Player Watch #10 Aaron Francis

[Caj]

He wasn’t nearly as bad last night as what people are making out

He was pushed out by Tex and dropped the chesty but that aside he was good

He’s never going to be a strong one on one defender, but there’s potentially a role as a P McCartin interceptor if we need it in our structure

With a full squad Rampe and Blakey already fill that role

 

[Millky95]

He wasn’t nearly as bad last night as what people are making out

He was pushed out by Tex and dropped the chesty but that aside he was good

He’s never going to be a strong one on one defender, but there’s potentially a role as a P McCartin interceptor if we need it in our structure

With a full squad Rampe and Blakey already fill that role

Exactly, he will replace Rampe once Rampe retires. Or if we trade in another general defender but I don't see that happening with how few are on the market at the moment

 

[Punts]

IMO they will delist him

 

[Millky95]

IMO they will delist him

Pretty poor signs if you are the next player in the side and get delisted. Clarke at least got worked out of the side before delisted

 

[MF]

He simply needs to go into every contest with the sole intent of punching the ball as far as possible.

Every. Single. Contest.

Yeah it really seems mental with him. Just so much hesitation in everything he does and not enough instinct.

He's had enough opportunities in the AFL now though and has shown he just can't play that way. I don't think he's even worth persisting with as cover next year unfortunately, as bad as we need it.

 

[NinjaSwan]

The vitriol this guy cops is wild. Not just here but from people in the crowd, too. When you’re looking for mistakes it’s easy to find them from any player. He’s a backup, which means every time he’s in the team our core backline structure has been affected. He goes alright in that context. Do I hope we find more effective players for the future? Yeah.

I don’t know what people expect from him, clearly not best 22 but for the role he plays (back up if one of Melican/McCartin are out) he’s fine, most other teams would have a player of similar quality filling this role.

If McCartin/Melican were out long term you’d hope they’d try someone younger or move positions around but for short term absences he’s our best and lowest risk cover option.

 

[kneecapper]

He wasn’t nearly as bad last night as what people are making out

He was pushed out by Tex and dropped the chesty but that aside he was good

He’s never going to be a strong one on one defender, but there’s potentially a role as a P McCartin interceptor if we need it in our structure

With a full squad Rampe and Blakey already fill that role

It's not even those moments that bother me, as ugly as they were. Look at his decision making at 3:40 and 4:40 in this week's match highlights. He just ends up in no man's land way too often.

 

[Kbroome]

It's not even those moments that bother me, as ugly as they were. Look at his decision making at 3:40 and 4:40 in this week's match highlights. He just ends up in no man's land way too often.

He is just allergic to manning up and when he does he is usually tracking back so can easily get pushed under the ball much like what Tex did last night. He thrives in the VFL because the ball movement isn't as swift so it is alot easier to play as a roaming defender. Also his stats are usually inflated by direct kickins in the 2s or indirectly through receiving the first 15m pass of kickins

 

[Caj]

It's not even those moments that bother me, as ugly as they were. Look at his decision making at 3:40 and 4:40 in this week's match highlights. He just ends up in no man's land way too often.

He wasn’t at fault for either of those goals

What would you expect him to do to stop them in either scenario?

 

[kneecapper]

He wasn’t at fault for either of those goals

What would you expect him to do to stop them in either scenario?

Should never have dropped off his opponent in the first instance and should have in the second. Just poor footy intelligence imo.

 

[Caj]

Should never have dropped off his opponent in the first instance and should have in the second. Just poor footy intelligence imo.

Whether they were the right decisions or not it was inconsequential to those 2 goals

It’s strange that you pick out 2 goals that he wasn’t at fault for

 

[Callipygian]

The club clearly does not see him as a best 22/3 player. However, they do see him as the best of the rest of our plethora of KPDs. Right now he is in front of: Hamling, Arnold, Edward, Snell. Hopefully that situation won't last too long. In the meantime, he is useful depth. Nothing more, nothing less.

I agree that Francis is not a good one on one defender and also not good once the ball hits the ground, he is outstanding at reading the ball in flight with a solid pair of hands and thus a really good interceptor. At VFL level he is also damaging when he is rebounding the ball but not so much at AFL level - whether because he's not good enough or because he doesn't have the licence, I'm not sure. I guess if he isn't given the licence that suggests he's not good enough at the level.

I would only expect him to be delisted this season (a) if we replace him with someone better; or (b) if we're very confident in the other youngsters (Snell, Edward, Arnold) to step up and do the job at AFL level.

 

[Kiama Chris]

The club clearly does not see him as a best 22/3 player. However, they do see him as the best of the rest of our plethora of KPDs. Right now he is in front of: Hamling, Arnold, Edward, Snell. Hopefully that situation won't last too long. In the meantime, he is useful depth. Nothing more, nothing less.

I agree that Francis is not a good one on one defender and also not good once the ball hits the ground, he is outstanding at reading the ball in flight with a solid pair of hands and thus a really good interceptor. At VFL level he is also damaging when he is rebounding the ball but not so much at AFL level - whether because he's not good enough or because he doesn't have the licence, I'm not sure. I guess if he isn't given the licence that suggests he's not good enough at the level.

I would only expect him to be delisted this season (a) if we replace him with someone better; or (b) if we're very confident in the other youngsters (Snell, Edward, Arnold) to step up and do the job at AFL level.

It's hard to see us trading in someone better and a draftee (probably Cochran) must by definition start behind the others you mentioned so it would be a gamble to delist him. I think it's more likely we delist Arnold and offer Francis a year, possibly as a rookie after delisting, although that might be too big a risk in itself.
After that we hope that Edwards in particular is ready for seniors although Hamling should finish up and maybe Francis rolls on?
Snell to replace Rampe numerically.

 

[Kbroome]

It's hard to see us trading in someone better and a draftee (probably Cochran) must by definition start behind the others you mentioned so it would be a gamble to delist him. I think it's more likely we delist Arnold and offer Francis a year, possibly as a rookie after delisting, although that might be too big a risk in itself.

I wonder if they will find more marginal value in delisting Francis and adding a draftee/FA in another area of the field that is under manned.

 

[dosser]

The club clearly does not see him as a best 22/3 player. However, they do see him as the best of the rest of our plethora of KPDs. Right now he is in front of: Hamling, Arnold, Edward, Snell. Hopefully that situation won't last too long. In the meantime, he is useful depth. Nothing more, nothing less.

I agree that Francis is not a good one on one defender and also not good once the ball hits the ground, he is outstanding at reading the ball in flight with a solid pair of hands and thus a really good interceptor. At VFL level he is also damaging when he is rebounding the ball but not so much at AFL level - whether because he's not good enough or because he doesn't have the licence, I'm not sure. I guess if he isn't given the licence that suggests he's not good enough at the level.

I would only expect him to be delisted this season (a) if we replace him with someone better; or (b) if we're very confident in the other youngsters (Snell, Edward, Arnold) to step up and do the job at AFL level.

Thank you for being a voice of reason in here, Cali. I feel quite sorry for Francis with the crap he cops, but it seems that if it isn't Melican then it is him that it is directed at. Defenders are only human and are marked much more harshly than forwards who make more mistakes but don't pay any penalties at all for them. How many people in here call for the head of a forward if they are beaten by their defender once or twice a game? But if it is a defender who is beaten by a forward then heaven help them.

Francis is very good at VFL level and is the best of the rest at the moment, so he will keep coming in to the seniors as required. Hamling is NOT a good defender and hasn't been for a few years now - in fact, he is so bad that we have put him up forward in the VFL, because we have others who are better (Francis) or will be better (Snell, Edwards, etc). So we may as well forget about Hamling.

Francis is a good interceptor in the backline, but not a good KPD at AFL level. He is like a slower, bulkier Rampe, or even a McGovern but without the sticky hands, however he has to keep stepping into the breech every time a KPD goes down. I have seen him play a couple of very good games for us in the seniors as well (admittedly, not this year) so he is no spud, but rather he is good at a couple of things but not great at them.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he won the VFL B&F this season for us.

 

[melbournehammer]

Thank you for being a voice of reason in here, Cali. I feel quite sorry for Francis with the crap he cops, but it seems that if it isn't Melican then it is him that it is directed at. Defenders are only human and are marked much more harshly than forwards who make more mistakes but don't pay any penalties at all for them. How many people in here call for the head of a forward if they are beaten by their defender once or twice a game? But if it is a defender who is beaten by a forward then heaven help them.

Francis is very good at VFL level and is the best of the rest at the moment, so he will keep coming in to the seniors as required. Hamling is NOT a good defender and hasn't been for a few years now - in fact, he is so bad that we have put him up forward in the VFL, because we have others who are better (Francis) or will be better (Snell, Edwards, etc). So we may as well forget about Hamling.

Francis is a good interceptor in the backline, but not a good KPD at AFL level. He is like a slower, bulkier Rampe, or even a McGovern but without the sticky hands, however he has to keep stepping into the breech every time a KPD goes down. I have seen him play a couple of very good games for us in the seniors as well (admittedly, not this year) so he is no spud, but rather he is good at a couple of things but not great at them.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he won the VFL B&F this season for us.

Part of the problem for francis is that he keeps getting played as one of the two kpds, when hes actually more suited to the blakey rampe role as a third defender. so he comes in to replace mccartin or melican and gets dixon or walker. hes actually far better suited to a slightly more mobile but less dominant key.

as I have said elsewhere he remonds me a great deal of jeremy laidler - if the system is working his marking and positioning will be fine. but if the system isnt they arent quite tall enough or anything like fast enough to deal with the footy coming into defensive 50.

But it is what it is.

I remember going to watch north play richmond in the late 90s and archer was playing on richardson who was taller and quicker than him and mccartney was playing on another north player - and mccartney was physically much more suited in height to richardson but he just couldnt match him athletically. its an issue that good teams manage by the pressure they put on the ball up the field

 

[Kiama Chris]

Thank you for being a voice of reason in here, Cali. I feel quite sorry for Francis with the crap he cops, but it seems that if it isn't Melican then it is him that it is directed at. Defenders are only human and are marked much more harshly than forwards who make more mistakes but don't pay any penalties at all for them. How many people in here call for the head of a forward if they are beaten by their defender once or twice a game? But if it is a defender who is beaten by a forward then heaven help them.

Francis is very good at VFL level and is the best of the rest at the moment, so he will keep coming in to the seniors as required. Hamling is NOT a good defender and hasn't been for a few years now - in fact, he is so bad that we have put him up forward in the VFL, because we have others who are better (Francis) or will be better (Snell, Edwards, etc). So we may as well forget about Hamling.

Francis is a good interceptor in the backline, but not a good KPD at AFL level. He is like a slower, bulkier Rampe, or even a McGovern but without the sticky hands, however he has to keep stepping into the breech every time a KPD goes down. I have seen him play a couple of very good games for us in the seniors as well (admittedly, not this year) so he is no spud, but rather he is good at a couple of things but not great at them.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he won the VFL B&F this season for us.

Good post.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Named in the 2024 VFL Team of the Year Squad

 

[Millky95]

Named in the 2024 VFL Team of the Year Squad

View attachment 2102653

Good on him