I could see him becoming as exciting as Dustin Martin!! Doubted him at the beginning of the year but absolutely killed it in the second half of the year!
I was a hater. Now I have a massive man crush. Has mongrel. Has "x-factor". Polled third in the Nobby - unexpected but deserved. Say one thing about Bombers fans - we can be critical, but we love being corrected!
He is one of my favourites. Really kicked on this year, tough, skilful and never takes a backward step. Integral. Some of his goals this year were terrific…
Used to give him all sorts of stick. His game against Brisbane, while the whole team was ■■■■■, was the turning point for me. Had a real crack and he just kept getting better from there.
See him as our version of Jude Bolton for the next 10 years.....hopefully with a couple of premiership medallions around his neck too.
I still don't get the Lenny Hayes/Jude Bolton comparisons. Never have. He's not stocky, he's not a grab the ball & shovel it out (which they essentially are) type, he just doesn't play percentages. He likes to run and/or kick out of congestion, takes guys on & takes a lot of risks.
He's awesome btw. If a lot of people were being honest he'd get about 15/10 for performance vs expected performance. Gets a 9 from me, even better than the year I thought he'd have last year.
Loved his year. Always thought he had it in him. My favourite moment was when he committed to the club through the whole 'every player wants out' part of the year.
Poor bugger can't take a trick. First the MRP ping him against Hawthorn when Roughy charged at him. Isn't a guy able to protect himself when 100kg is about thump him into oblivion. Then he cops a late start to next season courtesy of a retaliation to a Jackson headbutt against Richmond. Neither of the instigators of these incidents were even looked at!!
It wasn’t just that he improved this year, it was when he improved.
When the team started slipping, he started standing up. When Watson went down, he pretty much was the only one to step up. By the time round 23 rocked around, he was virtually our ‘go-to, make something happen type player.’
I don’t shy away from the fact I spent 2012 calling for him to be dropped. He should have been. But that’s irrelevant now. The switch has finalising been clicked with him, and he’s gonna be the player we all hoped for when he started out.
I was certainly a critic, but he improved a lot this year, like paul Peos said he improved at the right time of year, and showed of lot of heart and character, I cant help but admire a player like that.
He still lacks composure under pressure, he does a lot of snaps around the body when in congestion without looking, this often results in a turn over. If he was just was a little more composed and had a look to where he is kicking (there is usually a little more time then he realises) and at least kick to our players advantage, or to space out wide. Also he still makes some poor decisions at times, and try's to bite of a little more then he can chew, which result in turn overs.
He is courageous in the way likes to take the game on, which is good and bad.
When he just misses that risky target we usually get punished badly, but if they come off it looks terrific. Tons of talent, and now I can really see his potential. If he can learn some more composure, and play the percentages a little more, he will be one of the better mid's in the comp.
