I already pointed this out last year, but this is the selective stuff that shows confirmation bias is running rampant. No doubt, zaka was poor for a number of weeks following the middle of the year, but he also got better at the end. He commented about how he wasn’t dealing so well with the hard tag so that’s no surprise and no one is denying it. But in the last 12 weeks of the year, the 12 weeks of genuine shockers, he had 4 games of 30 + touches, including one of 40, and a further game with 25. Now stats aren’t everything but if you can’t find anything positive in that lot, then I’d suggest it’s still you who can’t represent balance. At the risk of pretending those undoubted poor weeks didn’t exist (they did, he had poor games - 5 in a row at one stage averaging 15.2 disposals), he averaged 24.5 disposals and 4.9 tackles over those 12 genuine shockers. Now what I say is that he had a number of poor games, a few very good games and some in between. He didn’t have a great second half year but he fought back well, and considering he copped a hard tag across much of that period, his returns were at worst mixed. But you stick with 12 genuine shockers with no exceptions as a testament to your level of objectivity…
This year, the midfield time will be far more divided, and he’ll be a relative bit part in the rotation, not the central tag target. I frankly doubt we’ll see many if any 30 pos games from him and that’s ok, cos if hepp and Jobe and stants are getting it instead then all’s well. Only one player kicks the footy at a time. I doubt he’ll be worried if it turns out like that, nor Woosher. I am guessing if they get 15-20 touches and 1-2 goals out of him per game, the coaching panel will be pretty pleased. If he plays more up the ground they’ll probably want .5-1 goal and expect 25 touches - you won’t get both out of many in the comp.
I suspect those wanting him in the twos will be waiting as they did for him to be made trade bait last year.
None of that denies there are times when he could go harder. But I also recall Hird cutting his losses in chases, and being all alone through not following a loose player rather than through effort. Pick any single player and watch them continuously, they don’t bore in 100% of the time, it’s just not possible. And when you go looking for that, you will find it where you want.
Is that the same AFL Player Rankings that rated Leroy Jetta as one of our Top 5 players or something? Thought they would’ve shut that algorithm down by now.
Perhaps, we should all remember, when our boys really click together and we haven’t yet its takes time to get that “sixth sense of each other working as one” but when we do, we will sweep everyone aside.
We are building toward it and we will be a sight to behold.
I appreciate your response but it’s only fair I give my retort.
I’m sorry but if you actually read any of my previous posts this year or even last year you’d know that I’m full of praise when he does well and have often said he had a good start to last year, instead of cotton picking a selective sentence from one of my posts and pretending I’m never balanced. People get so caught up in racing to his defence they repeatedly ignore the good stuff and just focus on the criticism (and yes this is an Essendon board so critcism will happen, if you want every player getting pats on the back then maybe go back in a time machine and visit Bomberland forum circa 2000.
Even as recent as this week I’m clearly giving him some praise and clearly saying he was much better. In fact I’m far more balanced and less hypocritical then a majority of people attacking me (they’re happy to defend Zaka to the death and yet trot into Gleeson/Langford threads and give them shit, because it’s OK if everyone else is doing it right?). So yes, I think I’m balanced, I give credit where it’s due imo (read any of this thread) and trying to give fair assessment where I think players go wrong. In Round 1 I was 10m away from his squibs, a majority of people at the stadium saw it, a majority of Hawthorn supporters around me saw it, and having a look on gameday threads on random AFL boards they commented on it also, so it’s not just me, clearly a majority of those that went to the game saw it. Most the people saying that didn’t happen weren’t at the ground or unstable whackjobs suggesting we meet face to face to have a fight over it. I’m just going to ignore those certain posters because they’re clearly incapable of intelligent thought/don’t know how forums work.
In terms of the 12 week comment,you’re telling me yourself he had poor games, struggled to deal with a tag and had a run of bad games, yet you’re questioning my comment on it. Weird. You’re agreeing with me and yet arguing that he wasn’t that bad. The games in question in particular that I noticed:
Round 8 (North) - 12 possessions being tagged by Jacobs, invisible all day
Round 11 (Freo) - 11 possessions being tagged by Barlow who had 29 and kicked a few goals, destroyed badly
Round 12 (Haw) - 33 possessions, I’m sorry but they were the most useless and ineffectual possessions you’ll see and anyone rating his game is based off stats only, We lost by 107 and we had 434 possessions
Round 13 (GWS) - Invisible for most the day and got some cheap touches, no influence
Round 15 (WC) - 15 possessions being tagged by Nelson a 20 yo who hurt him the other way also, got frustrated and got himself suspended
Round 17 (Rich) - 15 possessions being tagged by Taylor Hunt, invisible and well beaten by Hunt
Round 18 (Bris) - 13 possessions being tagged by Robinson, invisible all day
Round 19 (Adel) - 18 possessions (50% effective), tagged early and 5 touches in first half when game was on
Round 20 (Geel) - 17 possessions, Scott Selwood in his first game back well and truly killed him
I was going to add the Carlton game but he was OK in that one without being near the bests so eh…Ive always maintained he had a great start to the season, and he did have a good game against GC when Eade decided to let him run free for whatever reason known to him and although many didn’t give him much credit I thought his game against the Dogs was pretty good following The Bont around. I think it’s a fact that everyone is a lot more forgiving to him when we’re winning and like his goals cause we win but when we lose just look back to any of the many posts from last year to analyse his performances.
Remember most us don’t expect the 30 possession games but in a lot of these he played like he didn’t care or was going for the easy option. That’s what we have issue with and the fact he gives up when being tagged. It’s the impact he has that matters and he was poor in more games in the second half of the year than he was decent in. Anyway, I’m tired of discussing this so I’M TRULY hoping he has a great game against Carlton. Even if he just does a Longeran on Gibbs I’ll be happy.
Sorry foggy but I’m not taking that even remotely seriously as I’ve seen some of the horrid teams they’ve done in the past…I wonder how many goals Fantasia has to kick before he can slip in?
Unless David stops getting his jocks ironed by his Mum like most Greek boys he’ll never truly become elite.
…on a serious note.
He has limitations, plain and simple.
He will be the beneficiary usually of the grunt work of others. I’m happy for him to be an outside mid that can link up and be on the end of a ball heading into 50.
Generally a good kick for goal, I expect he could kick up to 20 goals this yr.
Reduce expections and you’ll diminish your disappointment.
We don’t need Zak’s to be outstanding, and there’s a beauty in that. We have many others now to make up for his limitations.
@Crazy_Bomber Why do you keep harping on Zaka should be could be in top half dozen players?
He is not, and he never will be in the top half dozen players - so stop having these expectations from him week after week, you will continually feel disappointed.
Yes he will have games where he is in the top half dozen, but he won’t be the player nor expected to be in the top 6 every week.
As i’ve said before the players that we SHOULD expect to be in the top 6 each week (and expect to have a down week every so often) are:
Zerrett, Heppell, Daniher, Watson, Goddard, Hurley
Hooker to replace Goddard as he gains more fitness…
Mindset is the issue. If he managed to put the afterburners on to lay a tackle, make a shepherd, or work back when we lose possession, he wouldn’t be copping the criticism he does.
Zaharakis has played in an Essendon team for the last 10 years which has been unaccountable defensively, with clear roles of either and ‘outside player’ or ‘inside player’.
It simply doesn’t hold up in 2017. Luckily for Zaka, he’s ability to influence matches in the 4th quarter is exceptional. Which is why he has so many people who defend him to the hilt.
Why are you telling me who I should or shouldn’t expect to be good? Has the past 15 years of mediocrity really thrown peoples expectations so low down on what we should be expecting from our own players? My god the stench of Essington is strong. Unless Lloyd/Lucas/Hird/Fletcher return the days of having a set in stone top 5 is silly, good teams need a strong rotation of players that are fighting to be the best they can be. Simply saying “nah don’t expect much cause he’s just not good” reeks of loser talk and Essington FC. Lowballing him as a player is actually more a insult to him.
We should expect all our players to be able to perform to the best of their ability, that’s if we want to be a top 4 side again. Now if you want to tell me that he’s too inconsistent to be able to do that then you’re basically agreeing with me in that he needs to find better consistency in his game and efforts. Zaharakis (as regularly pointed out) won a Best & Fairest in his third year. He can gather 40+ possessions and did it against GC last year. He has kicked 4 goals in games a few times. He showed us in the first 2 months last year what he can do. Now I’m not expecting that all the time obviously, but yes, absolutely we should have high expectations of a guy that can do that and has that much talent. Absolutely. His stats might not be high as he has slightly reduced midfield time but that doesn’t mean he can’t give 100% consistency in his efforts, running and impact when he does get the ball. If a player is capable of something and only brings it occasionally then he isn’t doing himself justice. But that’s my opinion. If we all want to carry the attitude of expect nothing and then be surprised instead of expecting consistent performance from veteran midfielders, then go nuts.
You keep saying people expect 30 possession games.
No, they don’t. They expect hardwork, running, consistency, tackling and defensive efforts & impact on games. I don’t know why people keep drawing this “oh he’ll never be a 30 touch player” argument from because no one’s saying that he has to be they just want more consistent effort.
It’s a pretty poor attitude to have “lower your expectations and you’ll be pleased” argument. My expectations are in line from what I expect from most starting talented 27 year old midfielders that should be in their prime.
I’m happy to criticise Zaka when he takes short steps. Let’s be honest, we all notice when the oppo does it so we can’t really turn a blind eye when our boy does it.
I’m not too fussed though about how many touches he gets. I don’t expect big possessions. Zaka to me has played most his career where he wants to be the main guy but he just doesn’t have it in him. That’s ok, not many do. He is the cherry on top, and for the first time in a long time there is actually a cake with our midfield depth!