Player Watch #42: Kallan Dawson - [NMFC.com] - KD signs a 1-yr extension - Roo until end '25

[Kangaroos4eva]

I guess these things are in the eye of the beholder, but Dawson's general physique, incl across the shoulders, looked pretty well cut on the weekend. Listed as 196 and 89, which might be a bit light I guess

Could easily add 6kg. Looked a tad bigger than 89 though.

 

[Themanbun]

I guess these things are in the eye of the beholder, but Dawson's general physique, incl across the shoulders, looked pretty well cut on the weekend. Listed as 196 and 89, which might be a bit light I guess

He's taller than Corr and 7kg lighter - he's very slight. Looks are often deceiving. Jy looks monstrous for example, but throw him in a t shirt and put him next to the average bloke and you'll see he's a tad small.

 

[Harris 10]

I guess these things are in the eye of the beholder, but Dawson's general physique, incl across the shoulders, looked pretty well cut on the weekend. Listed as 196 and 89, which might be a bit light I guess

I posted this in the training thread back in Feb. He's put on some, but it's still a work in progress.

 

[King Corey]

Interested in the views of those who have exhaustively watched the VFL so far (not just highlights).

Where is he at?

Harris 10 post above notwithstanding, Dawson has been nowhere near praccie or senior selection.

Has he been pushing his case at all at the VFL level?

 

[Merlin007]

Interested in the views of those who have exhaustively watched the VFL so far (not just highlights).

Where is he at?

Harris 10 post above notwithstanding, Dawson has been nowhere near praccie or senior selection.

Has he been pushing his case at all at the VFL level?

short answer: no

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Interested in the views of those who have exhaustively watched the VFL so far (not just highlights).

Where is he at?

Harris 10 post above notwithstanding, Dawson has been nowhere near praccie or senior selection.

Has he been pushing his case at all at the VFL level?

Still too skinny for a KPD and his one-on-one stuff needs work. Don't think he has the footy smarts and drive to make it.

 

[Sticksphat]

Interested in the views of those who have exhaustively watched the VFL so far (not just highlights).

Where is he at?

Harris 10 post above notwithstanding, Dawson has been nowhere near praccie or senior selection.

Has he been pushing his case at all at the VFL level?

With the acknowledgement I have only been able to watch the live stream, I haven't seen anything really outstanding from him. None of the high flying intercept marking that was supposed to be part of his game. Was solid in a couple, but found out against the Suns.

I did like his improvement and growth across the few opportunities he got last year, but I don't know where his AFL position really is. I think he is more a JZ/Corr replacement than a KPD replacement, so his opportunities may be limited.

 

[Merlin007]

Still too skinny for a KPD and his one-on-one stuff needs work. Don't think he has the footy smarts and drive to make it.

the major wrap on him when he was drafted was intercept marking, and there's not been much evidence of it

 

[Harris 10]

Interested in the views of those who have exhaustively watched the VFL so far (not just highlights).

Where is he at?

Harris 10 post above notwithstanding, Dawson has been nowhere near praccie or senior selection.

Has he been pushing his case at all at the VFL level?

He’s playing a role he’s not entirely comfortable with and his confidence has taken a hit.

As I’ve said previously I’d like to see him experimented with on a wing. He has speed, good tank and with his height could be used as an outlet when coming out of defence.

 

[tazaa]

Interested in the views of those who have exhaustively watched the VFL so far (not just highlights).

Where is he at?

Harris 10 post above notwithstanding, Dawson has been nowhere near praccie or senior selection.

Has he been pushing his case at all at the VFL level?

Sexton kicked 5.5 on him in the VFL after kicking 6 on him last year.

I’d say he’s finished mate

 

[King Corey]

Sexton kicked 5.5 on him in the VFL after kicking 6 on him last year.

I’d say he’s finished mate

Thanks mate.

Were they directly opposed for the match?

FFS. We read every justification on here for drafting Dawson over D'Ambrosio.

So one of them is getting carved up by NEAFL players and the other one is racking it up in their first 10 games running out of the backline?

 

[LuvtheKangas]

Thanks mate.

Were they directly opposed for the match?

FFS. We read every justification on here for drafting Dawson over D'Ambrosio.

So one of them is getting carved up by NEAFL players and the other one is racking it up in their first 10 games running out of the backline?

D'Ambrosio was dropped weeks ago, like he was a couple of times last year.

He might get a game this week, named on the extended bench, but just as likely to be an emergency.

A back flanker wasn't, and isn't, our need.

 

[King Corey]

D'Ambrosio was dropped weeks ago, like he was a couple of times last year.

He might get a game this week, named on the extended bench, but just as likely to be an emergency.

A back flanker wasn't, and isn't, our need.

He's pretty young and has a Saad like base to his game.

So far it projects he's the better pick than Dawson unfortunately.

 

[ferball]

D'Ambrosio was dropped weeks ago, like he was a couple of times last year.

He might get a game this week, named on the extended bench, but just as likely to be an emergency.

A back flanker wasn't, and isn't, our need.

D'Ambrosio was dropped by Brad after he had a 27 possession game at 78% in a loss to the ladder leaders. It was D'Ambrosio's best game yet. That seems kind of familiar from Brad if you ask me. Drop the young bloke from the MSD instead of one of their supposedly better, under performing, older players.

If we do need a HBFer in the next few years he might be worth targeting.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

D'Ambrosio was dropped weeks ago, like he was a couple of times last year.

He might get a game this week, named on the extended bench, but just as likely to be an emergency.

A back flanker wasn't, and isn't, our need.

Outside of Sheezel we don’t have any half backs who can accumulate and distribute the ball with confidence. D’Ambrosio would have fit the bill perfectly. Only reason why he keeps getting dropped is because Essendon have some really solid options who can play that role while also providing more intercepting ability (Redman, Ridley & McGrath).

 

[hsquid]

D'Ambrosio was dropped weeks ago, like he was a couple of times last year.

He might get a game this week, named on the extended bench, but just as likely to be an emergency.

A back flanker wasn't, and isn't, our need.

And yet we are playing our no. 2 pick super-star small forward as a HBF because nobody else can play the role...

 

[Ischenko]

D'Ambrosio was dropped weeks ago, like he was a couple of times last year.

He might get a game this week, named on the extended bench, but just as likely to be an emergency.

A back flanker wasn't, and isn't, our need.

Exactly. We desperately needed a KPD due to our horrendous list management. Kallan was best available. You can complain about a lot of our drafting but a mid-season KPD not working out is not really a huge fail imo.

 

[tazaa]

Thanks mate.

Were they directly opposed for the match?

FFS. We read every justification on here for drafting Dawson over D'Ambrosio.

So one of them is getting carved up by NEAFL players and the other one is racking it up in their first 10 games running out of the backline?

Interchangeable.
I was bullish on him in the preseason but he doesn’t seem anywhere near the plans of match committee.

Ambrossio definitely should have been picked

 

[DesertRoo]

Interchangeable.
I was bullish on him in the preseason but he doesn’t seem anywhere near the plans of match committee.

Ambrossio definitely should have been picked

Can Ambrossio play key defence?
Hopefully he would’ve free’d up Goater from playing that role in the vfl.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

Outside of Sheezel we don’t have any half backs who can accumulate and distribute the ball with confidence. D’Ambrosio would have fit the bill perfectly. Only reason why he keeps getting dropped is because Essendon have some really solid options who can play that role while also providing more intercepting ability (Redman, Ridley & McGrath).

Goater, Bergman, TT, Perez and Hall are all capable. I don't mind Massimo but he's no better than any of those.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

And yet we are playing our no. 2 pick super-star small forward as a HBF because nobody else can play the role...

nobody else can play the role

LOL

 

[hsquid]

Goater, Bergman, TT, Perez and Hall are all capable. I don't mind Massimo but he's no better than any of those.

Hall is the only one currently able to get into the wooden spoon team - by the skin of his teeth - and he's injury-prone and 32.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

Hall is the only one currently able to get into the wooden spoon team - by the skin of his teeth - and he's injury-prone and 32.

There are different reasons for TT, Goater, Perez and Bergman not currently being in the team, but there's still zero basis for saying "nobody else can play the role".

 

[Makeshift Park]

There are different reasons for TT, Goater, Perez and Bergman not currently being in the team, but there's still zero basis for saying "nobody else can play the role".

With respect I disagree mate.

No one in our team can play the role Sheezel does.

He’s not just an accumulating HBF. He’s like Daicos in that Clarko has begun structuring an entire team gameplan around his talents.

Sheezel makes better decisions than everyone else and disposes the ball more reliably than anyone else under contested situations and he’s defensively accountable.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

With respect I disagree mate.

No one in our team can play the role Sheezel does.

He’s not just an accumulating HBF. He’s like Daicos in that Clarko has begun structuring an entire team gameplan around his talents.

Sheezel makes better decisions than everyone else and disposes the ball more reliably than anyone else under contested situations and he’s defensively accountable.

The argument is not about Sheezel, it's about D'Ambrosio ("that role" being HBF).