#13 Orazio Fantasia - his surname is pronounced “injured”

Blitz is way too volatile at the moment to be asking questions like this. I’ll answer it after we beat GWS.

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and he has a wierd name

He’s getting by on the strength of his haircut and leadership qualities.

Yeah, nah. Not even close. That’s as silly as what @conjunctivitus said

You took that seriously, dincha?

https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/03/20/stevie-j-my-top-four-players-to-watch-this-afl-season/

Orazio Fantasia
He might have missed nine games last year, but Orazio Fantasia is the best small forward in the game today. With his level of ability, we’ll probably see him push into the midfield far more often in the seasons to come.

Essendon have a strong midfield, particularly now Dylan Shiel’s joined them in the off-season. But with Orazio providing another option in there, he allows those midfield runners to swap out if they need to.

It also means that, if he’s not having a big impact as a forward on any given day, he can push into the middle, get his hands on the footy and get his confidence up. When you do that as a forward, you go back up front feeling better about your game and are far more likely to have a bigger influence.

Orazio could regularly have 25 possessions and two or three goals a game, and those players don’t grow on trees. His ability to hit packs at speed, get his opponent on the lead, and finish off around goal under pressure is as good as anyone’s in the AFL today.

He kicks the flashy goals, but his work rate to get on the end of the footy is pretty important as well. He’s already a bit of a cult figure at Essendon, and the way he goes about his footy just makes you want to turn the TV on.

(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)

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hey that stevie j guy is alright

And he’s a very good set shot for goal. Often, small forwards are not.

If he plays a full season, he wins our B&F is my big call for the season

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Yeah. MASSIVE.

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What’s your problem?

Hahahahaha… that it’s not such a big call :slight_smile:
Now if you had said Guelfi…

You wouldn’t think that a fully fit Heppell, Smith, Merrett, Shiel, Hurley, Hooker, Daniher wouldn’t all be considered in front of him?

I may not exactly be putting my nuts out on the line saying a talented player might win a talent award, but his previous best has been 8th. Yes, even in the year when we finished last.

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I’m just rapt that we have so many players I consider exceptional.

Poignant to refresh our learning before belting out his name at the Game, TVs and streams around the globe tomorrow.

Myself I am going to have the inflection on the ‘ see ya’ as in ciao mate I am out of here when he burns them off.

Go OF!

It was weird that BT knew of this last year and didn’t go off on it: Orrrazzzzzzio Fanta-seeeeeya.

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Raz seemed to have a pretty hard tag yesterday. Anybody else notice? Every time he attacked the ball he’d be bumped straight off it. I wonder if this is something he’ll cop more of this year. Hopefully he gets used to it quickly.

Well he certainly isn’t going to get any help from his teammates

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Doesn’t look right to me

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It’s called having accountability… something our defenders do not have.

GWS just did the basics and manned their forwards opponents with intent