Jai Newcombe is unquestionably the most prolific inside midfielder at Hawthorn, even when Will Day is fully operational. With Day as the inside-out specialist and Conor Nash as the defensive mid, Newk is the pure extractor who usually leads the stat sheet in the clearance column, often for both sides. Like all inside mids his worth is mostly predicated on that skill, but to be truly A-class you have to learn how to contribute in transition as well, something which he and peers like Clayton Oliver learned later in their careers. He is a complete midfielder.
Jai Newcombe is unquestionably the most prolific inside midfielder at Hawthorn, even when Will Day is fully operational. With Day as the inside-out specialist and Conor Nash as the defensive mid, Newk is the pure extractor who usually leads the stat sheet in the clearance column, often for both sides. Like all inside mids his worth is mostly predicated on that skill, but to be truly A-class you have to learn how to contribute in transition as well, something which he and peers like Clayton Oliver learned later in their careers. He is a complete midfielder.
Jai Newcombe is the nominal leader of one of the least experienced AFL midfields in the modern era, as Hawthorn cleared its two most experienced pivot veterans in the off season to clear out all vestiges of the former Alastair Clarkson era. This is now Sam Mitchell's team, and Newcombe has so far been his crowning achievement as he nurtured the kid from VFL level to now be thought of as a genuine senior player. Newcombe is in plenty of fantasy sides this preseason because he is in the frame as a big breakout candidate, but will the weight of responsibility be too heavy?
