The prototype of the modern midfielder so keenly sought by AFL recruiters is a blend of power, strength and skill.
A player blessed with the strength to break through traffic, the speed to get the ball in space and break lines and the skill to execute to the advantage of the team.
Assessing the midfield of unit of the West Coast Eagles there is evidence of those traits through Elliot ‘the bull’ Yeo and youngsters Reuben Ginbey and Harley Reid. It also boasts the talents of Tim Kelly. It is an impressive line-up.
But another player to complement that formidable array of talent would be ideal; a player who would offer flexibility for Reid to go forward, for Yeo to go back or for Ginbey to push out to a wing where he could even better demonstrate his significant aerobic ability.
Down in the Eagles locker room sandwiched between the No.7 occupied by Ginbey and Reid in No.9 is that of Elijah Hewett. And he is the missing piece of this young and emerging midfield.
I should declare here that I am an unabashed admirer of Hewett; both his football credentials and his off-field demeanour. His thirst for knowledge and his engaging personality. From the moment he came into the club he has carried a certain aura.
The sample size is relatively small at just 14 games, but the 20-year-old drafted alongside Ginbey at pick #14 in the 2022 National Draft has all the attributes to be a key player in the Eagles build.
Like Reid he plays with unbridled enthusiasm; he relishes the big stage and has already been warmly embraced by the fans.
He played all of his senior games last year and has been something of a forgotten commodity in 2024 while the Eagles have begun their gradual climb towards the target of sustained success.
A foot injury curtailed his progress during pre-season. Initially the plan to get him back on track was a tailored rehabilitation program; to wind back his training commitment in the hope it would self heal.
That didn’t work. Every time he looked to elevate his program he pulled up sore.
The problem in his foot was diagnosed as an issue often suffered by ballet dancers, so the club sent him to Melbourne to see an expert involved in the recovery of dancers. Again a specific program was mapped up, but frustratingly for Hewett and the club that was not the solution.
So, in the early part of the season he went to Melbourne fur surgery. He was off his feet for a number of weeks and then began the long, painstaking process of getting back into football.
Hewett, a likeable, gregarious young man with a healthy swagger and confidence has a bounce back in his step. He is about a month away from returning to action. Given the significant interruption to his 2024 campaign expectations will be low.
When he is ready he will play managed minutes in the WAFL and hopefully step by step he builds his match day output to the point where he can be considered for selection at senior level.
Whatever happens in the back end of the season Hewett, not dissimilar to a young Christian Petracca, will use the run home to build towards 2025 and a place alongside Yeo, Kelly, Ginbey and Reid in the engine room.
Fingers crossed a couple of key recruiting targets also land at Mineral Resources Park to assist in expediating the club’s build to offer support and knowledge that the young group can tap into from 2025 and beyond.
