AFL Player # 5: Elijah Tsatas

[TheGrizz]

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

 

[ant555]

I've always defended Adrian Dodoro, but this pick in the draft baffles me.

Unless Dodoro has some super human foresight, I don't understand why he'd use pick 4 on a kid that had a clear kicking deficiency?

And to make matters worse, he rejected 3 first rounders from Melbourne for that pick, to instead take Tsatas.

Tsatas may well become a Wines type inside bull that can't kick, but using pick 4 betting on that outcome is a big what if gamble.

Pre draft, plenty on here said Tsatas was the clear pick at our selection. But plenty on here were concerned about his kicking too.

RFK was the one who sold him to Scott as the bloke to pick .

 

[JT_the_Man]

Can kick, can’t kick, regardless he currently appears completely devoid of confidence and needs a block of full games to get some back.

 

[jmoo wan]

he kicks like an elephant

 

[MPMonkeys]

Reminds me of Brent Stanton

Brent Stanton

Age

38

Ht

183cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.1

4star

K

10.7

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

0.9

3star

No current season stats available

D

16.8

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

6.2

5star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.6

3star

and if he has 3/4 of his career then I will be happy.

 

[Agronomus]

Is anyone ignoring it though? No one has come in and said 'he's a great kick'. Everyone here knows, Elijah knows, Elijah's mum probably knows.

Everyone coming in saying 'he's a young kid, give him time to develop' getting a 'yeah but he's a shit kick!' reply isn't really necessary. We know.

Have to admit though, he is a shit kick

 

[boncer34]

We get it though. Do we really need to just constantly bash the kid with the exact same commentary every single week?

If the only comment someone has on Tsatas is 'can't kick' then maybe don't bother adding it to the hundreds of other identical comments.

Saying his technique is flawed is bashing the kid?

Fairly tame imo.

 

[faible]

Saying his technique is flawed is bashing the kid?

Fairly tame imo.

It was the ~ 5 pages of commentary post-game that felt pretty unnecessary to me. Kid played less than a quarter.

 

[boncer34]

It was the ~ 5 pages of commentary post-game that felt pretty unnecessary to me. Kid played less than a quarter.

And displayed a flawed technique. Nothing wrong with what NAB777 said.

 

[faible]

And displayed a flawed technique. Nothing wrong with what NAB777 said.

He just happened to be the most recent post when I reopened the thread.

 

[FlyingV]

Confidence has nothing to do with his kicking. His technique is flawed.

Two things can be true at once. I’ll back him in to turn it around.

 

[andleanback]

I said it in the game day thread. No one wins with him being the sub and thrown into a game late. Davey got an extended run. Either give him one of play him in the 2s and let him figure it out.

Davey got an extended run because we have no one else that can play that role. Issue for tsatas is the only spot he’s good at is playing on ball. He can’t play half forward and just shouldn’t be playing on the wing. Really they should be just using continuous time on ball at vfl level to mould his game.

 

[Booplaz]

I've never been a Tsatas fan, but my real issue is that we deemed this type of player selectable at a pick as high as 5. Average endurance, inability to wear or break contact, seemingly lost the ability to drive out of stoppages (injuries?), hack kick on the run, no versatility and no physicality. We went for a guy that could consistently find the footy at will, uses it well by hand and had some speed but that's about it.

I really hope he can turn it around but the only notable improvement I've seen is his defensive intent. Needs to stop the dump kicks and try to drive out of stoppages + reinvent that ball drop at VFL level, then there might be something to work with.

 

[Foxx]

Two things can be true at once. I’ll back him in to turn it around.

Turn it around or develop it?

 

[Snake Charmer]

Davey got an extended run because we have no one else that can play that role. Issue for tsatas is the only spot he’s good at is playing on ball. He can’t play half forward and just shouldn’t be playing on the wing. Really they should be just using continuous time on ball at vfl level to mould his game.

Yeah I am aware of that. The reason I say it is because he and Davey clearly don’t look up to it atm. So I think you either play him full games or play him In the vfl. The sub role is doin him no favours

 

[andleanback]

Yeah I am aware of that. The reason I say it is because he and Davey clearly don’t look up to it atm. So I think you either play him full games or play him In the vfl. The sub role is doin him no favours

I’d much rather have Davey in the side that Elijah. Issue is Davey is production, he actually does some nice things with the ball when he gets it.

 

[jdstorm]

People are really getting caught up in the present. I remember at one point there was talk that Tsatas was a potential pick 1 candidate alongside Wardlaw and Sheezel.

Then everyone else was a tier below.

He’s been ripping through the VFL like it’s far below him. Which is why he’s been in the afl side.

The kid has a comparable build to guys like Dusty and Clarry, slightly smaller Danger. He’s a prototypical midfielder. Just needs to put on some size.

 

[Vindicater]

Still think he will explode in year 4.

 

[yodellinhank]

Still think he will explode in year 4.

Murphy surely gets the sack if that were to happen.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

He’s been ripping through the VFL like it’s far below him. Which is why he’s been in the afl side.

No he hasn’t

 

[Snake Charmer]

I’d much rather have Davey in the side that Elijah. Issue is Davey is production, he actually does some nice things with the ball when he gets it.

Comparing the 2 wasn’t really my point

 

[ghostdog]

We've invested in him. Patience will be the key now for at least a few years, irrespective of what we think. He deserves our support.

On the positive side, look at the size of the kid. He should be a bit of a brute by year four, with enough power through the hips and core to break tackles. Hopefully by then the kicking is fine, but our forward press should also have developed considerably by then too, so that it may mitigate that issue to an extent.

I also want the helicopters gone but we'll have to be patient.

 

[Vander18]

Murphy surely gets the sack if that were to happen.

To be fair…..spontaneous combustion is notoriously difficult to manage.

 

[faible]

No he hasn’t

He's played 4 VFL games this year; 24 disposals & 5 clearances, 15 disposals & 4 clearances (only played a half), 40 disposals & 5 clearances, 31 disposals & 11 clearances.

He's 19 years old.

The bar some people have for his performance seems pretty high.

 

[Kong]

He's played 4 VFL games this year; 24 disposals & 5 clearances, 15 disposals & 4 clearances (only played a half), 40 disposals & 5 clearances, 31 disposals & 11 clearances.

He's 19 years old.

The bar some people have for his performance seems pretty high.

How many of those disposals had a positive impact?

I don't watch VFL, but I've seen highlights from two of his games there and his kicking was a solid 3/10.

 

[faible]

How many of those disposals had a positive impact?

I don't watch VFL, but I've seen highlights from two of his games there and his kicking was a solid 3/10.

I believe ant555 has posted quite a few times that his kicking has mostly been OK with the odd howler.