AFL Player #15: Jayden Laverde - Married in February & November - 4/11

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 7, Nuggs Bunny

 

[NAB777]

I reckon today was his best game of AFL.

 

[Vander18]

Wonder if the move back was a considered decision based on evidence and vast experience.....or just a last ditch "if this doesn't work, he's done" move?

Either way, its worked. He's been good and was excellent today.

Should be a golden rule of list management - never ditch a talented but inconsistent/injury prone forward without trying them in defence!

 

[bennyg12]

Really happy for this fella going great

 

[fairbump_playon]

Weird phenomenon where a lot of his defensive intercept marks look like he was actually the forward leading at the ball carrier.

 

[carnthedons]

Most pleasing thing watching from home is the commentators finally know how to pronounce his name

 

[JT_the_Man]

Last two weeks he has been immense.

Still shocked that of all the places for him to end up finding his niche, it’s in defence.

 

[Hak94]

Uh, finally?

Yeah, in the first few games he didn't look like he completely knew how to read the play as well as he has shown over the past two weeks. Looks to be intercepting it much better the last two games.

 

[Lore]

Wonder if the move back was a considered decision based on evidence and vast experience.....or just a last ditch "if this doesn't work, he's done" move?

Either way, its worked. He's been good and was excellent today.

Should be a golden rule of list management - never ditch a talented but inconsistent/injury prone forward without trying them in defence!

Apparently he played some defence as a junior, and it was a considered decision at the end of last year that was floated at the time.

According to Rutten, the easiest place to look when you're looking for players to fill gaps is on your own list. Which is why it looked like they pulled magnets out of the hat in Round 1 haha.

(Watch his AFL360 interview on the club website.)

 

[andleanback]

Gave away a few silly frees, but watching him live reads the ball so well as a defender, like a Jeremy Howe. Picks up the flight so early and can beat his man.

 

[Towno78]

Yeah, in the first few games he didn't look like he completely knew how to read the play as well as he has shown over the past two weeks. Looks to be intercepting it much better the last two games.

Think you are missing my point... took him all of a couple of games as a defender to read the play and your saying finally, lol.
Just having a laugh mate, all good.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Low key, probably the biggest shock of our season player-wise.

Career was looking done. Not now.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

The green man flourishing as a defender is what I never thought to be a possibility in the early stages of his career.

He's a convincing defender and a solid body too.

 

[Falcon27]

Funny how things have turned around for him with a change rolls, and the complete opposite has happened with Langfords change for roll.

 

[DeezNuts]

The best thing about his defence is he always seems to be playing in front of his opponent, which allows him to actually win 1v1's and intercept mark rather than just split the contest by spoiling

 

[The Devils Advocate]

I don't remember exactly when it was, but he was on the ground, you could see him read the ball coming in and get to it before his opponent who was standing. Lightening fast closing speed.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

The best thing about his defence is he always seems to be playing in front of his opponent, which allows him to actually win 1v1's and intercept mark rather than just split the contest by spoiling

On this, across nine 1v1 aerial contests in the last month, he's lost just one.

 

[Lore]

 

[Blind Turn]

The most noticeable thing about his successful transition is how supremely confident he appears in the role. If a coach ever tells you to own a position this is the template of how to go about it. That mark in the middle of the G underlines the authority he has brought to his role. This is what both Langford and McGrath need to bring to their game - own the position, it’s yours and nobody is going to be better than you at doing it.

 

[Mr Bultitude]

I notice Bett's "mark" has been nominated too...

 

[Highly Evolved]

Give him a two-year contract.

 

[Lore]

I notice Bett's "mark" has been nominated too...

Indeed. And several slow motion replays so you can see he didn't mark the bloody thing!

 

[Lore]

Apparently has a games trigger for 2022, which he's getting close to. Has played 7 so I wonder if the trigger is 10 or so?

IN-FORM BOMBER NEARS CONTRACT TRIGGER
JAYDEN Laverde's emergence as a defender has been one of the success stories of the first half of Essendon's season and the remodelled Bomber is nearing a contract trigger to stick with the club in 2022.

Laverde was left in contract limbo at the end of last season but agreed to a one-year deal that carried a games trigger to extend his time at Essendon through to the end of 2022.

Having been selected in every game so far this season, the 25-year-old is heading towards reaching the clause that will activate another season at Tullamarine.

Coach Ben Rutten flagged the move to defence to Laverde at the end of last season and he is close to Essendon's most improved player, impressing with his marking, contested work and shutdown jobs as a mobile option.

Laverde, who was pick No.20 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft, spent the first six years of his career as a medium forward but suffered many injury concerns. He was exceptional in the Bombers' Anzac Day win over Collingwood with 21 disposals and a goal. – Callum Twomey

In-form Bomber nears trigger, who's the No.3 pick?

Callum Twomey and Mitch Cleary with all the latest trade news

www.afl.com.au

 

[VelvetSledge]

Wouldn’t even wait on the trigger. Just sign him on, we’ve finally found his place

 

[BrunoV]

Apparently has a games trigger for 2022, which he's getting close to. Has played 7 so I wonder if the trigger is 10 or so?

In-form Bomber nears trigger, who's the No.3 pick?

Callum Twomey and Mitch Cleary with all the latest trade news

www.afl.com.au

Strange that there would be a trigger which is for such a low amount of games.

I wouldn't have thought that at the end of 2020 we'd have been that keen to commit a list spot in way that was a bit beyond our control.

 

[Lore]

Strange that there would be a trigger which is for such a low amount of games.

I wouldn't have thought that at the end of 2020 we'd have been that keen to commit a list spot in way that was a bit beyond our control.

He's talented enough to be on an AFL list in 2022. The main concern is around his injuries. He hasn't had the chance to train as a mid due to injuries in pre-season, so that's out. He's a good forward, but has barely played there because he's like wet tissue paper when he gets tackled, which is more likely to happen when you can't move the ball fast enough to take clean uncontested marks in forward 50.

So basically the trigger is:
- Injuries: Don't get injured for the entire pre-season (so you can train as a defender) or during the AFL season (or you won't get enough games)
- Work ethic: Train hard if you want to be selected to play AFL as a defender in 2021 (you won't get selected as a mid or a forward)
- Performance: Make a spot your own by playing well enough that Rutten gives you at least ~10 games in defence, ahead of the other blokes that want the spot

If he can be healthy enough, work hard enough and perform well enough to actually meet the games trigger in a role that he hasn't played since juniors ahead of a bunch of other guys that also want those spots and have trained there for years – then I think that's fair enough to give him another year because we'll be expecting him to stay in that position for the rest of his career.