Player Watch #30: Reece Conca

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Sir_Loin said:
Agreed Goldy. Might have been that whole kicking 40+ goals one year that bought Knights some credits. Conca not quite bought that many if I remember correctly.
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Always viewed Knights as a risk worth taking. His best far exceeds Conca and was actually quite dangerous in the limited games he played.
 
Danog said:
Conca didn't control where he was picked. Would you have a different opinion of him if he was picked at 20, where many predicted him to go?
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Being honest .... if picked at 20 Conca would not have delivered on those expectations either.
Acknowledging thee are players who don't pan out in all rounds - one through six (or whatever), and with hindsight, Conca would not be rated a solid second rounder.
I could live with him being an early third round.
Further, I think Connor Menadue projects as eventually proving a very astute second round pick.
 
Danog said:
Conca didn't control where he was picked. Would you have a different opinion of him if he was picked at 20, where many predicted him to go?
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Yes and even for a pick 20 he'd be a bust so far. I'm looking at it from a club point of view and you are looking at it from a players point of view. Two very different things. Let it be clear, I'm not blaming Conca, I'm blaming the club's recruiters.
Players are "investments" made by the club. Just like if you went and invested a million dollars on a house in Richmond 7 years ago. It would now be worth $1.7M. However if you invested the same amount of money on a house in the outback when it was really worth $250K, it would probably be still worth $250K. The former is a good return and the latter a waste of $1M. They are both homes and you can't blame the outback home because you overpaid for it. However, you would be hurting financially. Conca is the outback home here. You can't blame him for the clubs selection but that selection has hurt the club and continues to do so.

Let's just hope he can turn things around but there has been nothing so far to suggest he will.
 
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I paid 5k for my first car, a Ford Telstar. I paid too much and it had numerous breakdowns so i sold it after a year for 1500. Conca to me is a bit like my Telstar. At this point it seems we over-reached and he has suffered significant mechanical failures since coming to the club. However, the Telstar did win wheels car of the year in 1983, and if Conca can get his hammys right I think he could prove to be that handy little runabout that I never had. 2017 will be a telling year for Reece. (I still regret not buying that Torana though)
 
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Goldust said:
Being honest .... if picked at 20 Conca would not have delivered on those expectations either.
Acknowledging thee are players who don't pan out in all rounds - one through six (or whatever), and with hindsight, Conca would not be rated a solid second rounder.
I could live with him being an early third round.
Further, I think Connor Menadue projects as eventually proving a very astute second round pick.
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To be fair i don't necessarily think he is totally to blame either though. We recruited him and took charge of his development and fitness. He arrived as an 18 year old kid, probably knew nobody and just followed direction. It's not his fault entirely that his career has failed thus far.

You need only look at our selections under Hardwicks tenure to see something is wrong. Sure FJ picked some real spuds but when they arrived at the club it was over to Hardwick and his selected mob of development and assistant coaches to shape or subsequently ship off.

Let's hope he can salvage something now with new hombre's assisting Hardwick.
 
Ancient Tiger said:
Lol. You obviously are in a delusional state yourself.

Draft pick number is always important as it is the cost you gave up for that player. The cost is an indisputable value you placed on that player not just at draft time but the value you placed on him regarding his importance to your team in years to come. You know a top ten pick will rarely be a top player in his first or second year. You are anticipating him to be a future gun and leader when you give up such a high pick for him.

Conca was a top 10 pick. The investment as such has not returned anything like it should have. Look at Heppell. He is now Bombers captain and a dynamic playmaker. That is what you want from a high pick.

Your ways of looking at things are too simplistic and out if touch with reality. Sure they are all players now and their drafts are from past years, but the value that was paid for them will always hang over their heads. That's life and you better get used to it because it is harsh. Just like a rookie pick is usually not expected to be your future captain and more often than not get delisted.

Conca may have averaged close to 20 possessions but the quality mostly were poor and many were turnover stats. Interestingly his to best performances were when our team was dominating an inexperienced GWS and an inept Melbourne. He hasn't stood up when the times were tough.
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I reckon his best game was against Geelong few years back, was BOG I believe
 
Round Pick Player Recruited from League Club
1 1 David Swallow East Fremantle WAFL Gold Coast
1 2 Harley Bennell Peel Thunder WAFL Gold Coast
1 3 Sam Day Sturt SANFL Gold Coast
1 4 Andrew Gaff Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup West Coast
1 5 Jared Polec Woodville-West Torrens SANFL Brisbane Lions
1 6 Reece Conca Perth WAFL Richmond
1 7 Josh Caddy Northern Knights TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 8 Dyson Heppell Gippsland Power TAC Cup Essendon
1 9 Dion Prestia Calder Cannons TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 10 Daniel Gorringe Norwood SANFL Gold Coast
1 11 Thomas Lynch Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 12 Lucas Cook North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup Melbourne
1 13 Seb Tape Glenelg SANFL Gold Coast
1 14 Brodie Smith Woodville-West Torrens SANFL Adelaide
1 15 Billie Smedts Geelong Falcons TAC Cup Geelong
1 16 Ben Jacobs Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup Port Adelaide
1 17 Shaun Atley Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup North Melbourne
1 18 Matthew Watson Calder Cannons TAC Cup Carlton
1 19 Isaac Smith North Ballarat VFL Hawthorn
1 20 Jayden Pitt Geelong Falcons TAC Cup Fremantle
1 21 Jed Lamb Gippsland Power TAC Cup Sydney
1 22 Mitch Wallis (F/S) Calder Cannons TAC Cup Western Bulldogs
1 23 Cameron Guthrie Calder Cannons TAC Cup Geelong
1 24 Jamie Cripps East Fremantle WAFL St Kilda
1 25 Patrick Karnezis Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup Brisbane Lions
Priority 26 Jack Darling West Perth WAFL West Coast
Compensation 27 Kieran Harper Eastern Ranges TAC Cup North Melbourne
2 28 Ryan Lester Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup Brisbane Lions
2 29 Scott Lycett Port Magpies SANFL West Coast
2 30 Jake Batchelor Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup Richmond
2 31 Ariel Steinberg Bendigo Pioneers TAC Cup Essendon
2 32 Josh Green Clarence TSL Brisbane Lions
2 33 Jeremy Howe Hobart Football Club TSL Melbourne
2 34 Patrick McCarthy Glenelg SANFL Carlton
2 35 Ben Newton South Fremantle WAFL Port Adelaide


Given we have Prestia and Caddy now on our list, I haven't taken them into account
I have 8 blokes in the top 35 (even tho Wallis was FS) that were taken after Reece that you could easily say were better performed, Heppell has always been the comparison and rightly so, and I would have rather taken Lynch Given our lack of KPF options also, so IMO two major misses. With Wallis FS and the supposed 'issues' around Darling that made every other club pass also, that means only 6 other blokes in the next 30 picks are better performed than Reece.

Some may be on Par with Reece, but if we took them with the same selection, it would be the same carry on just with a different name. IMO there are 3 blokes ahead of Reece that are on par or below Reece, so in comparison to what was on offer, it wasn't the worst selection either.
 
Goldust said:
Being honest .... if picked at 20 Conca would not have delivered on those expectations either.
Acknowledging thee are players who don't pan out in all rounds - one through six (or whatever), and with hindsight, Conca would not be rated a solid second rounder.
I could live with him being an early third round.
Further, I think Connor Menadue projects as eventually proving a very astute second round pick.
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Really?

Concas best game(s) vs menadues best game.

Menaude looks promising but he seriously needs to find the ball more.
 
Hank Heavenly said:
Round Pick Player Recruited from League Club
1 1 David Swallow East Fremantle WAFL Gold Coast
1 2 Harley Bennell Peel Thunder WAFL Gold Coast
1 3 Sam Day Sturt SANFL Gold Coast
1 4 Andrew Gaff Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup West Coast
1 5 Jared Polec Woodville-West Torrens SANFL Brisbane Lions
1 6 Reece Conca Perth WAFL Richmond
1 7 Josh Caddy Northern Knights TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 8 Dyson Heppell Gippsland Power TAC Cup Essendon
1 9 Dion Prestia Calder Cannons TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 10 Daniel Gorringe Norwood SANFL Gold Coast
1 11 Thomas Lynch Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 12 Lucas Cook North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup Melbourne
1 13 Seb Tape Glenelg SANFL Gold Coast
1 14 Brodie Smith Woodville-West Torrens SANFL Adelaide
1 15 Billie Smedts Geelong Falcons TAC Cup Geelong
1 16 Ben Jacobs Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup Port Adelaide
1 17 Shaun Atley Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup North Melbourne
1 18 Matthew Watson Calder Cannons TAC Cup Carlton
1 19 Isaac Smith North Ballarat VFL Hawthorn
1 20 Jayden Pitt Geelong Falcons TAC Cup Fremantle
1 21 Jed Lamb Gippsland Power TAC Cup Sydney
1 22 Mitch Wallis (F/S) Calder Cannons TAC Cup Western Bulldogs
1 23 Cameron Guthrie Calder Cannons TAC Cup Geelong
1 24 Jamie Cripps East Fremantle WAFL St Kilda
1 25 Patrick Karnezis Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup Brisbane Lions
Priority 26 Jack Darling West Perth WAFL West Coast
Compensation 27 Kieran Harper Eastern Ranges TAC Cup North Melbourne
2 28 Ryan Lester Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup Brisbane Lions
2 29 Scott Lycett Port Magpies SANFL West Coast
2 30 Jake Batchelor Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup Richmond
2 31 Ariel Steinberg Bendigo Pioneers TAC Cup Essendon
2 32 Josh Green Clarence TSL Brisbane Lions
2 33 Jeremy Howe Hobart Football Club TSL Melbourne
2 34 Patrick McCarthy Glenelg SANFL Carlton
2 35 Ben Newton South Fremantle WAFL Port Adelaide


Given we have Prestia and Caddy now on our list, I haven't taken them into account
I have 8 blokes in the top 35 (even tho Wallis was FS) that were taken after Reece that you could easily say were better performed, Heppell has always been the comparison and rightly so, and I would have rather taken Lynch Given our lack of KPF options also, so IMO two major misses. With Wallis FS and the supposed 'issues' around Darling that made every other club pass also, that means only 6 other blokes in the next 30 picks are better performed than Reece.

Some may be on Par with Reece, but if we took them with the same selection, it would be the same carry on just with a different name. IMO there are 3 blokes ahead of Reece that are on par or below Reece, so in comparison to what was on offer, it wasn't the worst selection either.
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Lynch is what we needed to be perfectly honest. Hindsight tho. But imagine him with jroo now after years of development. We wouldve won a final with a good 2nd forward.

Guess we thought vickery and Griffiths would amount to something.
 

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TheProwler said:
To be fair i don't necessarily think he is totally to blame either though. We recruited him and took charge of his development and fitness. He arrived as an 18 year old kid, probably knew nobody and just followed direction. It's not his fault entirely that his career has failed thus far.

You need only look at our selections under Hardwicks tenure to see something is wrong. Sure FJ picked some real spuds but when they arrived at the club it was over to Hardwick and his selected mob of development and assistant coaches to shape or subsequently ship off.

Let's hope he can salvage something now with new hombre's assisting Hardwick.
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I hear ya.
I reckon that Conca and Jarad Oakley-Nicholls before him would have been the most surprised men in Australia when the Tigers told them pre-draft that we are going to commit to you guys.
 
tunksy said:
Really?

Concas best game(s) vs menadues best game.

Menaude looks promising but he seriously needs to find the ball more.
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Conca has had four more years in the system right now.
That said Menadue could wind up being the prototypical kid that we should steer clear of. You know the ones, those undersized, skinny kids that we can never seem too add significant mass or muscle to.
 
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Hank Heavenly said:
Round Pick Player Recruited from League Club
1 1 David Swallow East Fremantle WAFL Gold Coast
1 2 Harley Bennell Peel Thunder WAFL Gold Coast
1 3 Sam Day Sturt SANFL Gold Coast
1 4 Andrew Gaff Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup West Coast
1 5 Jared Polec Woodville-West Torrens SANFL Brisbane Lions
1 6 Reece Conca Perth WAFL Richmond
1 7 Josh Caddy Northern Knights TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 8 Dyson Heppell Gippsland Power TAC Cup Essendon
1 9 Dion Prestia Calder Cannons TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 10 Daniel Gorringe Norwood SANFL Gold Coast
1 11 Thomas Lynch Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup Gold Coast
1 12 Lucas Cook North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup Melbourne
1 13 Seb Tape Glenelg SANFL Gold Coast
1 14 Brodie Smith Woodville-West Torrens SANFL Adelaide
1 15 Billie Smedts Geelong Falcons TAC Cup Geelong
1 16 Ben Jacobs Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup Port Adelaide
1 17 Shaun Atley Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup North Melbourne
1 18 Matthew Watson Calder Cannons TAC Cup Carlton
1 19 Isaac Smith North Ballarat VFL Hawthorn
1 20 Jayden Pitt Geelong Falcons TAC Cup Fremantle
1 21 Jed Lamb Gippsland Power TAC Cup Sydney
1 22 Mitch Wallis (F/S) Calder Cannons TAC Cup Western Bulldogs
1 23 Cameron Guthrie Calder Cannons TAC Cup Geelong
1 24 Jamie Cripps East Fremantle WAFL St Kilda
1 25 Patrick Karnezis Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup Brisbane Lions
Priority 26 Jack Darling West Perth WAFL West Coast
Compensation 27 Kieran Harper Eastern Ranges TAC Cup North Melbourne
2 28 Ryan Lester Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup Brisbane Lions
2 29 Scott Lycett Port Magpies SANFL West Coast
2 30 Jake Batchelor Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup Richmond
2 31 Ariel Steinberg Bendigo Pioneers TAC Cup Essendon
2 32 Josh Green Clarence TSL Brisbane Lions
2 33 Jeremy Howe Hobart Football Club TSL Melbourne
2 34 Patrick McCarthy Glenelg SANFL Carlton
2 35 Ben Newton South Fremantle WAFL Port Adelaide


Given we have Prestia and Caddy now on our list, I haven't taken them into account
I have 8 blokes in the top 35 (even tho Wallis was FS) that were taken after Reece that you could easily say were better performed, Heppell has always been the comparison and rightly so, and I would have rather taken Lynch Given our lack of KPF options also, so IMO two major misses. With Wallis FS and the supposed 'issues' around Darling that made every other club pass also, that means only 6 other blokes in the next 30 picks are better performed than Reece.

Some may be on Par with Reece, but if we took them with the same selection, it would be the same carry on just with a different name. IMO there are 3 blokes ahead of Reece that are on par or below Reece, so in comparison to what was on offer, it wasn't the worst selection either.
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Jamie Cripps is better performed too. Lycett as well.
 
tigs2010 said:
Jamie Cripps is better performed too. Lycett as well.
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I know Jamie Cripps, so I have kept an eye on him, he has maybe had better games than Reece, but overall I wouldn't say better performed, around the same in my eyes (obviously there is a little +/- room in that comparison), And I dont agree with Lycett. Bar last year when he played 21 games (and I think that is only exaggerated by Nic Nat missing around 9-10 games) his performance is WELL below Reece
 
Goldust said:
Conca has had four more years in the system right now.
That said Menadue could wind up being the prototypical kid that we should steer clear of. You know the ones, those undersized, skinny kids that we can never seem too add significant mass or muscle to.
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And yet he played more aand better games at the same point in their careers.

Menadue will be fine and a good player, if he can find the ball 20+ times a game at afl level.
 
tunksy said:
And yet he played more aand better games at the same point in their careers.

Menadue will be fine and a good player, if he can find the ball 20+ times a game at afl level.
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I would agree Conca was better than Menadue after two, but Conca's game has plummeted, nosedived, or gone into a tailspin.
Menadue is looking up!
 
ANOTHER reason why it matters where a bloke is picked in the draft.
Top 10 blokes and first rounders initially get paid more - and all things being equal - have greater scope to improve their salary base through games played and thereafter performance.
So you do expect your first rounder (and the guy you are paying more than your second and third rounders) to produce considerably more.
 
2013 final against Carlton Reece does first hammy. Little to no pre-season, and it showed in his body shape in 2014, he still had games of 23, 25, 23,28,23,26,20 plus 4 x19. Not to shabby for an underdone player.
More hamstrings, the last two seasons, again no fitness base = 3 games in 2015 and 6 in 2016 (20+possessions in 3 of those games).
No luck at all or continuity in a game demanding elite fitness. People on this site saying they saw him alone in pubs etc, possibly struggling with depression who knows, but not in a great way. No wonder he wasn't setting the world on fire. I know, excuses excuses, but given all he has been through maybe we should cut him some slack, and see how he travels this year. There may be no place for him in an improving list with an improving midfield, but only time will tell.
 
shaky said:
You can't just keep nominating either Jack, Rance or Dusty as the 2 players for every position!:D
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your right but conca can only play on ball, HBF or HFF and on bAll he is behind

Caddy, Prestia, Cotchin, Vlastuin even Miles
at HB he is behind about 5 players and HF just as many if you need me to name them you are not following BF...

It's not whether Conca is a good player or boys it's can be make the side
 
Tango67 said:
your right but conca can only play on ball, HBF or HFF and on bAll he is behind

Caddy, Prestia, Cotchin, Vlastuin even Miles
at HB he is behind about 5 players and HF just as many if you need me to name them you are not following BF...

It's not whether Conca is a good player or boys it's can be make the side
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Yeh that's fair enough, and it's debatable if that is through talent or injury, but he doesn't warrant the disrespect that he is getting in this thread.
 

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Player Watch #30: Reece Conca

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