With Hawthorn’s AFL season coming to a close, we sat down with each line coach to review how each player fared in 2025. 

In our next instalment of this series, Midfield Coach David Hale spoke about the likes of Jai Newcombe, Lloyd Meek and Josh Ward as he reviewed each midfielder’s season. 

Read what he had to say below. 

Harry Morrison (20 games, 17.4 disposals per game, 4.6 marks per game) 

“Harry had a really good year. He came back in really good condition over the pre-season. He played the chunk of the year and, unfortunately, got injured at the wrong time. I know he was quite disappointed about missing out on the finals series, but he should be really proud of his year. He was really consistent and reliable on the wing, took his game to another level and played every week up until Round 22. We were really rapt with his progression again this year. The guys around him really trust what he does, and he brings a level of calmness to our playing group, so hopefully he can come back over the summer and put himself in a similar position again.”

Jai Newcombe (26 games, 22.9 disposals, 6.2 clearances, 4.9 tackles per game) 

“It was another consistent year for Jai, he’s a really top echelon midfielder now. Obviously, with Daysy going out during the year, there was a little bit more attention on Jai, which is really good for him to be able to work through playing through a tag. Opposition teams try to target him quite regularly, which is something that he'll continue to learn from, but his impact on the game, and obviously in the finals series this year for us, is really, really compelling and shows the impact he can have on our playing group. So he had a consistent year. Again, a lot of learning for him this year, but the age he's at and how many years he's been in the system, we're really excited for what the next couple of years can bring for Jai.”

Ned Reeves (1 game, VFL Team of the Year) 

“I think Ned had a really good year. I think he's obviously frustrated for himself in terms of not being able to play AFL a lot… there aren't many teams to play the two rucks. But we're really proud of his VFL development and his impact at those games, not only in hitouts, something he does well, but aerially, he consistently went forward and took good marks, which is something we worked on a lot. He obviously ended up in the VFL Team of the Year, which is a great accomplishment and a real credit to the level that he played at that form of the game. So unfortunately, he didn't sneak into the AFL side too much, but we have great confidence that Noodle can play and slot in at any time, and depending on what happens next year with the rules, he's going to be an important player for us.” 

Conor Nash (22 games, 18.4 disposals, 5.6 tackles, 4.7 clearances per game) 

“He had another year where he played some decent football. The consistency week in to week out was there most times. Nashy himself would probably like to elevate himself a little bit more as well, which is something we're continually working on. But he has a big presence at the front of the stoppages. The thing that stands out with Nashy is that he is a good runner as well, so we’re trying to work on getting some more uncontested ball, which has been a focus in the back half of the year, and he started to show some really good gains. He’s a real impact for us as a midfielder, and the whole group sort of thrives off him with his tackling and his size in that part of the ground. Hopefully, Nashy comes back in good condition and can take his game to another level.”

Will Day (6 games, 21 disposals, 5.2 tackles, 5.2 clearances per game) 

“Yeah, it’s very frustrating for him. Obviously, he started the year in unbelievable form. His opening round game showed the level that Daysy can get to. When he's on the field, the impact he can have in our team is unbelievable. He makes the other guys around him walk a little bit taller, and unfortunately, we didn't get to see him too often this year. He was able to obviously coach a little bit from the bench, and his guidance and his leadership of the midfield group when he wasn't playing were first-rate. While frustrating for him, I think on the coaching side and how he sees the game will help going forward, and hopefully we don't have to see him do too much coaching from the bench anymore, but that's something we'll continue to work through with him.”

Massimo D’Ambrosio (26 games, 18.2 disposals, 4.1 marks per game) 

“Massimo had a consistent year. He's one of the first guys who comes in and goes through his tape and vision and works very hard. At times, he was a little bit frustrated with his impact on the games, but parts of his game that we wanted him to work on, he showed progression this year in terms of his defensive side, being able to press, and his tackling in the contest was something we worked on with him a lot. He's still only 21, but it feels like he's been around a long time. So we know he's got a lot of scope to continue to improve, and this year will be a stepping stone for him going forward again next year.”

Lloyd Meek (25 games, 37.9 hitouts, 13.5 disposals, 4.4 clearances per game) 

“I thought he had an excellent season. I've known him for a long time now, and he's the things that he's worked on over his career are the things that started to come together this year. His ruck work was improved again. His aerial marking was the feature this year, which is something he's worked hard on over the last few years. I think he's a little bit of a barometer for our midfield group. How he's going sort of dictates how we are as a group. So, you know, a couple of finals, he played against some really good opponents, and did a really good job. The quality of the rucks we have across the league now is quite high. So Meeky's pushing to get into that group, and I think he should be really proud of his year.”

Josh Ward (25 games, 20.6 disposals, 3.6 tackles, 3.3 clearances per game) 

“He’s another one who took massive strides this year. I don't think he started the year in the side, so to be where he ended up, playing one of his better games in the final in Adelaide, just shows the work he's put in. And again, he's quite young, so as a midfielder, really excited about what his next couple of years will be. But the parts of his game that we know are real strengths of his are his running capacity, his ability to use the ball well and his toughness in the midfield group, which all came on show as the year progressed. And again, he should be quite proud of his year.”

Cam Mackenzie (12 games, 16.5 disposals, 4.2 tackles per game)

“It was unfortunate for Frenchie. He started the year really well. I think he got three Brownlow votes against the Giants, and we were really excited about what his year was going to be. He then broke his hand, which sort of set him back quite a bit, actually, in terms of the rhythm and getting the confidence back to be able to play at the level that he wants to. We tried hard as a match committee to try and get him in. Obviously, the balance of the side meant that he didn't quite sneak back in. But again, at his age, the growth he showed this year at VFL level and on the training track, he's someone that we're really excited about as well. Going forward, we think he's got a really high skill set that will translate to playing consistent AFL footy and with another big summer, he'll be someone to watch for.”

Sam Butler (6 games, 11.8 disposals, 5.2 tackles per game) 

“He changed probably mid-year at VFL to play an inside mid role, which really elevated his game. He had some really high-quality games at VFL level, which forced us to play him at AFL level, and the pressure and the intensity he brings around the contest were critical to injecting a little bit of life into that group. So again, hopefully, with a good summer under his belt, he's another one that can elevate his game.”

Jaime Uhr-Henry (Yet to debut) 

“Yeah, (his development) was amazing. He came from a long, long way back, and then the backend of the year was doing some things that were unbelievable compared to where he started. He's a great kid, and he’s really fit into the group well. He listens, tries to implement everything you tell him. He’s like a sponge in that sort of aspect. And his improvement to get to the level where he got to the end of the year was great. Hopefully, he can play some consistent VFL footy next year. I think that will be his goal. But again, he's worked his way up to a level where it's not just rocking up and hoping he gets through a session. He's really pushing forward to try and get to that point where he becomes a consistent VFL performer first, and then hopefully, you know, in 12-18 months’ time, he's in a position where he can push for the AFL.”

Henry Hustwaite (4 games, 13.8 disposals per game, VFL Team of the Year) 

“He had a phenomenal year. He made the VFL Team of the Year and was one of the better players in that part of the game, which is a challenge we sort of set him at the start of the year to really dominate the VFL level. And we kind of asked much more of him in terms of that, the aspects of his game that we wanted him to work on. He worked really hard on getting out of the contest. He's got an elite skill in terms of his clearance craft, and that's something that he definitely demonstrated at VFL level. And there are parts of his game now that are really measuring up to what we expect at AFL level. So he again was a little bit stiff at times, with not being able to force his way into the side like Mackenzie. But we think that the depth we're getting in the young guys in the midfield is really strong, and those guys can really challenge the senior group next year.”

Watch David Hale's full review below