Traded Confirmed Trade: Tom Lee (GWS pre-selection), #24, #43 to St Kilda for #12

[TheLastEmperor]

The club has received quite a bit of criticism regarding this trade. Geelong invested similarly a few years back when they picked Harry Taylor with selection 17. Taylor was a year younger however still mature aged turning 22 in his first year. St Kilda invested a slightly higher pick using selection 12 however receiving a couple of pick upgrades in return. Watching Lee's last two games I'm confident he becomes a decent AFL level player. It's obvious he lacks AFL standard fitness and that's something that will come with time. Some will say he doesn't ever become as good as Taylor but in truth we don't know it's too early to tell.

 

[KnaveyBlue]

Did play on Watson who still has a question mark as an AFL defender.

Absolutely this.

Kicked three on a guy who hasn't been able to crack it for a game all year. I didn't see a great deal to be excited about tbh.

 

[Kramer1]

Thought he looked good...six shots on goal not to be sneezed at (and not all his goals on Watson as suggeted above).

 

[aussierulesrules]

Lee needs to mark the ball out in front and try to get more separation from his opponent. Seemed to struggle with his endurance which can be improved with another pre-season.

Did play on Watson who still has a question mark as an AFL defender.

He was getting very good separation on the lead when I saw him playing in the preseason (that was one of the things that really stood out to me, when I saw him live), but since then he's had a lot of issues with his legs (which I'm told are ongoing- his ground time was managed again last night) and I dare say won't have been training a whole lot and hasn't had much continuity of games, so he wouldn't be anywhere near the ideal level of fitness at this stage, I wouldn't imagine.

Watters was quoted as saying that we brought him in last week off "a limited preparation" (and his form was dreadful in the VFL prior to his promotion to the seniors), so I doubt we'll see the best of him this year and he probably will have a lot of inconsistency for the next couple of years, as someone suggested yesterday, but I'm really looking forward to seeing how he goes once he's hopefully got another couple of preseasons under his belt and has built his strength up more.

One thing that really stood out to me watching him live at the ground (from above, low on level 3) last night was just how smart he was in the marking contests though. There were numerous times when the ball wasn't kicked to his advantage and he looked completely out of the contest and likely to be outmarked, but with his agility, mobility and leap he was able to impact the ball and bring it to ground and when it hit the ground he was able to use his good ground level skills to get the crumbs and get the ball away.

He looks to be someone who is going to be just as effective when it hits the ground as he is when it's in the air and that is likely to make him dangerous going forward.

The two set shot goals he's kicked from 50m out in the past two weeks have also been sublime. About as good a goalkicking technique as I've ever seen, with his timing of those two kicks being impeccable.

Thought he looked good...six shots on goal not to be sneezed at (and not all his goals on Watson as suggeted above).

Exactly, you don't fluke 6 shots for goal in a team that only kicked 10 goals, or kicking the most goals for your team two weeks in a row, despite them being just your 3rd and 4th AFL games, IMO.

 

[pinot]

Seen him twice now and he is a good player... agile, can take a mark, wants to take responsibility kicking for goal.. couple of snap shots were unlucky for him. At pick 24 worth the punt but needs to play more games. McInnes & Watson played on him (both have played maybe 15 games between them) Jamison played on Riewoldt all night.

 

[hayes]

So how bout that Tom Lee.

 

[Some Idiot]

He's a bit more raw than I would've thought for a 22 year old who dominated in the Wafl, but the talent is there.

 

[dropdead1]

I liked the look of Lee - reminds me a bit of Rowe. His development is tracking well, but I can't help but feel that the Saints overpaid for him.

 

[Tulip]

Two very similar games to Jack Fitzpatrick against WBD and Sydney after he was drafted at Pick 50. Same age. Wouldn't want to call this trade either way for a while.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

I can't help but feel that the Saints overpaid for him.

What part of Pick 12 for Lee, Wright and Saunders dont you understand??

 

[hawker39]

What part of Pick 12 for Lee, Wright and Saunders dont you understand??

The part that says Lee is at best OK and Saunders is not OK

 

[The Finger]

The part that says Lee is at best OK and Saunders is not OK

What games have you been watching. Very odd call.

 

[hawker39]

What games have you been watching. Very odd call.

Watching the same ones and evaluating things differently than yourself.

Also, I didn't include Wright as he will be quite good.

 

[The 747]

The club has received quite a bit of criticism regarding this trade. Geelong invested similarly a few years back when they picked Harry Taylor with selection 17. Taylor was a year younger however still mature aged turning 22 in his first year. St Kilda invested a slightly higher pick using selection 12 however receiving a couple of pick upgrades in return. Watching Lee's last two games I'm confident he becomes a decent AFL level player. It's obvious he lacks AFL standard fitness and that's something that will come with time. Some will say he doesn't ever become as good as Taylor but in truth we don't know it's too early to tell.

True but its not the same situation. We were the reigning premiers who had just lost our AA CHB to a career ending injury. We HAD to pick a key defender (remember at that stage Lonergan was in recovery) in order to keep competing at the pointy end. Not criticising STK for Lee, but Harry Taylor was a pretty unique situation.

 

[Rack Watts]

Very natural forward.
Best kicking action I've seen in a long time, almost knees himself in the chin on his follow through.

 

[The Finger]

Watching the same ones and evaluating things differently than yourself.

Also, I didn't include Wright as he will be quite good.

I fail to see how you could not rate Lee or Saunders on exposed form.

 

[Plugger_87]

The part that says Lee is at best OK and Saunders is not OK

hahaha after 5 games great call muppet

 

[TheLastEmperor]

True but its not the same situation. We were the reigning premiers who had just lost our AA CHB to a career ending injury. We HAD to pick a key defender (remember at that stage Lonergan was in recovery) in order to keep competing at the pointy end. Not criticising STK for Lee, but Harry Taylor was a pretty unique situation.

I see both scenarios in a more simplistic list management view. Both clubs required each player to enhance their respective lists and chose the best available (in their eyes) and still a young player to fill a need. Your point would hold more weight if Lee were a similar age to Big O or Pod but he's only a 1990 model that has bugger all K's on the clock.

 

[JA27]

the sucess of these types of trades all comes down to backing it up with drafting,

i would have thought nathan wright alone makes this one a sucess, could have easy gone anywhere from 13 to 24

 

[saintsrfreak]

The part that says Lee is at best OK and Saunders is not OK

lol? Saunders has looked very promising

 

[aussierulesrules]

Best kicking action I've seen in a long time, almost knees himself in the chin on his follow through.

You can see why he kicked 70 goals and only 24 behinds last year in the WAFL and Foxtel Cup. Can definitely kick a footy (seems to be able to kick it 55m just with good timing) and his field kicking is also top drawer for someone his height.

He's a bit more raw than I would've thought for a 22 year old who dominated in the Wafl, but the talent is there.

I think that is part of the appeal from our end. He kicked 68 goals from round 8 last year (he started the year playing in defence and had only kicked 1 goal prior to R8) to the WAFL GF (where he tore his quad early and only kicked one, after kicking 6 in their previous final) in 17 games, so the fact he was able to average 4 goals a game in that stretch, with a body that was more like what you would see on someone who is 19yo or so, probably shows just how much natural talent he has.

He is pretty much the polar opposite of a Jack Darling, who had the AFL body when he was 18yo. When Tom was originally drafted at 18yo, he was reportedly stick-thin and didn't have a clue how much he had to work to make it , so he's reportedly really only started to put in the hard yards in the past 18 months or so, hence being well behind most others at 22yo in the AFL.

So Tom's birth certificate might show 22yo, but I think his body is currently more like what you'd see on someone who is 20yo, 21 max, at an AFL club, so I think we saw the potential there for when his body is more like that of someone who is 22yo+.

Then he'll hopefully have the body size and strength and the fitness to go with the natural footy talent and physical attributes (recorded a 2.93sec 20m sprint when he was first drafted by Adelaide and was also apparently in the top 3% or so in the vertical leap testing and apparently also held the high-jump record at Scotch College in Perth, so he's got some real physical attributes going for him, on top of his natural footy abilities).

 

[Plugger_87]

Two very similar games to Jack Fitzpatrick against WBD and Sydney after he was drafted at Pick 50. Same age. Wouldn't want to call this trade either way for a while.

I really like what im seeing in big Fitzy, has the potential to be anything and to be honest he draws me to the telly when he plays for some reason

 

[Defacto]

i dont often agree with aussierulesrules but he has absolutely nailed his assessment of lee in this thead

 

[BlueJet]

He's a beautiful kick & could have easily kicked more had he not dropped a couple of easy marks.

 

[joop]

The part that says Lee is at best OK and Saunders is not OK

Care to elaborate on the games you have watched? For an 18 year old and only a few games (couple as sub) Saunders has shown more than enough. Especially his attack on the call considering his size. So yeh, would love to know which games of his you have watched