Player Watch Welcome to Port Adelaide Rookie Pick #13 (2023) - Xavier Walsh

[RossFC]

Ross did he belt anyone today? Harder than a Zak Butters belting?

Did this and got away with it.
View attachment 2024-06-29 22-58-49.mp4

 

[1954]

Walsh has definitely got something worth working on but he probably shouldn't play AFL before 2026, and if/when he does he may need to back off a bit on the physical stuff or the scumps could be handing out 50 metre penalties like confetti at a wedding.

That aside, he (along with Lorenz) is one of the few feel good stories from last season's drafting and trading, with the traded for players being described by Matthew Lloyd as B graders and even that could be too generous a rating for Ratugolea.

 

[PJ Power]

Walsh has definitely got something worth working on but he probably shouldn't play AFL before 2026, and if/when he does he may need to back off a bit on the physical stuff or the scumps could be handing out 50 metre penalties like confetti at a wedding.

That aside, he (along with Lorenz) is one of the few feel good stories from last season's drafting and trading, with the traded for players being described by Matthew Lloyd as B graders and even that could be too generous a rating for Ratugolea.

If we somehow manage to get Lorenz, Walsh and Evans as good AFL players from the 2023 trade/draft period and 2024 mid year period, I would be very pleasantly surprised and relieved.

The recent form of all of Sweet, Soldo, Ratugolea, Aliir, BZT, Kyle Marshall and McCallum suggest we have to go back to the drawing board for filling our ruck and KPD stocks.

Of course that could change with new coaching, development and footy management.

 

[1954]

If we somehow manage to get Lorenz, Walsh and Evans as good AFL players from the 2023 trade/draft period and 2024 mid year period, I would be very pleasantly surprised and relieved.

The recent form of all of Sweet, Soldo, Ratugolea, Aliir, BZT, Kyle Marshall and McCallum suggest we have to go back to the drawing board for filling our ruck and KPD stocks.

Of course that could change with new coaching, development and footy management.

Good points re Lorenz, L. Evans and Walsh, but I'm prepared to cut Aliir some slack atm as his poor form has coincided with the arrival of Ratugolea, and I still have distinct memories of him remonstrating with the bloke in that trial game against the tingles at Alberton when he was continually left to do too much because of Esava's extremely poor positioning which hasn't improved in the real stuff either, and I'm expecting a better performance from the back 6 today without him in it.

Of the others, Soldo has ability but is obviously extremely injury prone, Sweet tries hard but was absolutely rag dolled against brisvegas so today's game could be defining for him, K. Marshall has the size to probably buy himself another season on the list, and McCallum is looking like a complete spud who could end up kicking the dew off the grass in some low ranking Tassie comp.

 

[Bevoman]

Big call, hope you're right coz we need a decent defender. Did like his game though - a lot.

Has the goods to be a tough forward

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Bassett said of Ollie Lord a couple of years back something like big blokes with aggression are really valuable,

Walsh is another one of those and on early viewing looks to have more talent than Lord, his hands are especially clean in marking contests.

I wouldn't mind seeing him forward in our reserves with the lack of height we have in the attacking zone. He would be like a fox in a henhouse.

 

[PJ Power]

Bassett said of Ollie Lord a couple of years back something like big blokes with aggression are really valuable,

Walsh is another one of those and on early viewing looks to have more talent than Lord, his hands are especially clean in marking contests.

I wouldn't mind seeing him forward in our reserves with the lack of height we have in the attacking zone. He would be like a fox in a henhouse.

I’ve often envied at how other sides have drafted and then developed these athletic, aggressive, high ceiling KPPs with lowish picks. Lord and Walsh have a long way to go, but have the sort of qualities that the likes of Noah Balta has. Scully is the other one although he is struggling to develop as quickly as expected because of the trash around him.

We must get those three and Visentini in the hands of better coaching and development.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I’ve often envied at how other sides have drafted and then developed these athletic, aggressive, high ceiling KPPs with lowish picks. Lord and Walsh have a long way to go, but have the sort of qualities that the likes of Noah Balta has. Scully is the other one although he is struggling to develop as quickly as expected because of the trash around him.

We must get those three and Visentini in the hands of better coaching and development.

Scully would definitely benefit from having Walsh nearby.

Dave Granger's teammates said he made them walk a foot taller. Walsh isn't Granger's level of fearsome, but he is plenty physical.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

If we somehow manage to get Lorenz, Walsh and Evans as good AFL players from the 2023 trade/draft period and 2024 mid year period, I would be very pleasantly surprised and relieved.

The recent form of all of Sweet, Soldo, Ratugolea, Aliir, BZT, Kyle Marshall and McCallum suggest we have to go back to the drawing board for filling our ruck and KPD stocks.

Of course that could change with new coaching, development and footy management.

And how about Tommy Alpha.

 

[PJ Power]

And how about Tommy Alpha.

So hard to judge him and Scully by the way the SANFL team is playing because the ball doesn’t get there often or cleanly enough, and when it does they are isolated against multiple opponents.

I like Tommy A more than Charleson so far, who hasn’t looked like it even allowing for injury. Tommy A at the least should be a better option than McEntee and Evans in the now, and DBJ in the long term. I’d like to see how he goes around Rioli and SPP in the same 50m arc.

Even so, we need to recruit a higher end small forward who can really terrorise defences. Pickett would have been ideal.