VFL Essendon v North Melbourne, 2:10pm, Windy Hill

[Yoda_]

Re Hately, I don't think there is any need to wonder why things didn't work out. At GWS he was near bottom of a pile of 15 mids and then got walked by Adelaide to the MSD because Adelaide and GWS couldn't do a deal. At Adelaide his problem was that his weakness, being on the slower side and weak on the spread, is shared by numerous other players they were running through the middle (a trend they've only just arrested). Throw in a badly timed injury or some bad form and he's done before he even started.

But if he is as good or better than AFL players at VFL level, it stands to reason that he's of the same standard as those players, doesn't it? It's a more reliable comparison when both he and the points of comparison are playing as first rotation mids than what it is comparing guys who are playing different roles at the higher level.

I don't think he is a star, and I've not suggested that we draft him, simply that based on what he is displaying he is an AFL standard player because he is much cleaner with the hardball than most.


I do like Eckersley. He marks well and is strong with the ball and usually a good user / decision maker. I'm not sure what he is at the higher level as he's not settled in position and I don't yet have a read on his speed, general running power. He takes some CBs but seems to be more of an impact player, more like the way we use Stringer than truly being part of the midfield rotation. He might not be athletic enough for half back / half forward at the higher level. He seems to be in the play on the wing, a lot, but I can't say I've seen him line up there much. Is he a big endurance athlete, could he play on a wing? I am watching him with interest.


I've seen little of Smart that I rate. Nyko is interesting. He's dynamic and catches the eye but it's his intensity and physicality that is probably the thing that is most substantial. He reminds me a lot of when we first say Durham but, like Eckersley, I don't have a good read on what he is. Something between wing, half forward and half back.

Time and time again those slow inside midfielders with poor skills who dominate at the lower level get found out through size &/or lack of speed. We have showed a tendency to favour flankers/pockets who could play elsewhere. See Baguley, see Hibberd, see Guelfi. Durham is the outlier who has taken us by complete surprise. His athletic profile was there for all to see and its his confidence he has built upon that has taken him from strength to strength.

None the less, I don't want to clog up the list, I want us to develop a young midfielder (18/19) next to Setterfield or Shiel, we tend to overlook young mids late or in the rookie draft.

If we don't go Eckersley, I like the sound of Hutchinson from Collingwood's VFL set up, he's a dynamic guy with a huge ceiling. Seems to be an Ash Johnson clone and someone I think even our VFL set up could use. If he comes on, he could be anything.

Im starting to think Smartt may very well be available at our pick. His past few weeks at VFL level have been sub par, his young guns game (2) showed what he could become that may set him apart but the bigger bodies at VFL level are pushing him off the ball easier now.

Nyko seems to be Archie Roberts as a kicker than Archie Roberts as the runner he is.

 

[Yoda_]

In my mind the small and mids you're describing are vanilla, and the talls are meat and potatoes. Not sure my mind separates them, but there you go.

Good, solid footballers, without an edge. Eg Mitch Hibberd and Jackson Hately were both good solid citizens... ie vanilla.

All the mature mids taken from the state leagues who were recycled were spat out of the system for a reason. The ones who forged a career were out of the elite pathways from a young age imho (Ben Howlett, Tim Kelly, Michael Barlow)

 

[BrunoV]

Time and time again those slow inside midfielders with poor skills who dominate at the lower level get found out through size &/or lack of speed. We have showed a tendency to favour flankers/pockets who could play elsewhere. See Baguley, see Hibberd, see Guelfi. Durham is the outlier who has taken us by complete surprise. His athletic profile was there for all to see and its his confidence he has built upon that has taken him from strength to strength.

None the less, I don't want to clog up the list, I want us to develop a young midfielder (18/19) next to Setterfield or Shiel, we tend to overlook young mids late or in the rookie draft.

Who are the the players who have been found out? I'm interested in who you are talking about specifically.

 

[Yoda_]

Who are the the players who have been found out? I'm interested in who you are talking about specifically.

Charlie Constable, Jackson Hately, Jordan Schroder, Jack Bytel is going through a second reincarnation of an AFL player after starved for opportunities in a pretty ordinary midfield unit at St.Kilda.

 

[Zach Package]

Is it completely unrealistic that all of Smartt, Nyko and Peris could get picked up in the MSD?

Peris is absolute gas, can stick tackles and probably shouldn’t have been delisted in the first place, Smartt just has so much craft and Nyko is a bit under the radar but clearly a very deliberate and considered signing and not just someone from the catchment.

Plays with the hard edge, runs hard and has genuine ping in his leg.

I’m not counting Foley because I assume he won’t nominate so he can get to us at the end of the year with the ability to match.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Was gonna ask about peris after seeing 12 tackles on his stat sheet, is he worth a look for small forward depth in seniors?

 

[Yoda_]

Is it completely unrealistic that all of Smartt, Nyko and Peris could get picked up in the MSD?

Peris is absolute gas, can stick tackles and probably shouldn’t have been delisted in the first place, Smartt just has so much craft and Nyko is a bit under the radar but clearly a very deliberate and considered signing and not just someone from the catchment.

Plays with the hard edge, runs hard and has genuine ping in his leg.

I’m not counting Foley because I assume he won’t nominate so he can get to us at the end of the year with the ability to match.

I think Will Hoare is going under the radar as someone you can build a (VFL) backline around. Been very solid this year

 

[ant555]

Re Hately, I don't think there is any need to wonder why things didn't work out. At GWS he was near bottom of a pile of 15 mids and then got walked by Adelaide to the MSD because Adelaide and GWS couldn't do a deal. At Adelaide his problem was that his weakness, being on the slower side and weak on the spread, is shared by numerous other players they were running through the middle (a trend they've only just arrested). Throw in a badly timed injury or some bad form and he's done before he even started.

But if he is as good or better than AFL players at VFL level, it stands to reason that he's of the same standard as those players, doesn't it? It's a more reliable comparison when both he and the points of comparison are playing as first rotation mids than what it is comparing guys who are playing different roles at the higher level.

I don't think he is a star, and I've not suggested that we draft him, simply that based on what he is displaying he is an AFL standard player because he is much cleaner with the hardball than most.


I do like Eckersley. He marks well and is strong with the ball and usually a good user / decision maker. I'm not sure what he is at the higher level as he's not settled in position and I don't yet have a read on his speed, general running power. He takes some CBs but seems to be more of an impact player, more like the way we use Stringer than truly being part of the midfield rotation. He might not be athletic enough for half back / half forward at the higher level. He seems to be in the play on the wing, a lot, but I can't say I've seen him line up there much. Is he a big endurance athlete, could he play on a wing? I am watching him with interest.


I've seen little of Smart that I rate. Nyko is interesting. He's dynamic and catches the eye but it's his intensity and physicality that is probably the thing that is most substantial. He reminds me a lot of when we first say Durham but, like Eckersley, I don't have a good read on what he is. Something between wing, half forward and half back.

Tigers could take him. He would get a game straight away.

 

[Zach Package]

I think Will Hoare is going under the radar as someone you can build a (VFL) backline around. Been very solid this year

Isn’t Hoare a fair bit older? Goes alright though.

If Tylar Young can get on a list and compete I don’t really see why the taller and as athletic Hoare couldn’t.

 

[Yoda_]

Isn’t Hoare a fair bit older? Goes alright though.

If Tylar Young can get on a list and compete I don’t really see why the taller and as athletic Hoare couldn’t.

quick google search tells me 24 (25 in September) and at 198cm could be a reasonable stop gap.

 

[Yoda_]

Tigers could take him. He would get a game straight away.

you with your back would slot into a back pocket old mate

 

[DERO]

How did Shiel go?

 

[The Prosecutor]

How did Shiel go?

Didn't play v Richmond.

 

[DERO]

Didn't play v Richmond.

Any idea why?