Player Watch #22: Taylor Goad - #20 in '23 ND - the Unicorn

[KillaKanga]

Players who dominate through size mids/key position/ruck always find it hard moving up from boyz to men.

Those that rely on positioning and smarts adapt quickly. i.e Sheezel

We will have no idea if he's a bust until 2027.

Clutching pearls before that will only damage the necklace, nothing more.

 

[hurricane]

People should go back further to the Big H.

Literally one of the most disgraceful excuses for a league footballer you have even seen plying away in Port Melbourne's reserves (i.e AFL 3rds), could barely run a lap at that point either.

I remember watching some of H’s early VFL games. He was embarrassing! But he turned into quite a player when the penny dropped and his body got some miles into it. Didn’t happen overnight.

I do see the logic in keeping Goad out of the ruck. I reckon you could develop some bad habits if you’re physically outmatched every single week but forced to compete in the ruck. Better to wait until he has built at least some of the strength he’ll need. From memory, H slunk around in the forward pocket in his first year.

 

[Devil Fish]

Something for people to consider: Goldy was picked up in 2006 at pick #37 and didnt get to play his first Afl game until Round 15 in 2008 nearly 1 1/2 years later. We need to have patience will Goad as well...

So mid-season next year we should be expecting to see him. I like it a lot.

 

[Val Keating]

So mid-season next year we should be expecting to see him. I like it a lot.

No chance Goad and X ever play in the same side unless we have shithouse injury run.

 

[amaz199]

Rucks take ages to come good. You never hear about them until they have a season where it all comes together.

This applies also to Big H, Goldy, Xerri and the like. They simply take time. Especially ones with very good raw talent and ability but need a few years in the system.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Totally forgot this bloke was on our list. The only player we drafted last year who never gets talked about

 

[amaz199]

It's so easy to be wowed by Xerri's progress and go 'wtf Goad, delist!'

Patience.

 

[Chewy Chewman]

The important thing to remember is that we weren’t reaching for Goad.

The fact the Adelaide would’ve snapped him up at their next pick says all we need to know.

The annoying thing is we’re playing Dawson in the ruck and Goad in the back pocket. That’s not going to help his development.

 

[hellas_johnny]

The important thing to remember is that we weren’t reaching for Goad.

The fact the Adelaide would’ve snapped him up at their next pick says all we need to know.

The annoying thing is we’re playing Dawson in the ruck and Goad in the back pocket. That’s not going to help his development.

My thoughts exactly aswell. We brought him in as a ruck play him there. If he's not fit enough to do it all game then bring Hayes in from the vfl list who played well the games he did play this season. Goad playing back has been horrible especially with the fact that he often gets caught in possession when he actually does get the ball. At least play him ruck with some forward time and bench time. It doesn't help the team hiding him in he back line whilst Dawson also doesn't get to play his natural position

 

[hotchilli]

The important thing to remember is that we weren’t reaching for Goad.

The fact the Adelaide would’ve snapped him up at their next pick says all we need to know.

The annoying thing is we’re playing Dawson in the ruck and Goad in the back pocket. That’s not going to help his development.

He's not playing ruck because he get's physically monstered in there currently which we saw in the first half of the year.

 

[Frank Thring]

Tracking nicely

 

[ferball]

It's so easy to be wowed by Xerri's progress and go 'wtf Goad, delist!'

Patience.

Funny hey. Xerri's first pre season was for the 2018 season. I reckon he started to show something like where he is now at AFL level in 2022, but glimpses not consistency.

So 2028 for Goad to start showing something at the level if he follows that roadmap.

 

[kool kangas]

So mid-season next year we should be expecting to see him. I like it a lot.

not to good at maths...2006 + 2 1/2 = 2008 1/2 so
2024 + 2 1/2 = 2026 1/2 so
mid 2026 not mid 2025...

 

[XU1-ROO]

Think there is something there with Goad. Guess North spent an earlier pick on a ruck because X was unsure. But has turned out awesome this year. Could aim for a Teakle spot in the future with his speed.

 

[R00StaR]

I remember watching some of H’s early VFL games. He was embarrassing! But he turned into quite a player when the penny dropped and his body got some miles into it. Didn’t happen overnight.

I do see the logic in keeping Goad out of the ruck. I reckon you could develop some bad habits if you’re physically outmatched every single week but forced to compete in the ruck. Better to wait until he has built at least some of the strength he’ll need. From memory, H slunk around in the forward pocket in his first year.

Goad was in the ruck a few times last weekend (i didnt watch the entire game, so not sure how long he spent there). Misjudged a few badly but won a few easily as well.

 

[davefromjerra]

I thought that throwing Wil Dawson into the ruck turned the game for us. I know VFL Is primarily for player development, but sometimes you just want to win.

I thought Taylor showed a bit more intensity but he is currently too easily out bodied in the ruck. Plenty of time for him to bulk up.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Think there is something there with Goad. Guess North spent an earlier pick on a ruck because X was unsure. But has turned out awesome this year. Could aim for a Teakle spot in the future with his speed.

Yep and you watch the young fella this year in the draft from SA Dodson this year. Another basketball player.
I bet the Crows take him with their 20's pick if another team doesn't take him earlier and he'll be a slow burn because he's a string bean but his u18 form suggests he'll be a beauty. It's the same with Goad, time to add size and fitness.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Devil Fish]

Todays Grand Final is a perfect example of why there’s no need to use top end draft picks on ruckmen.

I have no idea if Goad will be a player, but using pick 20 on a project tall, I don’t get it.

Would Logan Morris have been a wiser pick than Goad with our current list profile???? I think so.

 

[hotchilli]

Todays Grand Final is a perfect example of why there’s no need to use top end draft picks on ruckmen.

I have no idea if Goad will be a player, but using pick 20 on a project tall, I don’t get it.

Would Logan Morris have been a wiser pick than Goad with our current list profile???? I think so.

Goad is a project in the sense of getting his body up to AFL level.

He's certainly not a project in the sense of the talent he showed at an underage level.

 

[scottywiper]

Goad is a project in the sense of getting his body up to AFL level.

He's certainly not a project in the sense of the talent he showed at an underage level.

He had the lowest possession average in VFL this season for anyone who'd played over 10 games. Around 4.5 touches per match. He is indeed a project

 

[The Talent Scout]

He's our unicorn and we love him. Needs patience and time + tender loving care.

 

[The Talent Scout]

It's so easy to be wowed by Xerri's progress and go 'wtf Goad, delist!'

Patience.

Exactly, we have none of that, where is this three years thing coming from?
Tristan just one example, 7 years, go and take the time reading early on and through the middle of his thread and finish by reading 2022 & 2023, some people forget and some people will try and defend the argument that lots of posters, not all, either wanted to trade him to St Kilda or just trade him because he's sh*t and see what we can get for him, we need a proper ruck, he aint gonna make it!

Now that was just one poster, some of the things will crack you up and others will just make you think just maybe we didn't let him go to St Kilda because he needed time and experience, wasn't ready and had to get to the level required to show what he can do and that we knew how good he was going to be, it was a combination of things. Taylor, from our point of view, is not getting traded, not going home and might need more than 3 years, but I can tell you this, the excitement and raw potential that we are banking on is huge and is I think confidence wise on a par with Charlie Comben, that's the bottom line.

 

[zoomba23]

Exactly, we have none of that, where is this three years thing coming from?
Tristan just one example, 7 years, go and take the time reading early on and through the middle of his thread and finish by reading 2022 & 2023, some people forget and some people will try and defend the argument that lots of posters, not all, either wanted to trade him to St Kilda or just trade him because he's sh*t and see what we can get for him, we need a proper ruck, he aint gonna make it!

Now that was just one poster, some of the things will crack you up and others will just make you think just maybe we didn't let him go to St Kilda because he needed time and experience, wasn't ready and had to get to the level required to show what he can do and that we knew how good he was going to be, it was a combination of things. Taylor, from our point of view, is not getting traded, not going home and might need more than 3 years, but I can tell you this, the excitement and raw potential that we are banking on is huge and is I think confidence wise on a par with Charlie Comben, that's the bottom line.

I feel like so much of this excitement stems from his being an athlete, with decidedly little around how he actually goes as a footballer. I'd be monumentally stupid to write him off now but I frankly didn't like what I saw in either the VFL stats or the limited vision I saw of him. I think if he's a central aspect of the club's plans, that's a riskier scenario than I'd like. If he's a side project that we're not relying on, but hoping for him to succeed, well there's nothing wrong with that all. Even though he was technically the additional present for offloading JHF, given our picks cluster, you could raffle him, Wawson and Hardeman and come up with the same ticket each time

 

[The Talent Scout]

The important thing to remember is that we weren’t reaching for Goad.

The fact the Adelaide would’ve snapped him up at their next pick says all we need to know.

The annoying thing is we’re playing Dawson in the ruck and Goad in the back pocket. That’s not going to help his development.

I understand where your coming from Chewy but its part of the learning process + in time he will play ruck. Different roles how to use your body etc etc.