Former #17 James Stewart

I think people confuse form with talent

2017 Stewart ■■■■■ all over 2017 Brown and 2017 McKernan
2018 Stewart is a shadow of the 2018 versions of Brown and McKernan

The form has changed, but the ability hasn’t and next pre-season they all start from scratch again

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This bloke needs to get his sh-t together and be in the seniors.

All due respect to Brown, he works extremely hard but geez how did he fall so low to being behind every other key forward on our list.

He started the season well then went belly up just as McKernan came in and turned his career around.

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I suspect his job is to learn how to deal with the attention a key forward gets, rather than 3rd tall, albeit a very tall one.

I hope he can, I think Stringer has got his slot in a modified more versatile structure.

When JD and Smack are back in and Stringer and Langford are rotating forward, he doesn’t have a slot unless he can be a KPF when Smack and or Joe isn’t available. At the moment Brown offers more as a back up KPF and he can swap with Hooker forward and back.

He needs another dimension besides 3rd tall to get back in.

I think this is pretty classic Blitz “I love Bart! No wait, I love Lisa!”

I’m a big fan of the likes of Brown and Dea (and a bigger fan of McKernan), but the reality is the first 2 have limited ceilings and all 3 are the wrong side of 26 (yes, Dea is 26 but Gleeson/Francis/Ridley are all younger and more talented).

NFI what’s caused Stewart’s meteoric plummet in form but the reality is he’s still a young player with a lot of ability. I back him to have a big pre season and hopefully play Rd 1 next year.

And I think the whole “he’s just a glorified flanker” is just symtpomatic of people’s broader views on his form. People were actively panning that view when he was in great form last year.

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He is a definite stayer. He is working on his craft.

Next season Daniher, Brown and Stewart formible forwardline with Stringer, Bags and Smith. That’s exciting and very mobile and athletic which is where the game is.

Ambrose, Hooker, Francis and Hurley with Saad and McKenna backline that’s exciting!

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I’ve still got confidence this guy can be a very good player.

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Didn’t they say somewhere he’s been carrying i heel injury?

With all due respect, Brown has absolutely no physicality when contesting the ball, either in the air or on the ground. His tackles are just flimsy and he gets pushed out of the contest with ease when approaching a loose ball get. I get your point that Stewart needs to be stronger in the contest, but Brown is not a good player to contrast him with. Maybe Hooker. Stewart has about 10 times the athleticism of Hooker and about 1/10th of the physicality. If he could up that 1/10th to even 60% while retaining the athleticism, he would be a very good KP forward.

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Well done today in the final quarter. I’m a Jimmy believer so was happy for him today.
Still think he has plenty to work on but he definitely has some tools.
Hope we offer him a contract extension as I know atleast 1 club is monitoring the situation

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Sign him already, NOW

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Most important reason of signing him is his age.

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He’s taken some ripper grabs the last few weeks. Can’t remember him marking like that in the seniors.

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He’ll likely be a late blossom-er, hopefully with us, though he and Smack are each expendable depending on value.

He’s got much more upside than Brown or Smack. I still think he’ll come good and will line up Round 1 next year in the seniors.

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I see Smack as the stop gap, Brown as the back up and Stewart as the long term. The difference between them isn’t significant though.

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When Smack works out not to give away silly free kicks, he ■■■■■■ on them!

I think they all have something appealing, Stewart’s age, Brown can play at both ends and Smack can impact in the middle.
Stewart is the most valuable.

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Most valuable in what sense? For a trade? As a future player?
I’d say all 3 are worth stuff all in a trade, and there isn’t much between them on field but Stewart is last in the pecking order. Will need a big offseason to change that

Was our leading goal kicker when he was omitted. Has to still work on parts of his game but reckon him and Joe work really well together

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Value in general. 24 compared to the other two at 28 years of age. I think he would hold as much value if not more than Smack at the trade table. From Essendons perspective my opinion is he’d be valued higher as we only have Lavender younger as key fwd and it’s questionable he won’t make it. Consider that we already have a Daniher and Stringer and a number of key defenders Brown holds least value to us. What increases Smacks value is his ruck ability as Looey is pretty much done and Draper not yet ready.
As for the short term which I’ve taken out of consideration of value because it’s the biggest variable, Stewart is probably last out of the 3. Don’t know out of Smack or Brown but going off recent form and into 2019 they’re probably ahead but a slight spike in form for any of the 3 puts them ahead.