SSP Final Spot?

[THE_GUN]

hes 21

me too

 

[Groupie_]

just take lefeua who cares if hes 26

other guy wont ever get a game and will be delisted like bradtke u dont take tall forwards in the ssp

 

[Morro]

just take lefeua who cares if hes 26

other guy wont ever get a game and will be delisted like bradtke u dont take tall forwards in the ssp

I read somewhere he is only 21?

 

[Groupie_]

late candiate for ssp final spot

 

[Grrr]

I suppose this is the thing with footballers who don't really have precedents, like Lefau. There is no strong evidence that it will work, and not strong evidence that it won't work. So you give it a go. You might get a a final and win it because Lefau physically destroys a Tom Stewart or Lever or whoever, whist also having some score impact. I personally think we under-rate the value of specialised nullifiers and over-rate the need for your 16th 17th 18th most important ball user to be able to create scoring impact.

Exactly, he has a point of difference over just about every one else running around hoping to get on an AFL list.

The chances of finding another talent like Sydney Stack is rare, you are far more likely to find a Bradke. Why not try someone who has something different to offer, size, athleticism, speed and aggression. It's a long shot, but worth a punt.

 

[tigs2010]

I read somewhere he is only 21?

Heard he’s 15. Josh Giddey rates highly

 

[Groupie_]

maybe they are considering schofield cos big sexys season is already over

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

Has he ever dominated VFL? I cant recall a time he did?

Also very harsh on Mansell, actually just plain wrong mate

Define dominated? Not massive numbers but his impact for the team significantly outweighs those numbers.

Spot on re Mansell. By no means a superstar but has more tricks to his game then he gets credited for.

Mykelti Lefau (13 disposals, 12 tackles, five clearances)

"He was fantastic for us in the around the contest. He played as an on baller and led our team with 12 tackles. He's a real presence for us in there and his speed and power is certainly evident."

Mykelti Lefau (18 disposals, 17 contested possessions, nine tackles, four clearances)

"He was brilliant on the day. Seventeen contested possessions is a very high number, and also nine tackles. He was a real presence for us."

Mykelti Lefau (eight disposals, three clearances, three tackles)

"He's such an interesting player. We can use him in the ruck or up forward. Late in the game after not having a huge impact in the first three quarters, we threw him on ball and he just dominated the last quarter. I was really pleased with his efforts to help us get back into the game."

Mykelti Lefau (16 disposals, 10 tackles, five rebound-50s, four marks)

"He was enormous for us, particularly in the second half. His presence around the footy was fantastic. He's big, strong, physical and fast, and we're loving what he's bringing to our team."

Filau had some good game at the end of the year in the VFL, but no he never dominated. He is fairly new to the game but with his mental and physical approach who knows. Not advocating him playing round 1. He is training with us for a reason, they must see something in him.

Mansell played 17 games and 6 of them between 11 and 13 possessions, 11 games 10 and under.
6 of those games he had 0-1 tackle.
9 games with 0 goals, and 7 with 1. How is that forward craft.

I like Mansell, he could be a player up the ground, wing his best bet. But he is not a forward.

Five of those games he was the sub. Really need to change the thinking in regards to our small forwards based on what they had to work with this year in both grades. The corpse of Riewoldt and the statue of Bradkte.

I suppose this is the thing with footballers who don't really have precedents, like Lefau. There is no strong evidence that it will work, and not strong evidence that it won't work. So you give it a go. You might get a a final and win it because Lefau physically destroys a Tom Stewart or Lever or whoever, whist also having some score impact. I personally think we under-rate the value of specialised nullifiers and over-rate the need for your 16th 17th 18th most important ball user to be able to create scoring impact.

Im not sure this would be Lefau best role, I think he shown more as a clearance midfielder who size and pace is rare even at AFL level. No idea if he could run out a game there at AFL level but this is the part of his game that excites me and I dare say is why he has been given the opportunity to fight for a spot on our list.

 

[Coach_Required]

Cant wait to see how 8 disposals, 3 clearances and 3 tackles in the VFL goes in an AFL match.

Oppo teams will be shitting themselves when he runs out with his big guns.

 

[Muddiemoose]

Cant wait to see how 8 disposals, 3 clearances and 3 tackles in the VFL goes in an AFL match.

Oppo teams will be shitting themselves when he runs out with his big guns.

Yup
Seen better players at vfl level struggle to make the leap
Townsend is probably the closest comparison in terms of skill set as well and he was absolutely dominant at vfl level but could never consistently play at afl level at multiple clubs

 

[Coach_Required]

Yup
Seen better players at vfl level struggle to make the leap
Townsend is probably the closest comparison in terms of skill set as well and he was absolutely dominant at vfl level but could never consistently play at afl level at multiple clubs

Sorry, I shouldn't be so critical but when I see a stat like that and the comment being he dominated the last quarter I cant help it. What did he do for the first 3 quarters? Was he late to the game or slept in?

 

[Grrr]

Cant wait to see how 8 disposals, 3 clearances and 3 tackles in the VFL goes in an AFL match.

Oppo teams will be shitting themselves when he runs out with his big guns.

His tackling is through the roof. You think Townsend was hard. With a preseason of AFL as opposed to coming off an ACL last year, he did very well at VFL at times. He is as quick as anyone and 195cm / 95kg of rugby type aggression. Yes opposition team will be shitting themselves, a lot of VFL players were.

 

[Frustrated Tiger]

Cant wait to see how 8 disposals, 3 clearances and 3 tackles in the VFL goes in an AFL match.

Oppo teams will be shitting themselves when he runs out with his big guns.

Replicate those numbers in the AFL and he'll get 3 Votes.... just ask Horney Francis...

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

Yup
Seen better players at vfl level struggle to make the leap
Townsend is probably the closest comparison in terms of skill set as well and he was absolutely dominant at vfl level but could never consistently play at afl level at multiple clubs

For a player like Lefau its not so much about making the leap. His an impact player regardless of what level of competition he is playing he isn't ever going to have big numbers and his game isn't reliant on numbers in the first place. It's more a question of whether there is a sustainable role for him at AFL level.

Majority of the time recruiting from the state leagues you're not recruiting the best players but the players most likely to make the transition to AFL. Most success stories come from guys like Stewart, Baker, Broad among many others who are largely considered role players and not the ones kicking big bags or racking up 30 touches a game.

Townsend is the closest comparison in terms of skill set but if were 8cms taller, 10kgs heavier and ran 2.79 over 20m he would have been more effective in the role he played at AFL level.

Sorry, I shouldn't be so critical but when I see a stat like that and the comment being he dominated the last quarter I cant help it. What did he do for the first 3 quarters? Was he late to the game or slept in?

Does it really matter? He most likely played his role for the first three quarters then was asked to perform a different role in the last in which he excelled and helped the team win.

 

[Coach_Required]

Does it really matter? He most likely played his role for the first three quarters then was asked to perform a different role in the last in which he excelled and helped the team win.

Does it matter?
Played his role?
Come off it. LOL

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

Does it matter?
Played his role?
Come off it. LOL

What do you want him to do? He played deep forward for three quarters with poor supply but for the most part got the ball to ground while having a hand in a couple of goals. Then when he went into midfield he had a big impact.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

For a player like Lefau its not so much about making the leap. His an impact player regardless of what level of competition he is playing he isn't ever going to have big numbers and his game isn't reliant on numbers in the first place. It's more a question of whether there is a sustainable role for him at AFL level.

Majority of the time recruiting from the state leagues you're not recruiting the best players but the players most likely to make the transition to AFL. Most success stories come from guys like Stewart, Baker, Broad among many others who are largely considered role players and not the ones kicking big bags or racking up 30 touches a game.

Townsend is the closest comparison in terms of skill set but if were 8cms taller, 10kgs heavier and ran 2.79 over 20m he would have been more effective in the role he played at AFL level.



Does it really matter? He most likely played his role for the first three quarters then was asked to perform a different role in the last in which he excelled and helped the team win.

Perfect summary in this and your earlier posts. There are reasons they are looking at Lefau. There are clearly also reasons he was not taken in the rookie draft already. The club is clearly trying to find a low cost tall forward alternative. Bauer, Bradtke, Koschitzke, Fawcett and now Lefau and now Schofield are all about trying to find a player or two who can first fill roles to complement Lynch, and later perform roles next to our next gun key forward.

- Bradtke was released as he just didn't have the game for AFL football, and did not improve sufficiently under a full time training regime.

- Fawcett is not going to be a genuine AFL level player for about 5 years and a 26yo might dovetail nicely with his career.

- Bauer is more a player who wants to find the footy than crash packs or supply pressure to create opportunities for others, so may mainly only be used forward when we need to urgently find a goal kicker.

- Koschitzke is a genuine second aerial target, but is no certainty to make the grade.

- Schofield and Lefau seem to me to be 2 very contrasting types being trialled to put another iron in the fire for these roles. So the club is using the SSP to trial them both to see how they fit in to drills etc over the pre-season. There is the option to take either, or neither if they look clearly below the level required, or in the less likely event if they both looked great then finding a way to take both of them.

Lefau is very different to all of these other guys. He can play as a pressure forward with size, a forward half stoppage player, or he can possibly be used to mess up opposition interceptors. Due to his size he can also compete in the air, particularly in tandem with a genuine marking target like Lynch. I doubt he would be used as a midfield staple, but if we needed some size in there he could certainly provide it. And he can also provide a back-up ruck option in certain situations. He is not going to be the whole answer but rather a player who gives the team some different answers to throw at the problem. He absolutely has to have upside from what he showed in 2023 playing part of the season off an ACL. And it must also be remembered with a player like him, there was very little footy for him to play in 2020-21 due to COVID, so he is not like your traditional 26yo who you think if he was any good he would have shown up by now. Due to COVID and his ACL he did not have the opportunity.

 

[Bojangles17]

It worked for Townsend who didn't really have a better career due to lack of pace, a bit like Caddy. The skillset was there, but pace killed them. Lefau might not have their skillset, but at 195cm he is a target and his pace at ground level would worry any defender.

Not sure he would be a small forward, more medium to big if he was asked to play that way. Stick him at FF, an old fashioned lead out and make them earn it full forward, Plugger style.

Looking at his numbers he only averages 2 marks a game so clearly not his strong suit , he looked to have a good last month at VFL

 

[Grrr]

Looking at his numbers he only averages 2 marks a game so clearly not his strong suit , he looked to have a good last month at VFL
View attachment 1863555

A target not necessarily a marking one. At 195cm with a big spring he can at least have the ball kicked to him and bring it to ground.

 

[tora tora tora]

Yup
Seen better players at vfl level struggle to make the leap
Townsend is probably the closest comparison in terms of skill set as well and he was absolutely dominant at vfl level but could never consistently play at afl level at multiple clubs

We had Bradkte this year let that player go to Port. played a game or 2. Narkle
We probably need Bradkte replacement in the VFL anyhow.

Reward LeFau. MAYBE he gets a AFL game. MAYBE he's not rubbish

 

[Muddiemoose]

We had Bradkte this year let that player go to Port. played a game or 2. Narkle
We probably need Bradkte replacement in the VFL anyhow.

Reward LeFau. MAYBE he gets a AFL game. MAYBE he's not rubbish

I’m not for or against LeFau I just have reservations about the type of player he is and if he can make the jump up to the next grade and also what his role might be
I rate him at vfl level and love what he brings but like I said I’m not convinced it will translate to afl level

Likewise for the young bloke from WA I’m not for or against it and I’ll happily back whoever the club picks

 

[Morro]

I’m not for or against LeFau I just have reservations about the type of player he is and if he can make the jump up to the next grade and also what his role might be
I rate him at vfl level and love what he brings but like I said I’m not convinced it will translate to afl level

Likewise for the young bloke from WA I’m not for or against it and I’ll happily back whoever the club picks

He sounds like he would be a great tagger if he had the tank, now that is something we dont have and a beast in size with a nasty streak would be delicious, that said, I still think he's too old.

 

[Charlie Pannam]

His tackling is through the roof. You think Townsend was hard. With a preseason of AFL as opposed to coming off an ACL last year, he did very well at VFL at times. He is as quick as anyone and 195cm / 95kg of rugby type aggression. Yes opposition team will be shitting themselves, a lot of VFL players were.

You nailed it. Only other thing I’d add is his leadership qualities. Players look up to him and definitely walk taller when he’s playing.
I’m a little surprised he has been invited to train for the spot, however he was getting better with each game after that ACL. So maybe we think there’s further development in a AFL program

 

[fargothegreat]

You nailed it. Only other thing I’d add is his leadership qualities. Players look up to him and definitely walk taller when he’s playing.
I’m a little surprised he has been invited to train for the spot, however he was getting better with each game after that ACL. So maybe we think there’s further development in a AFL program

He doesn't really project as an AFL level key forward, but there's scope for us to explore using him as a mid or a hybrid tall pressure forward imo.

 

[Grrr]

He doesn't really project as an AFL level key forward, but there's scope for us to explore using him as a mid or a hybrid tall pressure forward imo.

When Mihocek came on the scene what was he besides a battler. He's still a battler but every side in the league would play him because of what he brings in regard to attack on the ball and that he clears a path for more skilled players. He averages 10.7 possessions a match, not much, but he hurts sides.

I'm hoping that Kosi can be our Miocek this year, and Lefau can do it in the VFL and if he gets a gig in the end, backup AFL.
Or we bring him in when we play Carlton to stand toe to toe with Cripps and show him how rubgy players tackle.