It’s remarkable. The kid in his 8th game or whatever comes in as sub. Plays three quarters in a foreign position and has 16 touches and a reasonable impact on the game, particularly late when the game is on the line. Didn’t shank any kicks that I could see.
But not to be put off their mission - the usual band of armchair hindsight draft heroes will flock in and write him off and lament we didn’t pick x, y and z. Just like they did with Parish and Langford and Perkins and McGrath and every other young player whose development have not gratified their small attention spans.
Christ almighty anyone would think someone is attacking your own flesh and blood the way some of you are carrying on here.
No one hates Tsatas, people are simply just worried about a huge flaw in the game of someone we’ve invested very heavily in. People are allowed to have an opinion and express concern.
Everyone would be thrilled to see him become a very good player.
You’ve watched 5x more footy than I have, so I’ll cop that, but I haven’t missed a game since 2010 and he’s the worst I’ve seen (though I’ll acknowledge his sample size is small; he may be nervous early days).
Hardingham was terrible, but I’ve always maintained his was poor decision making and kicking off one step too often more than bad technical ability.
Colyer was awful, but tightened it up in about his 5th or 6th season (right before his foot issue, then ban, and we never really saw him again). His was also more about moving too fast, but he was right up there.
Clarke’s issues I always felt were a touch overstated, he was also an excellent set shot. I think his pace got him in the end more than kicking (though I won’t pretend he was good).
Tsatas genuinely looks like he is lucky to make proper contact sometimes, even after a mark i.e. not under direct pressure.
I can’t think of anyone else, anyone else get a guernsey post ~ 2010?
EDIT: I’d actually have Shiel kind of up there, but not right up there. His looks worse because he’s got (/had) so many other weapons that it’s tantalising how good he could be if he was a good kick.
Dylan Clarke was bad, and it prevented him from becoming a consistent AFL player. Consistent in terms of being selected. I think we got him at Pick 60-odd, and they said if he was simply average by foot, not good, but not a liability, he’d have been a 2nd round pick. Drapes has got better but you still have your heart in mouth when he lines up for goal. Michael Symons probably had the worst kicking motion. Everything else he was very good. Great mark for his size, quick, versatile. Will never forget his miss from the top of the goalsquare in the 1993 Qualifying Final against Fark Carlton after Diesel Williams gave away a 100m penalty!
Yeah he would be my pick of worst kicks at Essendon. Such a great mark though. There is no way Tsatas is a worse kick than Clarke, ever noticed he never kicked on the run. Always from a stationary position or a pack.
I don’t think anyone thought Tsatas was this bad a kick, it was never mentioned in any of the phantom draft write ups and I reckon I read just about every one of them.
I’ve never said one negative thing about Elijah, but you would need to be blind Freddy or maybe his mother not to see the bleeding obvious.
He is an horrendous kick, and it’s not improving.
I’m not sure how many games you get before you get sent back indefinitely until there is obvious and significant improvement. His kicking is unsatisfactory to the point of embarrassment.
I’d rather see Archie given a go.
This is no longer a development year.
It’s really a matter of whether on balance he can contribute enough to justify his continued selection.
It’s not about, whether it is Fair or otherwise to criticise his ability at this point, it’s simply about expected outcomes and whether we believe the Team is better with him in it than not.
With Parish Hobbs and Setterfield available it’s a no from me this season …
At this time.
