The David Zaharakis thread: 2.0?

Apologies for not finding the existing thread but I went back 8 pages and couldn’t see it.

It seems he has gone from future captain to fringe player, though maybe that’s a bit harsh. In any case he has been left out of the leadership side which tends to suggest he either just missed out, he isn’t a good leader, he’s no longer best 22, or he just needs to concentrate on his own game and consistency.

He is now a senior player and I’m interested to hear what people think his role will be moving forward (or back, or whatever).

What do people see as his strengths and where would those skills be best put to use? Is he just not hard enough to be inside, and not fast enough to be an outside mid? Too short to be a marking forward and lacking the speed and freakish skills to be a crumber?

Is there anyone in our best 22 that’s keeping him from his preferred position? Does he run the risk of being a (dreaded) list-clogger? With a heap of kids ready to take the next step and see if they can lock in a spot, there will be a lot of pressure on anyone having ordinary games.

Obviously his best is brilliant and he has come a long way. It’s a hard game and he should be proud of his 126 games and his Crichton Medal. I want to know of people think he can go up a gear and be a top tier player for us.

Around here he’s about the worst player on any list ever, and hasn’t touched the ball since 2012. Should be an entertaining thread, but I’m not expecting it to bear much relation to reality.

Personally, I hope he gets some more time forward, and we’re able to get the ball out to him with some momentum behind it. He’s 25, he’s capable of ■■■■■■ good footy, reasonably consistently (as he showed in 2013 and 2014).
His 2015 was a complete write-off, but there’s plenty left to give.

IMO he is still best 22, but definitely needs a big 2016. We should ideally see him enter his best period of football now, and it will make such a difference to have him consistently producing the sort of football we saw from him in 2011 and the second half of 2014.

Strikes me as the type of player that looks a lot better when the rest of the team is up and going and he can be the cream rather than the cake

Didn’t have a good 2015 but that’s no reason to write him off

Having more outside, pacey mids like Parish, Zerrett and Colyer should take some attention away from Zak in the next couple of years. This year he should benefit from the return of Watson, Hocking & Myers. Not worried.

Went away to Colorado off his own bat for extra pre-season training this off-season.

Finished 3rd in the time trial today behind Ambrose (1st) and Stanton (2nd).

He is maturing and growing up and putting in the work he perhaps should have been for the past few years.

He is super talented and looks set for a big 2016.

Still best 22 by a fair way IMO.

I think people (including myself, admittedly) mark him very harshly because of what we saw early on in his career. I remember the first time I saw him live was early in 2009 vs Freo and he’s spotting up players with 40m kicks, and I walked away thinking “gee, we have something special here!” We have the Anzac Day heroics, the Crichton in his third year, etc.
I think most people expected him to take the “next step” and become a perennial All-Australian, premier outside midfielder.

That hasn’t quite happened - who knows the impact the saga has had on players - and his 2015 year was hit by injuries.
I tend to get frustrated by him because I think he’s a bit soft sometimes and he seems to have all the ability in the world. I really hope he can get back to his best in 2016, whether that is across half-forward (where he probably plays his best footy imo) or as an outside midfielder. I think most supporters feel there is an AA player stuck in that (Greek God) body of his.

Even Hurley who was taken in the same draft hadn’t really put it all together until the last 18-24 months - albeit with more injuries and the chopping and changing of his positions.
With Watson, Hocking, Myers, Bird, and Heppell extracting, and blokes like Colyer, Zerrett, Parish, Fanta all providing zip on the outside, I hope Zaka can impact games once again like we know he can. I definitely still think he is best 22, and has the potential to be in the top half-dozen if he continues this pre-season fitness and form.

tl;dr - Hope Zaka can get back to his best, we all probably judge him too harshly here.

Best 22 as a half forward flanker maybe midfield rotation. 14th on list or thereabouts. Could be top 10 but could also find himself out of the team if some young guns come through.

Personally see Zaka being in the team for 2 or 3 years to come but I’m not expecting any heroics

Best 22 as a half forward flanker maybe midfield rotation. 14th on list or thereabouts. Could be top 10 but could also find himself out of the team if some young guns come through.

Personally see Zaka being in the team for 2 or 3 years to come but I’m not expecting any heroics

I agree with all of this bar the last part. With young players and others taking over the HBF and mid roles I think Zaka could be the most damaging small forward on our list. He has a knack of kicking goals and did so this year even after being injured.

Has clearly lifted his personal effort this off season to give himself the best chance of doing his best, and his best is pretty ■■■■■■ good. l am expecting him to be up and about, kicking goals on what we used to call ‘starvation corner,’ the HFF. He is a classy mover, and will need to improve his defensive efforts on the forward line. It was obvious that he was injured for most of the season. Good to see there are others now pressing thier claims for a possie, and the added competition for places can only be a good thing.

He is a very good player, had some injury trouble and I think would be affected by seeing his teammates go through hell knowing he fluked not being fully involved.

I think we will see a resurgence this year.

If he wants to work hard (it seems he does) and dedicate himself properly he will be best 22 for a long long time if not… I think he’ll fade out of the side

Has all the tools to be a very very good player for us but has in the past lacked the determination

He kicked 31 goals in his B&F year, No reason he shouldn’t be doing that consistently for the next 4 years. He needs to be our version of Robbie Gray, Obviously Gray is a superstar but I really rate Zaka and think he can have a similar output.

Zaka needs to concentrate more on footy and less on media appearances

I think people around here are a fair bit harsh on Zaharakis.
Yes hes not Sidebottom/hanneberry or Parker, but he is a good player and is a crighton medallist albeit in a poor year where he did not have much competition.

Name a crighton medallist who is a list clogger.

since 1995
B: Damien Hadwick Dustin Fletcher Mark Johnson
HB: Adam McPhee, Cale Hooker Brendan Goddard
C: Jason Johnson(05) Jobe Watson(B 12) James Hird (03)
HF: Mark Mecuri Scott Lucas (06) James Hird(B 96)
FF: David Zaharakis Scott Lucas(03) Jobe Watson(10)
R: David Hille Dyson Heppell Jason Johnson(01)
Int James Hird 07 Jobe Watson(09) Sean Denham James Hird (95)

EMG:

Trade bait

Zaka needs to concentrate more on footy and less on media appearances

Wouldnt think that is an issue at all.

He kicked 31 goals in his B&F year, No reason he shouldn't be doing that consistently for the next 4 years. He needs to be our version of Robbie Gray, Obviously Gray is a superstar but I really rate Zaka and think he can have a similar output.

At the same age (and I think I’ve made this point before), Robbie Gray - he’s pretty much exactly 2 years older than Zaha, so up to 2013 - had barely strung two midfield games together between injuries. Let alone the sort of year Zaha had put together in 2011, 2013 or 2014.
He only ‘clicked’ when he was 26 & 27.

He kicked 31 goals in his B&F year, No reason he shouldn't be doing that consistently for the next 4 years. He needs to be our version of Robbie Gray, Obviously Gray is a superstar but I really rate Zaka and think he can have a similar output.

At the same age (and I think I’ve made this point before), Robbie Gray - he’s pretty much exactly 2 years older than Zaha, so up to 2013 - had barely strung two midfield games together between injuries. Let alone the sort of year Zaha had put together in 2011, 2013 or 2014.
He only ‘clicked’ when he was 26 & 27.

This.

Similar type of players in my opinion with Gray perhaps having a little bit more pace but otherwise quite similar.

I remember when he had his breakout year and they interviewed him on one of the halftime doco type jobs about his dramatic improvement and asked him how he managed to do it and responded with something like: “I just started putting in extra work on and off the track and really dedicated myself to becoming the best possible player I can be and now that I am seeing the results, I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner.” (Paraphrasing)