No just fun reading your rants.
Player Watch #40 Tyler Sonsie
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No just fun reading your rants.
McAulliffe was even better than Sonz in the middle, in the game vs The Suns. No brainer he played middle ahead of Sonsie. That game Hugo killed it off half back got promoted to wing and saved his career.
Bauer was forward, back, forward in the VFL.
Sonsie's a fringe player, 3 years since his better football but 14 games this year was a huge number. Suggests they like him. Came in Round 3 after the suspension.
We lost Baker, JG, Dusty Bolton ~ half fwd/ mids. Dow wont play & Sonsie needs to add scoreboard pressure to his game.
McAuliffe will improve his running, he'll get first crack IMO.
poor richmond players eh? ridiculous demands on em.
too much to expecting pro AFL footballers to be able to kick a goal?
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I dunno if Sonsie can be compared to Parish as the latter was certainly a bit more prolific at under 18 level, but I can see things maaayybbbee going similarly.
My friend is a mad Bombers fan, said their forums always cried out for Parish to just bloody be played in the middle, not half-forward like where he was being played.
As soon as they threw him into the middle full-time, off he went racking up possessions. He has gone backwards a bit but his 2021 was really, really good, can't dispute that.
So what I'm saying is, sometimes the fans are actually right...
Hoping we throw Sonsie into the middle, but I personally still don't reckon he'll make it.
My friend is a mad Bombers fan, said their forums always cried out for Parish to just bloody be played in the middle, not half-forward like where he was being played.
As soon as they threw him into the middle full-time, off he went racking up possessions. He has gone backwards a bit but his 2021 was really, really good, can't dispute that.
So what I'm saying is, sometimes the fans are actually right...
Hoping we throw Sonsie into the middle, but I personally still don't reckon he'll make it.
Id say the thinking is Hotton replaces Bolton and Lalor replaces Martin.
I always wait before i call them busts and i dislike saying what im about to say id rather wait until time is actually up.
This year is Sonsies last year to establish himself for me any way.
Smalls generally take less time than other types. Sonsie is now 22 well in a couple of weeks time. He is entering year 4 and he really needs significant improvement in most areas.
To be brutal id go as far to say he is a poor runner and he plays scared. These two things has me really concerned about him taking the neccessary steps to becoming a decent AFL player.
Hmm i think Parish copped it from supporters simply because of where he was drafted. Pick 5 and the expectations were over the top.
If he was taken at pick 40 then Essendon fans would have been singing his praises and talking about what a steal they got at pick 40.
In all honesty there is no comparison between Parish and Sonsie year one or their first three seasons.
Parish track reminds me of Dusty. He started his career at a high level and hovered around that level for about 4 seasons mainly while he built a tank to get thru full games. then the fully developed Dusty started coming to the fore its the same with Parish he played a lot across hb his first 3 or 4 seasons and he played to a pretty decent standard. When he reached rfull development away he went.
If Sonsie reached Parish levels from his year one everyone here would be calling him the next big thing.
2016 Skinny little Darcy played 20 games imagine that 20 games in his first season. He stayed in their team by playing well.
He averaged 20.75 disposals a game. Skinny Parish actually averaged 3.3 tackles a game managed to average 3.2 clearances and won 8.9 contested disposals a game all apparently from hb and all from a small first year player.
Yes Parish spent a lot of time across hb and he did well there he also had his share of stints thru the midfield.
Maybe they went a year too long with him there but to say he was poor his early years is a misnomer.
The difference between Parish and Sonsie is Parish grabbed his opportunities and Out of position or not Sonsie never has.
Keep on saying it and parish to a small degree is another who proves it. Clubs tend to start the kiddies in the kiddie role across hb.
Does Sonsie have the right attributes for that role well not to date he hasn't.
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Agree. Play him every week in the guts. Let's see if he wants it badly enough.
This is 100% correct
I believe Sonsie will make the grade at AFL level and developed into a good mid but the club just has to give him the opportunity to play his position and gain confidence at the level
RichmondEshays
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It’s all confidence. Coming into first year he had no expectations and could perform to his natural ability without carrying the burden of outside noise. As he becomes adherent to a strict system, running patterns and defensive accountability etc, coupled with the increasing pressure on his performances to improve he loses his confidence in his skills and natural ability. Happens often to youngsters. To name a few at Richmond, castagna, cumbo, townsend. All came in firing and then diminished
But there is Prestia, Hopper, Taranto, Ross and McAuliffe in his way, not to mention Smillie and Lalor. He can't just bump in front of them. He will get a go in there, but only if he really shines on the track and the preseason games.
The amazing Tylers final... We lose a close game with Prestia playing half a game, in which time Prestia had the most clearances, centre clearances. Sonz 4 & 1 CC for the game.
Neale leather poisoning, destroying us again.
12 year, 3 flag coach brings in 2 mids. And doesn't drop flag heroes so Tough on Sonsie & Cumbo. Sonz injured pre season 2023 and Taranto kills it. As does Dusty, Cotch gets games to cover Hopper.
Sonsies career arc is what it is, 2024, 14 games as half fwd, while Sherman Tank Kmac2 gets mid time. And Dow cos Sonz is suspended.
we just spooned with horrendous injury list. upside for Tyler, he plays 14 games.
I cannot see Sonsie "being given the opportunity" to rediscover anything. Lynch fit, Hopper fit we win games of football. The Tank Kmac2 should be given the opportunity, the kids a gun.
Smilie, Lalor should be given the opportunity.
TBH career over probably. BUT, 5 1st round draft picks for sonz the gun, whoever takes him
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SouthernStripes
Club Legend
Reckon he put in some good performances in VFL in the middle. Got a fair bit of it - but would then bought in to the firsts and played half forward, where he clearly struggled. 2024 would have been the perfect year to give him a really good go in the middle and rotate him and Dow as we were shit anyway and results didn’t matter - but seems that Dow had the preferred skill-set and got many more opportunities. It’s midfield or bust for sonsie I reckon and he’s suddenly got a hell of a lot of new competition
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The first four are not playing in our next premiership. Sonsie might if he reaches his potential. The first three are there to help him achieve that.
when's the next premiership? I'll book my flights
Phar Ace
Brownlow Medallist
At the same no of games - Sonsie is ahead only in Clangers!
Phar Ace
Brownlow Medallist
Is there a futures market for airline flights now?
Another 37 year drought just as likely.
Gale planning for 0 debt, 75k members, 3 flags was scorned by all cos you can't predict the current season, let alone the future.
2016 we fall out of the 8, kudos to Peggy & Gale bringing Balme back, and new assistant coaches.
I didn't expect finals., let alone 3 more flags. 2020, COVID hub at the goldie, never seen so much footy since I left Melbourne. Including night 2020 night GF, in Brizzy, no Lions so easy to get a ticket.
We win but cop $100k fine & lose Leppitch & McRae
.
We shouldve been better in 2024, but the Meehan appointment should've ended in 2023 when Lynch, Gibcus, Soldo etc etc etc were mis managed. Is the new fitness regime better?
So still don't know if Yze can coach well. Won 2 games.
Sonsie, or any player, part of the next flag is, TRIPPING BALLS.
Besides Prestia, the others are there for the next 3 years or so unless injury or form down the track effects that. But they will be there this season. Projecting any further with a player like Sonsie is very wishful thinking. He has this season to show he is good enough, which will not be easy.
Then next season Lalor, Smillie and Hotton and whomever we pick at 1-5.
Last year we needed Dow in because he gets first hands on the ball, and without Hopper, Taranto, Prestia and Ross we had nobody else. Tough gig but given plenty of opportunity he wasn't up to it. Not sure many young mids would have under those circumstances. Sonsie could have been given more opportunity but he wasn't, maybe they saw him as too outside and they weren't much use last year where we couldn't get the ball.
Can Sonsie be a long term Short replacement in the backline? If his distribution can get back to his first year level he could be used coming out of defence.
Not sure about that Grrr. I would not call Dow a coal face mid. He gets little ball at the coalface. He gets most of his contested ball on the move on the edges.
He then gives off hand balls rather than kicking because he has neither the size strength or speed to burst away.
He is one sided and lacks penetration with his kicks these combined with a lack of pace and i thought he should have been delisted.
The concern is we have been real low in numbers with mids for years and even with Hotton Smillie and Lalor those numbers remain low.
In effect we lost Martin, Graham, Baker and Bolton and gained the three mentioned.
Being realistic it is more realistic than not that all of Prestia, Taranto, Hopper, Ross, Smillie, Lalor and McAuliffe will start in the seniors or will quickly get there.
Injury aside with Hotton it leaves just two options if injury hits. Dow and Sonsie and there was a decent case for both to be delisted at the end of last year.
A couple of injuries and it will be the case where not one mid is being developed in the vfl and we are relying on well vfl players to field a ressies team.
We are complaining about injuries last season and a lack of mids to play. well we are not far removed from that scenario again just a couple of injuries will get us there.
The lack of mids on the list continues to be a serious problem.
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Could be. Will be interesting to see where he trains. I could see them trialling him off half back or on the wing.
But ideally he’d be that lambert style half forward. But I’m not sure he has the endurance for that role.
One very good reason to play McAuliffe is pace he has it to burn and you know he will crack in.
A midfield containing Taranto, Hopper Prestia Sonsie and Ross is going to get run off its legs.
For me McAuliffe is a lock and its between Sonsie and Ross for a spot where Ross is currently a long way in front.
Could be Ross continues to play wing but i prefer quicker better ball users in Banks and Campbell. then there is still Smillie and Lalor. Lalor in particular has that explosive power over a short distance.
We dont have super quick contested mids apart from McAuliffe Hotton when fit. so we need to inject pace onto the flanks and wings.
I also lean towards playing 8 or nine of the 23 and unders.
Agree with most of that. Dow was only first hands because he had one good asset, he could swoop on a lose ball or win his own ball, not coalface but at least he got first hands on it. Good agility meant he could get a handball out, but as you say his lack of strength rally hampered that.
Regarding injuries, we will get them, but lets hope we don't lose our entire midfield in about 3 weeks like last year. That surely couldn't happen again.
Sonsie is backup, but I wanted them to throw Mansell in there last year for a bit of aggression, but no. This year I think Campbell could go through the midfield. I don't think the midfield is that thin, injury prone but not thin. We have plenty of mids if injury free and a few we could try before resorting back to Dow. I think Sonsie will be given some time in there to see if he can cut it.
If we look at the senior side and count the actual mids either purely inside or both inside and out then there is normally about 7 picked most weeks.
Imo it is important we mirror what we do in the seniors with what we do in the magoos.
This gives us both a means to implement a succession plan and depth when injuries hit.
If all of Smillie, Lalor, Prestia, Hopper, Taranto McAuliffe Ross and Hotton are starters and they should be by years end then we are three or four mids short on our list. Some of Those named above will definately play dual roles and also provide rotations from the bench.The key point being they are all primarily mids.
Given lists of 44 then i think clubs need a minimum of 12 to 14 mids with another 4 to 6 pure outside mids ie wingers.
That is a minimum of 16 all types and a maximum of 20.
If those above all start in the seniors then the magoos only have Dow and Sonsie as afl listed mids. Where is the depth and the development its almost non existent.
What is going to happen when injuries hit is mayhem .Where is the longer term planning and where is the pressure from beneath.last year we were short of mids we then lost 4 and bought in three.The numbers are even worse this year.
I cannot push this point enough but we are still seriously short on for mids in various stages of development.
Personally i would like us at the end of this year take two in the draft and go and recruit a few mature types in a good age bracket. That is to replace the four mids we lost this year and get the numbers up to a manageable level for depth development and succession purposes.
Phar Ace
Brownlow Medallist
Sonsie had 14 games last season (as has been said many times), 2 as the Sub and 2 subbed out. I thought he was better in 22 tbh - even played the Elim. Hope they've seen something in him, that he satisfied some sort of need, cos I'm struggling to see. That said, he's no worse than Butler in 2016 and somehow that worked out OK.
