Traded James Aish (2013-2015)

[Haso]

Drafted in the 2013 National Draft pick number 7

Height: 184
Drafted from: Norwood

 

[Haso]

 

[Haso]

 

[JasRulz63]

2013 draft prospect: James Aish

Aish is Norwood football royalty. He is the son of former Redlegs midfielder Andrew Aish, the nephew of 1981 Magarey Medallist Michael Aish and the grandson of former skipper Peter Aish. If those credentials weren't enough, in 2013 James broke a SANFL record by becoming the youngest Norwood player in 134 years to debut at league level. The silky midfielder is expected to be picked up as high as number two on November 21, behind the highly-rated Tom Boyd. Recruitment managers have long been impressed with Aish's disposal efficiency on both sides of the body and his ability in heavy traffic. Like Ollie Wines, Aish could feature heavily in his first year in the AFL system after a long apprenticeship of senior football. He was 16 on his SANFL debut and in his time at Norwood has learned what it's like to play against bigger bodies. Aish received All-Australian honours in both 2012 and 2013 and is perhaps the best midfield option in this year's draft.

 

[Ironmonger]

Geez our moderators are on the ball, aren't they?

 

[JasRulz63]

29 days to the draft: Meet gun prospect James Aish

James plays like a natural footballer, too. The South Australian midfielder was named in the under-18 All Australian team the past two years, and overcame a shoulder reconstruction to play an important role for Norwood towards the end of this season. He is a wingman who runs the ball up and down the ground, sees the game unfold in front of him, and is a likely early pick at the NAB AFL Draft.

 

[Dylan12]

Looks like you've had this thread in the holster for some time Haso.

 

[lionshine]

What a draft steal! Welcome James

 

[Haso]

Aish may not need to use his return ticket from Gold Coast
November 20, 2013
Reece Homfray

NORWOOD young gun James Aish will fly to the Gold Coast for Thursday night's AFL National Draft and that's where he might be staying.
With Victorians Tom Boyd and Josh Kelly all but locked in for the top two selections, Aish could fall anywhere from picks three to seven including to the Suns who have pick five.
He has met with St Kilda which has pick three "a few times" but the Saints and Western Bulldogs who have pick four are believed to be keen on two other Victorians.
It means Aish could land at Gold Coast after spending a week living with Suns captain Gary Ablett this season as part of the AIS program.

 

[Haso]

Looks like you've had this thread in the holster for some time Haso.

Bang.

 

[JasRulz63]

Two flags by 17 but the best is yet to come for footballer James Aish
November 16, 2013
Reece Homfray

FOR the last minute of this year's SANFL grand final, James Aish stood in the middle of AAMI Stadium looking around the stands and taking it all in.

Wearing the red and blue Norwood guernsey worn famously by his father, uncle and grandfather, Aish relished what was almost certainly the last time he would wear it for years.

There was a hint of sadness, but he realised two premierships by the age of 17 wasn't a bad way to bow out before what will hopefully be a long and successful AFL career.

"Even as the game was ending I was thinking about that," Aish said.

"Obviously it's been a big part of my life already, I grew up wanting to play for Norwood and I'm very proud I've been able to tick that off.

"But it's an exciting opportunity coming up and I think it will be a fantastic experience and learning curve and hopefully I will develop myself and love whatever club I get to."

 

[Scubaveg]

Nice work [Haso].



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JasRulz63]

All eyes on teen star James Aish rated one in a thousand
October 02, 2013
Courtney Walsh

JAMES Aish is yet to join an AFL club but already he boasts reviews most players can only dream of.
After becoming the youngest debutant ever for SANFL club Norwood last year -- he was 16 and 144 days old -- his poise through 2012 saw one talent scout dub him a "one in a 1000 player" who was better at the same age than Carlton star Bryce Gibbs.
Luckily, those in the know say Aish is as balanced off the field as he is with ball in hand for the Redlegs. That hasn't saved him from having to dig into his pocket this season due to the publicity he has received in the local media.

 

[JasRulz63]

 

[JasRulz63]

Aish: up for any challenge
April 17, 2013
Emma Quayle

James Aish couldn't help it. He was small, he was skinny and he was skilful, but he had spent all day in the back pocket, barely kicking the ball. He was only 11, but he used to dress up in his father's old football jumpers, booting balls around the tennis court and calling his own plays. So when his name wasn't announced at the end of a three-day trial to make South Australia's under-12 state side, he wasn't happy. ''When you don't get chosen,'' he said, ''it hurts a bit. I think I went home in tears, that day.''

That all happened five years ago. This year, Aish should be one of the first few players picked in the national draft. That's because, last year, he started in Norwood's senior side, stayed there and played in a premiership at age 16.

 

[JasRulz63]

Path to the draft: James Aish
November 4, 2013
Brett Anderson

“Realistically, I’m more of the outside on a wing or half back type,” he said.

“I’d like to develop into an onballer with a bit of extra size.”

“Mum and Dad would prefer to have me at home as any parent would but they are accepting of it and are excited for me and will support me no matter what,” he said.

“I’ll just be excited to get an opportunity.”

 

[SizeMatters]

Class act on and off the field. Cannot wait to see him in the Lions gear.

 

[JasRulz63]

Live blog with Aish
November 17, 2013

James - how challenging was it to come back and play for SA at the under-18s from your team at Norwood? Was there any extra pressure on you to perform given what you'd achieved at a higher level? Also, what was Nathan Bassett like as a coach and in what ways did he help your footy?

The circumstances made it a bit different this year coming back from the shoulder surgery but the difference in game plan was the major factor. I had high expectations leading into the champs personally and didn't fulfil them. I couldn't speak any higher of Bass- he has the best footy brain I have come across and his ability to pick up on things and tweak certain aspects of our gameplan was incredible. Personally he assisted me with goals to work on and through watching vision with him he provided me with ways to do things better.

How did you guys enjoy being part of the AIS Squad? What was Michael O'Loughlin like? What benefit did you get out of the trip to Europe?

James: The program was a great experience. I really respect Micky O as a person and a coach - he was tough but fair which is how it should be. Through the trip to Europe I think I was able to develop as a person and experience as close as possible what a professional training camp would be like.

How nervous are you about Thursday night? How are your mothers feeling about what might happen to you?

James: I have fluctuated between nerves and excitement. I feel as if I am ready to get to a club and I am looking forward to the challenge. I'm the youngest of four - my brothers have already moved out of home and my sister has travelled so we are all pretty independent which will probably make it a bit easier on both Mum and Dad if I am to move.

To James, Which current AFL player do you compare yourself to? How do you look in black and white? Cheers.

I love the way Scott Pendlebury plays, especially his composure, movement through traffic and skill execution. They are some things I pride myself on. It would take a bit of getting used to as Norwood's traditional rival (Port magpies) are black and white! Any colours would be great though!

Hey James, Congrats on winning a 2nd premiership. Well deserved.
Interested to know what parts of your game you have been looking to improve on? And how many hours on average a week goes into training & preparing for a game?

Hi Chris. I have been and continue to work on my contested side of the game as well as becoming more dangerous up forward. Upwards of 10 hours per week of training and preparation would go into each game including meetings, physio, injury prevention etc as well as the pre game routine.

 

[JasRulz63]

Knightmare's phantom draft

#6 Collingwood (Via West Coast) - James Aish (SA – Mid/Def)

Height: 183cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 08/11/1995
Recruited from: Norwood
Style: Trent Cotchin
Player comparison: Jarrad McVeigh
Range: 4-10
Profile: Aish is an elite user of the footy and just has more time and space than the next player. He’s proven in the SANFL for a number of years now that he’s made of AFL stuff and will have a long career in the AFL as someone I’d class as a probable 250 gamer. In space, in traffic, it doesn’t matter for Aish. He has rare composure and continues to make the right decisions and never seems rushed with the extra time and space he seems to have. By both hand or foot he consistently he uses it well and is one of the more duel sided players you’ll see at this young age rarely missing a target. He also has excellent vision and lowers his eyes finding the correct target every time making him a threat whenever he kicks it into the forward 50. Aish is a strong mark overhead for his size and has a strong 1v1 game despite his lean build and can also pose a threat when he pushes forward. Aish is an impressive athlete with his ability burst out of traffic with the pill, to sidestep and has a real burst of speed on him in a straight line also. He just so naturally takes on the game and seems to enjoy it and can generate that drive with his run and carry. Aish still needs to get stronger but that will come. He’s one of the relatively younger players in this draft and has played and played well against more mature opposition and even handled the tag well so he’s not something to be concerned about. Despite his lean build he is not a soft outside player and is very willing to get his hands dirty and go hard when it’s his turn but he looks more likely to settle on a wing or back flank as he’s not going to be a clearance king or a monster contested ball winner at the next level with what most likely will remain a relatively lean build but he doesn’t have to be with the rest of his game complete. Aish is one of the lowest risk players in this draft looking at what he’s done against senior SANFL competition and I have no question he’ll be one of the very best to come out of this draft. Also comes from a very famous South Australian football family and has it in his blood.

Quigley's phantom draft

11 West Coast

West Coast need to add some class through the midfield and Aish should be able to give them that. They could also use some pace but he really would not help much there. Still if he was on the table it’s hard to see West Coast passing him by even if I see them lining up Sheed or Acres to be taken here.

James Aish
DOB 8/11/95 Ht 184 Wt 74

I feel like I am killing bambi or something by actually not being overly enthused with Aish and thinking there are quite a few in this draft who I would take ahead of him. Aish seems universally lauded and whilst that usually does not worry me too much the sheer amount of positive feedback that comes from those who play with him does make me think I could easily be wrong about him. All the SA guys seem to rate him as the best player in their team and you regularly hear him described as a "Rolls Royce" or similar. Aish was the clear stand out of this class at under 16 level and like Rich and Darling who were in similar positions he also seemed to plateau in his draft year. It is entirely possible that like those two he could fall a bit in this draft and also like them, when he is challenged in an AFL environment, step up to the occasion and shows why he was so highly regarded.

There is definitely some class about his game but I tend to think a lot of his flaws are being overlooked. Empirically he is a slight, outside player who has trouble dealing with a tag even at under 18 level. He is not really an option either up forward or down back and through the middle he does not win his own ball. He is not as quick as he thinks he is, nor is his disposal skills as consistently fantastic as you have heard they are.

Okay in a bit more depth. Aish is not a purely outside player in that he goes to ruck contests. But he does so as a receiver rather than as a clearance winner. Occasionally a tap will fall his way and he will pick up a clearance but mostly he will sit off the pack and try and receive from the inside mids. When he gets the ball he will look classy doing not a hell of a lot. He has a nice shimmy that he uses a bit and he backs his evasiveness more than he should. He is fairly elusive but again probably not as much as he thinks he is. He can burst away from a pack and I think he gets up to speed quickly although it seems to me that his top speed is anything to write home about. I saw him run down a few times at the Champs including from Salem who has speed of a tick under 3 secs for the 20m.

Why Aish gets so much attention is that he regularly brings out a “wow” play be it a moment of skill or judgment and people remember those moments. He will weave through traffic and deliver a wonderfully waited kick across his body to a player in stride amongst a couple of opposition and your jaw will drop. In between those moments though he shoots a lot of handballs to players who are in no position to do anything with them or he kicks is long to no-one in particular. He does seem to have time when he gets the ball but I don't rate his decision making that highly. He takes a lot of first options whether they are good or bad and even when something great comes off it often is a product of a great bit of skill rather than being a sensible option to take. A lot of these are not going to come off at AFL level and it will be interesting to see if he can adapt.

Another big concern is his ability to deal with attention. There was a lot of talk about him getting a hard tag at the Champs but honestly there were plenty of times when there was no-one in his vicinity and he just did not seem to be working hard enough to get into the play. He only averaged 16 disposals per game at the Champs and was returning about the same in the SANFL in the games I saw the stats for. There were reports of him being tagged at SANFL level as well but I can't say whether that is the truth or not. He seems to have a pretty good endurance but does he have a good feel for where to run to receive on the outside or is his lack of possession a function of work rate? When he gets the ball on the outside he is a nice mover and when he has time his use of the ball is improved.

Aish had surgery on his shoulder at the end of last year to tighten it up and was slow to get into things this year and this probably did slow things a bit for him at the Champs. As Fyfe has shown shoulders can cause ongoing problems and this is something else which should be noted when assessing him. Aish needs to build up strength and bulk with him currently being only 74kgs and I worry that he will not ever really have much of either given he has been been an elite program basically since he could walk.

Aish has won just about all the honours there are to win going along. Despite only averaging 16 disposals per game he was still selected in the All Australian team and was an AIS academy player. For Norwood he was their youngest ever player when he debuted for them at 16 and he was the youngest ever premiership player when they won last year.

I had high expectations going into the Champs last year and I came away disappointed. That was similarly the case this year and I honestly am having trouble getting excited about him and seeing what the fuss is about. Sure I have seen a game or two on tape where he has looked very good but whenever I have seen him live I have come away not overly enthused. At his best I would compare him to Nick Dal Santo who like Aish started his career with a significantly outside game and who had very good skills but struggled dealing with tags. Whoever picks him up will be hoping he develops like Dal Santo did.

Chris25's phantom draft

3. St Kilda - James Aish (183cm, 74kg midfielder - Norwood)

The top pure midfielder in the draft, Aish has been a star of the underage SANFL scene for a number of years now - he has also played in two senior grand finals, not looking out of place in either. Right from his league debut as a 16 year old, he has pretty much been spoken about as a potential #1 selection. And there is a good reason for such high acclaim. He already looks like a seasoned AFL player when he has the ball in hand. He has more time than anyone else on the field, seemingly always makes the right decision and uses the ball as well as anyone. It's his general football smarts and ability to work his way into space which makes him a better contested ball winner than his slight frame may lead you to believe. Gary Ablett is hardly a bull in at the centre bounces, but he can find the gaps better than anyone. So while Aish may largely be an outside player at first (which would be his only negative in my view) I think he'll become a complete midfielder in no time and will be someone to build a team around.

Footy Tragic's power rankings

#12 – JAMES AISH

Height: 184cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 8/11/1995
Recruited from: Norwood

James Aish has come with a big name and big expectations for almost three years now where he dominated the U/16’s National Carnival and was the competition’s MVP. He’s developed quite the portfolio, co-captaining the AIS squad in 2012 and then in 2012 he became the youngest player to ever play at SANFL league level. He didn’t look out of place there, averaging 18 disposals from his 16 games at 83% efficiency. His Grand Final performance locked him in as a top prospect when he gathered 26 disposals and kicked a goal. He was also selected in the All-Australian team last year where he had a pretty good National Carnival averaging 22 disposals (16 uncontested), six marks and playing all five matches. Aish is now a two-time premiership player at SANFL level, averaging 17 disposals from his eight games this season. He’s really done it all.

So with such a record, why is he not at number one in these rankings? Well firstly, I’ve openly admitted that I’m not as high on Aish as others for a couple of years now and not much has happened to change my mind. Secondly, I’ve still got him at #12 in a decently talented draft pool around this range. I’m just not of the opinion that he is the second coming of Jesus Christ like many have proclaimed him to be from a very young age and to be honest I think the hype is unfair on him. Former coaches and anyone else that has been involved with Aish over his junior career have been coming out and calling him a ‘one in a thousand’ player. They might think they’re doing him a favour, but seriously, let him play an AFL game first because it’s a totally different ball game.

Aish slowed up this season and that partially had to do with his shoulder surgery at the end of last season. He still managed to play 13 games (eight at SANFL level and five at the Champs) but his production was well down. James Aish is a bit like Nathan Freeman to me (not a player comparison) in that I feel like I’m missing out on something and every time I finish watching a game I’m left scratching my head trying to figure out what all the fuss is about. I’m going to give him a bit of a pass due to the shoulder surgery and the fact he was tagged at stages this season, but at the same time he was fit enough to play senior footy in a premiership side. His Championships were nothing short of disappointing and I felt the same way with his SANFL season where he was outshone by teammate Trent Dumont in my opinion. Aish did face some tags in the SANFL and at some times during the Champs, which is a compliment, so I’m not going to mark him down, but he will need to get used to it, and I think he will struggle against the tag at the next level unless he adds new strings to his bow which I’ll explain.

You’ve probably heard it a thousand times, but I’ll say it again, and that is that Aish is a classy player. He evens looks classy when he does nothing. He operates at very high efficiency levels and has done so right throughout his career. I don’t think he’s particularly damaging with his disposals though, in that he doesn’t exactly break the lines and zones or smack a 60m pass down the flank, he just hits the targets he’s expected to hit and that’s fine. With ball in hand and out in space Aish moves smoothly and he’s got the trademark sidestep, a bit like Nick Dal Santo. Aish loves the give-and-go, but he’s got a terrible habit of handballing to stationary targets when under pressure. Aish looks like a number one pick in space but when the heat is on I think his effectiveness comes right down. I don’t agree with the Bryce Gibbs comparisons at all. Gibbs is a much better kick and has the inside game that I struggle to see Aish ever developing.

Aish is very much an uncontested player and as I’ve mentioned in other profiles, I do have time for these types as they play a role every team needs but naturally I’m not going to rate them higher than players who get the ball themselves, do both, or have other tricks. Aish will go in and get if he has to but it’s not his natural game and he’s just too small to have any sort of major impact in there. As I mentioned before, Aish faced taggers this season, which would’ve been a good experience for him. He’s going to have to get used to it because I don’t think the taggers will go away any time soon and I’m not sure he will deal with them too well and that’s not a whack, it’s just that there aren’t too many outside players that do. Andrew Gaff was completely nullified for an entire season this year.

I don’t have any athletic results on Aish, but I’d guess and says he’s above average in agility, speed and endurance. He whips through traffic nicely (just has to put that stationary handball away) and his top speed looks very good. His endurance doesn’t seem elite but I could well be wrong.

The one other issue I have with Aish is that he’s very skinny and I don’t think he’ll get that much bigger. He’s been in an elite environment for almost two years and not much has changed and the other Aish’s weren’t the biggest boys either. This could present some problems with his shoulder. He really needs to put on some strength.

I was very high on Jimmy Toumpas last year, and I was quite shattered when he got drafted to Melbourne because I knew he’d struggle a little bit in a bad team. I see Aish as a bit the same. I don’t see him as a player you build a team around, he’s more the icing on the cake. I’ve plucked out some AFL midfielders that have a very similar uncontested possession to contested possession rate to James Aish in not an effort to compare them but just to see how his ratio could hold up if he continues on the same track; Brent Stanton, Dustin Martin, Brent Harvey, Sam Gibson, Shaun Grigg, Mitch Duncan, Farren Ray, Brandon Ellis, Isaac Smith, Lachie Whitfield, Tom Scully, Sam Mayes and Brad Hill.

He’d be a very good addition to a team like Collingwood or the Western Bulldogs (because of their mass amount of inside midfielders). Overall I don’t mind Aish, and the fact he’s at #12 on this list is evidence of that, but I do hold some concerns and I think that’s largely got to do with which team he goes to. He’ll be a very good player in a good team but don’t be surprised if he takes a short while (or a very long time) to find his feet. He could go either way.

Snoop Dog's phantom draft

#10 Collingwood

James Aish – Norwood / 184cm / 75kg / ‘95
Exceptional talent who has done everything asked of him at every level to date. Is a kid who just looks effortless when playing and makes incredibly good choice’s. His awareness, his decision making, ball use and ability to do things in traffic are what you notice with this kid. He is elite at each of them. I think he will end up a midfielder but there is scope for him to play off a wing, HB or HF as he oozes class. Coming off shoulder issues which I think will have certainly impacted him through the year at Champs so wouldn’t assume you saw the best of him there. If you want vision of how good he is go back and have a look at him in last year’s SANFL GF as a bottom ager! Kid has talent to burn.

Why and who else: I think he might get past the Lions. Collingwood will be rapt if he does. Salem, Lennon, Freeman and Sheed should all be on their dance card and so should McCarthy.

Offsider's phantom draft

Pick 4: Western Bulldogs– James Aish

Height: 183cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 08/11/1995
Club: Norwood (SA)

The Bulldogs pick up the next best player on my list and the one of the classiest players in the draft imo in James Aish. He is a smooth wingman, who is capable of winning his own ball on the inside, but his spread from the contest, willingness to run to space, ability to run with the ball, and excellent disposal and elite disposal efficiency make him an excellent prospect going forward. I expect that he might start slowly next year, but he will improve and he will show flashes of brilliance still. He does need to improve his inside game a fair bit as he hangs around the outside of contests a lot, yet he has the ability to cleanly win his own ball. Aish projects as an elite wing at AFL level. At the U18 champs he was a little underdone and did not average huge disposal numbers, but when he did get the ball he used it exceptionally and he was super efficient. He has also has some great for at SANFL senior level, and shown off his footy smarts, ability to win the ball and elite disposal skills. For the Bulldogs he will be excellent with their inside ball winners and provide a lot of class on the outside.

Strengths

• Skills – Aish has elite skills, his kicking is very good, he makes good decisions and although not a penetrating kick he seems to weight his passes very well. Aish always seems to pick the right option, especially with his handballs and puts the player in a great position most of the time.
• Athleticism – Aish is a smooth athlete who whilst probably not elite is still able to break the lines and evade players with his combination of speed and agility. Aish seems to have decent endurance, he gut runs well, gets to the right spots and just continues to spread from the contest.
• Footy IQ – Aish has excellent footy IQ, he makes great decisions with the ball and rarely gives the ball away. He runs to the right spots and is really clever with his angled running so he can be spotted up for a short chip pass. Aish just possess all round footy smarts and will just continue to make excellent decisions.
• Hurt factor – Aish has high hurt factor due to his disposal efficiency and ability to deliver the ball cleanly inside 50. Additionally Aish is also good at creeping forward and kicking goals, although this could improve a little bit.
• Outside Game – Aish has a terrific outside game, in that he finds the ball well and uses it efficiently. He reads the game really well and just finds space to lead up take an uncontested mark or receive a handball. Once he has it then he hits his target whether a short option or long option he makes the right decision and executes.

Weaknesses/ Areas of Improvement

• Inside/contested ability – Aish is capable of winning the ball on the inside and is a solid contested player but he could improve this area a little. The potential is there and once he gets stronger with his ability to move through traffic I expect that he will improve in this area.
• Marking – Aish is a solid mark, yet don’t expect him to become an elite overhead mark for a mid.
• Defensive game – Aish could stand to improve his tackling a bit. This could be in part due to his shoulder though.
• Ball winning – Aish is not a huge ball winner, and he needs to consistently find more of the ball imo. When he finds a fair bit of it he is really damaging. He can also be tagged quite easily out of games. This should improve as he improves his inside game imo, and it is a result of his preference for uncontested ball.

 

[rockypls]

@MitchGolby
Welcome @JamesAish to the @brisbanelions .. If he's anything like @sammayes7 as a bloke we'll have a good one #minustheselfies #GOLIONS

 

[13Beast]

A few knocks on him by those more in the know, but listening to him speak (especially about his injury) he sounds like the type who will accept that nothing is a given and should knuckle down and work hard to improve his game. In a way, on draft night, you see a bunch of kids, all with the ability to be super-stars, but the big clincher is how hard are they willing to work. Again, from only a couple vids its hard to judge, but he certainly seems level-headed and grounded about it all (plus his Dad and uncle I am sure will keep him in-line )

 

[lionshine]

I still am just so stoked that Aish slipped to 7! I think the Dogs will regret passing on him at pick 4. Rated as a top 3 talent all year, I am getting flashbacks to Richy sliding to pick 7 in 2008. Aish is the player I wanted most all year and I think he will play a fair amount of games next year similar to Mayes as that outside, classy, cherry on top type of player. Once again, welcome to the mighty Lions den James

 

[pulpdriver]

Both Aish men look very happy; dad is absolutely beaming.

On a side note it's impossible to look at Rocky's stache without thinking Bom-chicky-wow-wow.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Both Aish men look very happy; dad is absolutely beaming.

On a side note it's impossible to look at Rocky's stache without thinking Bom-chicky-wow-wow.

His dad looks over the moon, the man himself does not.

 

[PattyKwasagun]

Aish's ABC Interview