Former #32 Travis Colyer

If there was one player we could choose to really step up their game in 2014, it would have to be Colyer (along with a still inexperienced JD). He is exactly what we need in the midfield and at half forward. Despite his size he still puts head over the ball and wins his own footy, while giving us that lightning line breaking ability and another midfield goal kicker. Not the greatest comparison but I could see him becoming our Stephen Motlop. His only real problem has been his kicking but you saw signs during 2013 that he was improving that somewhat. Hopefully can have a Melksham like break out year.

Check out the GWS game, his kicking was great and seriously shows us what he could be like for us.

If there was one player we could choose to really step up their game in 2014, it would have to be Colyer (along with a still inexperienced JD). He is exactly what we need in the midfield and at half forward. Despite his size he still puts head over the ball and wins his own footy, while giving us that lightning line breaking ability and another midfield goal kicker. Not the greatest comparison but I could see him becoming our Stephen Motlop. His only real problem has been his kicking but you saw signs during 2013 that he was improving that somewhat. Hopefully can have a Melksham like break out year.
Check out the GWS game, his kicking was great and seriously shows us what he could be like for us.


And check out the last 2 minutes against Fremantle, has ball under minimal pressure and kicks to no one in defensive 50 (saved by Hooker and Carlisle) disposal is still holding him back.
But I do agree, kicking has improved significantly, any needs to continue to improve, maybe he can take froggys place, while being able to push into the midfield with more impact, career defining 12 months coming up.

 

If there was one player we could choose to really step up their game in 2014, it would have to be Colyer (along with a still inexperienced JD). He is exactly what we need in the midfield and at half forward. Despite his size he still puts head over the ball and wins his own footy, while giving us that lightning line breaking ability and another midfield goal kicker. Not the greatest comparison but I could see him becoming our Stephen Motlop. His only real problem has been his kicking but you saw signs during 2013 that he was improving that somewhat. Hopefully can have a Melksham like break out year.
Check out the GWS game, his kicking was great and seriously shows us what he could be like for us.


And check out the last 2 minutes against Fremantle, has ball under minimal pressure and kicks to no one in defensive 50 (saved by Hooker and Carlisle) disposal is still holding him back.
But I do agree, kicking has improved significantly, any needs to continue to improve, maybe he can take froggys place, while being able to push into the midfield with more impact, career defining 12 months coming up.

 

Relying on my memory here but did I see him bounce the ball with his left hand (like Gavin Wanganeen used to do) in a few games this year? 

If there was one player we could choose to really step up their game in 2014, it would have to be Colyer (along with a still inexperienced JD). He is exactly what we need in the midfield and at half forward. Despite his size he still puts head over the ball and wins his own footy, while giving us that lightning line breaking ability and another midfield goal kicker. Not the greatest comparison but I could see him becoming our Stephen Motlop. His only real problem has been his kicking but you saw signs during 2013 that he was improving that somewhat. Hopefully can have a Melksham like break out year.
Check out the GWS game, his kicking was great and seriously shows us what he could be like for us.


And check out the last 2 minutes against Fremantle, has ball under minimal pressure and kicks to no one in defensive 50 (saved by Hooker and Carlisle) disposal is still holding him back.
But I do agree, kicking has improved significantly, any needs to continue to improve, maybe he can take froggys place, while being able to push into the midfield with more impact, career defining 12 months coming up.
Relying on my memory here but did I see him bounce the ball with his left hand (like Gavin Wanganeen used to do) in a few games this year?

Nah can't remember. But I watched Essendon vs Adelaide round 1 game again this week and enjoyed Jobe taking a left hand bounce running into goal right at the end, just because he can. Brilliant.

On the cusp, and has been for two years.

Let’s hope he is not a Leroy and lives there.

Colyer has improved his kicking and decision-making to acceptable standards, but his biggest issue is winning his own ball against quality teams.
He needs to address this issue.


Say that again? Oh, you just did.
Try it again tomorrow as well.

 

The club is really hoping for a Colyer breakout year next year.


That's what they said last year. He was one of the guys "tearing up the tracking" and "going to have a break-out year" last season. Fingers crossed it will be this year.

 

thats what they said the year before last year.

 

he's got what we currently lack,

 

PACE

If there was one player we could choose to really step up their game in 2014, it would have to be Colyer (along with a still inexperienced JD). He is exactly what we need in the midfield and at half forward. Despite his size he still puts head over the ball and wins his own footy, while giving us that lightning line breaking ability and another midfield goal kicker. Not the greatest comparison but I could see him becoming our Stephen Motlop. His only real problem has been his kicking but you saw signs during 2013 that he was improving that somewhat. Hopefully can have a Melksham like break out year.
Check out the GWS game, his kicking was great and seriously shows us what he could be like for us.

And check out the last 2 minutes against Fremantle, has ball under minimal pressure and kicks to no one in defensive 50 (saved by Hooker and Carlisle) disposal is still holding him back.
But I do agree, kicking has improved significantly, any needs to continue to improve, maybe he can take froggys place, while being able to push into the midfield with more impact, career defining 12 months coming up.
That generally improves with experience and more importantly confidence. Just look at Hooker and Melkshams improvements in those areas this year. Extra skills sessions and consistent game time in the seniors will fix it.

Perhaps a few games starting on the ground in the centre may do his performance some good.  I feel like this guy can do more than what he's currently done.  Just needs a bit more of an opportunity.

Colyer has improved his kicking and decision-making to acceptable standards, but his biggest issue is winning his own ball against quality teams.
He needs to address this issue.

Say that again? Oh, you just did.
Try it again tomorrow as well.
Note the subtle hedging around. Last time it was contested ball, this post was "his own" ball. Soon enough he'll be arguing that Tom McDonald prove something about melbournes development and why do you think some other Melbourne hack is AFL level???!??? WHY???!!!???



The club is really hoping for a Colyer breakout year next year.

That's what they said last year. He was one of the guys "tearing up the tracking" and "going to have a break-out year" last season. Fingers crossed it will be this year.
He made some pretty good progress on his kicking and decision making last year. If he improves by that much again we will have very handy little player on our hands. Hoping he does.
Everyone hopes he'll do well in 2014.
The signs of improvement are there.
But what position can he make his own?
Outside mid. Similar to how Geelong use Motlop, harrying and pressuring the handball, then going like absolute stink when you get the turnover. There was absolutely a spot there for him this year, disappointing he couldn't grasp it. But not sure we have a heap of competition there this year, either.
Really really want him to make it. Dat zest!

 

 

 

 

The club is really hoping for a Colyer breakout year next year.

That's what they said last year. He was one of the guys "tearing up the tracking" and "going to have a break-out year" last season. Fingers crossed it will be this year.
He made some pretty good progress on his kicking and decision making last year. If he improves by that much again we will have very handy little player on our hands. Hoping he does.
Everyone hopes he'll do well in 2014.
The signs of improvement are there.
But what position can he make his own?
Outside mid. Similar to how Geelong use Motlop, harrying and pressuring the handball, then going like absolute stink when you get the turnover. There was absolutely a spot there for him this year, disappointing he couldn't grasp it. But not sure we have a heap of competition there this year, either.
Really really want him to make it. Dat zest!

 

yeah that is the role we want him for.

 

it is is kinda of frustrating though how he has this uncanny ability to nail difficult shots on the run but completely butcher it around the ground. fark i hope he sorts it.

 

i have posted before about his ball drop, think that is what he needs to fix. reckon he has little hands and drops it from too high so the results are inconsistent. Needs to employ the GAJ ball drop for short passes where he holds it across the seem and drops it is like a pin with little or no rotation.

Needs to find consistancy. To many games he’s hot, then really poor the next week. If he can turn those poor games into ok games. We’ve got a player.

I’m really not all that concerned about him not finding a lot of it. The last two years he’s probably had 2-3 quiet games all told, and had numerous good games as sub with more involvement than you’d expect. Really hard to pin that on him with the lack of experience & continuity he’s had

 

 

The club is really hoping for a Colyer breakout year next year.


That's what they said last year. He was one of the guys "tearing up the tracking" and "going to have a break-out year" last season. Fingers crossed it will be this year.

 

thats what they said the year before last year.

 

he's got what we currently lack,

 

PACE ZEST

 

fixed

 

 

Colyer has improved his kicking and decision-making to acceptable standards, but his biggest issue is winning his own ball against quality teams.
He needs to address this issue.

Say that again? Oh, you just did.
Try it again tomorrow as well.
Note the subtle hedging around. Last time it was contested ball, this post was "his own" ball. Soon enough he'll be arguing that Tom McDonald prove something about melbournes development and why do you think some other Melbourne hack is AFL level???!??? WHY???!!!???

 

Good to see that you spend an inordinate amount of time reading my posts. Winning contested ball or your own ball - is exactly the same thing. Colyer doesn't win enough contested ball against good teams - Of course you can disagree with my assertion. And there is no need to throw red herrings into the argument.

 

 In which area do you think Colyer needs to improve the most?  

If Watson can fix his kicking then so can he.

It might take a couple more seasons but as soon as his kicking is decent he will be one of our top players.

I just hope he can fix it during our premiership tilt

Look, I'm not saying Colyer can't improve his kicking but people need to stop using Jobe as a example. Jobe is an extreme outlier, not only with the improvement in his kicking but his all around game as a whole. Very few players have the ability to transform a weakness as dramatically as Jobe did with his kicking, and part of the reason is probably because Jobe had a pretty solid technique he was just often lazy with his kicks and lacked confidence. I remember there was one preseason he said he had spent a lot of time with Camporeale working on his kicking and he came out that season and his kicking had improved by leaps and bounds, he was kicking 25 meter flat bullet passes that he never would have attempted before.

 

But fundamentally his kicking action was the same. This is why someone like Hardingham will never be a good kick, bad kicking is very hard to fix when players reach draft age and while plenty of players polish their kicking a bit very few players go from being a poor kick like Jobe was to having it become a weapon. Colyer isn't bad when he is standing still (although even then I've seen a few shockers come off the side of his boot) but his major problem seems to be balance and kicking when he is running a top speed. He may be able to fix his kicking but plenty of players haven't been able to.

 

It's not that Jobe's kicking was terrible so player X who isn't as bad will definitely be able to fix theirs, if fixing kicking was simply a matter of hard work players like Cross and Boyd would have fixed their years ago. Kicking is a very complex thing and often isn't easy to change, which is why recruiters put such a high emphasis on it these days.

 

I do hope Colyer can iron out the miskicks from his game, but people need to stop using Jobe as an example.

I reckon his kicking was pretty good this year.

I reckon his kicking was pretty good this year.

Except for that absolute shocker in the defensive 50, Freo game with 2 minutes to go.

I reckon that kick broke at least 5 remote controls in Essendon supporting homes.