Former Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge has shown his admiration for young midfield bull Jai Newcombe during the Hawks 55-point loss to the Power on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the Hawks being brought back down to earth after two consecutive wins, a goal on the run from Newcombe showed the young gun’s class.
“I think that’s why they (Hawthorn) picked him up,” Hodge told SEN’s AFL Nation.
“Sam Mitchell loved him from when he coached him when he was at Box Hill when (Mitchell) was the coach there a couple years ago.
“And then they picked him up in the mid-season draft, they had high (hopes) for him and he has developed, they knew what kind of player he was.”
Although it was a disappointing day for the Hawks in Adelaide, Newcombe continued to toil away in the young Hawks midfield as he collected 19 possessions and a goal.
And while the 21-year-old midfielder still has a way to go in his development, Hodge sees similarities between Newcombe and his current coach.
“He actually reminds me a little bit of Sam Mitchell but with more leg speed,” Hodge said.
“He is that in and under, he’s the bloke who can find someone at will while getting tackled.
“He’s got strength in and around, but he’s got that burst away and as we just saw then being able to kick a goal from 45-50 metres out break the lines, he’s a bloke that Sam wants to build his team around.”
The Hawks will be looking to bounce back from their heavy defeat when they take on the Lions at the MCG next Saturday.