Nick Watson’s emergence as a genuine superstar of the competition has come off the back of perfecting a technique called “blindsiding”, according to Brownlow medallist and 7AFL expert Tom Mitchell.
The Hawthorn small forward capped a sensational season by winning his maiden best and fairest to go with his first All-Australian jacket.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Nick Watson masters the art of blindsiding defenders
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Still just 21, Watson kicked 63 goals this year, including a six-goal haul in the heartbreaking preliminary final loss to Brisbane.
He nearly doubled his goal output compared to last year, and also averaged three more disposals as he spent more time through the midfield.
But while improvement comes with age and experience, Watson is also a lot “smarter” and appears to be learning tricks from Sydney star Tom Papley.
Mitchell highlighted the “blindsiding” tactic that Watson has quickly perfected.
“He definitely got smarter this year and I reckon he’s been watching some of the best small forwards in the competition, one of which is Tom Papley,” Mitchell said on The Agenda Setters.
“So I want to take you through a concept tonight called blindsiding.
“The two players we’re watching here are Tom Papley and Noah Answerth. So the concept of blindsiding is what I’m going to show you right now as we play forward.
“Blindsiding, that’s the moment right there.
“So Papley wants Answerth’s back. That’s what blindsiding is. Answerth can’t look left, he can’t look right, and all he can see is the ball. So as a defender, you want to be able to see both the ball and your opponent.”
Mitchell highlighted how Answerth should be in a position where he can see both Papley and the ball, and at the very least push him onto his left foot to make it a difficult shot.
“Open your stance, point the pistols, you can see the ball, you can see the opponent, you can either push him back if the ball goes there, or push him to his left foot,” Mitchell said.
It’s a technique that Watson has used all year, but Mitchell highlighted two perfect instances in the finals against Fremantle and Brisbane.
“Well, he did this all year. So clearly, smarts and footy IQ is something he’s worked on and trained over the pre-season,” Mitchell continued.
“So as (Jack) Ginnivan kicks the ball inside 50, you’ll see a little bumper bar there from Judd McVee on Watson … So these are the two players we’re watching.”
McVee was in a good spot five metres ahead of Watson, but in a split second, Watson perfectly executed the “blindside”.
“It can change that quickly. He’s been blindsided. These forwards only need half a metre. Watson looking directly at his back.
“So you can see he’s looking at his number. Again, McVee needs to open his stance up, be able to see the ball, see his opponent, and also he needs to push him to his left foot. So the smartest defenders wouldn’t allow this.”
“Nick Watson, give him half a second, he’ll make you hurt.”
Mitchell then highlighted Watson’s crucial goal in the last quarter of the preliminary final against Brisbane when he blindsided Darcy Wilmot and burned him off.
Every small forward in the competition attempts to use blindsiding, while every small defender tries to guard against it — but few execute it as effectively as the Hawthorn wizard.
Mitchell added that Hawthorn champion Luke Breust, who is an assistant coach, would have likely taught Watson the tactic.