Player Watch Wayne Milera

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Redleg Crow said:
Ok, he's only 11 games into his career, so it is waaaaay too early say one way or the other what type of career he is going to have.

But right now I just wish I was seeing more from him that had me thinking "yep, he's going to rip apart a game one day"

I'm not seeing top level skill, run or determination. He's clearly not a dud, but he's a first round pick and needs to judged by that level. And right at the moment I feel like his game is a bit... nothing.

Too often we see him stand back while the tackle is there to be made, the defensive effort is very poor, and I'm not getting any sense of him making up for that by being a goal scorer.

I really want him to succeed, but right now I think he needs a good month against (generally) weaker sides to show us what he has.

Yes you need to give kids time to develop, but whereas with CC you'd see a spark of something - a tackle, a run, a kick - that would have you think "woah, if he can do that more often, he's going to be anything" I'm just not getting that with Milera.

Am I'm being too harsh? Too early (clearly it is)? But still, just feeling like I don't know where he is at.

Thoughts?

EDIT - want to make it clear I like him, and am certainly not saying we shouldn't have picked him. I guess this is more of a "what would you like to see more of from him" question... and perhaps a "do you think he will be able to deliver it"? I recall him laying some nice tackles, so not sure why he doesn't get stuck in more. Maybe does just need the confidence of more games?
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I see a spark for sure but I also see him standing around with his hands down his pants.

I love what he does when he has the ball but he needs to find alot more of it.

In his first pre season we were told he did most of the work and had to be held back so his fitness level is decent. I guess what I'm getting at is he has to work harder.
 
Southerntakeover said:
This is pretty shit a thread.
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No it's not. No one is shitting on the kid. But we want him to be a star - that's why he was drafted. So where is he at the moment? What does he need to work on? I'd like to actually see him take on the contest more, I think he is playing far too safe.

Of course he is young, we all know that, but young players have certain things that they show both good and bad - that they need to work on and that they need to exploit.
 
Milera is still a baby in terms of his football career. There is no doubt he has the talent. Is he going to be consistent? No, guys into the same stage of his career rarely are. I think a few here have forgotten his game against GWS.

Whilst we are winning, he keeps playing even if we have to carry him for a few games. He and we will be better for it in the long run.
 

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Elite Crow said:
Milera is still a baby in terms of his football career. There is no doubt he has the talent. Is he going to be consistent? No, guys into the same stage of his career rarely are. I think a few here have forgotten his game against GWS.

Whilst we are winning, he keeps playing even if we have to carry him for a few games. He and we will be better for it in the long run.
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Yep, I can definitely see that argument. FWIW this was my post in the changes for the Port games:
Redleg Crow said:
If we're going to drop Milera after 2 games, we might as well put up a sign saying "AFC: We don't develop talent"
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I don't think he'll benefit from the SANFL compared to playing Bombers, Tigers, GC and North, and doesn't deserve to be dropped either.

I guess I just want more in the Gameday threads to be writing "Milera! Cripes, he's going to be something special!"

I feel like I did that a lot in CC's early (relatively speaking) games.

Anyway, I like chatting about players - especially our top draft picks. We're mostly guessing on draft day about whether or not we think they'll be a gun, now we're got a good handful of games - AFL and SANFL for people to say, "yep, like what I see, but" etc or not.

And he IS the 5th favourite to win the Rising Star medal, so it's not like the view is we have a dud. (be nice to see a nomination as well in the next month)
 
Redleg Crow said:
Ok, he's only 11 games into his career, so it is waaaaay too early say one way or the other what type of career he is going to have.

But right now I just wish I was seeing more from him that had me thinking "yep, he's going to rip apart a game one day"

I'm not seeing top level skill, run or determination. He's clearly not a dud, but he's a first round pick and needs to judged by that level. And right at the moment I feel like his game is a bit... nothing.

Too often we see him stand back while the tackle is there to be made, the defensive effort is very poor, and I'm not getting any sense of him making up for that by being a goal scorer.

I really want him to succeed, but right now I think he needs a good month against (generally) weaker sides to show us what he has.

Yes you need to give kids time to develop, but whereas with CC you'd see a spark of something - a tackle, a kick to make you go wow, if he can do that more often, he's going to be anything" I'm just not getting that with Milera.

Am I'm being too harsh? Too early (clearly it is)? But still, just feeling like I don't know where he is at.

Thoughts?

EDIT - want to make it clear I like him, and am certainly not saying we shouldn't have picked him. I guess this is more of a "what would you like to see more of from him" question... and perhaps a "do you think he will be able to deliver it"? I recall him laying some nice tackles, so not sure why he doesn't get stuck in more. Maybe does just need the confidence of more games?
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If you haven't seen top level skill than I assume you haven't watched him much. He was definitely off tonight but already if there was a highlights package of what he has done this year his run, work in traffic and amazing skills would show. Just needs to have more influence on games. It'll come.
 
I think we leave him in until Brad is up and running, give him time to find his rhythm vs some of the softer teams.

Once Brad is ready to go it's a question of if he's done enough to hold his spot vs the other guys in our best 22.
 
Needs to go when it's his turn, which will happen once the size comes. Clearly good enough but needs to work on the consistency at the contest.

No big deal at this stage.
 
Big Gazoongas said:
I keep hearing this but he has some real deficiencies. He's a first round pick but he's a long way off what Lever was giving us when he first started playing games.

Right now I see a lot of over rating of this kid.
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His skill level is among the best in the squad, you don't do what he did at SANFL level as a kid without talent. He just hasn't quite adjusted to the toughness yet.

I'm not too concerned but he does need to improve.
 
The Sloane Ranger said:
Unfortunately It's a little more than inconsistency, he is quickly becoming bit of a squib at the contest
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After watching some of the highlights there is a play where i have to agree about squibing.

2nd quarter ball gets kicked to the Powder forward line. Milera jumps up to go for the ball then ducks as if he's hearing footsteps, ball goes passed him and Port score.

Now it could have been the angle of the camera but it looked like an ordinary attempt at best.
 

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hey shorty said:
His skill level is among the best in the squad, you don't do what he did at SANFL level as a kid without talent. He just hasn't quite adjusted to the toughness yet.

I'm not too concerned but he does need to improve.
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I get what your saying but he cant serve this garbage up if we are playing finals. What he doesnt do will mean others need to take up the slack.

I have real concerns about his lack of pressure on the ball carrier so early in his career. It must be a focus of his development.
 
It's odd, but he seems to have less intent and poorer skills than he had when he joined us. Seems to be lacking in confidence. Maybe needs to adjust to the big stage and playing with the big boys. From what we've seen in the SANFL, he has bucket loads of talent. Needs to apply himself and soon or he'll be back to the Magoos.
 
Big Gazoongas said:
I get what your saying but he cant serve this garbage up if we are playing finals. What he doesnt do will mean others need to take up the slack.

I have real concerns about his lack of pressure on the ball carrier so early in his career. It must be a focus of his development.
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Agree with that, he has to improve that area significantly
 
TheLeftFist8 said:
Definitely should be kept in the side but needs a 'man conversation' this week.
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Normally agree with you Lefty but not this time - Milera is a kid a long way from home, physically a light weight with tons of pace and raw talent who has played 11 games and is typically inconsistent - particularly on the big stage. He needs a season with Eddie and Anna with veg hidden in his burgers.
 
fairfooty said:
Yeah he did IIRC - but happy to agree to disagree. :)
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He may have done but he generally went when he needed to. Milera doesn't like the contest, he's being covered by the improvement of others.

IMO he's at risk when Brouch returns and we can push Hampton outside a little bit more
 
Was very timid last night. Stayed out of a few contests. Seemed very unsure of himself.

I thought he was quite good the first two rounds. Needs more hardness and most of all more fitness. He was caught out a few times where he was just knackered and had no pace after a second effort.
 
Redleg Crow said:
he's a first round pick and needs to judged by that level.
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I've never understood this line of thinking. A player should be judged on whether he's good enough to stay in the squad, and then if he's good enough to be best 22. Once you're in the squad where you got picked becomes irrelevant. You're either good enough or you're not.
 
Has anyone here spoken to Milera? If you have you would notice he is quite immature. He comes across as a 15 year old. That's not putting shit on him, just he is quite young and might take a few years to harden up.
There were a couple of players last night who squibbed it up. Out of our young ones, Knight, Crouch, CC are the ones who are hard at the ball and man. Atkins, Milera are still a little soft. That's why when the heats on early in a game they are non existent, but when it slows down and opens up they come out to play.
 

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Player Watch Wayne Milera

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