AFL Player # 5: Elijah Tsatas

[TheGrizz]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2026
2024 My Boy Draft: Pick 14, Lore

 

[DapperDon]

I was wondering how long this group of supporters would take to lump shit on Tsatas, but even game 3 wasn't in my thoughts.

Never change Richmond Essendon fans

 

[naraku]

I am looking forward to Tsatas having a full preseason and having Setters opening space for him.

 

[faible]

People need to stop putting Tsatas the 1st year kid as-is in to our current midfield mix.

He’ll be a bigger, more powerful, better overhead Shiel type player. The Shiel who is a high level clearance midfielder.

He’ll also be playing alongside a 25 year old Ben Hobbs who’s already built like the side of a house.

That’s our future pairing. Not how he fits alongside Parish types.

 

[qwertyboy]

Not his fault at all but seriously could we draft a first rounder that actually has kicking as a strength? I understand it’s not the be and end all but just one would be nice
Tsatas, Hobbs, Perkins, Shiel, McGrath, Parish all mids drafted with 1st or had first round picks used on them and not a elite kick between them. Baffling, the last time we head hunted an elite kicking mid was Goddard and that was 10 years ago. Thank god for Zach merrett but he stands out like a sore thumb as the only elite kick running through our midfield and team.

 

[Nicholas61]

Not his fault at all but seriously could we draft a first rounder that actually has kicking as a strength? I understand it’s not the be and end all but just one would be nice
Tsatas, Hobbs, Perkins, Shiel, McGrath, Parish all mids drafted with 1st or had first round picks used on them and not a elite kick between them. Baffling, the last time we head hunted an elite kicking mid was Goddard and that was 10 years ago. Thank god for Zach merrett but he stands out like a sore thumb as the only elite kick running through our midfield and team.

I think Martin is our best kick but I get your point about drafting quality users - what a machine you can get going when there isn't a horrid turnover every 5 or 10 minutes. We aren't exactly the club that excels in ironing out these deficiencies either like a Sydney for example. Tsatas is a risk but they may have deemed too much upside not to take. Won the b&f from only 6 matches, has lightning hands and gets a lot of the ball. Might be very powerful. Dangerfield apparently improved his kicking once he got in the system (he went to a professional club though). Will be interesting watching this one. But agreed hopefully we just draft some decent users going forward with our top picks.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Written off by a few already after 2 games give me an effing spell…

Essendon board is insufferable lately.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I think Martin is our best kick but I get your point about drafting quality users - what a machine you can get going when there isn't a horrid turnover every 5 or 10 minutes. We aren't exactly the club that excels in ironing out these deficiencies either like a Sydney for example. Tsatas is a risk but they may have deemed too much upside not to take. Won the b&f from only 6 matches, has lightning hands and gets a lot of the ball. Might be very powerful. Dangerfield apparently improved his kicking once he got in the system (he went to a professional club though). Will be interesting watching this one. But agreed hopefully we just draft some decent users going forward with our top picks.

You can handle a couple of crummy users of the ball as long as they have support from a number of very good kicks. We have Merrett and Martin, and that's about it.

Tsatas can absolutely be a key component even if he has kicking deficiencies, he is elite in other areas and importantly those are areas we don't have a lot of so he gives us a fantastic point of difference.

 

[jannissary]

I think Martin is our best kick but I get your point about drafting quality users - what a machine you can get going when there isn't a horrid turnover every 5 or 10 minutes. We aren't exactly the club that excels in ironing out these deficiencies either like a Sydney for example. Tsatas is a risk but they may have deemed too much upside not to take. Won the b&f from only 6 matches, has lightning hands and gets a lot of the ball. Might be very powerful. Dangerfield apparently improved his kicking once he got in the system (he went to a professional club though). Will be interesting watching this one. But agreed hopefully we just draft some decent users going forward with our top picks.

martin/ ridley both kick extremely well

 

[cAsEy_18]

Will say, his ability to lay a couple of impressive tackles has been the best surprise thus far. Meant to be one of his weaknesses, but has at least had 1 very good tackle in both games (Early on yesterday managed to hold up a charging Tom Green

12

Tom Green

Age

23

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

3star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

5star

to force a ball up).

 

[quotemokc]

Need to remember he is coming off no pre season due to the knee injury as well as not being able to play during that recovery time.

His kicking action is my biggest worry with him.

 

[jdstorm]

Not his fault at all but seriously could we draft a first rounder that actually has kicking as a strength? I understand it’s not the be and end all but just one would be nice
Tsatas, Hobbs, Perkins, Shiel, McGrath, Parish all mids drafted with 1st or had first round picks used on them and not a elite kick between them. Baffling, the last time we head hunted an elite kicking mid was Goddard and that was 10 years ago. Thank god for Zach merrett but he stands out like a sore thumb as the only elite kick running through our midfield and team.

I mean it kind of is. AFL players who can’t kick are like basketball players that can’t shoot.

Players who can’t do the basics at the required level just take too much away and need to improve to get to that level or they dont make it on contending teams

 

[ant555]

So in short, he was the wrong player.

It was ******* obvious at the time.

Going to do a 1 + 1 = 3 here .

I think I know where you are going with this and it is not really the Tsatas will be a shit player .
We picked the wrong bloke because we are a nice side that lacks a physical presence and Tsatis is not going to do anything to change that like Humphry or Phillipou would.

I think Tsatis will be a great midfielder but like you I had questions if he was the player for us based on the fact we need some hard edge . We need some players that want to be physical. That live on the edge .

 

[MiguelM]

Going to do a 1 + 1 = 3 here .

I think I know where you are going with this and it is not really the Tsatas will be a s**t player .
We picked the wrong bloke because we are a nice side that lacks a physical presence and Tsatis is not going to do anything to change that like Humphry or Phillipou would.

I think Tsatis will be a great midfielder but like you I had questions if he was the player for us based on the fact we need some hard edge . We need some players that want to be physical. That live on the edge .

And they don't necessarily have to be huge, just a manic attack on the footy like Butters for example.

Notwithstanding, we do need some big bodies for the right mix.

 

[BrunoV]

Going to do a 1 + 1 = 3 here .

I think I know where you are going with this and it is not really the Tsatas will be a s**t player .
We picked the wrong bloke because we are a nice side that lacks a physical presence and Tsatis is not going to do anything to change that like Humphry or Phillipou would.

I think Tsatis will be a great midfielder but like you I had questions if he was the player for us based on the fact we need some hard edge . We need some players that want to be physical. That live on the edge .

Yes, that's it.

But I'll add that we consign ourselves to ineffectiveness with these selections.

We do that because we are always going to play the guy next to all the nice players we have. If we want a hard edge it means not playing the nice players. Not playing the nice players really means not picking them at all.

 

[mike ross]

Yes, that's it.

But I'll add that we consign ourselves to ineffectiveness with these selections.

We do that because we are always going to play the guy next to all the nice players we have. If we want a hard edge it means not playing the nice players. Not playing the nice players really means not picking them at all.

It's funny that because we all know you apparently have to be ruthless in this world to get somewhere, so i guess the obvious question is why shouldn't that apply to the Essendon Football Club?

 

[Nicholas61]

Yes, that's it.

But I'll add that we consign ourselves to ineffectiveness with these selections.

We do that because we are always going to play the guy next to all the nice players we have. If we want a hard edge it means not playing the nice players. Not playing the nice players really means not picking them at all.

Brought it up recently here but that is exactly what Sheeds said he needed to do when he first came to us and that's why you had him chasing Bill Duckworth who was on a bender (not that I am advocating that bit) through rural WA. AFL is more brutal than ever before so you need guys with a touch of the gladiator and not so much ones who like a level of comfort.

 

[Snake Charmer]

Couldn’t hit the side of the hanger

 

[doug85]

Far out this guys a worry

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Not as if anyone could have seen this coming...

The worry was when he stopped contesting ball in his under 18 year because he was guarding his injured shoulder. You know like all those great hard ball winners that have stopped competing because they were banged up.

 

[FlyingV]

It’s a waste of energy criticising this kid, he’s so far from the finished product. Be patient. Last two weeks total baptism of fire. He’ll be a weapon.

 

[andleanback]

Need to get mark Williams employed ASAP

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Not sure how much that kicking’s going to improve

 

[brutus76]

Needs to 1) fill out 2) lower his eyes 3) stop the DP3 kicking it to no-one strategy

 

[mIKe9441]

It’s a waste of energy criticising this kid, he’s so far from the finished product. Be patient. Last two weeks total baptism of fire. He’ll be a weapon.

Just like how Cox, Reid, Perkins were all supposed to be weapons. Just because you're a top 10 pick doesn't automatically mean you'll be any good. Yes he can improve, but statements such as "he'll be a weapon, or he'll come good" should never be used especially with our track record.

 

[Run and carry]

Two first rounders in Cox and Tsatas who have real issues with their kicking.