sport news Calsher Dear: Why this 18-year-old's AFL debut will be one of the most ... trends now
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All AFL debuts are emotional for the player's family but it's a safe bet few can compare to what awaits Calsher Dear when he runs out for Hawthorn against the Bulldogs on Sunday.
Dear is the son of 1991 Norm Smith medallist Paul, who died in 2022 after a battle with pancreatic cancer aged 55.
The Hawks are urging caution with the 18-year-old, who is a 195cm key forward averaging a tick less than two goals per game in the second-tier competition.
But given Mitchell's initial impressions of the youngster and his emergence, the Hawks boss isn't ruling out a continued quick rise after he joined the team as a father-son pick in last year's draft.
Calsher Dean has had a rapid rise through the ranks since joining the Hawks as a father-son pick in last year's draft
He has an incredible footy pedigree courtesy of his late father Paul (pictured left), who won the Norm Smith Medal for his outstanding game in Hawthorn's 1991 grand final win
'The first month when you get new draftees into your club is always really interesting because they come from different backgrounds, different levels of fitness, different level of professionalism - he was probably, he would say, at the lower end of understanding,' Mitchell said.
'The boys love telling a story, he was in his first couple of weeks and he ordered this fried chicken burger right in front
