Delisted #49: Tom Hird - Delisted, thank you for your service - 23/8

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Of course he was asking about football. Million dollar question, no one has the answer.

The kid is a category B rookie. No one knows if he's any good at football because he hasn't been a registered football player for at least 2 years.

If you don't think his soccer background is a relevant point in answer to that question, then you are discounting the only information that we have.

As far as transferable skills, I said presumably there are some transferable skills. There are two reasons for presuming this:

Firstly, because everyone keeps repeating his soccer background ad nauseam, as though it means something. If people such as Dodoro and Twomey think it's meaningful enough to mention over and over again, maybe it's meaningful.

Secondly, we don't know enough about his ability as a soccer player to really say anything about it beyond the very basic things like 'competitive' and 'team sport'. We don't know what position he plays in, and we don't have a stats sheet that might indicate a strength or weakness in that sport.

Presuming anything more than that based on nothing more than the sport he played would be like assuming every AFL player can kick over a jam tin, take a mark and lay a tackle.

Having a read of The sports Gene the author does mention that one of the best things for kids when growing up is a variety of sports before narrowing into one.
Aside from obvious athletic traits I would have thought perhaps the abilities of having 360 perception, field formation recognition would be two of the more important ones.
Add in the fact he's grown up with an footy in his hands due to his dad and the club I'd say the skills aspect of guys coming to football late throught the Cat Be pathway wouldn't be an issue.

Let's see how he adapts to AFL physically but there isn't too much to not like about all this.
 

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Spitting image of the old man!

Welcome aboard Tommy. You've got some incredible talent in that blood of yours.
I couldn't agree more!
Definitely has the look just needs to work on his tan and yeah has something incredible in his blood.
Good luck to the young fella and great work by dodo getting a 4th gen as a cat b.
A steal if he can transition
 
180cm attacking (soccer) fullback per HS. Given he’s left footed that may just be because they didn’t have any other left footed players (was common when I played roundball).

Needs some melanotan and something to pack on the pounds but it’s a free hit with massive pay off potential (two more boys and rebuilding the relationship with Sir James which will bring back the Hirdistanis).
 

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180cm attacking (soccer) fullback per HS. Given he’s left footed that may just be because they didn’t have any other left footed players (was common when I played roundball).

Needs some melanotan and something to pack on the pounds but it’s a free hit with massive pay off potential (two more boys and rebuilding the relationship with Sir James which will bring back the Hirdistanis).
Link to the HS article?
 
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Paywalled but here

Height seems a rough estimate from one of the officials at his soccer club but safe to say he’s not 5’7 or 6’4
I can only get the first paragraph 😒

The Hird family has spoken of its excitement at son Tom’s arrival at Essendon as the legendary football name lives on 80 years after his great grandfather’s arrival at the club.

Not a bad start I guess.

Brisbane times has an article that I can actually read, which includes a fan tweet from a year ago:


I think that’s the guy that wrote the book about supporters during the saga actually.

He is smaller than his dad and having played soccer he has good speed and aerobic fitness but lacks upper-body strength development. The club saw enough to be interested. He tasted enough to be keen.

Having not been registered to play Australian rules football at any level for the past three years he was available to be signed by Essendon as a category B rookie. These rookie picks exist to allow clubs to speculate on players from other codes, or entice former junior stars such as Alex Keath back to the game.
 

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Delisted #49: Tom Hird - Delisted, thank you for your service - 23/8

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