Player Watch #25: Paul Curtis - has signed a three-year extension until end of 2028

[koshari]

I love PC. He does some brain dead shit sometimes but he’s skillful, strong and tough af.
Will go to another level next year

yeah if he can address that rubbish part of his game its an instant upgrade, bit like putting in golf.

 

[iloveireland]

If he had a little more speed he would be elite

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

He's the same height as Lohman and Ginnivan. Are they small forwards?

I think they are both closer to the traditional small forward definition given their craftiness around goal.

The reality is there is a big difference between a PC type and a Kossie Pickett type - both can easily fit into the same forward 6 as they play a different game and bring their own talents.

PC will be heading toward a Toby Green type of player in 3 years if he keeps progressing at his current rate.

 

[the big lebowski]

If he had a little more speed he would be elite

This is my point. If you compare his third season to just about any “elite” small forward in the comp, PC is way infront.

And he has heaps of physical development to come

 

[the big lebowski]

I think they are both closer to the traditional small forward definition given their craftiness around goal.

The reality is there is a big difference between a PC type and a Kossie Pickett type - both can easily fit into the same forward 6 as they play a different game and bring their own talents.

PC will be heading toward a Toby Green type of player in 3 years if he keeps progressing at his current rate.

PC seems craftier than Kraft around goals to me.

Might need another definition to disprove he is a small forward

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

PC seems craftier than Kraft around goals to me.

Might need another definition to disprove he is a small forward

The key criteria are exceptional speed over the first 10-20 metres, tackling ability/willingness and goal craft.

PC misses out on the first one.

 

[the big lebowski]

The key criteria are exceptional speed over the first 10-20 metres, tackling ability/willingness and goal craft.

PC misses out on the first one.

Fair enough. I can’t argue that he’s quick.

I’d say he’d be similar to Lindsey Thomas but that’s just a guess.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Paul doesn't duck enough to be a small forward.

 

[RossHenshaw]

Paul doesn't duck enough to be a small forward.

Or has any BS pathetic extravagant celebration when he kicks a goal

 

[amaz199]

Paul doesn't duck enough to be a small forward.

Probably true.

He's too strong to be that weak in the contest.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Probably true.

He's too strong to be that weak in the contest.

Gets frees against for fighting for the footy. All the best small forwards milk a good amount of frees.

 

[zoomba23]

Gets frees against for fighting for the footy. All the best small forwards milk a good amount of frees.

Aside from periods of utter shit within games where this team makes me want to tear my eyes out in anguish and fury, the most frustrating aspect of watching footy is seeing this bloke get penalised for natural strength in genuine contests for the ball, whilst other goalsneaks like the three stooges at Hawthorn treat the ball as a secondary concern in favour of sticking their head where it doesn't naturally belong, and are rewarded for it

 

[ferball]

Aside from periods of utter shit within games where this team makes me want to tear my eyes out in anguish and fury, the most frustrating aspect of footy is seeing this bloke get penalised for natural strength in genuine contests for the ball, whilst other goalsneaks like the three stooges at Hawthorn treat the ball as a secondary concern in favour of sticking their head where it doesn't naturally belong, and are rewarded for it

Yep.

Clarko mentioned this during the year (so he'd have brought it privately already I'd reckon) and the ****s doubled down on it the following week.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Good effort considering the trash forward line entries he has been dealing with.

Not beyond the realms for him to be a 40+ goal per year forward once the whole team starts to improve.

Give him more KPP and crumbing support and 40 goals will be a shoo-in when our mids begin to find consistency.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

The key criteria are exceptional speed over the first 10-20 metres, tackling ability/willingness and goal craft.

PC misses out on the first one.

It’s not always essential. Lindsay T had mediocre speed but was a terrier inside 50. LT would be in our top 6 or so best ever smalls.

 

[DocSholl]

Aside from periods of utter shit within games where this team makes me want to tear my eyes out in anguish and fury, the most frustrating aspect of watching footy is seeing this bloke get penalised for natural strength in genuine contests for the ball, whilst other goalsneaks like the three stooges at Hawthorn treat the ball as a secondary concern in favour of sticking their head where it doesn't naturally belong, and are rewarded for it

PC does need to be smarter though. If you try and fend off and don't dispose of it, you're gone. That's been a rule for a decade now and he basically tries to fend off every time he takes possession.

 

[Liam Boy]

PC does need to be smarter though. If you try and fend off and don't dispose of it, you're gone. That's been a rule for a decade now and he basically tries to fend off every time he takes possession.

They really need to change the interpretation around this, I think. The don't-argue should be considered an attempt to dispose of the ball, not prior opportunity in and of itself. If you don't-argue after you've already had prior, and then you get tackled, then it should be holding the ball, but not if it's the first thing you do.

 

[Samsquanch]

They really need to change the interpretation around this, I think. The don't-argue should be considered an attempt to dispose of the ball, not prior opportunity in and of itself. If you don't-argue after you've already had prior, and then you get tackled, then it should be holding the ball, but not if it's the first thing you do.

There's definitely an error with the current interpretation - at least with consistency. For instance, if a player attempts to shrug a tackle (without the "don't argue") and doesn't actually slip the tackle they are still usually given an opportunity to dispose of the ball. There's very little difference but the umpires can more easily spot the fend off with the arm so they hit the whistle quicker than a flash.

There really does need to be consistency, not only in the rules and interpretations, but across the entire set of umpires so that one team or another is treated the same as every other team across the entire season.

 

[ferball]

PC does need to be smarter though. If you try and fend off and don't dispose of it, you're gone. That's been a rule for a decade now and he basically tries to fend off every time he takes possession.

Remember how LDU would get done HTB for years trying the stuff he now does with ease? I think PC will show a similar improvement but in strength as he gets into his mid 20s. Its a fine line between curbing that instinct cos his improvement will make it a huge strength and getting a flaw out of his game.

 

[Liam Boy]

Remember how LDU would get done HTB for years trying the stuff he now does with ease? I think PC will show a similar improvement but in strength as he gets into his mid 20s. Its a fine line between curbing that instinct cos his improvement will make it a huge strength and getting a flaw out of his game.

That's as much because they added him to the "allowed to try don't-argues" whitelist as anything LDU has changed about his game. They used to ping him holding the ball even after he'd successfully escaped tacklers.

 

[ferball]

That's as much because they added him to the "allowed to try don't-argues" whitelist as anything LDU has changed about his game. They used to ping him holding the ball even after he'd successfully escaped tacklers.

Yeah and remember how they changed interpretations cos LDU and other players like him could spin out of tackles? But LDU didn't really change anything during his development. He just got bigger and stronger and did the same stuff. People used to argue that he was a poor player early in his career cos he'd get caught trying that stuff and others would say its better to let him keep it up so that when he's mature he's still doing it. I think we're all glad he didn't take that out of his game.

Curtis will follow the same process hopefully. He'll probably learn that there are times his strength won't work and should learn to recognise those times and respond differently. That's part of the development process that comes with experience. Ideally he still backs himself in to fend most of the time cos if he becomes almost untackleable (and I think he's strong enough to do that) he'll kick or set up alot more goals.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Genuine question, is there a player his height in the comp that is a better contest mark?

He is so bloody strong in the air once he gets a jump at it.

 

[Merlin007]

Genuine question, is there a player his height in the comp that is a better contest mark?

He is so bloody strong in the air once he gets a jump at it.

Just bloody strong across the board; pound for pound I can’t think of many who would be stronger

 

[chubbspeterson]

Genuine question, is there a player his height in the comp that is a better contest mark?

He is so bloody strong in the air once he gets a jump at it.

Not allowed to say this. We overrate our young players. DocScholl said so. Not allowed to get excited, our players are crap.

 

[zoomba23]

PC does need to be smarter though. If you try and fend off and don't dispose of it, you're gone. That's been a rule for a decade now and he basically tries to fend off every time he takes possession.

That's not what I mean. I don't mind the fend-offs too much, as it means he has confidence, and we don't want him to lose that. He does still need to learn to stop automatically fending off and look for his teammates as a first port of call, but I'm talking about marking contests and ground-ball contests. It happens jarringly often that he (legally) gets himself into a good position in one of those situations and then gets pinged for some imaginary bullshit. Umps see him rag-dolling defenders purely because he has twice the strength that they do, and assume he's done something wrong, and it ****ing shits me