Hawks' Wizard looking to pull off Coleman medal shock

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has lauded 170cm player Nick Watson, nicknamed "The Wizard," for his remarkable performance and unexpected contention for the Coleman Medal, awarded to the AFL's leading goalkicker. Watson's five-goal haul in a recent win against North Melbourne brought his season total to 52 goals. This achievement makes him the first player of his stature since Syd Dyer and Lou Richards in 1946 to surpass 50 goals in a season.

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It'd be great if it happened. But he's young and he's got plenty of opportunities in front of him. I certainly hope that's not the focus of the lads going into a game like this. But I won't be shying away from it if he gets that opportunity, of course.

Watson is currently third in the Coleman Medal race, trailing Sydney's 194cm forward Charlie Curnow (57 goals) and Gold Coast's 202cm spearhead Ben King (53 goals). Despite the significant height difference, Watson's consistent performance has positioned him as a potential dark horse for the award. Hawthorn faces Brisbane, followed by Collingwood and West Coast in their remaining home-and-away fixtures. Mitchell indicated that while the team won't specifically target Watson for goals, they would celebrate his potential achievement.

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The level of consistency is probably the best thing that we've got from Wizard this year. And it's probably one season earlier than most. He's certainly maturing. Like, he's 21 years old and he's quite popular, and how he handles that is really impressive.

At just 21 years old and 52 games into his AFL career, Watson has already established himself as a star. Mitchell highlighted Watson's "level of consistency" as his most impressive attribute this year, noting his maturity in handling the pressures of the spotlight. The coach believes Watson is maturing "one season earlier than most."

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I think if you look at the ladder most Victorian teams are going to have to win interstate at some point, and this is a start for us.

Looking ahead, third-placed Hawthorn (14-5-1) faces a tough away game against two-time defending premiers Brisbane (13-7) at the Gabba. Mitchell views this match as a crucial interstate finals rehearsal, acknowledging that most Victorian teams will need to win away from home to succeed in the finals. The team also faces selection challenges, with Ned Reeves, Karl Amon, Mitch Lewis, and Henry Hustwaite all nursing injuries. In a separate matter, charges against player Connor Macdonald for trespassing in the US have been formally dismissed.

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It's probably nice for them to have it off their back. They're both having really good seasons and really pleased with their performances. Sometimes dealing with adversity can make you