AFL Player #20: Peter Wright

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I remember reading something about Hird, and he said he spent a lot of the time with the ball in hand. Would kick it against a wall a lot and try to predict where it was going to go.
true - he had four or five Sherrins in the bedroom at all times, foreplay often consisted of some quick handballs between the he and Tanya to warm up their hands
 
Still getting to squillions of contests, burnt McCartin multiple times and only 9 players in the AFL average more goals a game than him this season but he’s still playing like he doesn’t believe he belongs.

Very strange
 

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I am wondering if he's still settling back in from his shoulder issue, it was easy for me to criticise his dropped marks yesterday. But maybe his shoulder needs time to re-adjust to more games. I mean he could have kicked 6 goals yesterday. I still think he should have taken that mark in the last quarter, looked very uncontested, but not sure either. 4 goals and by all means he's had a good game. Has the potential to be a truly great forward if irons out a few aspects.
No, it’s a characteristic of his game way before this year
 
I remember reading something about Hird, and he said he spent a lot of the time with the ball in hand. Would kick it against a wall a lot and try to predict where it was going to go.
Cousins was apparently notable for how he had a footy in his hands whatever he was doing when at the club.

I think what probably happens is you build up your instincts and muscle memory so controlling the ball becomes a reflex.
 
I am wondering if he's still settling back in from his shoulder issue, it was easy for me to criticise his dropped marks yesterday. But maybe his shoulder needs time to re-adjust to more games. I mean he could have kicked 6 goals yesterday. I still think he should have taken that mark in the last quarter, looked very uncontested, but not sure either. 4 goals and by all means he's had a good game. Has the potential to be a truly great forward if irons out a few aspects.

My thoughts as well. Hoping next season he’s clunking more than falconing.


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Do players have a ball with them a lot? Meaning on weekends just palming the ball throwing it to oneself etc I wonder if forwards would benefit from loving having a ball in hand. Surely if you love having a footy you are more likely to attract the ball and mark it easier when uncontested. More likely to lead faster. Because you love the football itself. Just the basics of footy.
I like that this is generating some discussion, because it brought back a memory

We were lucky enough to have Robert Harvey come down for one of our junior footy training sessions when I was…I think under 14s.
My one takeaway I remember was he said you should touch the footy 1000 times per training.

Sounded ridiculous initially. But he explained it as even when the coach is addressing you, having a footy in your hands, back and forth, get used to the feel, the weight etc…
 
Still getting to squillions of contests, burnt McCartin multiple times and only 9 players in the AFL average more goals a game than him this season but he’s still playing like he doesn’t believe he belongs.

Very strange
Just one of those nights I reckon
He still gets the arms scragged a bit (less last night) and just accepts it.

But I like that he keeps going and doesn't drop his head
 
I think historical norms are impacting his footy

He probably should regularly be kicking 6 to 10. I'm talking a 120 goal season. That's a weird thing to believe, but it's true.

He gets hands to the ball in strong marking position inside fifty SO MANY TIMES. It's quite unreal.

But just lacks the ease & confidence to just snaffle what's rightfully his.
 
I think historical norms are impacting his footy

He probably should regularly be kicking 6 to 10. I'm talking a 120 goal season. That's a weird thing to believe, but it's true.

He gets hands to the ball in strong marking position inside fifty SO MANY TIMES. It's quite unreal.

But just lacks the ease & confidence to just snaffle what's rightfully his.
And he's our main target.
With his height and athleticism he should be taking 10+ marks a game.
Imagine him with Matthew Lloyds aerial brute! He'd be unstoppable.
 
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Still getting to squillions of contests, burnt McCartin multiple times and only 9 players in the AFL average more goals a game than him this season but he’s still playing like he doesn’t believe he belongs.

Very strange

Had a bad game but still kicked 4 goals in the end.

He gets infringed constantly in marking contests, not sooking it up is a good thing, but also means umpires don't pay free kicks that other forwards (Curnow) seem to get paid.
 

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I think he's worse lately due to his shoulder.
But I say worse, because he's never been a good overhead mark anyway.
Was wondering about that.

Seemed to clunk them alright in his return game from injury and the reconstructed shoulder is supposed to be stronger than the good one.

Might be a lack of practice given the rehab work is mostly in the gym and not with a Sherrin.
 
For someone as tall as he is and who's as much of a goalkicker as he is, he needs some c^*# about him.

Who's gonna instil in him the biggest brand of mongrel possible?
 
For someone as tall as he is and who's as much of a goalkicker as he is, he needs some c^*# about him.

Who's gonna instil in him the biggest brand of mongrel possible?
That is the issue with a lot of big blokes. They are often not really that strong for 100kg and they are not angry. Have seen plenty of ruck prospects come through under 18 but fail due to being too nice and lacking hard edge. It is too late for him to find mongrel. We just have to play a smarter game and block for him a bit more or have better options so he can get one on one contests which he is better at. He is just a poor contested mark.
 
That is the issue with a lot of big blokes. They are often not really that strong for 100kg and they are not angry. Have seen plenty of ruck prospects come through under 18 but fail due to being too nice and lacking hard edge. It is too late for him to find mongrel. We just have to play a smarter game and block for him a bit more or have better options so he can get one on one contests which he is better at. He is just a poor contested mark.

I think a lot of the big blokes have a high center of gravity too which makes them easier to push around unless they're an absolute unit like Hawkins.

Everyone blows their load over the 200cm KPF prospects in the first round of the draft but IMO the mid-190s forwards are far more damaging (assuming roughly equivalent skill levels), they just seem more athletic and dynamic.
 
That is the issue with a lot of big blokes. They are often not really that strong for 100kg and they are not angry. Have seen plenty of ruck prospects come through under 18 but fail due to being too nice and lacking hard edge. It is too late for him to find mongrel. We just have to play a smarter game and block for him a bit more or have better options so he can get one on one contests which he is better at. He is just a poor contested mark.
Contested marking seems to mirror his contested possession count and is a good rule of thumb for his level of confidence in his position in the team;

GCS 2015: 01 2
GCS 2016: 401 2113 0340131320
GCS 2017: 11022130 22201112121120
GCS 2018: calf x3 2101421 MCL
GCS 2019: 1131002210201 1 111
GCS 2020:
ESS 2021: 2200140114 2201140314 0
ESS 2022: 14330122021 23224311202
ESS 2023: shoulder 1111012
 

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AFL Player #20: Peter Wright

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