Archiving the older stuff, now that the new u18 season has started up!
Tom Wallis, son of Dean, is one there’s decent wraps on. 182cm, 70kg midfielder. Played in the u15 champs, was selected in the u16 Calder squad . Described as “Great kick off either foot, fast and elusive.” was selected for Vic Metro u16s in 2013 but missed the carnival with glandular fever.
Played as an underager for Calder in the TAC Cup in 2014, averaged approx 11 touches while being in and out of the team. Selected to the Cannons leadership group in 2015 andwas named in the 50-man VM champs squad.
TAC Rnd 1 vs Sandringham - 22 (or possibly 23, depending on who you listen to!) touches at 77% effective, 5 marks, 3 clearances, 1 goal. From Bomber Bill, who calls games for the awesome TAC Cup radio broadcast:
[quote]From a Bombers perspective Tom Wallis son of Deano was best on in the first half. Looks and plays nothing like his father. Kicks on his left. Not much of him. But found the ball. Quieter in the second half. [/quote]
TAC Rnd 2 vs Northern - 16 touches at 75% effective, 3 marks,1 tackle.
TAC Rnd 3 vs Eastern - 21 touches at 33% effective, 2 marks, 8 tackles in the wet against what looks to be one of the stronger and bigger-bodied midfield units in the TAC Cup this year. I was really hoping to get to this game given it seemed an interesting matchup with a couple of f/s blokes playing and was close to home, but i was forced to lie on a beach in the tropics having the occasional snorkel and/or cold beer instead. Life's tough, hey?
TAC Rnd 5 vs North Ballarat - 5 touches at 80% effective, 1 mark, 3 tackles. I didn't see the game, but that stat line screams 'got injured early' to me. Still, he's been named this week, so if it was an injury, it can't have been too serious.
TAC Rnd 6 vs Murray - 10 touches at 40% effective, 2 marks, 4 tackles, 3 frees against
TAC Rnd 7 vs Geelong - 15 touches at 80% effective, 2 marks, 4 tackles
TAC Rnd 8 vs Bendigo - 11 touches at 63% effective, 2 marks, 2 tackles, kicked 1 behind, and in a sign that he is obviously destined to play for Essendon, racked up 5 frees against.
TAC Rnd 9 vs Gippsland - 18 touches at 55% effective, 3 marks, 3 tackles, kicked 0.1. Both sides were depleted due to champs, so he may have been given more time in the middle than usual.
TAC Rnd 10 vs Queensland - 18 touches at 61% effective, 8 tackles, 3 frees for and 3 frees against, named in the best.
TAC Rnd 11 vs Sandringham - 21 touches at 62% effective, 1 tackle, 3 frees against, named in the best.
TAC Rnd 12 vs Dandenong - 19 touches at 42% effective, 3 tackles, 3 marks, 2 frees against, 1 goal, named in the best.
TAC Rnd 13 vs Queensland - 16 touches at 31% effective, 2 tackles, 1 mark, named in the best in terrible conditions against a Jets side that scored 2 points for the game.
TAC Rnd 14 vs Oakleigh - 20 touches at 50% effective (going at 25% by foot, for those keeping track at home...), 4 tackles, 2 marks, kicked 0.1, and an eye-watering 4 frees against.
VFL rnd 16 vs Footscray - first game as a 23rd man for EFC VFL. 9 touches at 55% effective, 1 tackle
VFL rnd 17 vs Werribee - still in the VFL 8 touches at 50% effective, 3 marks, 1 tackle, kicked 1.1, the goal a helicopter from 50.
TAC rnd 16 vs Murray - 23 touches at 74% effective, 5 marks, 5 tackles, kicked 0.1, named in the best.
TAC rnd 17 vs North Ballarat - 29 touches at 62% effective, 5 marks, 5 tackles, named in the best
TAC elim final vs Eastern - 26 touches at 69% effective, 4 marks, 3 tackles, named in the best. We have the good fortune to have a report on this game, from a particularly wise, personable and devilishly handsome blitzer...
"
As for best on ground - yeah maybe. There certainly weren’t many competitors for the title as far as Calder went, though there were a bunch of Ranges boys who played better. Cannons midfield got absolutely monstered for the first 3/4, they went into the last quarter 11 goals down. But they kicked I think 6 to one in the last quarter and our boy was one of the main reasons. Got some really aggressive run and carry happening, had a load of touches (when his stats come out it’s probably worth remembering that probably 2/3 of them were in the last quarter when the game was lost) and wasn’t afraid to boot it deep going into the fwd 50. Clean hands too, which made him a rarity among the Cannons mids. God they were fumbly. Not sure there’s going to be too many Cannons draftees this year, as a club they’ve really fallen to bits since changing coaches circa 2010.In the first 3/4 he just couldn’t get into the game at all. Was playing as an outside runner in a side that had no real contested ball winners and got butchered in the stoppages. Continually found himself on the other side of the field, making an option where the ball wasn’t. Spent a lot of time on the bench before he went into the middle in the last and went bang… Was noticeable how Calder’s last-quarter charge ground to a halt when he went off for a breather.
He’s got something to work with imho, but he’s nobody’s idea of a sure thing. I liked his cleanness and willingness to take the game on, I didn’t like his half-pace jogging around off the ball in the first three quarters when his team needed him to be imposing himself on the game as best he could. Also, he’s a weed and he compensates for lack of strength by tackling crudely, needs to bulk up and clean up his technique cos he gave away needless free kicks.
Not sure on his cardio fitness. He spent much more time off the field than I’d like to see in a first rotation midfielder, and he looked pretty cooked at times. Also was the recipient of one of the all-time great fend-offs by Ryan Clarke, who is the same height but built like a brick shithouse, and who was part of the big, strong Eastern midfield that crushed the skinny calder boys around the contest and ended up kicking 4."