Josh Ward comes back into the senior side after piling on the stats in the VFL, underlining the undeniable fact that he is at his best when given full rotations as an inside midfielder. Hawthorn are blessed with big-bodied mids at the coalface right now, however, and his role in the ones has mostly been restricted to wing and flanker starting positions. Accumulation between stoppages is not his strong suit, and the Hawks are in danger of losing him after next season if he can't secure a best 22 spot in his preferred slot. He has a month or two to prove his worth.
Josh Ward comes back into the senior side after piling on the stats in the VFL, underlining the undeniable fact that he is at his best when given full rotations as an inside midfielder. Hawthorn are blessed with big-bodied mids at the coalface right now, however, and his role in the ones has mostly been restricted to wing and flanker starting positions. Accumulation between stoppages is not his strong suit, and the Hawks are in danger of losing him after next season if he can't secure a best 22 spot in his preferred slot. He has a month or two to prove his worth.
Josh Ward was a popular pick in fantasy teams to start 2022 but was a bit of a bust really, underperforming his high price due to being an early draft pick and spending some time in the VFL. His late-season return has been much better, but that's too late for fantasy coaches to take much advantage of and he will go down as a disappointment for them, even if Hawk fans will be heartened by his better form since the byes. This is a signature lesson to look for value in your fantasy rookies, as while Nick Daicos was a slam dunk pick there are plenty of Josh Wards out there.
