just with his ability to break lines, use the footy and and do that all day because he does have such a big engine. Fans should be really excited about what they what they're going to see from him this year."

Denver Grainger-Barras

"Denver is a little bit of a mixed bag. He's probably not one like a few of the others that has enjoyed pre-season and enjoys all the running and stuff. But what he does enjoy is the competitive stuff. So anytime there's match simulation or backs versus forwards he's at the front of the line and competes really hard. I'm hoping he's going to take that next step this year, he has set himself up, he performed well in half a game last week with the seniors. So hopefully it's a step in the right direction for Denver. He has so many attributes with intercept marketing, big spoils, ability to read the play – he’s got a lot of strengths, so hopefully we'll see them at the forefront."

James Blanck

"You forget Blancky is as young as he is. He's such a big guy, strong, athletic, and he's actually really, really quick. He's going to have some huge tasks this year, he’s going to play on all the big key forwards. So it will be a big task every week, but I think he almost grows stronger and he’s better when he does get that big job. Hopefully some big spoils this year and ‘Blanket’ the opposition's best forward. I think he's physically ready, but he’s only played a handful of games. So he is so young and in the infancy of his career, but he's going to hold down one of those key defensive spots for us this year."

Blake Hardwick

"Dimma has been great. I think a few of the other coaches have been calling him a bit of a safety blanket, that is, if anything is going wrong, he’s your guy to go fix it. For example, the forward is off the chain, so let's send Dimma to him so we can get the job done. We know he's capable of that, and he's done that throughout his career, but I think what fans saw a little glimpse of last year was his ability to use the footy and find the footy to really impact games offensively. This pre-season for him has been about finding that balance of ‘okay, you've got a job on this guy – can you get that done for us, but also now we want you to be an offensive weapon for us’ – so using his strengths and his kicking and his hand balling. But what also probably goes unnoticed is his game awareness and leadership skills as well, he just sees the game really well, reacts really quickly when the opposition takes control of the footy. He’s had a great pre-season and hasn’t had any hiccups."

Jack Scrimshaw

"Scrim uses the ball well and intercept marks – I think he’s just trying to find his spot in the team. I think he’s just got to keep using his offensive weapons – he’s such a beautiful kick when he gets the footy, so we want to try and get the ball in his hands as much as we can. Similar to Dimma, it’s about finding that balance between offense and then defending your man when he's dangerous. Hopefully he can get the ball into his hands through intercept marks, but also some handball receives and uncontested marks, because we are a better team when he’s got the footy."

Bailey Macdonald 

"I think Bailey has only said three words since he's been here, but he's definitely caught the eye of everyone with his speed and his ability to take the game on. But also just the way he learns – he won't ask many questions, but he must be taking a lot of information in because he's been executing it all on game day. It was funny in the practice game against Geelong, he got the ball at half-back and I think every Hawthorn player and coach that was watching was saying, 'have a shot', even though he's 120 meters from the goals and he went on to have four or five bounces and kick the point. So everyone knows what he's really really good at, he's got some serious speed and I think we're just sort of scratching the surface with him. I think he's going to get a big spike with some rapid improvement. I wouldn't be surprised throughout the year if we see his name thrown up in selection. He's going to be exciting player for many, many years to come."

Josh Morris

"Josh had a good season last year, got some good footy under his belt, but then his shoulder surgery set him back a little bit this pre-season. He’s just starting to sort of get moving now, not quite in contact yet, so I think he's probably a little way off before he's going to be playing. But he's always around asking questions and trying to learn and find other ways that he can get better because he has missed a big chunk of pre-season training. It would be great if once he does get fit and healthy and get into those contact sessions that he slots into the team, because he's a really physical player. I didn't know much about him before I got here, but from what I've seen and heard about the way he does go about his footy is that it's physical, it's hard, he locks down. He’s another one who could sort of go to an opposition forward if they're running hot, and just try and shut him down and out of the game."

Fionn O'Hara

"Fionn has had an interrupted pre-season. He sort of gets going for a couple of weeks, and then he has another little hiccup – so it’s been frustrating for him. I know he wants to be out there. He asks lots of questions, being so new to AFL. He’s just trying to take it all in, and the best way to learn is to ask questions, which is what he does. Hopefully he can get a good body of work under his belt now and be playing early in the season in the VFL, and just try and build him up from there. Hopefully he can get some confidence and again, the more footy he can play the better he's going to get."

Seamus Mitchell

"Seamus’ early pre-season was interrupted and quite limited, but I think now we're starting to see all his weapons come to the fore. He had a huge game against Geelong in the reserves, I think he had high-30 possessions. Similar to Bailey, he's just got some serious leg speed. He can really kick the footy well at high speed as well – a lot of guys will need to steady and slow down – but he can be running at full pace and still lace out a forward. It's only been one game, but him and Bailey have formed a little partnership back there as to who's going to run the quickest or get the most metres gained running. I didn’t know a lot of about Seamus, but from what I've seen since he's gone into full training after a little bit of an interruption early in pre-season it has been really exciting. He's got a beautiful kick and electric pace, so it will be very exciting to see what we can do."