Past #23: Kieran Harper - delisted by the club (29/10) - will miss '16 VAFA season, surgery on ankle

[abby]

With news that he may be delisted and rookied...





few more here :

https://www.youtube.com/user/NMFCOfficial/search?query=kieran harper

Hard to see him go after those highlights.......Will never forget that one against Brisbane....wins the hardball and kicks a brilliant goal.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

not going to get anything substantial for him, just keep him on the list.

 

[Firebat]

Hard to see him go after those highlights.......Will never forget that one against Brisbane....wins the hardball and kicks a brilliant goal.

Was that goal of the year?

That was insane

 

[nelroo]

With news that he may be delisted and rookied...





few more here :

https://www.youtube.com/user/NMFCOfficial/search?query=kieran harper

That is very depressing looked so so promising..I hope we give him one last crack at it next year

 

[Harris 10]

not going to get anything substantial for him, just keep him on the list.

He'd be on good coin, so that probably plays apart as well.

 

[abby]

Was that goal of the year?

That was insane

not even sure if it was nominated!

 

[KangaFan35]

Keep him, his main problem is he has no defensive side, but he's young so that will improve.

 

[Roos29]

Definitely emailing the club begging for him to be given another year. Don't wanna see him go

 

[Benno_900]

Keep him, his main problem is he has no defensive side, but he's young so that will improve.

His main problem is finding the ball.

His tackling stats are fine.

 

[Tas]

Definitely emailing the club begging for him to be given another year. Don't wanna see him go

Brad can tell Harper that he was going to delist him but after a moving email from Roos29 he decided to give him another year.

 

[Roos29]

Brad can tell Harper that he was going to delist him but after a moving email from Roos29 he decided to give him another year.

hahah also sent in an email about 2 weeks ago regarding the Prince, safe to say he's not on our list

 

[koshari]

personally i cant see any real big deal with this anyway, he hasnt delivered the goods for ages, hes on good coin, so he wont be doing his ass in renumeration wise,

if he shines, elevate him back off the rookie list, if he dont, its all academic.

 

[boneofshin]

Yeah shouldn't have watched those highlights

 

[5 GB USB]

Wow this guy can play, those highlights, just wow, I'd use our first pick (16) on him.

 

[scottywiper]

Those highlights are scintillating. I hope he can get fit and live up to that potential.

 

[Hunters Host #3]

Keep him, his main problem is he has no defensive side, but he's young so that will improve.

The defensive side of the game is the least of his worries.

It's easy to forget that he always had the mental application as a youngster in his debut season to work hard defensively. He always laid tackles, and they most often stuck. I remember distinctly making note of that early on in his career, and thinking that it was a good sign, because he had all the attributes offensively, to hurt sides (more than a Kayne Turner), whilst still averaging over 3 tackles a game in his first two seasons. Plus, people would recall that in his last few AFL games (beginning of 2013), that all he could do was bloody tackle someone. Finding the pill, was near impossible for him.


I haven't spoken about Kieran in a while, because looking at his highlights or thinking about where we all thought he would be at this stage of his footballing career, is just depressing.

In saying that, I've always been good mates, with two of Kieran's mates who he went to school with including, our own Matthew Scott. I met Kieran a few times this year over a few, and whilst he's a quiet lad, you can tell he's always had a quiet determination to get back to his best (although I rarely asked him about football related issues, as to not hassle him). My mate, only recently, told me that he was looking to hopefully get a good run at it over pre-season and give it a crack. His ankle issues have also hindered him more than what he has let on, and I think (from what I've gathered), that he isn't as confident as he once was in his speed/agility.

So this talk about him being moved on would be a bit of a surprise, but seeing a bit of him at VFL level over the past 18 months, hasn't had anyone leaving with the thought that he'll break the door down, for selection. Positional changes as an inside mid, and behind the ball, have been trialled and he has mixed injury in between. He has showed glimpses, nothing more.

He's just turned 22, and I'd be surprised if we moved him on whilst he's contracted or purely de-listed him. I can understand a move to the rookie list, but I think he should be given his last year on the contract as a chance to forge an AFL career.

God knows how happy we'd all be, if he could turn it all around.

But 2015, perhaps looms as the very definition of a 'make or break' season.

 

[The Big H]

5 and a half minutes of highlights in 4 years..............

 

[Kangayroo]

He'll come good.

Just you wait and see.

 

[Kimbo]

Those highlights are scintillating. I hope he can get fit and live up to that potential.

Still can't believe Cometti's call of the Richmond goal. ffs.

 

[Spitter9]

one of the biggest disappointments i can remember

 

[nelroo]

Still can't believe Cometti's call of the Richmond goal. ffs.

lol yep..I've heard more spark and excitement in the voice of someone giving a eulogy..

 

[trooroo4life]

Will be absolutely gutted if this is it for Kieran, probably more gutted then what I was when it was time up for JWS.

Kid has so much talent. Club probably weighing up if his ankle is ever going to be good enough for him to play up to standard, quite a few players in the same position would make it hard on him getting back anyway. Hope he has one more year and it clicks for him.

 

[justroyal]

Harper runs alongisde player a) with the ball. Upon being tackled by opp player, player a) handpasses the ball to harper. Harper runs into forward fifty

 

[Hunters Host #3]

Just as an example from his debut season.

Defensive work-rate on Hanley.



And, his tackle on Griffen in the last 30 secs of this video;



It was never a one off. He always held his own in that regard and got back defensively.

It was this defensive side to his game, with an emphasis on strength and conditioning in 2013 where Harps put on some serious size, that he was trialled as an inside mid. He ran through the middle in pre-season games against the Gold Coast, and he was given stints there at VFL level, because the school of thought was, that having him hunt for his own football would help with his development.

 

[giantroo]

Club has him listed as not returning from his ankle injury till mid December.