Jimmy "Hammer" Gwilt

[mad saint guy]

Today Gwilt played by far his best game for St Kilda and gave us a physical edge up forward that we haven't seen since the days when Aaron Hamill could walk.

Gwilt uses his body very well in marking contests, has a good pair of hands, is a thumping, accurate kick and attacks the man and the footy with more power than any other in the side. He has finally got his fitness up to AFL-standard and looks far more confident up forward. He directly set up two goals today with quick thinking under pressure and had a hand in several others. He was also very, very unlucky not to kick one of his own when he took a great grab in the pocket and was then tackle to the ground by a Crows player who wasn't in the contest (don't know how it wasn't 50m), but unfortunately he hit the post.

I have always been uncertain about Gwilt's future, but if he can continue his improvement playing his current role then he should have a long career ahead of him.

[gooner]

Interesting. I also thought of Sammy when watching Gwilt today.
Great forward pressure and most importantly he kept it in the forward 50.

He must love playing Adelaide.

[Teflon]

Will admit I wasnt a Gwilt fan but Ive been blown away by his efforts and he deserves his spot. Im also wrapt to see him use that frame ......keep it up son!!

[i_luv_nick_riewoldt]

Yep gwilty was fantastic today! Not sure what has how he has turned it around.. but should be glad to string some games together!! Nice effort in the F50! In my votes today for his effort!

[fugazi]

He as a revelation in that first game vs Adelaide where he played on the ball and forward.....today's the first time since then he's been tried in the same role! He is not a defender, but might be a pretty handy fwd/ rotating midfielder.

[mad saint guy]

He as a revelation in that first game vs Adelaide where he played on the ball and forward.....today's the first time since then he's been tried in the same role! He is not a defender, but might be a pretty handy fwd/ rotating midfielder.

Not sure about the midfielder part. In the '05 final he was played as a wingman/half forward, but today he was at FF all day.

[meher baba]

As I have said for years, Gwilt is designed to play on the half forward line. In time, CHF isn't out of the question

He hasn't got the engine for the midfield (asthmatic, isn't he?)

As we saw, he's ok at FF, but playing him a bit further back brings his excellent disposal skills into play

I hope we aren't silly enough to delist him at season's end (eg, to elevate attard)

[markp]

Could be a gun.

[ThePunter]

The best part of yesterday was when he took the mark on the wing after using his strength to knock over the Adelaide guy.

If Gwilt can just realise how strong he is, then that Hamill type HFF role is in his future. As a defender, he just isn't quick enough.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

no chance in hell of being delisted

now that he is playing forward of center is it possible he was always groomed for a roll in the forward half??

he seems to have done his apprenticeship in the backline as potential forwards seem to do...

maybe just part of the grand plan...

[Con Gorozidis]

im a big fan. hes definitely going to be around for a few years.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

i think GT got caught up in the race thing seing Mal Micheal being a key defender he sorta wanted to make Gwilt one when it is obvious that he doesnt have the negating skills nor the calmness under pressure to be a defender but as a forward he has a good size a decent mark and a fair ammount of agro to really succeed up forward ... will not be delisted we got enought dead wood we can cut in the likes of Ferg to elevate Attard

[Sobraz]

The best part of yesterday was when he took the mark on the wing after using his strength to knock over the Adelaide guy.

If Gwilt can just realise how strong he is, then that Hamill type HFF role is in his future. As a defender, he just isn't quick enough.

spot on.... the kid has some serious stregth, and when he hits, he hits hard...

I remember seeing this in the semi-final (i think) v's sydney at the MCG a few years back when he cleaned up Jude Bolton and sent him into next week... Thought to myself then, the lad packs a punch...

One of my favourite players is Jimmy, and am wrapped he's coming good.. keep it up Jimmy G.... (the new G train??)

[BigMart]

Ridiculous comparison......Hamill was a marking fwd, who regularly took contested grabs....he crashed contests and tackled with ferocity....

Gwilt is a Flanker who has probably never taken a contested mark....he is generally outside, although he can use his body at times to hold his feet inside....not the most physical player Jimmy, and occasionally lacks intensity required to compete....he can be a bit lazy....you cannot say that about Hamill....

Bit like those who thought Gehrig was tough because he was big.....and he was far from it...

Baker, Ball, McQualter, Hudghton, Hayes, Blake - there's some tough players

[mad saint guy]

Ridiculous comparison......Hamill was a marking fwd, who regularly took contested grabs....he crashed contests and tackled with ferocity....

Gwilt is a Flanker who has probably never taken a contested mark....he is generally outside, although he can use his body at times to hold his feet inside....not the most physical player Jimmy, and occasionally lacks intensity required to compete....he can be a bit lazy....you cannot say that about Hamill....

Were you at the game yesterday? He took several contested marks (one in a pack of about 4), attacked the ball like a mad man and worked extremely hard to keep the ball in our 50.

Your assessment of Gwilt is along the lines of my thoughts before yesterday, but he was a different player in that game. He DID play the Hamill role and he played it well. Hopefully he can build on his form and make that spot his own.

[mad saint guy]

i think GT got caught up in the race thing seing Mal Micheal being a key defender he sorta wanted to make Gwilt one

Pretty sure the first time Gwilt was ever used as a key defender was in the 2007 intra-club match. When Gwilt played under GT he was a wingman/back flanker.

[ThePunter]

I never said he was tough - I said he was strong.

He's taller than Hamill, and probably as strong through the lower body.

His biggest fault is that he looks a bit casual. Same with Raph Clarke. (And Gary Foulds and Joel Bowden, if my memory serves me correctly.)

He's not quick, but if he can add a contested mark string to his bow, he could be a very handy player going forward. And we know he can play in finals.

[Ice Wolf]

Ridiculous comparison......Hamill was a marking fwd, who regularly took contested grabs....he crashed contests and tackled with ferocity....

Gwilt is a Flanker who has probably never taken a contested mark....he is generally outside, although he can use his body at times to hold his feet inside....not the most physical player Jimmy, and occasionally lacks intensity required to compete....he can be a bit lazy....you cannot say that about Hamill....

Were you at the game yesterday? He took several contested marks (one in a pack of about 4), attacked the ball like a mad man and worked extremely hard to keep the ball in our 50.

Your assessment of Gwilt is along the lines of my thoughts before yesterday, but he was a different player in that game. He DID play the Hamill role and he played it well. Hopefully he can build on his form and make that spot his own.

I think Gwilt was brilliant yesterday.
He was aggressive at the ball and not the man and used the skills that he's been taught in the back line to really lock the ball into the 50. Could try to mark a few more rather than punch but really good signs, and most of the times the punches and taps were appropriate.

[spert]

I see more of Hamill in Eddy than JG, but Gwilt should be left on the HF line as he will only get better.

[Solar]

hey spert great call on eddy, he has more presence when the opposition has the ball then I have seen from a first year player.

Gwilt and eddy were awesome in their body work. Gwilt has relised that his has more core strength then most AFL players and his timing is improving. That contested mark next to the goal square was fantastic and caused a couple of goals through bollocking work 20 metres out (see BJ's snap and work out who created the turn over....)

I credit Lyon for relising that a forward line of roo and kosi just wasn't working. Gwilt gives us a second forward option who can scare deep or lead up hard.

Having gwilt, roo and one of gardiner or clarke down forward means we can play kosi as a pure second ruckman.

[meher baba]

will not be delisted we got enought dead wood we can cut in the likes of Ferg to elevate Attard

I'm not so sure.

IMO our only certain delistees ATM are Harves, G-Train and Ferguson. Given that we have to take 3 from the draft, we would need to take 3 more in order to elevate Eddy (certainty), Mini (near-certainty) and Attard (who, from the way Lyon continues to talk about him, is surely a near-certainty as well).

So we need three more delistees from the following groups

LIKELY
Fish
Gardi or Rix

LESS LIKELY
Both of Gardi and Rix (delisting them both leaves us with insufficient ruck options IMO)
Fiora (not out of contract)
Raph (is worth perservering with IMO)
Gwilt (ditto)
Birss (ditto)
C Gardiner (Ditto, in RL's opinion if not mine)

HIGHLY UNLIKELY, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE
Howard (see Lyon's comments suggesting that young guys should get 3-4seasons to develop)
Allen (ditto)
Armo (ditto, plus the fact that clubs are reluctant to give up on top 10 draft picks after only two season)
Maguire (too much risk in terms of injury)
Baker (ditto, plus problems with Tribunal)
X (if Raph is delisted)
Max (might surprise us and retire, but I doubt it)

SURELY IMPOSSIBLE
Both Nicks
Kosi
Ball
Lenny
Joey
Schneider
Milne
CJ
BJ
Blake
Geary
Dempster
King
Chips
Gram
Gilbert
McEvoy (minimum 2 years)
Steven (ditto)
Connors (ditto)

So, you see, we will need to go with at least one out of the "less likely" group I have listed. The only other option is to trade someone for one or more draft picks.

Or, of course, not elevating three rookies.

[Solar]

on the delisting

not sure if either gardiners will be with us next year. charlie just doesn't look up to AFL standard and has no upside and micheal just doesn't look interested and his body might be stuffed.

Would not be suprised if leigh fisher goes for a late draft pick.

plus there could be a chance of attard being delisted and picked up again in the rookie list?

[barks4eva]

Gwilt is an example of a player finally being played in position.

Gwilt was always best suited to playing up forward, hopefully he is persisted with and given opportunities, Ferguson has never had.

Our forwardline needs another marking option aside from Riewoldt and Koschitzke

IMHO these options are for right now,

Gwilt, McEvoy, Ferguson

Good to see one of them selected at least and our forward structure is so much better of with a genuine third tall marking option.

We've actually gone into games recently and for most of the season with none, with the Collingwood game being the perfect example of a forwardline bereft of options.

The structure has not been right for most of the season and I seriously have to ask, what the **** does John Barker actually do? or has Lyon simply overlooked this aspect of our structure.

Ferguson ( U18 All Australian FF ) in his first game this year took 8 marks, 4 contested, admittedly against Melbourne and after a game the following week where he didn't find the ball for a half and then was switched to the backline again, he gets banished.

[bigcarl]

Today Gwilt played by far his best game for St Kilda and gave us a physical edge up forward that we haven't seen since the days when Aaron Hamill could walk.

he illustrated perfectly a couple of times how a player can use his body to legally dispose of an opponent in a marking contest.

it's something i'd like to see more of from kosi, who has enormous bulk and strength but often doesn't use his body to advantage. perhaps the timing you need to execute such a move is something you either have or you don't.

maybe jimmy's nickname should be "the hammer"

[BigMart]

How many contested marks?????.......he took two, and has 5 for the year...........Hamill took 8 contested marks in a game once...

Jimmy has some talent.....but has a way to go, he is not a regular yet....

BTW - that is not his best game......not even close...3 votes vs Barry Hall last season is his best game....then there is his 18 disposal 2 goal final against the crows.....

He had ony 3 kicks, and 4 marks yesterday.........he played a solid game, and did his role well.......but A.Hamill he aint..

Gwilt
Started as an outside Wing/HFF/HBF at Casey and was inconsistent. found form and got seniors games at the endo of 2005

Spent 2006 in and out of the seniors as a utility and could not nail down a spot....used all over the ground....he bulked up too much which slowed him down....

2007 he was use as a CHB/FB at Casey.....with success.....good disposal out of defense....he came in to the seniors and beat Fev and Hall toward the end of the year....Ross kept him on the list as a possible long term replacement for Max

2008 he started the season injured....and then when he lined up at Casey....Hutchinson used him as a big bodied midfielder.....his tank has increased.....since has gone to the seniors and sterted down back, struggled and moved fwd and has had success as a HFF/FP