AFL Player #20: Peter Wright

[Lore]

Contract Status: Free Agent (?) 2027
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 21, TheGrizz

 

[Blind Turn]

The really wild thing about wright is that his impact is good. He’s actually quite productive. It’s just when you see the glimpses you think he should be twice as good as he is.

On another team with a different list balance he’d be so good. Get 10 marks he should take a game drop 5 and still get 3 goals a game

If we need a goal from distance in a final with minutes to go there’s only one bloke you want with ball in hand. It’s why we desperately need to get him back to form and in the mix for a few years.

 

[fairbump_playon]

If we need a goal from distance in a final with minutes to go there’s only one bloke you want with ball in hand. It’s why we desperately need to get him back to form and in the mix for a few years.

No sure how many finals you make with forwards that turn like the Titanic

I'm being a bit unfair, at his best his pros outweigh his cons.. but to be a valuable contributor he really needs to dominate the air up on the logos, and then get back & kick 3+.

 

[Blind Turn]

No sure how many finals you make with forwards that turn like the Titanic

I'm being a bit unfair, at his best his pros outweigh his cons.. but to be a valuable contributor he really needs to dominate the air up on the logos, and then get back & kick 3+.

He just needs to avoid icebergs like Cunningham that put a hole in his psychological hull.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

No sure how many finals you make with forwards that turn like the Titanic

I'm being a bit unfair, at his best his pros outweigh his cons.. but to be a valuable contributor he really needs to dominate the air up on the logos, and then get back & kick 3+.

Peters got the talent to do it. He kicked 53 in 2022 & he's costing us **** all salary wise.

Since then, he's had injuries in 2023 and i think that incident last year with Cunningham genuinely screwed his confidence.

I'd back him in to kick bags again, he is still young.

I think real issue holding Pete back is our horrendous fwd 50 entries, it's been a theme for years and years, and unless we sort that we will never get the best out of guys like Pete. Unless Merrett is the one taking the kick, it's a set said 50/50 at being a turnover. We have minimal elite ball users in the middle and hopefully we see some development in that space in 2025.

There were multiple times last year where we doubled other teams fwd. 50 entries, and than lost the game or won it in a very tight manner.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Peters got the talent to do it. He kicked 53 in 2022 & he's costing us **** all salary wise.

Since then, he's had injuries in 2023 and i think that incident last year with Cunningham genuinely screwed his confidence.

I'd back him in to kick bags again, he is still young.

I think real issue holding Pete back is our horrendous fwd 50 entries, it's been a theme for years and years, and unless we sort that we will never get the best out of guys like Pete. Unless Merrett is the one taking the kick, it's a set said 50/50 at being a turnover. We have minimal elite ball users in the middle and hopefully we see some development in that space in 2025.

There were multiple times last year where we doubled other teams fwd. 50 entries, and than lost the game or won it in a very tight manner.

Agree on talent & I know those are the reasons / excuses for the last couple of years

Injury, sure. But on confidence post suspension.. I don't buy it as an acceptable reason. How many elite players lose confidence after being suspended? Almost none, they come back and get stuck into it.

It speaks to the way Wright naturally plays the game. He is tall and talented but unreasonably soft for his size. I'm not talking about hurting others, I'm talking about how easily he gets pushed off his line by defenders smaller than him.

Start of last year I reckon coaches demanded he go harder at the footy. He did that, got suspended and then reverted to type.

Issue is that while, like all forwards, he would benefit from silver platter service, he shouldn't need it. He has height, reach, weight advantages on most and inside 50 he gets two hands to the ball a dozen times a game.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Agree on talent & I know those are the reasons / excuses for the last couple of years

Injury, sure. But on confidence post suspension.. I don't buy it as an acceptable reason. How many elite players lose confidence after being suspended? Almost none, they come back and get stuck into it.

It speaks to the way Wright naturally plays the game. He is tall and talented but unreasonably soft for his size. I'm not talking about hurting others, I'm talking about how easily he gets pushed off his line by defenders smaller than him.

Start of last year I reckon coaches demanded he go harder at the footy. He did that, got suspended and then reverted to type.

Issue is that while, like all forwards, he would benefit from silver platter service, he shouldn't need it. He has height, reach, weight advantages on most and inside 50 he gets two hands to the ball a dozen times a game.

yeah, i think a few of these points are relevant and fair. Pete definitely is not the classic bully forward, he never was.

I think we have to be realistic of what we expect from Pete, he is on a mediocre salary for a reason. Theres definitely some stuff like his hardness for the ball he can work on, for sure. but it think if we can sort out fwd 50 entries and make his life easier that's half the battle.

The good thing about Pete is, get him the ball in the fwd 50, and he is a bloody good chance at kicking it. His kicking is pretty bloody good.

 

[dank420_]

I hope his season doesn't go Peter Wrong

 

[astrowizzle]

Agree on talent & I know those are the reasons / excuses for the last couple of years

Injury, sure. But on confidence post suspension.. I don't buy it as an acceptable reason. How many elite players lose confidence after being suspended? Almost none, they come back and get stuck into it.

It speaks to the way Wright naturally plays the game. He is tall and talented but unreasonably soft for his size. I'm not talking about hurting others, I'm talking about how easily he gets pushed off his line by defenders smaller than him.

Start of last year I reckon coaches demanded he go harder at the footy. He did that, got suspended and then reverted to type.

Issue is that while, like all forwards, he would benefit from silver platter service, he shouldn't need it. He has height, reach, weight advantages on most and inside 50 he gets two hands to the ball a dozen times a game.

I din't think it was Wright getting suspended they messed him up I think it was getting suspended for something that he really should not have been suspended for .
He was crucified by the media and because it's Essendon he goes for a ridiculous amount of time. There were so many players throughout the year where they crossed the white line but got off because of who they are

 

[ant555]

Based on what I watched last Saturday he is still struggling. Same marking issues. Easily moved off the footy. Also no ruck work in match sim. Early days but the finger is in n the alarm bell button.

 

[P Money]

Based on what I watched last Saturday he is still struggling. Same marking issues. Easily moved off the footy. Also no ruck work in match sim. Early days but the finger is in n the alarm bell button.

I love Pete but the fact is you could say this about all but one of his seasons so far in his career - marking issues, easily moved off the footy. I don't buy confidence issues stemming from a suspension, I think this is just who he is. There's a reason he couldn't get a game at GC and came to us for a bag of chips.

Agree that our service to him sucks and he can/will do a lot better if we improve that, but in the end he is who he is.

 

[jdstorm]

I love Pete but the fact is you could say this about all but one of his seasons so far in his career - marking issues, easily moved off the footy. I don't buy confidence issues stemming from a suspension, I think this is just who he is. There's a reason he couldn't get a game at GC and came to us for a bag of chips.

Agree that our service to him sucks and he can/will do a lot better if we improve that, but in the end he is who he is.

Who he is, is a guy who can kick you 50 goals at CHF with clean service (While dropping 40% of his marks) and 20% ruck chopout.

Basically the role Joe Danniher played for Brisbane last season.

Very square peg round hole at Essendon every season apart from his best year. But it’s just as much a club/structure issue as it is a 2MP issue

 

[ant555]

Who he is, is a guy who can kick you 50 goals at CHF with clean service (While dropping 40% of his marks) and 20% ruck chopout.

Basically the role Joe Danniher played for Brisbane last season.

Very square peg round hole at Essendon every season apart from his best year. But it’s just as much a club/structure issue as it is a 2MP issue

One swallow does not make a summer. He has done it once. Some players are one season wonders.

 

[thebigboy]

There are 50-goal-a-season guys & guys who've kicked 50 goals in a season. Right now, you'd be hard-pressed to argue that he's not the latter and it's on him to change that narrative.

Fair to argue that if he can't deliver this season, he's likely to be elsewhere in '26.

 

[jdstorm]

There are 50-goal-a-season guys & guys who've kicked 50 goals in a season. Right now, you'd be hard-pressed to argue that he's not the latter and it's on him to change that narrative.

Fair to argue that if he can't deliver this season, he's likely to be elsewhere in '26.

Given How our list is structured I’d say even if he does perform he’ll be elsewhere. Caddy has taken that CHF spot.

Probably gets around 8-10 games this year as cover for Bryan/draper and kicks 15-20 goals held together by a bag or two

Probably get a 3rp for him and have that move up after a bunch of bid matching with 2RP

Would imagine Hawks, Pies, Dees and Roos would have some interest in Melbourne. Maybe Brisbane as well depending on how they go this season

 

[wichidi]

Should've traded him to Melbourne this year. May their season burn in hell.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I love Pete but the fact is you could say this about all but one of his seasons so far in his career - marking issues, easily moved off the footy. I don't buy confidence issues stemming from a suspension, I think this is just who he is. There's a reason he couldn't get a game at GC and came to us for a bag of chips.

Agree that our service to him sucks and he can/will do a lot better if we improve that, but in the end he is who he is.

Re the service to him, this isnt going to change overnight and its why i disagree with whoever was saying the other day that a "big bear" type forward isnt that big a need for us. Maybe its the wrong terminology but we 100% need a forward who can take a contested grab in a pack or wrestling 1 on 1 with a big full back because of how slow our ball movement was at times last year.
Too many of our key and medium forwards are lead up forwards and as soon as other teams slow up or transition from backline to forward line they lose their advantage. With Pete its an even bigger issue because once the ball hits the deck he basically out of the contest because his reflexes are so slow.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Should've traded him to Melbourne this year. May their season burn in hell.

I wouldve much preferred offloading Wright and keeping stringer but I guess Rosa's hands were tied by the contract decisions made by the previous list management team.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Cost us **** all so who cares? We got a decent season or two out of him, hopefully he can regain that form but it’s not like we burnt a first round pick

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Cost us **** all so who cares? We got a decent season or two out of him, hopefully he can regain that form but it’s not like we burnt a first round pick

he was the worth the gamble initially no qualms there. But the 4 year contract extension, when he still had a year remaining on his contract, off the back of one good season (im assuming with a big pay bump too) was unnecessary.
He is just one of many examples of why its so frustrating that we kept dodoro around for the first 2 years of Scotts tenure, all the talk of a new regime/rebuild but we had one arm tied behind our back because of backroom politics.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Based on what I watched last Saturday he is still struggling. Same marking issues. Easily moved off the footy. Also no ruck work in match sim. Early days but the finger is in n the alarm bell button.

sounds grim.........ill never understand how you can be 100kg+ & 6"8 and be easily moved off the footy

 

[Old Campaigner]

Nah, he looked like the answer to most of our prayers that season. The 4 years only looks bad now after his form fell away but knowing what we did at the time of signing it was fine

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Nah, he looked like the answer to most of our prayers that season. The 4 years only looks bad now after his form fell away but knowing what we did at the time of signing it was fine

One swallow doesn't make a summer, 1 dominant season out of 9 doesn't make a star key forward.

 

[ant555]

sounds grim.........ill never understand how you can be 100kg+ & 6"8 and be easily moved off the footy

Some big blokes are just not as strong. It happens. You see it with a lot with rucks . A lot do not make it despite them being 200cm and 100kg after a few years in n the system.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Some big blokes are just not as strong. It happens. You see it with a lot with rucks . A lot do not make it despite them being 200cm and 100kg after a few years in n the system.

Do you think the modern game trend towards 200cm + key forwards has seen a shift away from power forwards? They wouldn't have as low as centre of gravity as guys with jack darlings physique so would be easier to push off their line.

 

[ant555]

Do you think the modern game trend towards 200cm + key forwards has seen a shift away from power forwards? They wouldn't have as low as centre of gravity as guys with jack darlings physique so would be easier to push off their line.

The less mobile ones yes