Player Watch #12 Angus Sheldrick

[caesar88]

I used to be deadset against the idea of playing mids in other roles. I distinctly remember vehemently debating with people on here about the merits of it. It was Rowbottom and Warner who kinda made me realise the benefits of it. They came to us as very limited inside mids and they now possess quality bags of tricks that I'm not sure they learn if they just stuck to the roles we drafted them for.

Neither needed to spend their earliest experiences at the club learning how to be tough, or how to tackle, or how to win a hard ball. That stuff was already baked into their DNA. They needed to learn how to find and use space, how to be dangerous inside 50, etc.

I now look at someone like Mills and I wonder if he would be the excellent two-way mid he's now become if he didn't learn those defensive instincts in stoppages deep inside 50, how we structure in and out of defence etc.

 

[RUNVS]

Almost certainly made Mills a much better and more valuable player.

Do we really know that, or did Longmire just slow Mills development as a mid?

 

[dosser]

Do we really know that, or did Longmire just slow Mills development as a mid?

For a couple of years Longmire said he wanted Mills to play in the mids but we kept on getting injuries in our backline so he couldn't move him when he wanted to.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Like your man McCrae with Daicos?

Horse probably did know Sheldrick's limitations. That's why he played the more versatile Roberts before him. But then Roberts got injured, and the likes of you were calling for players to be dropped after last week's debacle, and the VFL team mostly underwhelmed, and that's how you get the Sheldrick selection.

Worth remembering that in a fully fit team he wasn't really in the frame anyway. We're in break-glass territory here.

plse explain Rowbotto’s versatility

 

[caesar88]

plse explain Rowbotto’s versatility

What does he have to do with it?

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

What does he have to do with it?

I think Rowy has zero versatility. He is a one position player, like JPK but minus the Class.

As I said pre season I think Rowy had hit his ceiling as a mid which is B grade. He now plays as an old fashioned back pocket and occasional tagger (eg v Danger who was BOG). It seems a deliberate tactic for him to not get the ball, maybe because of concerns about his kicking.

We rarely run in offensive transition which suits him as he is not quick.

 

[caesar88]

I think Rowy has zero versatility. He is a one position player, like JPK but minus the Class.

As I said pre season I think Rowy had hit his ceiling as a mid which is B grade. He now plays as an old fashioned back pocket and occasional tagger (eg v Danger who was BOG). It seems a deliberate tactic for him to not get the ball, maybe because of concerns about his kicking.

We rarely run in offensive transition which suits him as he is not quick.

It's OK. I know you have struggled since JPK retired. Just glad you have Rowbottom now.

 

[Donza]

Angus looks like a boy in first grade.
Needs some Gym time. Stat.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Angus looks like a boy in first grade.
Needs some Gym time. Stat.

86kg

 

[Donza]

86kg

Must have drunk 10 litres of water at weigh in.

 

[ashep]

An AFL midfield is like a rolling 2hr car-crash. Mills, Rowbottom, Gulden and even Chad were far too slight to be thrown into the centre when they debuted. Made perfect sense for them to spend time in other parts of the ground.

I thought Sheldrick may buck that trend but seeing him out there it was clear that he's physically overmatched at the moment.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

People equate short height with lack of power.

 

[ashep]

People equate short height with lack of power.

No doubt that shorter players can make it in the middle - Lachie Neal is 5'9" I think? - and Sheldrick has the right sort of build, but at 19 it doesn't look like he's there yet.

 

[Donza]

People equate short height with lack of power.

He's nearly 6 foot?

 

[BloodySwan]

He's nearly 6 foot?

Which was below average in 2018. I reckon this has only gone up since then

Anthropometry of AFL Football Players over time

www.topendsports.com

 

[TheMase]

Do we really know that, or did Longmire just slow Mills development as a mid?

I think it’s pretty obvious he’d be as good a midfielder but wouldn’t be able to play in defence at the same high level. I don’t think that is particularly controversial.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Hope Gus is told to turn up to a match this weekend.

 

[caesar88]

Hope Gus is told to turn up to a match this weekend.

Maybe he bought his alarm clock from the famed establishment Aliir & Sons?

 

[Dubai Quacker]

30+ yet again whilst heavily tagged in the VFL.

With Mills injured, SURELY it’s time.

 

[RUNVS]

30+ yet again whilst heavily tagged in the VFL.

With Mills injured, SURELY it’s time.

Play him for at least 10 games this season and let him play most of that time in the guts. No more of this "let them develop in the forward or back pocket". We desperately need an in and under mid, that is what Sheldrick is and he will develop best playing in that position.

 

[McRobie]

Play him for at least 10 games this season and let him play most of that time in the guts. No more of this "let them develop in the forward or back pocket". We desperately need an in and under mid, that is what Sheldrick is and he will develop best playing in that position.

Absolutely have to get him in to play in the guts. The time is over for development from the forward pocket.
Same goes for his contemporaries, get them in and get them in position.

 

[Maximumlnsanity]

Hopefully we get good compensation for him when he ****s off back to WA at the end of the year because he can't get a game for some reason

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Evidently must have broken up with Horse's daughter or something of the like.

 

[caesar88]

Hopefully we get good compensation for him when he *s off back to WA at the end of the year because he can't get a game for some reason

If Sheldrick ****s off back to WA because he can't get a game in his first two seasons then he's not made of the right stuff.

I understand it's a business and he has to do what's in his best interests, and his best interests probably are somewhere else (I have said for months now that he would struggle to crack our midfield), but that would be taking the easy route.

And we can't have it both ways. He can't be this great, gutsy kid who our team needs but also be entitled enough to think he deserves to be playing regular AFL games within his first two seasons.

I'm choosing to have faith that he is the real Blood that people have claimed him to be, and he'll put our club first, even if it means having to work a little bit harder.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

If Sheldrick ****s off back to WA because he can't get a game in his first two seasons then he's not made of the right stuff.

I understand it's a business and he has to do what's in his best interests, and his best interests probably are somewhere else (I have said for months now that he would struggle to crack our midfield), but that would be taking the easy route.

And we can't have it both ways. He can't be this great, gutsy kid who our team needs but also be entitled enough to think he deserves to be playing regular AFL games within his first two seasons.

I'm choosing to have faith that he is the real Blood that people have claimed him to be, and he'll put our club first, even if it means having to work a little bit harder.

I just wish the club would come out and say he's extended his contract.

If he has - why on earth wouldn't they say so?