Traded #30: Brandon Zerk-Thatcher - 🚨 traded to the Pear, thanks for your service

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2023
My Boy Draft 2023: Pick 8, 84859300

 

[Old Stuckup]

BZT - Ridley - Draper - Daniher - Stewart would be a decent spine in a few years.

 

[BrunoV]

I've only seen him play the one game but it's not hard to see how he could be impressing so many.

Against Frankston he kept running under the ball and not taking the intercept and pack marks which it sounds like he has been taking in every other game. I give him the benefit of the doubt as I think the hazy autumn afternoon sun over the bay at Frankston was probably causing the problem.

If he had taken those marks I would be raving. He looks natural on the last line of defence where he's calm and can either force a stoppage or otherwise work to prevent a scoring opportunity. He has a natural aggression at the ball and at his opponents at ground level.

Now on the question of whether he is too thin, well, all I'd say is that 195cm players with the agility and general athleticism to play both tall and mid-sized/small are going to be become invaluable (if they aren't already).

A problem that we have with our key defensive stocks at the moment is that they are not versatile enough to deal with the different forward-lines the we will confront week-to-week. Hurley is okay playing small. Gleeson is truly mid-sized and getting better at playing tall and small. Both are really more playing as intercept defenders than 'playing small'. You wouldn't play Hooker, Brown, Hartley or Ambrose on a Fasolo, Elliott or Robbie Gray, for example. I didn't think that Hurley did a particularly good job against Fasolo last year in the one-on-one battles.

If you're thinking about a player with the size and athleticism required to play those different roles he's going to be rangy and on the thin side, at least initially. We need to be realistic about it.

 

[TheGrizz]

He's too slight.

Draftee Dustin Fletcher - 197cm and 70kgs =
Too slight. Delist
Max King (likely 2018 no1 pick) 200cm and 76kg = too slight. would not draft

Ridiculous sweeping statement that defies the fact he played well. Looks all the more promising for when he fills out.

 

[yodellinhank]

Draftee Dustin Fletcher - 197cm and 70kgs =
Too slight. Delista
Max King (likely 2018 no1 pick) 200cm and 76kg = too slight. would not draft

Ridiculous sweeping statement that defies the fact he played well. Looks all the more promising for when he fills out.

Fletch was 17. King is 86kg.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Very calm under pressure, read the play well and never seemed flustered.

Regular VFL watchers, was yesterday’s game consistent with his game in the first two rounds?

 

[TheGrizz]

Fletch was 17. King is 86kg.

Doubt fletcher was much more than 77-78 at 19 seeing he was 92kg at his heaviest.

Every chance BZT can get to 90-92 and be effective.

 

[yodellinhank]

Doubt fletcher was much more than 77-78 at 19 seeing he was 92kg at his heaviest.

Every chance BZT can get to 90-92 and be effective.

Be interested to find out. Anyone got a '95 footy record handy?

 

[Zach Package]

Doubt fletcher was much more than 77-78 at 19 seeing he was 92kg at his heaviest.

Every chance BZT can get to 90-92 and be effective.

Zerk looks like he's cut from a similar cloth to Fletcher in that he seems to favour starting off the pack and then backing his closing speed. Wouldn't want to bulk him up too much, he offers a huge point of difference when compared to Hurley, Hooker and Ambrose.

 

[Vander18]

Very impressed - very sound with at times uncanny defensive instincts.

Not too skinny - has strong, square shoulders and will fill out nicely.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Zach Package.

If Zerk plays the same way as Mason, it'll be both satisfying and humourous.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Hot damn - that grab he took in the third quarter when he emerged from behind the pack, read the flight like it was a Grantland article, took the ball in front and ran before hitting up a target on the wing was the single filthiest thing aired before 4pm on Australian TV ever.

 

[Howard Moon]

Hot damn - that grab he took in the third quarter when he emerged from behind the pack, read the flight like it was a Grantland article, took the ball in front and ran before hitting up a target on the wing was the single filthiest thing aired on before 4pm on Australian TV ever.

I dunno, that episode of ellen last week was red hawt

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Hurley is out for at least one week.

Francis probably isn't fit enough.

...Brandon Zerk-Thatcher

 

[eDPS]

Seriously impressive, still needs to work on his skills and decision making a bit but other than that he does everything else really well. He can intercept mark, spoil well, tackles and chases when the ball hits the deck, dare i say Dustin Fletcher like.

 

[BrunoV]

Just a matter of 'when' he becomes a player and not 'if' as far as I'm concerned.

He may even be good enough by the end of the year to create some trouble for the fragile Brown (I don't think that he shouldn't be on the list because he is not AFL standard) if we want to free up a list spot. Zerk doesn't seem that far away from playing senior footy and he's already two years out of school (being the same age as McGrath and co).

He's already comfortably VFL standard which is important. Some players like Houlahan, for example, show glimpses but are not necessarily physically able to impose themselves on VFL games. Some of the rucks and larger KPPs can also take a while.

I wouldn't be uncomfortable if he was named in the AFL side which I would be if, for example, Draper were to be named. I don't know what he would be like trying to run out an AFL game and what his endurance is like.

 

[Liberator]

I think this guy has performed as well as Ridley the last few weeks. Saying that, he is probably still a little slight (being a bit taller than Riddles as well) - so not too impatient for his debut. Would be happy for sometime later this season. He'll go good.

 

[eth-dog]

I think this guy has performed as well as Ridley the last few weeks. Saying that, he is probably still a little slight (being a bit taller than Riddles as well) - so not too impatient for his debut. Would be happy for sometime later this season. He'll go good.

As far as interception goes, probably, but his kicking is average at best. Knows to stick within his limitations kicking wise though

 

[Liberator]

As far as interception goes, probably, but his kicking is average at best. Knows to stick within his limitations kicking wise though

And the agility. I guess I've still been swooning from the mark or the pick-up or the side-step to notice the kick ... with his number 30 on his back I've thought it was ye olde Longfark a few times.

 

[eth-dog]

And the agility. I guess I've still been swooning from the mark or the pick-up or the side-step to notice the kick ... with his number 30 on his back I've thought it was ye olde Longfark a few times.

In fairness he only had one poor game with his kicking that I've seen, which was the Footscray Praccy, but since then I've been keeping an eye on it and whilst it's ugly, he generally just sticks to long down the line.

 

[Liberator]

Here he comes ... I predict this guy will play a couple of games in the seniors this year

 

[eth-dog]

Hm. Very good start, but still too slight to have a meaningful impact at senior level

 

[Runk]

I've only seen him play the one game but it's not hard to see how he could be impressing so many.

Against Frankston he kept running under the ball and not taking the intercept and pack marks which it sounds like he has been taking in every other game. I give him the benefit of the doubt as I think the hazy autumn afternoon sun over the bay at Frankston was probably causing the problem.

If he had taken those marks I would be raving. He looks natural on the last line of defence where he's calm and can either force a stoppage or otherwise work to prevent a scoring opportunity. He has a natural aggression at the ball and at his opponents at ground level.

Now on the question of whether he is too thin, well, all I'd say is that 195cm players with the agility and general athleticism to play both tall and mid-sized/small are going to be become invaluable (if they aren't already).

A problem that we have with our key defensive stocks at the moment is that they are not versatile enough to deal with the different forward-lines the we will confront week-to-week. Hurley is okay playing small. Gleeson is truly mid-sized and getting better at playing tall and small. Both are really more playing as intercept defenders than 'playing small'. You wouldn't play Hooker, Brown, Hartley or Ambrose on a Fasolo, Elliott or Robbie Gray, for example. I didn't think that Hurley did a particularly good job against Fasolo last year in the one-on-one battles.

If you're thinking about a player with the size and athleticism required to play those different roles he's going to be rangy and on the thin side, at least initially. We need to be realistic about it.

I've had enough of your realism thank you very much. There's no place for it on BigFooty dammit! Knock it off and start filling us with false hope.
I'll be watching.

 

[faible]

Here he comes ... I predict this guy will play a couple of games in the seniors this year


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Can't see how he gets a game without a horrid run of injury to our defence.

Hurley, Hooker, Ambrose, Hartley, Dea, Brown, Gleeson and Ridley would all be ahead of him on selection at this point.

Happy to see him continue to perform well at VFL level and get another preseason under his belt to start putting pressure on in 2019, no need to rush a young tall in his first season with the club.

 

[Scottie65]

Too slight.

tell collingwood that regarding jaidyn stephenson...that guys a freak...and will play 300 games for them....no such thing as slight...its how u use yr body and play to your strengths....fletcher also...to slight?

 

[eth-dog]

Can't see how he gets a game without a horrid run of injury to our defence.

Hurley, Hooker, Ambrose, Hartley, Dea, Brown, Gleeson and Ridley would all be ahead of him on selection at this point.

Happy to see him continue to perform well at VFL level and get another preseason under his belt to start putting pressure on in 2019, no need to rush a young tall in his first season with the club.

Brown has made the move forward, but I do see your point.

tell collingwood that regarding jaidyn stephenson...that guys a freak...and will play 300 games for them....no such thing as slight...its how u use yr body and play to your strengths....fletcher also...to slight?

Fletcher's playing weight is 22 kilo's heavier than BZT's