Past #4: Daniel Harris - 149 games for NMFC - delisted end '09 - 11 games for GCFC

[Horace]

Aka, still got what it takes?

Recall during the Draft back in 2000, Kevin Sheehan likened him to Brett Ratten. Was always a fan of Ratten, so I've followed him ever since. Can't believe he fell out of favour, as I reckon a guy like that who can win his own footy should always have a place at the top level, pace, disposal or otherwise.

What are the main knocks on him? Pace? Fitness? really reckon the Pies could do with him, especially if we miss out on Ball, as O'Bree needs some support. Would you recommend we take him?

Yes, I would have retained him, but what would I know?

I hope someone picks him up and he goes on and plays the good footy he is capable of.

 

[The Zebra]

2 words - Andrew Swallow.

Swallow is younger, faster and better skilled. That's why he fell out of favour. It happens, and he understood that. He lacks pace, his kicking has no depth and he's too one dimensional. He's a top bloke and he's great at extracting the pill and he'd be great for a club that needed that but we don't.

I don't reckon Swallow had anything to with Harro falling out of favour. Harro's decline really gathered speed in 2008 when Swallow hardly played a game.

It all comes down to Harro having only one trick - that his ability to find the ball at stoppages. He had poor running ability, terrible endurance and no defensive side. The game is too quick now and players with those kind of weaknesses are a liability.

Nothing to do with laidley either.

Simply, the game passed him by very quickly. Will have no further impact at AFL level.

 

[DJ Dupree]

It's not harsh to say the game passed him by - it simply did.

He could get the ball in a pack, for 60% of the game. That's where it begins and ends with Harris.

Unfortunately.

Top bloke and all. But shit, if being a top bloke were the only criteria, there'd be many, many more woeful footballers I'd have kept. He had from 2001 to 2009 at the highest level of his chosen sport - more than I ever had, as I sit here with my can of tuna typing away to people I've never met. He had a good time, but that time is up. Simple.

Don't blame Laidley either. He had from when Dean resigned, til the end of the year to prove he was up to scratch. He was still a patchwork quilt.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

no defensive side.

I don't know if you could say a guy who consistently was in the top three for the club in tackles has no defensive side. I remember one of Harris' hallmarks was his ferocious attack on the ball and great defensive work, even if it was mostly in a contested situation. Would reguarly crack a hundred tackles a season, even in 2008, when so many here on Big Footy were calling for his head. The guy would still be our best extractor, but in terms of our team make-up, in 2009, it came down to a choice between having one of Swallow or Harris. This became a pointless comparison since Swallow had vastly improved over the two years after his 2007 break-out year in partnership with Harris.

Will consistly win six or seven centre clearances per game and lay 6-8 tackles a game for whomever should choose to pick him up.

I hope he gets picked up by somebody - is a noble player.

 

[Kangaboy]

2 words - Andrew Swallow.

he's great at extracting the pill

i always thought that he was great at extracting the pill, but then when i watched him closely around the stoppages, he would always get his hands on the ball first from the tap, but seemed to be unable to actually evade/breakout of the oppositions tackles and get a clear possession. now i'm not saying this any easy feet, but i constanty here is amazing at extracting the ball from stoppages, which i frankly dont feel is the case.

i do however hope that he does get another go at afl, because i always liked him, and was sad to see him not take the next step at elite level, and rather take a backwards.

nevertheless, good luck to the lad

 

[The Zebra]

I don't know if you could say a guy who consistently was in the top three for the club in tackles has no defensive side. I remember one of Harris' hallmarks was his ferocious attack on the ball and great defensive work, even if it was mostly in a contested situation. Would reguarly crack a hundred tackles a season, even in 2008, when so many here on Big Footy were calling for his head. The guy would still be our best extractor, but in terms of our team make-up, in 2009, it came down to a choice between having one of Swallow or Harris. This became a pointless comparison since Swallow had vastly improved over the two years after his 2007 break-out year in partnership with Harris.

Laying tackles doesn't consitute a defensive side. He would get all those tackles in stoppage situations, meanwhile when the ball is clear of the stoppage his opponent has free reign.

And Harro was out of the team before Swallow got his rd 1 reprieve. If Bartel or Sam mitchell came to our club, we wouldn't turf Swallow out of the team because he has similiar clearnce strengths. Swallow worked on his game and in 2009 we saw he had far more aspects than just grabbing stoppage footy. Harris couldn't do the same. With or without Swallow, Harris was cooked unless he added a lot more aspects to his game.

 

[Wally Carter]

i always thought that he was great at extracting the pill, but then when i watched him closely around the stoppages, he would always get his hands on the ball first from the tap, but seemed to be unable to actually evade/breakout of the oppositions tackles and get a clear possession. now i'm not saying this any easy feet, but i constanty here is amazing at extracting the ball from stoppages, which i frankly dont feel is the case.

Harris used to do that much more successfully, but Laidley decided that Daniel would be a much better player if he had greater endurance.

The outcome of this was that Harris's body shape changed, he lost strength inside the packs and became a less effective clearance player.

Laidley stuffed Harris up. He turned him from a 60-70% TOG elite clearance player to a 60-70% TOG standard clearance player.

 

[Johnson#26]

Thanks so far guys, interesting.

He could get the ball in a pack, for 60% of the game. That's where it begins and ends with Harris.

So I take it that it's a fitness issue, to a point? Wouldn't our rotation game suit him (bursts)?

 

[Wally Carter]

Thanks so far guys, interesting.



So I take it that it's a fitness issue, to a point? Wouldn't our rotation game suit him (bursts)?

Absolutely. What midfielder plays 90% TOG these days anyway?

 

[Moti]

Absolutely. What midfielder plays 90% TOG these days anyway?

A coach with a plan could have a star on his hands. The whole game time pace and endurance is total crap. He has the tools just needs someone with a plan that can use him.

 

[The Chiefton]

A coach with a plan could have a star on his hands. The whole game time pace and endurance is total crap. He has the tools just needs someone with a plan that can use him.

He's no good as an AFL footballer anymore.... FFS what is it with everybody tryin to make out like he's some champion? Good bloke... who gives a shit? I'm a good bloke, you're a good bloke.... wow!

 

[Wednesday]

Aka, still got what it takes?

Recall during the Draft back in 2000, Kevin Sheehan likened him to Brett Ratten. Was always a fan of Ratten, so I've followed him ever since. Can't believe he fell out of favour, as I reckon a guy like that who can win his own footy should always have a place at the top level, pace, disposal or otherwise.

What are the main knocks on him? Pace? Fitness? really reckon the Pies could do with him, especially if we miss out on Ball, as O'Bree needs some support. Would you recommend we take him?

I would have kept him. He wasn't the quickest but he was able to get the ball from a pack when he was given a chance which was something we were very short of this year. His game against Hawthorn in Tassie towards the end of this year was very good and he was then dropped the following week for whatever reason. Hopefully he finds another club and does well and stick it up a few on here..

 

[year of the roo]

Thanks so far guys, interesting.



So I take it that it's a fitness issue, to a point? Wouldn't our rotation game suit him (bursts)?

As you can see he has a few fans around here. In the 80s he would have Brownlows, nowadays he is someone who played only a handful of good VFL games last year. His 1 good AFL game was against a Melbourne side who was desperate to lose and went home at half time.

 

[Johnson#26]

Sounds much like Mark McGough (who I wish we'd kept! ).

 

[CBSlogger]

Even at his worst, which has seen him de-listed, he's a class above Mark McGough. When at his best i honestly rated him top 5 in the comp at extracting the contested pill out of a pack, in the same league as the likes of Kerr, Ball, Bartel & Hayes.

I think he could be a great fit for a team who are around the mark but lack quality extractors. Geez If Collingwood can draft Leigh Brown & pick him 20 times last season, they could do worse than throw harro in there to help get the pill out to advantage for the next year or two.

 

[Kimbo]

Good bloke... who gives a shit? I'm a good bloke, you're a good bloke.... wow!

The difference is I can't see Harro saying something like this.

 

[The Other Dean]

I'm a good bloke

Source ?

you're a good bloke

Unfortunately, this is where your post completely unravels.

 

[Horace]

The difference is I can't see Harro saying something like this.

Precisely.

The Chiefton has shown us, with ease, how not to prove you are a good bloke.

Well played.

 

[Horace]

Source ?

It would seem that The Chiefton was badly affected by "sauce" of the alcoholic variety, otherwise he would not have made such an extravagant claim.

Unfortunately, this is where your post completely unravels.

Indeed.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Yep, guy who would have won a Brownlow in the 80s.

Game has passed him by to an extent but I also think Laidley screwed him up.

A club with a raw young midfield could do worse than have him around the joint.

 

[The Chiefton]

Source ?



Unfortunately, this is where your post completely unravels.

Lol i was bein sarcastic...... all i'm saying is that just because you are a GOOD BLOKE it doesn't mean that you deserve to be on an AFL list... it means stuff all. Good on him, i really like him and i hope he gets picked up for his sake but i want to win premierships not have a team full of good blokes.

 

[The Chiefton]

The difference is I can't see Harro saying something like this.

You are probabaly right... the difference is i couldn't give a flying feck!

 

[DarwinRoo]

Harris used to do that much more successfully, but Laidley decided that Daniel would be a much better player if he had greater endurance.

The outcome of this was that Harris's body shape changed, he lost strength inside the packs and became a less effective clearance player.

Laidley stuffed Harris up. He turned him from a 60-70% TOG elite clearance player to a 60-70% TOG standard clearance player.

He would be a better player. Not only that we would be a better side if we had Harris on the ground for 70% to 90% game time as opposed to 60%-70%

How many clearances and tackles can Harris get sitting on the bench?

 

[NICK_ROOBOY83]

He's no good as an AFL footballer anymore.... FFS what is it with everybody tryin to make out like he's some champion? Good bloke... who gives a shit? I'm a good bloke, you're a good bloke.... wow!

I've had a chat to Harro before, and know he's a good bloke, you on the other hand...

Anyway, i don't subscribe to all this "Harris is finished as an AFL footballer" stuff, what if he happens to get drafted and then proceeds to prove everyone wrong? What would all these people say about him then?

Sometimes, players can get stale in the same environment, Harris might have been one of those players.

 

[mark73]

I don't reckon Swallow had anything to with Harro falling out of favour. Harro's decline really gathered speed in 2008 when Swallow hardly played a game.

They're not just my words, they were also his. It may have just been lip service, but Harris doesn't strike me as that type of person.