Traded #10: Aaron Francis - Traded to Sydney w. Pick 42 + Future fourth rounder for Pick 37. Thanks Frang!

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2022
Injury Status: n/a

My Boy Draft 2022: Pick 29, Mr Bultitude

 

[Laverde2Smack]

193 cm who are passionate, have good hands, are great kicks of the pill and play mostly half back.

One is a third tall (who can take on bigger guys), intercepting marker. The other is a midfielder/HB flanker. Their onfield personalities are polar opposites.



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[Lore]

One is a third tall (who can take on bigger guys), intercepting marker. The other is a midfielder/HB flanker. Their onfield personalities are polar opposites.



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Ethan is hardly the first to make the comparison. Francis and Redman were commonly referred to as Goddard clones in their draft years and afterwards, by pretty much everyone, because they play third tall forward and back and have capacity in the midfield (though Francis has nothing like the tank required for the midfield).




http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-10-25/30-days-to-the-draft-meet-aaron-francis

 

[Mad Bomber Sean]

Goddard’s contested marks are most often on somebody’s shoulders.

Lets be honest Goddard rarely takes a courageous contested mark these days.

Back in 2010 when the Saints almost jagged one, Goddard dominated the air a bit like Francis does now. But Goddard was vastly more creative than Francis has displayed. That is a loooong time ago now.

 

[Mad Bomber Sean]

The clone comparisons between Goddard & Francis are wrong. Francis whilst a great mark is way to unfit to do half the things that Goddard can do.
Fitness is a massive key to this. One needs to be massively fit to provide the consistently high quality output that Goddard has displayed across his career.
Goddard has the skills to play almost anywhere however that remains to be seen with Francis. I would love to see Francis playing midfield but his fitness levels would need another 10 un interrupted preseasons to reach the required standard. Francis granted is a good kick and is a natural footballer, I love him as well but he is long way from being more than an intercept marker. Redman is more of a Goddard clone than Francis is, has great fitness, speed and skills.

I want Francis & Redman into the team ASAP to replace Laverde & Dea..

 

[Blind Turn]

Lets be honest Goddard rarely takes a courageous contested mark these days.

Back in 2010 when the Saints almost jagged one, Goddard dominated the air a bit like Francis does now. But Goddard was vastly more creative than Francis has displayed. That is a loooong time ago now.

Goddard might take only one contested mark per year. They are always a speccy... is all I’m saying.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Ethan is hardly the first to make the comparison. Francis and Redman were commonly referred to as Goddard clones in their draft years and afterwards, by pretty much everyone, because they play third tall forward and back and have capacity in the midfield (though Francis has nothing like the tank required for the midfield).

View attachment 502311


http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-10-25/30-days-to-the-draft-meet-aaron-francis

You know how you were complaining about unimaginative journalists in the other thread?

They're all ginger backmen.

 

[Lore]

You know how you were complaining about unimaginative journalists in the other thread?

They're all ginger backmen.

More insightful than the questions to Worsfold, although I wasn't complaining about them so much as laughing at their ineptitude..

 

[Towno78]

You know how you were complaining about unimaginative journalists in the other thread?

They're all ginger backmen.

Yep, this is the real origin of their comparisons.

 

[MarkG]

9 tackles in VFL last weekend. 18 possessions 5 marks. This Ranga is significantly better than several others currently playing AFL. Can't wait to see him in the firsts.

 

[VelvetSledge]

9 tackles in VFL last weekend. 18 possessions 5 marks. This Ranga is significantly better than several others currently playing AFL. Can't wait to see him in the firsts.

His positivity on the field is really shining now. Would be great to see him come back into the seniors and just smash his spot.

 

[HirdyLannister]

How is he going so far?

 

[VelvetSledge]

How is he going so far?

Taken some good intercept marks but the kicking has been a bit hit and miss. Playing with confidence

 

[eDPS]

Francis named best on

 

[Mad Bomber Sean]

Francis. The enigma.
We know he is a gun mark & good kick. But fitness still isn't necessarily where it needs to be to play AFL full time.
Whilst no spot is available now in the senior team, could we play him in the middle in the VFL to boast his fitness for half the game ?

I really want him in the team asap. But need to be honest, is he actually ready yet. If his is pushed to hard, he might break. He is tracking along nicely. We know he can play half back - as intercept marker or half back distributor. But I reckon that he has the capacity to play mid in the long term, a la Stringer. Clearly his fitness needs to better to do this. Certainly playing him occasionally in the middle in the VFL would enhance his fitness in any case and make him more AFL ready.

What do peps think?

 

[bacon buster]

i wouldn't play him against Richmond this week at HBF (if that's where he's best suited?), with their best in class forward pressure.
play him against the Lions next week if he plays well again in the 2s

 

[YoboD]

Francis. The enigma.
We know he is a gun mark & good kick. But fitness still isn't necessarily where it needs to be to play AFL full time.
Whilst no spot is available now in the senior team, could we play him in the middle in the VFL to boast his fitness for half the game ?

I really want him in the team asap. But need to be honest, is he actually ready yet. If his is pushed to hard, he might break. He is tracking along nicely. We know he can play half back - as intercept marker or half back distributor. But I reckon that he has the capacity to play mid in the long term, a la Stringer. Clearly his fitness needs to better to do this. Certainly playing him occasionally in the middle in the VFL would enhance his fitness in any case and make him more AFL ready.

What do peps think?

I think they’ve already started having him play small bursts in the midfield at VFL level. I didn’t see the game but on bomber blitz they were saying he had some midfield time in the Geelong VFL game.

 

[fishardansin]

 

[vast]

Good to hear he is starting to play better. Hope he isnt rushed and gifted a game just because.
Nothing wrong with him spending more time in the vfl for a bit longer and getting a few more games under his belt.

 

[mayhem20202]

The guy is a defender, please don’t fall into our standard trap and try and play him elsewhere to squeeze him into the side.


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[Yoda_]

Listening to SEN yesterday at work and they were talking about the Dogs. Dermot Brererton, for all his flaws raised a fairly valid point in todays helter skelter paced football.

The Dogs are struggling due to the fitness, or lack there of from guys like Lipinksi, Roarke Smith, Josh Schace etc. They may be up to it one day but are all less than 20 game players. In the mean time, the Dogs had guys like Mitch Wallis, Lin Jong, Shane Biggs running around a VFL oval because they don't have enough x - factor as the aforementioned guys.

To the point, Francis cannot run out an AFL game... YET! Give him time to build his fitness up and he, and us, will be better for it. He is shiny and new but we don't want to wreck out car yet by pushing it too hard, to early.

 

[BrunoV]

Listening to SEN yesterday at work and they were talking about the Dogs. Dermot Brererton, for all his flaws raised a fairly valid point in todays helter skelter paced football.

The Dogs are struggling due to the fitness, or lack there of from guys like Lipinksi, Roarke Smith, Josh Schace etc. They may be up to it one day but are all less than 20 game players. In the mean time, the Dogs had guys like Mitch Wallis, Lin Jong, Shane Biggs running around a VFL oval because they don't have enough x - factor as the aforementioned guys.

To the point, Francis cannot run out an AFL game... YET! Give him time to build his fitness up and he, and us, will be better for it. He is shiny and new but we don't want to wreck out car yet by pushing it too hard, to early.

True but Worsfold said last week that Francis needed two more games.

He's just not that far away.

 

[DERO]

Throw him in at the deep end for Dea.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Listening to SEN yesterday at work and they were talking about the Dogs. Dermot Brererton, for all his flaws raised a fairly valid point in todays helter skelter paced football.

The Dogs are struggling due to the fitness, or lack there of from guys like Lipinksi, Roarke Smith, Josh Schace etc. They may be up to it one day but are all less than 20 game players. In the mean time, the Dogs had guys like Mitch Wallis, Lin Jong, Shane Biggs running around a VFL oval because they don't have enough x - factor as the aforementioned guys.

To the point, Francis cannot run out an AFL game... YET! Give him time to build his fitness up and he, and us, will be better for it. He is shiny and new but we don't want to wreck out car yet by pushing it too hard, to early.

But we had Guelfi and Ridley and they played out four quarters.

Think Dogs and Freo had something like four players under ten games when they beat us.

 

[ant555]

Listening to SEN yesterday at work and they were talking about the Dogs. Dermot Brererton, for all his flaws raised a fairly valid point in todays helter skelter paced football.

The Dogs are struggling due to the fitness, or lack there of from guys like Lipinksi, Roarke Smith, Josh Schace etc. They may be up to it one day but are all less than 20 game players. In the mean time, the Dogs had guys like Mitch Wallis, Lin Jong, Shane Biggs running around a VFL oval because they don't have enough x - factor as the aforementioned guys.

To the point, Francis cannot run out an AFL game... YET! Give him time to build his fitness up and he, and us, will be better for it. He is shiny and new but we don't want to wreck out car yet by pushing it too hard, to early.

Has been the case but he would be very close now and his form has been a class above VFL level the last 3 weeks.

 

[ant555]

Listening to SEN yesterday at work and they were talking about the Dogs. Dermot Brererton, for all his flaws raised a fairly valid point in todays helter skelter paced football.

The Dogs are struggling due to the fitness, or lack there of from guys like Lipinksi, Roarke Smith, Josh Schace etc. They may be up to it one day but are all less than 20 game players. In the mean time, the Dogs had guys like Mitch Wallis, Lin Jong, Shane Biggs running around a VFL oval because they don't have enough x - factor as the aforementioned guys.

To the point, Francis cannot run out an AFL game... YET! Give him time to build his fitness up and he, and us, will be better for it. He is shiny and new but we don't want to wreck out car yet by pushing it too hard, to early.

Still backing what I said at the start of the year. The coach of the century has become the "bad parent" because he is no longer pissing in their pockets. Some home truths where and have been told and they have folded like the did under McCartney. 4 or 5 changes most weeks. Players not happy it is no longer a love in.