AFL Player # 5: Elijah Tsatas

[TheGrizz]

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

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

No I asked you. Because 18 in 34 games as a forward is barely average at best.

Well it was a combination so not a bad result for a first year player in a finals team.

 

[boncer34]

Well it was a combination so not a bad result for a first year player in a finals team.

Well if he spent any time in the midfield he contributed absolutely nothing last year in there.

Also "finals team" is a poor man's premiership automatically makes a player better argument.

 

[yodellinhank]

He's a bad kick

 

[boncer34]

He's a bad kick

Shiel made it work

 

[boncer34]

 

[doug85]

Yeah I dunno about that. Keplar Bradley at 6 was a bit silly albeit hindsight says it was a pretty weak draft. James Davies and Shane Harvey as late first rounders were also not great choices.

Having said that, I can't recall nearly as much focus on the draft back in those days. Not to say the clubs weren't putting in the effort but the media didn't report nearly as heavily plus forums like this were in their infancy if they existed at all (not to mention social media not yet a thing) so there wasn't as much analysis/conversation.

The Kepler pick was back in the day when Sheeds would overrule the recruiters to get what he wanted.

 

[Pweter]

The Kepler pick was back in the day when Sheeds would overrule the recruiters to get what he wanted.

And it was proven over the long term to be a very disappointing pick, moreso than making a judgement on a kid in his 2nd year that didn't have a decent run at it in his first year and has mostly been played out of position in every senior game he's played.

 

[Tazdog]

Guys we have david rath hes gonna be okay

 

[doug85]

And it was proven over the long term to be a very disappointing pick, moreso than making a judgement on a kid in his 2nd year that didn't have a decent run at it in his first year and has mostly been played out of position in every senior game he's played.

*In your opinion

I’ve provided plenty of context as to why I think the pick is disappointing. But further to what I’ve said, his kicking is a massive issue. Doesn’t matter what position on the field he plays or at what level.

 

[Pweter]

*In your opinion

I’ve provided plenty of context as to why I think the pick is disappointing. But further to what I’ve said, his kicking is a massive issue. Doesn’t matter what position on the field he plays or at what level.

It's all opinion for all of us. I didn't know I needed to call it out specifically.

 

[Kong]

It's all opinion for all of us.

thats your opinion

 

[Pweter]

thats your opinion

Prove it!

 

[yodellinhank]

The Kepler pick was back in the day when Sheeds would overrule the recruiters to get what he wanted.

And if he'd been allowed to overrule and pick Rioli we'd never be in this mess in the first place. Bradley wasn't really shown up by any of the picks between he and Stanton.

 

[Agronomus]

Averaged 20 stats and a goal across his 3rd and 4th seasons - and played in a prelim. Hardly ‘sweet FA’

Tsatas might become a player, but his kicking nearing the end of his 2nd season is a worry. I don’t know why some are so afraid to accept this.

I've only had 75 gig of data since covid so my eyeballs have been relatively spared the horror.
If he can bash and crash, he'd be a good centreman to Martin the ruck rover imo.
Can't be ruckrover with THAT kind of kicking

 

[Agronomus]

Prove it!

I can verify that it's your opinion

 

[faible]

I've only had 75 gig of data since covid so my eyeballs have been relatively spared the horror.
If he can bash and crash, he'd be a good centreman to Martin the ruck rover imo.
Can't be ruckrover with THAT kind of kicking

tbh I'm still trying to work out what 20 stats means.

Hitouts? i50s? Tackles? Marks?

Stats, which stats?

 

[doug85]

And if he'd been allowed to overrule and pick Rioli we'd never be in this mess in the first place. Bradley wasn't really shown up by any of the picks between he and Stanton.

I didn’t know he tried doing that.

My recollection is the recruiters wanted Stanton at 6 and Chaplin at 13. I reckon Chaplin is a solid upgrade on Kepler. Was laid out in Tim Watsons book on sheeds.

 

[doug85]

It's all opinion for all of us. I didn't know I needed to call it out specifically.

I think I read your post to be more arrogant than it actually is (ie it’s not arrogant at all).

Mea culpa!

 

[Agronomus]

We are stuck with him now we may as well make him the best player he possibly can be.

That's the spirit!

 

[Agronomus]

What annoys me about the Tsatas and Hobbs picks is we’ve been dragged up the ladder by multi positional hard running players who can kick the footy (Durham, Martin, Duursma, Caldwell, Merrett, Perkins). Neither Tsatas or Hobbs fit that mould at all.

With the stand rule, tackling restrictions the game is only going to continue to get faster and more end to end over time. Why not draft players who can fill a variety of roles. We seem to have consistently overlooked aerobic ability at the pointy end of the draft despite it being an extremely transferable trait from under age footy

That being said I’m a big proponent of drafting best available especially in the first round so this is probably just an incoherent rant

You don't think Tsatas is hard running?

 

[Happyskeret]

That's the spirit!

It’s better than some other people’s attitude.

 

[ant555]

So Phillipou has not reached great heights either so that makes it okay our guy can not kick ? All that says to me is we really had no idea what we where doing if both the players in the frame have issues.

They are clearly taking a different direction with him . He has had a couple of run with roles and Saturday was pure inside midfield with limited outside game. If this is what we have to do then fine. He can find the footy. He has good hands in close and it does not expose the kicking issues as much . Of course the issue if this is going to his lot is the fact he is not going to be the line breaking midfielder they where looking to introduce to the system . Second to that he will take longer to develop as his body is not ready. Then there is the issue of him competing with Durham / Caldwell / Hobbs for an inside spot and also Parish to a slightly less degree as a clearance player.
So we set out to draft a midfielder that could break the lines and ended up with a guy who could be a very good inside mid if he develops his body and he has that sort of mental edge.

I will say it again. They have worked on the kicking for over 12 months. There has been no improvement. It is still the same. It is not an issue like Watson who had a bit of a lazy ball drop . It is not like Shiel who simply tried to kick too many while running at speed around a corner. His ball drop is okay. He does not swing the leg on an angle. He simply has not timing when he tries to put any force on the footy and he tends to swing the leg through too hard to compensate. It is almost a reflex action.

There has been comment along the lines of Oliver is an average kick and yes he is . They have not been able to fix it either but we did not draft Tsatas to be Clayton Oliver

13

Clayton Oliver

Age

26

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.8

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

18.4

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

6.3

5star

CL

6.3

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

19.2

5star

K

4.6

2star

HB

14.6

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

CL

3.8

5star

. If we where looking for a Clayton Oliver

13

Clayton Oliver

Age

26

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.8

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

18.4

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

6.3

5star

CL

6.3

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

19.2

5star

K

4.6

2star

HB

14.6

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

CL

3.8

5star

we would have drafted Ginbey.

If he has the ability to adopt the mindset and be an inside guy who tackles and wins the footy and if he keeps building the body then I think he will be an excellent inside midfielder but that makes Hobbs obsolete .

 

[ant555]

Just on Bradley . Sheedy ****ed him up by continually playing him in defense at AFL level. He was not the greatest kick or decision maker in the back half but for some reason Sheedy had this thing about players playing at both ends. When he played CHF in the VFL he dominated and he played with a lot more confidence. Of course he did himself no favors by not being the most professional player out there and his fondness of beer was another distraction.

 

[Ambrosia]

So Phillipou has not reached great heights either so that makes it okay our guy can not kick ? All that says to me is we really had no idea what we where doing if both the players in the frame have issues.

They are clearly taking a different direction with him . He has had a couple of run with roles and Saturday was pure inside midfield with limited outside game. If this is what we have to do then fine. He can find the footy. He has good hands in close and it does not expose the kicking issues as much . Of course the issue if this is going to his lot is the fact he is not going to be the line breaking midfielder they where looking to introduce to the system . Second to that he will take longer to develop as his body is not ready. Then there is the issue of him competing with Durham / Caldwell / Hobbs for an inside spot and also Parish to a slightly less degree as a clearance player.
So we set out to draft a midfielder that could break the lines and ended up with a guy who could be a very good inside mid if he develops his body and he has that sort of mental edge.

I will say it again. They have worked on the kicking for over 12 months. There has been no improvement. It is still the same. It is not an issue like Watson who had a bit of a lazy ball drop . It is not like Shiel who simply tried to kick too many while running at speed around a corner. His ball drop is okay. He does not swing the leg on an angle. He simply has not timing when he tries to put any force on the footy and he tends to swing the leg through too hard to compensate. It is almost a reflex action.

There has been comment along the lines of Oliver is an average kick and yes he is . They have not been able to fix it either but we did not draft Tsatas to be Clayton Oliver. If we where looking for a Clayton Oliver we would have drafted Ginbey.

If he has the ability to adopt the mindset and be an inside guy who tackles and wins the footy and if he keeps building the body then I think he will be an excellent inside midfielder but that makes Hobbs obsolete .

Feel like Oliver’s footskills aren’t that bad he just loves a no look dump kick for some reason.

 

[ant555]

Feel like Oliver’s footskills aren’t that bad he just loves a no look dump kick for some reason.

They are sort of like Shiels previous issues. More a concentrate on what you are doing thing.