Toast Welcome to Fremantle Neil Erasmus (pick 10 2021 AFL Draft)

[Taylor]

Andy Brayshaw averaged 16 Ppg over his first year (17 games)

And he is the player Erasmus should seek to replicate. Inside to outside hard working mid.

Erasmus only needs to put in a few of those never give up hard running chase efforts that lead to a tackle and he will be a fan favourite.

 

[apuchar]

Do people actually remember this game or just his couple of missed kicks?

 

[sherrif]

I haven't watched him closely in many of his games, but I admittedly put a line through him after last week's performance. The simple reason is his skills and awareness aren't good enough to make up for his lack of leg speed.

His body shape is an interesting one for a footballer. 190cm with a super long torso and short legs. In theory, this should make him a great ground ball player, as well as a marking threat with his height. Hopefully, his inside awareness and touch will become elite, and he can be a player for us. That said, I can't think of many 150-game players with his attributes, Tyson Stenglein, maybe?

His speed is a major issue. You cant play him anywhere else on the field because of it. People have mentioned playing him as a forward, but he brings the same problems as Fyfe as a forward. One potential forward 50 contested mark/possession (that probably results in a turnover or a point) that he brings to the table doesn't make up for the total lack of pressure he brings. Freddy, Switta, and Shooter all apply elite pressure, and if you're not bringing that to the forward line, you need to be hitting the scoreboard.

Maybe he can improve his speed? I'm pretty sure Shooter improved his pace to levels that I would now call elite. I just hope I'm wrong, and he doesn't need speed and becomes an elite defensive mid accumulator like Jack Steele.

His speed is very good to great. He was an absolute gun junior athlete. At junior level he was known for his ability to break away from packs. He just needs to get the ball in more situations where he can use that pace and is developing the confidence to do so. People forget he was in the draft class that was severely impacted by Covid and that he was the youngest player drafted in his draft year too as his birthday was only a few days before the cut off date. I know someone who watched a ton of his school football. He would regularly break away from pack situations usining pace.

 

[sherrif]

There's no real criticism, no one's writing him off either. Paid a top 10 pick for this bloke and just making the point that I'm yet to see anything that really justifies the pick yet. I'm hopeful, but it is slightly concerning.

He has shown the same ability that Brayshaw had in his early days in that he can already run with elite runners who are much older than him.

 

[Mags98]

His speed is very good to great. He was an absolute gun junior athlete. At junior level he was known for his ability to break away from packs. He just needs to get the ball in more situations where he can use that pace and is developing the confidence to do so. People forget he was in the draft class that was severely impacted by Covid and that he was the youngest player drafted in his draft year too as his birthday was only a few days before the cut off date. I know someone who watched a ton of his school football. He would regularly break away from pack situations usining pace.

yeah can imagine the physicallity of the league has had an impact on him not being able to show his strengths off.

hard to get that clean kick off or burst from the stoppage when youre easily bumped and pushed around all day. once hes got a bit more confidence and some more weight i imagine it will be a quick turn around in his performances

 

[sherrif]

yeah can imagine the physicallity of the league has had an impact on him not being able to show his strengths off.

hard to get that clean kick off or burst from the stoppage when youre easily bumped and pushed around all day. once hes got a bit more confidence and some more weight i imagine it will be a quick turn around in his performances

He has shown more of the speed Im talking about at WAFL level in my opinion. But again you are talking about a teenager playing against far bigger bodies.

 

[CapitalA]

He really is pretty slow

Taranto isn't any faster....

 

[freo_leo29]

Taranto isn't any faster....

I'd argue he is though

I'm actually a little worried that Erasmus is even slower than JOM

 

[dropbear101]

I'd argue he is though

I'm actually a little worried that Erasmus is even slower than JOM

wtf.

hes actually rapid. your just confusing taking the ball at pace(which is top speed) vs needing to accelerate because you haven't taken the ball at pace.

getting the ball at pace happens best when your really good at interpreting where the handball out will come. or seeing an opportunity before everyone else. david mundy was really good at this. david mundy, who wasn't a permanent midfielder until he was 23. a feel for the game required to take the ball at pace takes time. something only true freaks have at the afl level have immediately.

 

[King Tenz]

He has shown the same ability that Brayshaw had in his early days in that he can already run with elite runners who are much older than him.

Y'know what? I'll accept that. From memory, Brayshaw's best game in his first season was actually the game that ****wit Gaff coward punched him in.

 

[Spirit Level]

2 Points:

1: Ras is one of the least of our problems, he's 12 games in and an absolute bottom ager yet goes in and puts his head over it like a seasoned campaigner. He also has goal sense which is hard to teach (and hopefully we can get his role right to be able to make use of it).

2: The top 10 pick is a bit of a non-issue as I'm convinced if we don't take him then Johnson isn't available at our next pick. If it makes you feel better, see Johnson as the top 10 pick and Ras as an absolute bargain in the 2nd round

 

[Pussinbootz]

Headless chook Erasmus

 

[Freoforever86]

hope we throw him inside this week and have a proper look at what he can do.

 

[rgauci]

Headless chook Erasmus

I’m finding this pretty offensive. Borderline reportable. He’s 19, and plays nothing like a headless chook.

 

[Joao]

Yeah not sure why everyone wants to lay into him. Even for this board its OTT.

 

[gaskin]

Yeah not sure why everyone wants to lay into him. Even for this board its OTT.

People just want someone to blame. Like when everyone was piling on Jackson after the first couple of games.

 

[BettercallSaul]

One of the positives we can get out of the rest of the season is games into Ras. Only the future knows whether he will become a great or “just” a good solid player. We need big bodied midfielders and in Ras and Johnson we have them but they are not ready yet. Simple.

 

[dropbear101]

Headless chook Erasmus

stop it

 

[Pussinbootz]

Yeah not sure why everyone wants to lay into him. Even for this board its OTT.

I’m not sure why everyone is so triggered by the term headless chook.

From what I’ve seen so far he’s very busy on the field (which is great) but also very ineffective (which isn’t).

It’s an observation not a life sentence

 

[wakojako]

I’m not sure why everyone is so triggered by the term headless chook.

From what I’ve seen so far he’s very busy on the field (which is great) but also very ineffective (which isn’t).

It’s an observation not a life sentence

Because people are overly sensitive. I doubt he gives a fk what people call him.

 

[drxce]

Ras is gonna end up a gun. F**k anyone who thinks otherwise.
Cheers.

 

[Joao]

I’m not sure why everyone is so triggered by the term headless chook.

From what I’ve seen so far he’s very busy on the field (which is great) but also very ineffective (which isn’t).

It’s an observation not a life sentence

It's fine to say he's ineffective a lot of the time, my problem is with (and I don't know if this is you) but the ones that have put a line through him.

Face palms emojis don't achieve anything useful.

 

[apuchar]

Has my memory gone or something. Could have sworn he had a really good game before being dropped to bring Jaeger back in after suspension. Weren't people saying "you can't drop him after that game".

 

[muzzington]

I’m not sure why everyone is so triggered by the term headless chook.

From what I’ve seen so far he’s very busy on the field (which is great) but also very ineffective (which isn’t).

It’s an observation not a life sentence

You've said it like 5 times in the past week. It's not triggering, it's annoying.

 

[freo_leo29]

Has my memory gone or something. Could have sworn he had a really good game before being dropped to bring Jaeger back in after suspension. Weren't people saying "you can't drop him after that game".

Didn't play round 13 so nah