Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.<\/a><\/p>\nIt comes after Ward was made to earn his spot in Sam Mitchell\u2019s side \u2013 playing 14, 16 and 12 games respectively over his first three seasons \u2014 despite the former Pick 7 coming in as a highly-rated junior in a stacked 2021 draft class featuring the likes of Jason Horne-Francis, Sam Darcy, Finn Callaghan, Nick Daicos and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.<\/p>\n
But even Ward admitted he\u2019s not content with where he\u2019s at yet as he looks to keep getting better and help improve the rising Hawks.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally enjoying my footy. I feel like there\u2019s a really good team focus at the moment, where you just go out and play your role. That\u2019s worked for me and I\u2019ve enjoying it,\u201d Ward told foxfooty.com.au after Hawthorn\u2019s win over Carlton last Thursday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a steep learning curve. It takes time to ingrain those behaviours and habits you need. I feel like I\u2019m getting there, but there\u2019s still a long way to go. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn the first few years I was in and out of the side. I still don\u2019t think I\u2019ve completely surpassed that, there\u2019s a bit of that lingering feeling that you\u2019re only a few bad games away from (being out of the side). But happy to keep playing my role and try and help the team as best as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward celebrates a goal against Carlton (Photo by Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Highly regarded for his elite running ability and being a hard worker, Ward has grinded away and waited for his opportunities to come.<\/p>\n
That included an injury to Cam Mackenzie on the eve of the 2024 finals opening the door for Ward to play a standout role in Hawthorn\u2019s elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs, racking up 22 disposals and nine tackles as a pure midfielder. <\/p>\n
Ward also wasn\u2019t picked for Hawthorn\u2019s season opener against Sydney this year, before replacing the injured James Worpel and staying in the side ever since in a story of resilience, persistence and application paying off. <\/p>\n
Ward was challenged with what so many draftees face upon joining the AFL ranks \u2013 getting moved into different positions like on the wing and at half-forward \u2013 despite building his reputation as an inside midfielder throughout his juniors. <\/p>\n
It meant Ward in those early days couldn\u2019t necessarily play to his strengths in the coalface of the action \u2014 or his \u201cown expectations\u201d \u2014 and found himself constantly on the fringes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was frustrating, mainly because of my own expectations. I thought I\u2019d come in as a high draft pick and cement my spot straight away,\u201d Ward said of his first few years in the AFL.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t quite the case. But I feel like I\u2019ve learned so much and it\u2019s made me a better player.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve really had to knuckle down and work on a lot of things that I think has helped me now. But I still feel like I\u2019ve got a long way to go as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward in action against Port Adelaide (Photo by Michael Willson\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Learning to overcome lapses in games has been a big part of the 60-gamer\u2019s development.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mental side is a big one. Being able to move on from mistakes and quiet patches in games. As a junior, that obviously doesn\u2019t happen as much,\u201d Ward said.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing into the AFL, you\u2019ve got to be able to get past that 10 minutes where you haven\u2019t touched the footy. Working with the club psychologist on that has been really big, just being able to keep in the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd building up my body and my contest work has been a big one as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward is one of several emerging Hawks stars in a budding crop that has a seriously bright future under Sam Mitchell. <\/p>\n
The seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft also has a bright future off the field, having attained an ATAR score above 99 coming out of Melbourne Grammar. Ward is now studying a Laws and Politics, Philosophy and Economics double degree, as well as undertaking a clerkship at Davies Collision Cave law firm. <\/p>\n
Balancing that with a professional footy career is a fair bit for a young man to juggle.<\/p>\n
For now, Ward is \u201creally happy\u201d being locked in at Hawthorn, the club he\u2019s supported his whole life and where his great grandfather used to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always been Hawthorn. I love the club,\u201d he said of his four-year extension. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just about working on a deal, I got my manager to do that and I could put it to the side and focus on playing footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut really happy to have another four years here, because I love coming to this club.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward said he doesn\u2019t necessarily feel any different now that his future is secure, but conceded there was \u201ca bit of stress lingering in the background\u201d in the earlier parts of the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I compartmentalise pretty well and made sure I was just focusing on my footy while that was taking away,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s definitely a bit of relief and a bit of a weight off the shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘No real desire’: Simmo on coach rumours | 02:25<\/p>\n
The likes of Hustwaite and Mackenzie find themselves in a similar position to Ward in the early stages of his career, fighting to break into the side amid talk rival clubs could be monitoring them and other out-of-favour Hawks. <\/p>\n
Ward reiterated \u201creally good advice\u201d from Finn Maginness earlier this season to stay focused on process, rather than outcome. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was to not focus too much on games and make sure you\u2019re developing as a player, keep knuckling down and get better \u2013 whether you\u2019re playing AFL or VFL,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s really what matters and the rest is outcome and will come with time. I echo that advice. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo many players have been in that position, I\u2019ve been in that position. They\u2019re both unbelievable players who I\u2019m sure would get a game in a lot of teams. They\u2019ve both got bright futures.\u201d <\/p>\n
Now virtually at full strength again after regaining several stars in recent weeks, Ward said Hawthorn \u201cdefinitely have belief\u201d ahead of a tough four-game stretch against Adelaide, Collingwood, Melbourne and Brisbane to finish its season ahead of a potential second-straight finals campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese next four weeks are a mini finals series for us. Every game is a must win, but I feel confident we can do it,\u201d Ward added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to have so many senior players back, our medical team are doing a great job. So we have no excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breakout Hawthorn young gun Josh Ward has credited the mental side of footy in helping him begin to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36707,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1146,64,63,689,684,33204,651,33196,3239,33198,9008,33200,11238,33205,33201,33202,2105,7492,647,33194,7198,33199,27652,673,677,6082,33206,701,30401,3247,12936,1820,33195,33197,17989,1124,85,33203,33207,670,660,698],"class_list":["post-36706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-adam-simpson","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-ben-cotton","tag-breakout-season","tag-brisbane","tag-career-high-marks","tag-carlton-blues","tag-club-psychologist","tag-contest-work","tag-contract-reward","tag-draft-pick","tag-draftees-face","tag-elimination-final-win","tag-elite-running-ability","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-hawthorn-hawks","tag-melbourne","tag-mental-side","tag-michael-willson","tag-mini-finals-series","tag-must-win","tag-new-south-wales","tag-oceania","tag-port-adelaide","tag-professional-footy-career","tag-queensland","tag-real-desire","tag-robert-cianflone","tag-sam-mitchell","tag-score-involvements","tag-season-opener","tag-second-straight-finals-campaign","tag-senior-players","tag-south-australia","tag-sports","tag-steep-learning-curve","tag-stress-lingering","tag-sydney","tag-victoria","tag-western-bulldogs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36706\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}