Toast Welcome To Freo Cooper Simpson (pick 35 2023 AFL Draft)

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If you watch it carefully you see its relatively simple to explain (hard to actually do):

He leans a bit to the right whilst still in the air, and looks that way too as if he is going to offload in the same direction after a step or two post landing. Instead he actually does a little goose step with his left (I.e the one he was feigning to be going to push off on) then pushes off into a straight rugby league style side step on his right.) It's a simple enough move to copy; even fat early middle aged me can do it in the backyard. BUT why everyone is rightly creaming themselves at what it shows about his potential:

1) In that situation you have to conceptualise what you are going to do all in about 1/4 of a second and start doing it
2) Not worrying that you will fail under the direct pressure of your opponents and the indirect game situation pressure
3) Actually do it fast enough that AFL athletes won't catch and flatten you.

So whatever else and injury notwithstanding we already know he's going to be an above average player as in game one ball in hand the world is not only not a blur for him, it's obviously crystal clear and in bullet time slow mo.

It’s not so much the sidestep. Anyone can sidestep. It’s more that he sold it so well that both defenders went the complete other direction.
 
The composure with the hand pass straight to AB running from behind the players he stepped is just as encouraging.

Is unreal to be creaming ourselves after a 6 possession debut but the hype has been there from the minute he stepped through the door so it’s pretty exciting. There is any combination of LDU, Bolton and Shuey in there for a pick in the 30s
 
It's funny, in that one clip you see Cooper collect the ball about to get tackled, sum up what he wants to do and execute it perfectly.

Conversely you see AB get the ball and change his mind, choosing the worst of like 4 options, ultimately failing to execute while looking awkward AF. Love AB though and is arguably our best goal kicking mid. Coulda had a 3 goal 30 touch game if he converted his chances
 

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The composure with the hand pass straight to AB running from behind the players he stepped is just as encouraging.

Is unreal to be creaming ourselves after a 6 possession debut but the hype has been there from the minute he stepped through the door so it’s pretty exciting. There is any combination of LDU, Bolton and Shuey in there for a pick in the 30s
What was the knock on him for him to slide that far?
 
Which felt like a rubbish call at the ground, I reserve the right to change my mind on that after the review today.
Nah clear holding the ball for mine. He took the tackler on.

In saying that he didn't have much prior and nowadays that makes it a line ball decision with how umpires view things.
 

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He’d been injured a bit…
He's also on the small side for a modern inside mid. Even with both of those crosses I'm surprised he got to 35. Should have been an early second at the latest (and we now know top 10, all aboard the hype train).
 
He's also on the small side for a modern inside mid. Even with both of those crosses I'm surprised he got to 35. Should have been an early second at the latest (and we now know top 10, all aboard the hype train).
nah, hes quite stocky. think caleb serong but an inch or two taller. players like neale and serong can handle the physicality of the afl midfield. so they are silly heads
 
He's also on the small side for a modern inside mid. Even with both of those crosses I'm surprised he got to 35. Should have been an early second at the latest (and we now know top 10, all aboard the hype train).
Definitely not too small, if you look at Port's midfield they are all < 185 cm. Just need to make sure if you have some height in there to balance it out.
 
He's also on the small side for a modern inside mid. Even with both of those crosses I'm surprised he got to 35. Should have been an early second at the latest (and we now know top 10, all aboard the hype train).
Same height as butters


I think the knock on him is finding the footy and it seems true at both levels so far


I know we are all hyped but he did have only 6 touches (something Sturt was copping it for last game lol)
 
You're missing the point team, he is on the small side compared to the average starting inside mid in the afl. Its a fact. When making a choice between two players a recruiter thinks are of equal talent they will always choose the bigger and taller one. It's one of the explanations on why he slid not a comment on his actual ability.
 
Same height as butters


I think the knock on him is finding the footy and it seems true at both levels so far


I know we are all hyped but he did have only 6 touches (something Sturt was copping it for last game lol)
More reasoning by exception. Go make a list of every teams best starting inside mids and tell me how many out of 54 are under 185, it's going to be a minority.

We may be the only club with 2 on reflection. Maybe Radelaide?
 
More reasoning by exception. Go make a list of every teams best starting inside mids and tell me how many out of 54 are under 185, it's going to be a minority.

We may be the only club with 2 on reflection.
The term seems to have changed a bit on here, are we calling "inside mid" basically everyone starting on ball now or just the guy who's job it is to the bottom of every pack and feed it out?
 
The term seems to have changed a bit on here, are we calling "inside mid" basically everyone starting on ball now or just the guy who's job it is to the bottom of every pack and feed it out?
Well I would define 'starting inside mid' as the three non ruck players for each team with the highest centre bounce attendance numbers (for the games they are available, not overall). Others may not agree.

In general I would describe an inside mid as anyone playing on ball who doesn't hold width (I.e goes into the stoppage even if they're not aways at the bottom of the pack).
 
You're missing the point team, he is on the small side compared to the average starting inside mid in the afl. Its a fact. When making a choice between two players a recruiter thinks are of equal talent they will always choose the bigger and taller one. It's one of the explanations on why he slid not a comment on his actual ability.
agreed, and its probably why he slid.

but there is nuance here. hes not that small, can withstand full time mid. if we didn't have johnson, young and fyfe as big midfielders he would make us to small.

also, i love the fact hes wearing 29.
 
So to my last point, Brayshaw is an inside mid even though he is usually, although not never, not at the bottom of the pack dishing off the clearance handball; instead he is either looking to tackle or be first receiver on spread from the pack where he would then look for outside mids or go forward.
 

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Toast Welcome To Freo Cooper Simpson (pick 35 2023 AFL Draft)

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