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

[OFFtheBALL]

I reckon hes gonna hit the target this week and kick 5 or 6 and take mark of the year or goal of the year.

decent take here, the man went ham!

 

[Do the Dew]

decent take here, the man went ham!

There'll be a day when it all comes together for Bolton and he'll have 30 disposals and kick 8.

 

[wegetpumped]

There'll be a day when it all comes together for Bolton and he'll have 30 disposals and kick 8.

Yeah, may have to wait till his on Dusty's wages as of now he just makes cameo appearances.

 

[Daka]

After a slow start I thought Bolton had pretty underrated season, he could have easily been AA imo when you look at the stats.
Not too many players running around in the competition with averages of 22 disposals, 30 goals, above average in tackles & elite in clearances for a mid-forward.

People will wonder if he had better year than he did in 2022 but he had almost 100 more disposals.
he kicked more goals last season but also missed more.

 

[tony__montana]

After a slow start I thought Bolton had pretty underrated season, he could have easily been AA imo when you look at the stats.
Not too many players running around in the competition with averages of 22 disposals, 30 goals, above average in tackles & elite in clearances for a mid-forward.

People will wonder if he had better year than he did in 2022 but he had almost 100 more disposals.
he kicked more goals last season but also missed more.

gets judged extremely harshly, like you said, not many players in the comp do what he does

 

[Daka]

gets judged extremely harshly, like you said, not many players in the comp do what he does

career high in disposals, clearances, tackles, contested possessions, inside 50's. it's clear cut honestly amazing how much he improved on the last despite him being AA in 2022.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

career high in disposals, clearances, tackles, contested possessions, inside 50's. it's clear cut honestly amazing how much he improved on the last despite him being AA in 2022.

Bolton is comfortably an AA forward if he played just forward line. Should be anyway.

 

[Daka]

Bolton is comfortably an AA forward if he played just forward line. Should be anyway.

He rated elite or above average in so many categories. he played pretty much 50/50 mid-forward no one competition has his stats.
his tackle & defensive game improved dramatically this year. he also gave away 20 less free kicks than what he did last season.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

He rated elite or above average in so many categories. he played pretty much 50/50 mid-forward no one competition has his stats.
his tackle & defensive game improved dramatically this year. he also gave away 20 less free kicks than what he did last season.

Bolton had an excellent year. He is in my AA forward line no hesitation. I could see how some might go for another player. But not making the squad is just preposterous.

i would love the coaches to pick a team post season of the players they would most like to take into the finals from other clubs. I would be shocked if Bolton wasn't in a load of those teams. Martin would be in all of them this year.

 

[Roachy8]

God I wish he would fix his goal kicking but.
Blows far too many straight up ones that cost us momentum.

 

[Daka]

God I wish he would fix his goal kicking but.
Blows far too many straight up ones that cost us momentum.

I watched him kick goals in practice & warmups with set shots 30-40m out and he never misses he seems very accurate to me. he does seem to be miss set-shots more in game than he does in practice that must just be the pressure & someone on the mark.

He also seems a gun kick under pressure on the run.

the misses from the twisting & turning type of skills he does doesn't concern me those half chances you are going miss them occasionally.

 

[Mr Unbelievable]

I watched him kick goals in practice & warmups with set shots 30-40m out and he never misses he seems very accurate to me. he does seem to be miss set-shots more in game than he does in practice that must just be the pressure & someone on the mark.

He also seems a gun kick under pressure on the run.

the misses from the twisting & turning type of skills he does doesn't concern me those half chances you are going miss them occasionally.

I feel that he leans back a lot when having set shots and sprays them

 

[TiggerMan22]

Let's not forget this guy is just starting his peak. He's still 24 and just finished his 7th season, with the first 2 barely playing, so 5th season of playing full year at AFL level.

Dusty 2017 season was his 8th in the league and his 8th season of playing a full year of AFL level.

Bolton feels like he's been around forever. But hes still quite young and has another level to go to.

 

[Roachy8]

I feel that he leans back a lot when having set shots and sprays them

Yes - unless he runs around he also gets too close to the man on the mark - which would make you need to kick the ball higher to clear him which I reckon takes some forward momentum off the kick....

 

[Hank Heavenly]

he just rushes, as if he's trying to catch everyone off guard.

He just needs to realise he has 30 secs, and theres no rush to snap it. Just take your time and he will be fine.

 

[Groupie_]

dud delist

 

[darcytiger]

Amazing player, finishing in front of goal is an issue though

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

Have we traded him yet ?

 

[mauricerioli]

There was a set shot goal against Port where he ran directly towards goal and kicked it directly towards the goals and amazingly it went straight through the middle of the goals.

 

[Karp3_dm]

He improved heaps this year and he’s so ****en close to being full cheat mode best player in comp

He better spend all summer practicing goal kicking

 

[Tigerbob]

He improved heaps this year and he’s so *en close to being full cheat mode best player in comp

He better spend all summer practicing goal kicking

Imagine wanting to get rid of a guy who as you say can easily be regarded as the best player in the comp.

I’m pretty sure some media referred to him in that way this season.

He should have been AA, he takes the piss out of opponents and makes the game look easily. He’s just gotta become more deadly.

 

[Karp3_dm]

Imagine wanting to get rid of a guy who as you say can easily be regarded as the best player in the comp.

I’m pretty sure some media referred to him in that way this season.

He should have been AA, he takes the piss out of opponents and makes the game look easily. He’s just gotta become more deadly.

The absolute piss, he dances around them for fun
Just work on the radar Shai and watch them pay attention

 

[Truetiger]

Imagine wanting to get rid of a guy who as you say can easily be regarded as the best player in the comp.

I’m pretty sure some media referred to him in that way this season.

He should have been AA, he takes the piss out of opponents and makes the game look easily. He’s just gotta become more deadly.

Still can’t believe anyone would seriously think that he should be up for trade lol.

 

[tiger_tough]

Bolton is comfortably an AA forward if he played just forward line. Should be anyway.

Nah. We meed him in the middle. Desperately.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Nah. We meed him in the middle. Desperately.

No dispute. But he should be considered for a forward berth in the AA team given his score impact from limited time forward. They have excluded him from consideration as a forward because he plays midfield as well, and excluded him from consideration as a mid because he plays forward as well. Then they pick a clearly inferior forward in Rozee in the forward line who has played almost exclusively in the midfield, and pick Charlie Cameron who is not as good a forward as Shai as a small forward.

So my comment was about AA selection, not about where Shai should play for us.