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

[Orange Peanut]

There are enough reasons imo to retain Kieran on the senior list on a 1 year deal.

Firstly and most importantly - he's extremely talented. On his day he's capable of things only elite players can produce. The problem has been getting him on the park and getting him involved enough to show it.

The change in coaching and club philosophy in recent months means I'd like to see some of the talented types who haven't put together much of a career thus far get another chance under this regime. That includes Kieran.

He's also had a heap of injury problems, even Wells who is no stranger to the medical room went out of his way to explain how stuffed Harper's ankles were for an explosive player a year ago. If he's over these then we may just see his best in the future. And his major football knock of not finding the pill looks to be getting slowly addressed, certainly 19 touches in the clinches for a player of his offensive ability is a very nice indicator of moving in the right direction.

Lastly and maybe of equal importance to the first point, Kieran Harper is not some typical cocky AFL smartarse. The kid has been well documented as having serious confidence issues and when you throw in how his body has broken down in the past and him being thrown around as trade bait - I don't think he needs the jolt of being delisted and rookied to wake him up. He needs to become more comfortable in his body and place at the club imo. We know he's a cultural fit for the club so if he can get his confidence up, find more of the pill onfield and keep getting fitter then it's a no brainer for me - give him another year.

Quoted for double-like

 

[GarnerSmash]

Prefer he just stay on the list.

One spot isn't hurting anyone.

With Grima and Adams both gone and probably McMahon as well, we don't need to cut anyone.

Certainly not averse to it.

If his physical issues are behind him he certainly offers more value to our list than a 5th round pick in a shallow draft, certainly immediately and probably long term.

 

[Saintly31]

I don't really care whether he stays on the list or not as we have space, but I struggle to remember a more overhyped player.

He has never shown "extreme talent" or quality only the elite level possess, he has however showed glimpses of AFL ability especially finishing combined with not much else.

Anyone would think we have a superstar waiting in the VFL, it is way off reality.

 

[ozzyoslo]

Reckon will be delisted then rookied.

That gives us an opportunity to draft someone else, whilst not losing Harper.

In fact I think we will turn over quite a few players through retirements and delistings this off season.

How many we will we draft in a year thats light on with talent ??

 

[ozzyoslo]

Plus Nahas did far more than Harper last year and was delisted and rookied, as was Warren.

I think that is the way the club will go.

But , he was injured ??

 

[ozzyoslo]

I don't really care whether he stays on the list or not as we have space, but I struggle to remember a more overhyped player.

He has never shown "extreme talent" or quality only the elite level possess, he has however showed glimpses of AFL ability especially finishing combined with not much else.

Anyone would think we have a superstar waiting in the VFL, it is way off reality.

Who's over hyped him? the club or many pundits here?

We can go for days on who people here that hype and don't hype players ......is'nt that bigfooty??

I haven't heard the club hype him up since his injury issues and the battle he has endured.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I don't really care whether he stays on the list or not as we have space, but I struggle to remember a more overhyped player.

He has never shown "extreme talent" or quality only the elite level possess, he has however showed glimpses of AFL ability especially finishing combined with not much else.

Anyone would think we have a superstar waiting in the VFL, it is way off reality.

He absolutely has.

 

[Shinbonermagic]

His 2012 highlights reel and the fact that he is only 23 should work in his favour. I think give him one last crack at it and if we are in the same position next year at this time I think both parties would concede it is not going to happen.

 

[koshari]

His 2012 highlights reel and the fact that he is only 23 should work in his favour. I think give him one last crack at it and if we are in the same position next year at this time I think both parties would concede it is not going to happen.

Have you seen majaks highlights reel????

 

[Grogg]

He's gone guys.

He would more than likely have been out the door last year but for his contract.

No senior games, emergency listed once in a make or break year.

I think his papers are stamped.

 

[Shinbonermagic]

Have you seen majaks highlights reel????

Majaks highlight reel is at VFL level check out Harpers at senior level in 2012

I would be saying the same thing about Majak too. Keep him on our list give him senior games and find out If he is up to it. If he doesn't cut it next year, well we let him go with the knowledge that he is not going to turn it on for another club.

 

[Saintly31]

How many we will we draft in a year thats light on with talent ??

I don't care. Only look at Fordham as what we could get from speculative picks.

Fordham is already a better and more promising player than Harper. The majority vote is "give him another year", yeah well he has already had that and done nothing.

He absolutely has.

No he hasn't. That is why he struggles for a kick in the VFL, and also did at AFL level where he was invisible too often.

But , he was injured ??

He was dropped from seniors well before the injury issues. He isn't good enough and I think he will (and should) be delisted.

I am very happy for Harper to be rookied though, just to prove he is worth keeping and can turn it around. He appears to have AFL level talent in his highlights reel (certainly not near elite level like i'm led to believe in Judd, GAJ and co....)

If we give his spot to a different youngster, we could get a fantastic result. I completely back the club in if we take that path - for the same reason we got rid of another BF superstar (not) in Ayden Kennedy.........

 

[year of the roo]

Fordham is already a better and more promising player than Harper....

Yeah exactly, can't knock what Fordham has managed to achieve at AFL level

 

[astrovic]

I don't really care whether he stays on the list or not as we have space, but I struggle to remember a more overhyped player.

He has never shown "extreme talent" or quality only the elite level possess, he has however showed glimpses of AFL ability especially finishing combined with not much else.

Anyone would think we have a superstar waiting in the VFL, it is way off reality.

He has so.

 

[Saintly31]

He has so.

As per TPA comment I don't think he has.

If he did he wouldn't be kicking mud in the VFL, rather taking Garner and Turners spot to replace LT.

Even an AFL battler in Nahas kicks 7 goals at VFL level, which is a very ordinary league and Harper should be tearing it up if an elite AFL talent in waiting. Anyway I am clearly out-voted so hopefully i'm proven wrong.

 

[Gasometer]

Stuffed if I know how someone who has not played one game since god knows when is constantly on Page 1.

 

[boneofshin]

Remember that time he was an Emergency?

 

[ozzyoslo]

I don't care. Only look at Fordham as what we could get from speculative picks.

Fordham is already a better and more promising player than Harper. The majority vote is "give him another year", yeah well he has already had that and done nothing.



No he hasn't. That is why he struggles for a kick in the VFL, and also did at AFL level where he was invisible too often.



He was dropped from seniors well before the injury issues. He isn't good enough and I think he will (and should) be delisted.

I am very happy for Harper to be rookied though, just to prove he is worth keeping and can turn it around. He appears to have AFL level talent in his highlights reel (certainly not near elite level like i'm led to believe in Judd, GAJ and co....)

If we give his spot to a different youngster, we could get a fantastic result. I completely back the club in if we take that path - for the same reason we got rid of another BF superstar (not) in Ayden Kennedy.........

You're a harsh man with your call on Harps..........saintly.

 

[astrovic]

As per TPA comment I don't think he has.

If he did he wouldn't be kicking mud in the VFL, rather taking Garner and Turners spot to replace LT.

Even an AFL battler in Nahas kicks 7 goals at VFL level, which is very ordinary and Harper should be tearing it up. Anyway I am clearly out-voted so hopefully i'm proven wrong.

Rubbish. He's not the first and won't be the last player to play some brilliant footy early and then flame out. His highlight reel is elite talent personified.

If he doesn't get to go around again, then that will be exactly what he was. An elite talent, but not an elite career.

There's been enough blokes who needed time to grow into their abilities. One of those is in my avatar. The reason Keiran remains constantly a topic for discussion is no accident - discard him and you'll always wonder what if that extreme talent turned into an extreme footballer. Maybe his best footy is ahead of him - and his best is something very few can achieve. Who knows?

Equally there's been enough blokes for whom talent was never enough. Keiran could well be one of them. Sack him now and that's all he'll ever be. It is what it is.

But let's not start re-writing history and say the bloke hasn't shown elite talent.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

But let's not start re-writing history and say the bloke hasn't shown elite talent.

Quoted for accuracy. Sure, he hasn't shown it for a while, but you haven't been paying attention if you continue to argue he's never shown it.

 

[Saintly31]

Rubbish. He's not the first and won't be the last player to play some brilliant footy early and then flame out. His highlight reel is elite talent personified.

If he doesn't get to go around again, then that will be exactly what he was. An elite talent, but not an elite career.

There's been enough blokes who needed time to grow into their abilities. One of those is in my avatar. The reason Keiran remains constantly a topic for discussion is no accident - discard him and you'll always wonder what if that extreme talent turned into an extreme footballer. Maybe his best footy is ahead of him - and his best is something very few can achieve. Who knows?

Equally there's been enough blokes for whom talent was never enough. Keiran could well be one of them. Sack him now and that's all he'll ever be. It is what it is.

But let's not start re-writing history and say the bloke hasn't shown elite talent.

I completely disagree. "Extreme talent", that "very few can achieve"? Please, give me a spell.

Again, you will get the sympathy vote but I think he will be delisted. He is not near the footballer BF think he is. Even in the 1s he scrubbed 15m passes way too often, has no aerial ability, and generally spent his minutes chasing tail (hence his high tackle numbers) outside his highlight goals.

I think we as a club we rookie him in the Nahas mould. I don't understand why that is so controversial for a VFL player doing less than required and carried for years already.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

I completely disagree. "Something very few can achieve"? Please, give me a spell.

Again, you will get the sympathy vote but I think he will be delisted. He is not near the footballer BF think he is. Even in the 1s he scrubbed 15m passes way too often and generally spent his minutes chasing tail (hence his high tackle numbers) outside his highlight goals.

I think we as a club we rookie him in the Nahas mould. I don't understand why that is so controversial for a VFL player doing less than required and carried for years already.

That bit's not controversial in the slightest. Denying his talent is what most won't cop.

 

[astrovic]

I completely disagree. "Something very few can achieve"? Please, give me a spell.

Again, you will get the sympathy vote but I think he will be delisted. He is not near the footballer BF think he is. Even in the 1s he scrubbed 15m passes way too often, has no aerial ability, and generally spent his minutes chasing tail (hence his high tackle numbers) outside his highlight goals.

I think we as a club we rookie him in the Nahas mould. I don't understand why that is so controversial for a VFL player doing less than required and carried for years already.

I completely disagree. Give me a spell from your spell.

Even in the 1s he kicked goals out of his arse, made pin point passes out of his arse and did things very few can do. All attributes of elite talent. But then you're a perennial glass half empty type so I'd expect no different.

We didn't rookie Nahas. We picked him up as a delisted free agent.

By the way I don't disagree at all re: where Harper is now. For mine he only survives if spot number 40 on the list is not taken by something better. If we're talking a 4th or 5th round pick, I'd roll the dice on Harps as someone who has shown something is better than someone who statistically probably never will.

I simply object to you dismissing what he has shown.

 

[Saintly31]

I completely disagree. Give me a spell from your spell.

Even in the 1s he kicked goals out of his arse, made pin point passes out of his arse and did things very few can do. All attributes of elite talent. But then you're a perennial glass half empty type so I'd expect no different.

We didn't rookie Nahas. We picked him up as a delisted free agent.

By the way I don't disagree at all re: where Harper is now. For mine he only survives if spot number 40 on the list is not taken by something better. If we're talking a 4th or 5th round pick, I'd roll the dice on Harps as someone who has shown something is better than someone who statistically probably never will.

I simply object to you dismissing what he has shown.

We delisted Nahas last year. We then rookied him.

Regardless, im not dismissing Harper showed talent.

I am happy to roll the dice as you say.

I'd rather rookie him and give a list spot to someone else, than carry him again when i suspect no one else wants him anyway.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

We delisted Nahas last year. We then rookied him.

Regardless, im not dismissing Harper showed talent.

I am happy to roll the dice as you say.

I'd rather rookie him and give a list spot to someone else, than carry him again when i suspect no one else wants him anyway.

That list spot would be a fourth round pick.

Harper has more upside than that.