U18 Champs Round 1 - WA vs Vic Metro

[LemmingMaster]

What about Warner?

He had a good game, just not sure he has AFL attributes.

On a side note Prior has a few moments that he may want back. I put a big cross through his name for AFL level, then he had a good second half to the game. He was a very tough player to judge for me.

 

[LemmingMaster]

LemmingMaster Dylan Williams was a late out so you must have mistaken him for another player

Also nice to see you have jumped on the Rivers bandwagon, I’ve liked him a lot since last year and at this stage a top 20 lock for me

Well that is good to know about Williams, I swear 23 was playing. If 23 was not playing, explains why I thought meh as I did not notice him.

 

[eDPS]

Well that is good to know about Williams, I swear 23 was playing. If 23 was not playing, explains why I thought meh as I did not notice him.

He and Newman where late outs for Sturgess and Honey. Safe to say that went in WA’s favour haha

 

[LemmingMaster]

Honey actually played okay.

 

[eDPS]

From AFL site

GOALS
Western Australia: Henry 3, Taylor 2, Johnson 2, Thorne 2, J. Jackson, Bennell, Rivers
Vic Metro: Worrell 4, Jones 2, Honey, Dean, Bianco, Rowell
BEST
Western Australia: Robertson, L. Jackson, Garcia, Rivers, Warner, Pasini
Vic Metro: Worrell, Rowell, Mott, Sturgess, Butler, McAsey

 

[LemmingMaster]

Anyone else at the game wanna give me their thoughts?

 

[eDPS]

Just finished watching the footage

My best players for each twam

WA
Robertson, Jackson, Rivers, Sharp, Henry, Johnson

Metro
Worrell, Butler, Rowell, Bryan, Bianco, McAsey

Anderson would have been in bests if he didn’t miss last quarter for Metro, thought it was an even contribution for WA with O’Driscoll, Ruscoe, Prior, Garcia and Taylor all playing well.

 

[Zurgblade]

Just finished watching the footage

My best players for each twam

WA
Robertson, Jackson, Rivers, Sharp, Henry, Johnson

Metro
Worrell, Butler, Rowell, Bryan, Bianco, McAsey

Anderson would have been in bests if he didn’t miss last quarter for Metro, thought it was an even contribution for WA with O’Driscoll, Ruscoe, Prior, Garcia and Taylor all playing well.

Do you have a link to the replay?

 

[Ravenhawke]

Just finished watching the footage

My best players for each twam

WA
Robertson, Jackson, Rivers, Sharp, Henry, Johnson

Metro
Worrell, Butler, Rowell, Bryan, Bianco, McAsey

Anderson would have been in bests if he didn’t miss last quarter for Metro, thought it was an even contribution for WA with O’Driscoll, Ruscoe, Prior, Garcia and Taylor all playing well.

Any links to footage???

 

[Zurgblade]

Found it


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Eastcoasteagle]

Found it


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Lovely work, good sir

 

[apuchar]

Found it


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Thank you very much

 

[Ravenhawke]

This was an absolutely ripping grab by the skipper early going back with the flight really set the tone for WA.

 

[LemmingMaster]

Just finished watching the footage

My best players for each twam

WA
Robertson, Jackson, Rivers, Sharp, Henry, Johnson

Metro
Worrell, Butler, Rowell, Bryan, Bianco, McAsey

Anderson would have been in bests if he didn’t miss last quarter for Metro, thought it was an even contribution for WA with O’Driscoll, Ruscoe, Prior, Garcia and Taylor all playing well.

Going to be interesting to watch this game on replay, I will get to see parts I missed.

 

[Ravenhawke]

Just finished watching the footage

Anderson would have been in bests if he didn’t miss last quarter for Metro, thought it was an even contribution for WA with O’Driscoll, Ruscoe, Prior, Garcia and Taylor all playing well.

I didn't really think Anderson played well at all, he's had some big games this year don't get me wrong and a clear top 3 pick....but from the first bounce against WA he looked slow, turned the ball over by foot way to many times and had little impact when he did get it.

Metro will get stomped by SA playing like this and may struggle against the Allies....how long if ever since a winless Metro carnival???

 

[BigDance]

Just finished watching the footage

My best players for each twam

WA
Robertson, Jackson, Rivers, Sharp, Henry, Johnson

Metro
Worrell, Butler, Rowell, Bryan, Bianco, McAsey

Anderson would have been in bests if he didn’t miss last quarter for Metro, thought it was an even contribution for WA with O’Driscoll, Ruscoe, Prior, Garcia and Taylor all playing well.

No love for Warner? He was named by the AFL as one of the best. I will watch the footage at some point today.

 

[theGav56]

WA players

Garcia - I loved his midfield work but his height may be a little issue but certainly is around the packs and his clean hands. Loved his game and helped WA get the ball forward and have first possession.
O'Driscoll - Maybe not AFL quality but I liked his work rate and effort.
Devon Robertson - I am sorry but not sure what Rowell does that this kid does not do? Such a good inside midfield that also works his butt off and runs both ways. I watched him work his butt off without the ball and was certainly BOG for me.
Ben Johnson - LONG kick and checky kickign two goals with handoffs from players outside 50m and almost had a third try but the WA player decided to kick the ball himself.
Sharp - The best kick for WA, great vision and looks like a prototype AFL player. So many ticks there, but his work rate without the ball is lacking currently and that may hinder his draft position. Not sure if it is a fitness issue or desire issue. I would not mind placing him as a HBF like Wilson and seeing how he goes this year, he played a heap of the wing and just did not work hard enough to help his defenders. (Harsh rating considering he has top 5 potential in my eyes if he had a great work rate)
Jai Jackson - A little meat and potatos midfielder that is always in and under the packs, someone to watch out for.
Taylor - I loved this kid. Almost was a main leading forward and not really his game. I would love to see him with a Jones/Worrell forward line. I think he would have dominated that forward line. Clean hands, smart player, just needs to be a little quicker with his action at times. I think the pace of the game was quicker than he is used to.
Ruscoe - A little short but my god he has great potential. Marking, kicking and work without the ball. Played on the big tall forward and was not terrible. Certainly a watch this space for me, would not mind seeing him move up the ground during the season.
Luke Jackson - Kruezer like game in my eyes and needs to work on his tap work and forward craft to make it. Read my previous post.
Rivers - Okay, this kid is my bandwagon and whoever gets him in the draft is going to get a bargain. I just have a feeling he will somehow drift to pick 20-40 because he just solid at everything. Then in years to come all those players picked before on potential will be busts and he will be a great player. Has midfield and defensive ability. Runs hard without the ball and finds space and knows where to run. WATCH THIS SPACE!

Thanks for the write up; WA has a solid group for this year's draft. I am especially liking the midfield options that will be well placed for Fremantle's first pick.

Elijah Taylor also sounds interesting, and perhaps a bit of x factor. Have you seen much of him before (I know he has been injured)? At AFL level what role do you see him playing?

 

[maccamk]

Just watched the replay. Who was number 6?

For the Freo fans I paid a lot of attention to Liam Henry. IMO was unlucky not to kick 5. Tackle that should have been holding the ball 20m out and being tripped/legged at top of goal score.

I suggest watching a passage from 1:55 a 1:57. His dribble kick through the defenders to a lead up forward was delicious.

Very hard to compare him but maybe a Stephenson from Collingwood?

 

[LemmingMaster]

Thanks for the write up; WA has a solid group for this year's draft. I am especially liking the midfield options that will be well placed for Fremantle's first pick.

Elijah Taylor also sounds interesting, and perhaps a bit of x factor. Have you seen much of him before (I know he has been injured)? At AFL level what role do you see him playing?

Taylor watching the replay was even better than I remembered. I think he will be a small forward at AFL level and super hard to match up on. I think he will be dangerous above his head and super dangerous on the ground. He is a super gifted player.

 

[philthy05]

Taylor watching the replay was even better than I remembered. I think he will be a small forward at AFL level and super hard to match up on. I think he will be dangerous above his head and super dangerous on the ground. He is a super gifted player.

On the road to the draft podcast someone from WA (coaching staff or something I forget) mentioned Taylor when asked to nominate a player to watch that might not be as well known as the other big names. He said clubs would love him. I went into the game watching for Taylor and didn't have to wait long with two excellently marks in 2 mins.

 

[philthy05]

Also this is looking a very excellent draft for small or medium forwards imo.

 

[Freezin]

After watching the replay I reckon Ruscoe was fantastic for WA in defence, hit the contest hard and worked well with his co defenders...real team effort from WA TBH...tho agree they do look undersized height wise up front and back, but make up for it with a shed load of pressure and harassment on / off the footy.

 

[Ysaye]

Anyone else at the game wanna give me their thoughts?

Wasn't at the game but I have watched the footage this morning. Just some initial thoughts / ramblings:

(1) Bianco - not familiar with watching him but just stood out as a player where there was some really good signs - I thought he was clean, ran both ways and displayed good skill and execution. Wouldn't surprise me if he is the one next year that everyone who had a pick in the top 10 says "why did we overlook him?". On my radar after that performance.
(2) Rowell - noticed him but not as much I thought I might. Still, would guess from what I did see that he has a huge workrate and probably had lots of possessions - probably no slippage there.
(3) Ruscoe - I know I said earlier in the week I thought it was 50/50% that he gets drafted but having said that I thought he showed enough to put himself into a very good position to be drafted (as a midsized backman / utility) if he can back that up. I just like his reading of the play and his defensive effort and he gets a lot of it.
(4) Garcia's showed some good skills on the run and he moves well both in and out of traffic which opens up a lot of roles at AFL level. Would be a nice pickup for some club in the 20s-30s.
(5) I really like the agility of (Luke) Jackson in the middle and around the grounds and together with his skills I just reckon he is what a lot of clubs will want with a modern ruckman. It felt like he played most of the game in the ruck, but he didn't seem to look that tired at the end of the day.
(6) I really like a lot of things about Robertson's game (huge work rate and got to a lot of contests, clean hands, good decisions) but is his speed (both movement and decision making) up to it at the next level? AFL is frantic and I just wonder if some of those handballs and / or kicks would not look as good under more pressure?
(7) Agree with those that said that Henry was trying to play from behind the man too much in the first quarter - when he fixed that up in the third he looked a lot better. He seemed a lot less vocal than other games I have seen him play in as well.
(8) I think you mentioned it LM, but I was a bit disappointed with some of Sharp's efforts when his opponent had the ball; there was not the same level of intensity. There were some great kicks from him though (although there was also that moment when he drilled a pass to a player who then handballed it back to him on the run which he then kicked it out of the full under no pressure at all!).

 

[LemmingMaster]

Watching Sharp live he certainly picked his moments to run and was not a hard working player. You then compare that to someone like Rowell and Robertson and they work their butts off constantly.

 

[BigDance]

Wasn't at the game but I have watched the footage this morning. Just some initial thoughts / ramblings:

(1) Bianco - not familiar with watching him but just stood out as a player where there was some really good signs - I thought he was clean, ran both ways and displayed good skill and execution. Wouldn't surprise me if he is the one next year that everyone who had a pick in the top 10 says "why did we overlook him?". On my radar after that performance.
(2) Rowell - noticed him but not as much I thought I might. Still, would guess from what I did see that he has a huge workrate and probably had lots of possessions - probably no slippage there.
(3) Ruscoe - I know I said earlier in the week I thought it was 50/50% that he gets drafted but having said that I thought he showed enough to put himself into a very good position to be drafted (as a midsized backman / utility) if he can back that up. I just like his reading of the play and his defensive effort and he gets a lot of it.
(4) Garcia's showed some good skills on the run and he moves well both in and out of traffic which opens up a lot of roles at AFL level. Would be a nice pickup for some club in the 20s-30s.
(5) I really like the agility of (Luke) Jackson in the middle and around the grounds and together with his skills I just reckon he is what a lot of clubs will want with a modern ruckman. It felt like he played most of the game in the ruck, but he didn't seem to look that tired at the end of the day.
(6) I really like a lot of things about Robertson's game (huge work rate and got to a lot of contests, clean hands, good decisions) but is his speed (both movement and decision making) up to it at the next level? AFL is frantic and I just wonder if some of those handballs and / or kicks would not look as good under more pressure?
(7) Agree with those that said that Henry was trying to play from behind the man too much in the first quarter - when he fixed that up in the third he looked a lot better. He seemed a lot less vocal than other games I have seen him play in as well.
(8) I think you mentioned it LM, but I was a bit disappointed with some of Sharp's efforts when his opponent had the ball; there was not the same level of intensity. There were some great kicks from him though (although there was also that moment when he drilled a pass to a player who then handballed it back to him on the run which he then kicked it out of the full under no pressure at all!).

I have to agree re Sharp. Someone mentioned he is the best kick in WA. By best I assume they mean long and not most accurate. He almost hacks it to anywhere. Definitely needs to run both ways, he loves to turn on the speed running forward but hardly ever accountable in defence. He looks to be a player who would like to watch his own replays.
Robertson is as honest as the day long. Quality written all over him. And Henry is a star in the making!