Player Watch #29: Shai Bolton - Traded for picks 10,11&18

[copthat]

Surely we ask the Josh Treacy question if we are going to be trading with Freo

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Really?
Charlie Cameron
Tom Papley
Kozi Pickett
Toby Green
Tyson Stengle
Izak Rankine

all of these off the top of my head from a purely small forward perspective.
Yes Bolton can go into the middle and so some nice things but far too inconsistent for mine.

Which one of those has performed better overall than Shai Bolton over the last 3 seasons?

 

[Tygrys]

You’d take that every day of the week and pretty good deal for freo too

If they won their first premiership on the back of that deal not only wouldn't I begrudge them that, I would be legitimately happy for them. Allowing us to also turbo charge our rebuild would make it the ultimate win/win.

 

[el_simo]

Which one of those has performed better overall than Shai Bolton over the last 3 seasons?

Without deep diving into stats I think most would agree that green, Cameron and Papley have been better than Bolton, the rest are up for debate.

 

[Wavvey]

Maybe but what's the point if we aren't even in finals contention for the next half a decade.

Good point and I’m not at all completely against it. I’ve gone to the football many times looking forward to watching him play, so would still be a shame not to have him with us for the next decade. Still not even 26 years old.

 

[tigersnag]

Richmond livewire to reportedly "pursue" move to home state: AFL trade news

"That is still a watch."

www.zerohanger.com

Those dweebs talk so much shit.

Dan Houston a major upgrade on Dan Rioli apparently.
Tsatas a perfect fit for us apparently. A pick in the early to mid teens will do it lol flipping clueless

I've haven't heard so much shit since I last listened to Damo Barrett.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Without deep diving into stats I think most would agree that green, Cameron and Papley have been better than Bolton, the rest are up for debate.

I am across a lot of the stats.

Rankine has reached higher levels this year than Bolton ever has but it is the first year Rankine has been above either of Bolton's best two seasons. You could definitely argue Rankine is at least as good and at least as valuable as Bolton, but Rankine's current year level is off the charts, and for now, an outlier.

Greene is a long term high level player, people could argue his career v the way Bolton is shaping and legitimately argue either way.

Cameron and Papley are not Bolton's class, neither is Stengle, nowhere near it.

The other one you mentioned, Pickett, remains young and likely finds new levels yet, but he has not come close to matching Bolton as yet.

If you put Bolton in a decent stable team with a proper midfield and forward line structure, and played him as a permanent small forward near goal, he would be near unstoppable. And his next 5 years are likely to be his best.

I am astonished some of our supporters have been watching this guy play and can't understand what they are watching.

 

[el_simo]

I am across a lot of the stats.

Rankine has reached higher levels this year than Bolton ever has but it is the first year Rankine has been above either of Bolton's best two seasons. You could definitely argue Rankine is at least as good and at least as valuable as Bolton, but Rankine's current year level is off the charts, and for now, an outlier.

Greene is a long term high level player, people could argue his career v the way Bolton is shaping and legitimately argue either way.

Cameron and Papley are not Bolton's class, neither is Stengle, nowhere near it.

The other one you mentioned, Pickett, remains young and likely finds new levels yet, but he has not come close to matching Bolton as yet.

If you put Bolton in a decent stable team with a proper midfield and forward line structure, and played him as a permanent small forward near goal, he would be near unstoppable. And his next 5 years are likely to be his best.

I am astonished some of our supporters have been watching this guy play and can't understand what they are watching.

I don’t disagree with your 2nd last paragraph. If we were contending, I’d want to keep him. But we aren’t and we won’t be a stable team with good structure for a number of years imo. So strike while
The irons hot

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I don’t disagree with your 2nd last paragraph. If we were contending, I’d want to keep him. But we aren’t and we won’t be a stable team with good structure for a number of years imo. So strike while
The irons hot

I have no trouble trading Bolton, but you need serious draft capital in return.

His 2020 GF is massively under-rated. He was 21 years old, and recorded a player rating of 16.1, 5th highest in that match.
His player rating would be over 20 in a normal length game, and normally only 1-2 players do that in Grand Final. He also had a big final v Saints that year, so he can tick off proven finals performer.

He can cut teams to ribbons in the 2 most important areas of the ground. There is only one other player in the competition indicating a similar level of ability to do that at the moment and that is Rankine. If teams want these type of guys you make them pay through the nostrils.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Which one of those has performed better overall than Shai Bolton over the last 3 seasons?

All the above.
Bolton has as much talent as the above but lacks consistency mainly because of where the team is at.
He'd star at freo.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

All the above.
Bolton has as much talent as the above but lacks consistency mainly because of where the team is at.
He'd star at freo.

Absolute bullshit. You could equally say all the others lack consistency. Either that or their best is not as good as Bolton's. Bolton is the top rated forward in the AFL 2023. The second top rated forward in 2022. You don't get that by being a patchy footballer. The main reason he has dropped off this year is his two principle positions, forward and midfield, he has been surrounded by more VFL level players than AFL level players and not to mention not even the same players week to week.

 

[Punt Road Feral]

Really?
Charlie Cameron
Tom Papley
Kozi Pickett
Toby Green
Tyson Stengle
Izak Rankine

all of these off the top of my head from a purely small forward perspective.
Yes Bolton can go into the middle and so some nice things but far too inconsistent for mine.

Respectfully how do we think all of those players would fare in our dysfunctional forward line in a side that’s won 2 games for the season?

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Absolute bullshit. You could equally say all the others lack consistency. Either that or their best is not as good as Bolton's. Bolton is the top rated forward in the AFL 2023. The second top rated forward in 2022. You don't get that by being a patchy footballer. The main reason he has dropped off this year is his two principle positions, forward and midfield, he has been surrounded by more VFL level players than AFL level players and not to mention not even the same players week to week.

Basically what I said.

 

[el_simo]

Absolute bullshit. You could equally say all the others lack consistency. Either that or their best is not as good as Bolton's. Bolton is the top rated forward in the AFL 2023. The second top rated forward in 2022. You don't get that by being a patchy footballer. The main reason he has dropped off this year is his two principle positions, forward and midfield, he has been surrounded by more VFL level players than AFL level players and not to mention not even the same players week to week.

What rating system are you using where Bolton is top in 23 and second in 22? And does it take into account his time spent in the midfield ?

 

[jetbhag]

2 first rounders as a minimum. We can't trade him, players like him don't come that often.

 

[BF Tiger]

I am across a lot of the stats.

Rankine has reached higher levels this year than Bolton ever has but it is the first year Rankine has been above either of Bolton's best two seasons. You could definitely argue Rankine is at least as good and at least as valuable as Bolton, but Rankine's current year level is off the charts, and for now, an outlier.

Greene is a long term high level player, people could argue his career v the way Bolton is shaping and legitimately argue either way.

Cameron and Papley are not Bolton's class, neither is Stengle, nowhere near it.

The other one you mentioned, Pickett, remains young and likely finds new levels yet, but he has not come close to matching Bolton as yet.

If you put Bolton in a decent stable team with a proper midfield and forward line structure, and played him as a permanent small forward near goal, he would be near unstoppable. And his next 5 years are likely to be his best.

I am astonished some of our supporters have been watching this guy play and can't understand what they are watching.

Your second last paragraph is why Freo should pay well for him.

 

[SunshineBoy]

2 first rounders as a minimum. We can't trade him, players like him don't come that often.

If a player wants to go it’s no point keeping them

 

[Meteoric Rise]

What rating system are you using where Bolton is top in 23 and second in 22? And does it take into account his time spent in the midfield ?

Official AFL player ratings. If you search forwards, you get all medium forwards, key forwards, mid-forwards.

Obviously playing half his footy in the midfield helped boost his ratings because not many forwards do that. But if he doesn't play midfield and just plays as a specialist forward, his goals per game would go through the roof.

Put it another way.

He has played as a mid-forward the last 3 seasons 2022-23-24. He has been the highest rated mid-forward in the AFL in all of those seasons. There tends to be about 30-40 players categorised as mid-forwards play 10 or more games each year in the AFL. But in 2022-23 he was inside the top 20 rated players in the AFL in all positions. If the team wasn't in total malfunction this year it would be likely he would be there again in 2024.

2021 he was defined as a midfielder, and was about the 43rd highest rated specialist midfielder.

2020 he was about the 31st highest rated specialist midfielder.

2019 he was the 27th highest rated medium forward.

 

[Bojangles17]

Without deep diving into stats I think most would agree that green, Cameron and Papley have been better than Bolton, the rest are up for debate.

Lucky u dont refer to the stats coz there aren’t too many in boltons league , a clearance winning mid that kicks over 30g a year , shai has had an ok year and his numbers compare favorably with papley , prob pretty ok with the others too as they haven’t been at their best , he’d be an exceptional get for freo and tbh pretty cheap given his tender age of 26 , 5 very good years ahead of him

 

[Karp3_dm]

At his best, he is worth that. But Bolton will be 26 at the start of next season and STILL struggles to impact for 4 quarters, picks and chooses when to contest, often burns teammates in better positions with selfish shots at goal and the gulf between his good and bad is as wide as the grand canyon.

But he’s contracted for 4 more years and he is 100% the missing piece of Freo’s flag winning puzzle.
What price do you put on flags?

Will win a norm smith there imo.. as well as kick 8 in a game

They have to pay absolute premium
All their first rounders this year plus future 1st for Baker and Bolton and maybe send back a 2nd rounder or something

 

[Bojangles17]

If a player wants to go it’s no point keeping them

2 x r1 is gold , we at lowest ebb in club history , of course we take it

 

[Willo_23]

2 first rounders as a minimum. We can't trade him, players like him don't come that often.

Not to mention he’s contracted, that should add a fair chunk of compensation to the price in itself

 

[Grechy]

Wouldn’t want to lose Bolton. Was a draft steal at the time and we developed him. Not having a great year but players like him don’t come around often. A lot will be regretting him tearing it up at Freo.

 

[Truetiger]

Wouldn’t want to lose Bolton. Was a draft steal at the time and we developed him. Not having a great year but players like him don’t come around often. A lot will be regretting him tearing it up at Freo.

So if Bolton wants to go, we should let a deal get done. Can’t keep players on the list that don’t want to be there.

 

[Muddiemoose]

But he’s contracted for 4 more years and he is 100% the missing piece of Freo’s flag winning puzzle.
What price do you put on flags?

Will win a norm smith there imo.. as well as kick 8 in a game

They have to pay absolute premium
All their first rounders this year plus future 1st for Baker and Bolton and maybe send back a 2nd rounder or something

Also the perfect replacement/upgrade for Walters who is at the tail end

Can understand why Freo would be chasing hard for him