Whatever the fark it was that Jake Kelly was pretending to do on the field … I reckon he could do that?
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I reckon they should bring him in for Eagles. Play him forward and look at him on the wing?
So being 4 years older = better than a top 10 pick?
We should trade every top ten pick we get then!
Yes, unbelievably, 23 year olds tend to be more developed than 19 year olds.
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More like - the older a player is, the closer they are to their final potential, and vice versa.
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True. But he does look like a player. Good overhead, goal sense, good ball user appears and finds the ball. As does Caddy, he’s going to be pretty good too from what he shows in his aerial work and competitiveness. They do stand out a bit at this level.
We are just pisspoor at developing anyone. We destroy them quickly and stuff any confidence they may have had. Walla was an aberration to our system, and we did the best we could to screw him over as well, but his class won through. I fear this new bloke will get pushed into the firsts and then left to fester and die. Who was the last player who went through what we might call a career development program. Probably it was Patrick Ryder, who cut his teeth playing CHB before he was pushed into the Ruck against men.
Look at Nic Cox: he comes in as a raw underdeveloped body, and correctly we let him roam on the wing and he plays some very good games. Then we throw him nto the ruck !!! He over-trains, gets injured and then we bring him back into the Firsts without a real plan for his role in the Team. Now all he seems good for is a few cameos each game, and fades in and out, when he should be dominating on a wing.
Seems to me that Essendon wants to win games so much that it cannot see the longer-term objectives. Last night, we were not that bad, and the scoreline of 26 point flattered the scum. We had a poor second quarter, but if we had kicked straight in the first, then we would have won.
Apart from Merrett there is a decided lack of Leadership on the field and Teamwork is something that happens by mistake. Coaching is poor and match strategy is just strange. Yet we win game, off the back of hard work from a few like Merrett, Durham, Martin and not much else.
I actually hate night MCG games, and happy to play every day but leav the nights alone.
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Why isnt every 23 year old state player on a list then?
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I’m not sure if you are being intentionally obtuse.
23 year olds are far closer to their final product than 19 year olds. You’d expect that Tsatas will be a significantly better player when he is 23.
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Perhaps one just has the required skills and attributes for “football” more than the other does.
Let’s not pretend that if you can’t kick at 19 when you’ve grown up playing the game, and in great junior programs, that you’re somehow going to kick like Nathan Buckley at 23.
The sooner we come to grips with Reid and Tsatas being busts the better off all our mental health will be. Nothing against the kids but if walks and talks like a duck…….
I must be watching a different game.
Of course i get that. That wasnt my point. Im not even sure if saad will be a long term player (i think so, but who knows) my point was we are pretty good at striking gold with these kinds of picks whilst some of our first round picks look like they have never played football
All you want as a supporter is signs/moments that these guys will be good, hence me saying ive seen more moments out of el Hawli in one game than i have with tsatas in 2 years. Thats got absolutely nothing to do with their ages. A top 10 pick should be able to give you glimpses
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don’t care how, play him now
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I’d play him in the seniors, it really doesn’t matter where, except maybe the ruck, that would matter
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He’d be more effective than Wright
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maybe they offered him an extension at ¾ time, hence the injury.
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Can’t wait to see his highlights from yesterday’s VFL game. Has many great assets from what I’ve seen and read
legitimately, he’d add to our half back line, he’d be very solid on the wing, and he’d be useful on the half forward line.
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The reason so many high draft picks are a bust is because playing against other kids is easy. Nothing prepares you for the reality of being punched in the head by some big farker who weighs 20 kg more than you, and has spent most of his adult life training and preparing like a maniac.
AFL players aren’t normal balanced people who prioritise their health and wellbeing. That’s a difficult trait to assess in a schoolkid.
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Why cant we have nice things!