Player Watch #33 Caiden Cleary

Remove this Banner Ad

Dubai Quacker said:
I agree wholeheartedly.

His willingness to chase and hassle was a stand-out for me. He just managed to be in a position to impact on a lot of contests, even when outnumbered.

And he finds the pill.

I reckon in 2 years time he’ll be a top 10 player for us.

I’d go so far as to say Cleary’s emergence has stamped Konstanty’s papers. Potentially Wicks too (at least for 2024).

Cleary is gooooooooood.
Click to expand...
While not disagreeing about Cleary I think Konstanty's papers were already stamped.
 
Very impressed. I loved his hunger for the contest, he's already showing elite competitiveness. He helped locked the ball into our forward half at times which is important since imo our fwd half ground work has been poor for a while.

Equal 2nd highest for Pressure Acts with 24 from 85% TOG. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Love it.
 
Seems cut from the same cloth as Gulden, just with a touch more pace and less toughness - don't mean that as a criticism, just mean if you were pegging their attributes, Gulden steers more gritty toughness, Cleary more nimble footed pace. Maybe almost a combination of Gulden and Papley.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

liz said:
I think Konstanty’s papers were well and truly stamped weeks ago. Maybe months. Nothing to do with Cleary who, I imagine, is destined for the engine room in the near future.

And Wicks’s four week suspension has stamped his own papers for 2024, especially with our VFL team very likely to miss the finals, thereby robbing him of the AFL bye weekend as one more to count towards the four weeks.
Click to expand...

4 weeks for that is absurd tho watch Houston get 5 for a much more severe deliberate act

That being said has Cleary done enough to stay in for 1 more week?
 
Heeney2Franklin said:
4 weeks for that is absurd tho watch Houston get 5 for a much more severe deliberate act

That being said has Cleary done enough to stay in for 1 more week?
Click to expand...
Depends who returns and who is rested, if anyone. It sounds like only Chad might be ready to return. Fox we’ve not heard much about in terms of time frames.

I hope he stays for another week. On current merit he deserves it more than Adams, who is probably not fit. Given the low(ish) stakes of this week I would mind seeing both Cleary and Corey play a whole game.
 
I think what happens with Cleary next year will depend on what happens with Sheldrick.

Thats no slight on Cleary just feel like as some have already said he could be a classy HFF (Dylan Moore) and thats if Sheldrick takes over that 4th midfielder role from Adams etc.

If Sheldrick doesn't then i still see Cleary developing into an on baller and given like 20-30% CBAs.

Just hard to see a spot for him in the side injury free next year unless you drop Lloyd.

But he is too good for the twos so play him in the seniors because he is as good as the next best small forward and will be imo a top 10 player at the club come 2026.
 
I think he stays in the side worse case as Sub.

Doubt he plays finals if everyone is fit but exciting to think of the future .

Probably more excited about him than say Corey Warner or Mitchell . Though Corey has shown a bit this year
 
The King! said:
I think he stays in the side worse case as Sub.

Doubt he plays finals if everyone is fit but exciting to think of the future .

Probably more excited about him than say Corey Warner or Mitchell . Though Corey has shown a bit this year
Click to expand...
Agree If i had to order the debutants but also sub 10 games for excitement level:
1. Cleary
2. Corey Warner
3. Angus Sheldrick
4. Caleb Mitchell
5. Jack Buller
6. Lachlan McAndrew

And i genuinely think the top 3 are atleast role players if not better at their prime
 
Kbroome said:
I think what happens with Cleary next year will depend on what happens with Sheldrick.

Thats no slight on Cleary just feel like as some have already said he could be a classy HFF (Dylan Moore) and thats if Sheldrick takes over that 4th midfielder role from Adams etc.

If Sheldrick doesn't then i still see Cleary developing into an on baller and given like 20-30% CBAs.

Just hard to see a spot for him in the side injury free next year unless you drop Lloyd.

But he is too good for the twos so play him in the seniors because he is as good as the next best small forward and will be imo a top 10 player at the club come 2026.
Click to expand...
It was only one game, so it's a minuscule sample size, but if Cleary's performance the other night becomes the norm for him, then his fate will be in his own hands. He'd have the inside track on that pressure forward spot, and could just as likely have the inside track on that inside mid spot as well. He's giving himself different avenues into the best 22, which is always a good thing.

I hope he can just stay fit and healthy and be another real quality option for us next year. Anything else - like exceeding expectations once again this week and spicing up selection discussions for finals - would be an unexpected but very welcome bonus.
 
Dubai Quacker said:
The fact that he had such a high ToG shows Horse has faith.
Click to expand...
I just want to see him get some on ball time tbh, like why not 20% CBAs this weekend. (Just Looked at the stats and he got 1 CBA against Collingwood)

He wasn't 100% matching Sanders and McKercher in the u18s nationals but he was getting damn close and doing it as a 3rd option in that midfield 29d 4m 4 clearances is a healthy stat line as a #1 option
 
Great game, definitely looks like he belongs. Would definitely be considered for a finals spot if we have injuries.

Looking forward to him getting more senior opportunities in the near future, there's definitely something special there.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Looks like he has good leadership qualities as well. Noticed he was very talkative and even directing a few passages on Saturday. Good confidence for someone so young.
 
Kbroome said:
Agree If i had to order the debutants but also sub 10 games for excitement level:
1. Cleary
2. Corey Warner
3. Angus Sheldrick
4. Caleb Mitchell
5. Jack Buller
6. Lachlan McAndrew

And i genuinely think the top 3 are atleast role players if not better at their prime
Click to expand...

I like your list but my order would be different:

1. Gus
2. Caiden
3. Corey
4. Sid
5. Greeny
6. Buller
 
Another impressive outing for him. I suspect he will be squeezed out if McInerney and Papley are both fit but he’s going to give the selection committee plenty to think about
 
grimlock said:
Another impressive outing for him. I suspect he will be squeezed out if McInerney and Papley are both fit but he’s going to give the selection committee plenty to think about
Click to expand...
In with a good shot I reckon - I'm more confident about Papley than Juzzy.
 
I thought his game was decent, and better than I thought it would be given backing up a second week after a first AFL game is often a challenge for young players. He did look fatigued at times, slipping over and lacking penetration in a few kicks that went awol. That might be a deterring factor for Horse in picking him for a final (although the week's rest maybe mitigates that.)

On the other hand, Horse has shown he really wants that small, zippy, pressure player in the team. Based on selection, it's almost been a non-negotiable for him. As I mentioned today, some of our rivals are running 3 or 4 in their forward half. If Papley comes back and we go without Cleary, we really only have one. Given our lack of a dominant tall, the need for such players at their feet is even greater.

It will be a fascinating selection watch for me with Horse's decision... role/structure vs personnel.
 
grimlock said:
Another impressive outing for him. I suspect he will be squeezed out if McInerney and Papley are both fit but he’s going to give the selection committee plenty to think about
Click to expand...
There was one moment where he exploded out of a contest with tremendous acceleration. My daughter said he should run for Australia at the Olympics!
 
Ticky009 said:
In with a good shot I reckon - I'm more confident about Papley than Juzzy.
Click to expand...

yes, this ... i still have a worry that mcinerney simply won't be fully right for a finals campaign
we know the club's history with risking injured players in finals, longmire surely won't want a repeat, and with the emergence of cleary and the improvement and form of campbell, we're not lost for options
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Player Watch #33 Caiden Cleary

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top