Player Watch Esava Ratugolea

Remove this Banner Ad

I think his game was underrated. Yes he didn’t impact the score sheet but he was manic at the marking contest. I don’t think I can recall a time where a mark was taken while he was in the pack. And he was straight lining the ball and getting it out our way. I prefer him to Dixon up there because he is quicker and covers more ground.
Much better game while still not impacting the scoring. If George can keep kicking a bag, then sav can keep doing what he is doing.
 
Love the big guy and now that Houston may be leaving Esava will slot in as my most favourite Port player. His presence on the field is enormous.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Someone sneak Mark Williams in during the week and teach him how to kick.

Thought he played a really influential forward game last night, a genuine athletic presence around the ground, maybe his best finals performance. But that kicking is a raffle.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Chrizzt said:
4 marks and 0.1 across three finals despite being 2 metres tall and built like the proverbial.

He’s 26 FFS. The guy just isn’t a footballer.
Click to expand...
I've said that from the moment I saw him play for Geelong. He doesn't have any football IQ whatsoever. He does nothing well, and really playing him up forward only stunted Lord's development.

We sold the farm for a player who isn't good at anything. He isn't a defender, can't ruck and can't play up forward. Ratugolea's skills aren't up to the standard required, especially in a top four side.

Tonight's performance from him was poor and pathetic. Dixon offered more and Dixon is cooked. But what gets me is people praise Ratugolea for 'competing'. If that's all he's in the side to do we were better off playing Lord. At least he's kicked 4 in a final before, Ratugolea has barely taken 4 marks in a month.
 
AdamMarrett said:
I've said that from the moment I saw him play for Geelong. He doesn't have any football IQ whatsoever. He does nothing well, and really playing him up forward only stunted Lord's development.

We sold the farm for a player who isn't good at anything. He isn't a defender, can't ruck and can't play up forward. Ratugolea's skills aren't up to the standard required, especially in a top four side.

Tonight's performance from him was poor and pathetic. Dixon offered more and Dixon is cooked. But what gets me is people praise Ratugolea for 'competing'. If that's all he's in the side to do we were better off playing Lord. At least he's kicked 4 in a final before, Ratugolea has barely taken 4 marks in a month.
Click to expand...

Yep.
Such a shrewd bit of trading by Geelong.
Well done to them.
 
FootyLad0 said:
I hope for your sake he figures it out but at this stage i think Big Sav will always be under the "potential" label.

We started him as a forward and when he couldn't figure that out we moved him into the ruck and he just didn't have the chops for that so he got moved back to VFL and changed to a key back position as Scotty was a huge believer in him and wanted him to succeed even when most Cats fans had already given up on him. He barely got a gig in 2022 when we had guys missing the season early with injury but once they got healthy he was nowhere near the side and it showed. WOn 16 in a row and i doubt he would have played any of those wins on the way to a dominant Finals campaign and Grand Final win.

The fact he got soo much run with the side in 2023 suggests how much of a buttload of injuries the Cats had. The Sydney game at SCG comes to mind for frustration in him. Clearly misses his defensive assignment and Stewart blew up on him for a full minute. Sounds very similar to Aliir cracking the shits over the same sort of stuff. Just wandering into no man's land and getting caught out.

He has all the tools to be a gun footy player.
Size, athleticism, strong arms and legs, can lay a tackle, doesn't shy away from contact, can take a grab.
His footy IQ is just negative 1000.
You are just better off half the time not playing him and i like Sav the person...he's just....yeah i hope he finally figures it out.
Click to expand...

Bump

The last paragraph is a harrowing thought and speaks volumes.
You guys are seeing what we saw in his time at Geelong.

The forever “potential” label with flashes of unreal play followed by a shitshow of errors.
His footy IQ is negative 1000. When Geelong’s development system can’t fix him I doubt many other places would.

I’d be investing into an actual reliable key position player with upside like Ollie Lord.
He is far more dependable and makes way less errors
 
Last edited:
FootyLad0 said:
Bump

The last paragraph is a harrowing thought and speaks volumes.
You guys are seeing what we saw in his time at Geelong.

The forever “potential” label with flashes of unreal play followed by a shitshow of errors.
His footy IQ is negative 1000. When Geelong’s development system can’t fix him I doubt many other places would.

I’d be investing into an actual reliable key position player with upside like Ollie Lord.
He is far more dependable and makes way less errors
Click to expand...
Lord is a footballer, Ratugolea is not. That's the difference between the two. It's really that simple.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Player Watch Esava Ratugolea

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top