Player Watch #44: Cameron Zurhaar - has re-signed until the end of 2029 - finishes 6th in the 24' SBM

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Welcome to Cameron Zurhaar

Cameron Zurhaar
188cm, 89kg
East Fremantle
Forward



From AFL.com.au

Boasts an impressive leap, registering the third best running vertical jump (92cm) off his left leg at the NAB AFL Draft Combine.

The 188cm forward played in four matches for WA at the under-18s championships and took the game on, averaging four marks, three tackles and just shy of three inside 50s for the Sandgropers.

From Recruiting Manager Bryce Lewis

“Cameron is a forward/midfielder who is very powerful and aggressive, with a really good pair of hands.

“He had a bit of an injury interrupted start to the season, but made his way back for the nationals.

“He’s shown at East Fremantle that he’s been able to go through the midfield. That’s an area of his game he’s going to need to continue to work on, but we think he has a fair amount of scope to develop his game.”





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Cameron Zurhaar

Medium Forward | East Fremantle/Western Australia
22/05/1998 | 187cm | 89kg
Player comparison: Tom Bell

Snapshot:

West Australian forward Cameron Zurhaar is built like a brick outhouse and is one of the more aggressive players in the 2016 draft crop. He has a number of strengths that set him aside from other forwards, but also has a fair bit to work on before he can take his game to the next level.

First and foremost, Zurhaar’s strength in one-on-ones in the air or at ground level are a feature and this strength combines well with his sheer desire not to lose a contest. He is built like Tarzan and plays like him too, similar to a wrecking ball that despite his medium height, is not afraid to crash packs and challenge opponents. He is strong overhead and can take contested marks, while he also has enough about him that he could eventually develop into an inside midfielder.

Zurhaar does have a few improvements he needs to make before he can develop into that inside midfielder or indeed take his game to another level. His endurance is below par and for him to play in the midfield he would need to improve that, as he would need to improve his disposal. He is not the worst kick in the draft crop, but when playing in more dangerous positions he can not afford to be a liability. Finally he does need to win more of the ball, averaging about 10 disposals at the National Under 18s Championships, he often does not get to the contests he could, indicating his lack of endurance.

Overall it is expected he will be picked up whether that is late in the National Draft or in the Rookie Draft with plenty needing a bull forward with midfield potential.

Stats:

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Strengths:

  • Strength
  • Competitiveness
  • Overhead marking
  • Midfield scope
Cameron Zurhaar is a contested beast in the way he plays, outmuscling opponents big or small and charging towards contests with little thought of his own wellbeing. He is strong overhead, but can also win his fair share of hard balls at ground level and his sheer willingness to not give up is a feature of his game.

At 186cm and 88kg, Zurhaar is built to play senior football and while he did not manage it at WAFL level, that was more due to his endurance than anything else. He could step into an AFL side and provide a contest against the bigger bodies which is always a plus.

Most coaches who have commented about Zurhaar comment on his competitiveness and his ability to always offer a contest. He might not be the most silky or talented player on the field, but you know what you are going to get. He is hard, tough and loves a gritty slog. He just has that aura about him that opposition players are aware of if he is on a lead, prepare for contact.

Zurhaar despite being not overly quick is good on the lead marking above his head. He has not had the midfield work that others have due to a lower endurance and iffy disposal at times, but few could fault his vice-like grip. He also adds a different dimension to a forward line because he is like an inside midfielder in the body of a forward.

Zurhaar is expected to one day develop into an inside midfielder. He has the strength, competitiveness, big body and desire to hunt the ball that are all trademarks of a good inside midfielder. He will just need to tidy up his kicking and improve his endurance. As a whole though, the big bodied forward has scope to develop in the future.

Improvements:

  • Disposal
  • Endurance
  • Ball winning
There are three major improvements that Zurhaar could make to his game in order to become a more rounded player. While he has the strength and competitiveness down pat, his ball winning skills, disposal and endurance could all improve.

Averaging 10 disposals at the championships and 16.6 disposals at WAFL Colts level, Zurhaar would need to get to more contests if he was to develop as a midfielder. He has played as a higher half-forward at times but mostly been a stay-at-home forward. This is mostly due to his below average endurance.

If Zurhaar can spend a pre-season building his tank a bit more, he would be able to roll into an AFL team and have an impact. He has the body to do so, he just needs the tank to match. Building his endurance will also improve him as a player and assist in his development towards being a fully fledged inside midfielder.

Zurhaar’s disposal is another query on the bullocking forward. Like any inside-leaning player, polish is not often a strength and in Zurhaar’s case it certainly could be improved. He is not as clean as other forwards and will rarely lose a contest, but needs to work on what he does with the pill once clear. This is an area that has room for improvement and if he can improve, it will serve him better in the future.

These improvements are easy enough to improve and I would expect an AFL club to begin to work on them straight away because if he can improve in these areas, he should feature at some point next year.

Summary:

Cameron Zurhaar is a bullocking forward with a deep desire to win every contest he attacks. He might not be the most polished of players, but he is a willing competitor. If he can build his endurance, tidy up his kicking and find more of the ball, Zurhaar could develop into a full-time midfielder. But with so much focus on developing into midfielders, Zurhaar could just be that strong uncompromising leading forward who is a consistent danger inside 50.

Overall I expect Zurhaar will get picked up at some point later on in the National Draft, but he may slide through to the Rookie Draft. He has enough about him to suggest he has a future at AFL level and once he begins to work on those aforementioned areas, I expect him to be a valuable asset at AFL level.





 
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This from East Perth ops manager.

Is Strong tough and competitive

Needs work on his endurance, kicking and ball winning.
Exactly what we need!
 

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Cameron Zurhaar = The I've got you all in check.
 
Don't pot the kid too early. He's got brute strength, size and can clunk marks. If he could run all day, kick it like Jarman and find it like Diesel he'd go top 5. There's a reason he's a rookie pick and I think he's the big bodied midfielder we were waiting to draft. Like to see what he can do when we get his tank up to scratch.
 

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Player Watch #44: Cameron Zurhaar - has re-signed until the end of 2029 - finishes 6th in the 24' SBM

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