Welcome Welcome Tom Emmett!! - Pick 41 in the 2022 National Draft

[arsesmart]

Great heart and fight for the ball. Got to the right places a bit too.

Did seem a little slow for a small forward at times though and subsequently get overrun or closed down when he had an advantage. Could be a degree of adjusting to the level required there but. Hopefully they roll him out again next week.

 

[Footskill]

Think his main attribute is pressure, which is what we need. Another shoota.

Plays the same as he does at peel, but actually his skill and goal kicking was better yesterday than usual. Hope it's not an anomaly. Lol. can be selfish at times close to goals

 

[Taylor]

I'm very glad he got a taste of the top level in such a high pressure contest. He will need to be the sort of player who works his butt off all game, like he did, to keep his spot. Similar to Schultz. Not really carrying the weapons of the elite kick or speed or leaping marks etc, but with elite work rate he can carve himself a career.

For that though he needs the reminder of how hard he needs to be able to work in round 23 against high performance teams, which he got.

So I expect big things from him in preseason.

Really liked what he brought, had an enforcer feel about him and let the other small forwards be a bit looser.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Solid debut for Tom. Seems to be popular with the playing group and looked to be genuinely enjoying himself yesterday.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Think his main attribute is pressure, which is what we need. Another shoota.

Plays the same as he does at peel, but actually his skill and goal kicking was better yesterday than usual. Hope it's not an anomaly. Lol. can be selfish at times close to goals

Yeah I’ve liked what he brought at Peel all year but I can’t help but feel yesterday skill wise will be an anomaly. Still, there’s always room for a 187cm shit truck who likes a goal and plays at 110% whenever on the field and Schultz has improved his field kicking and goal nous significantly so there’s no reason Emmett can’t.

 

[CaseySibosadoHOF]

can be selfish at times close to goals

The way half our team handpasses it around i50 trying to turn an ok scoring opportunity into a great one and inevitably turning it into no shot? We could use some selfishness lol.

 

[BettercallSaul]

The way half our team handpasses it around i50 trying to turn an ok scoring opportunity into a great one and inevitably turning it into no shot? We could use some selfishness lol.

I‘ve been banging on about this all year. We constantly take that extra handball when not necessary. Take the bloody responsibility and kick the goal!

 

[Ge3ks]

I know next to nothing about Tom Emmett. What is his natural position on the oval? Who does he potentially replace in our best 22?

 

[apuchar]

I know next to nothing about Tom Emmett. What is his natural position on the oval? Who does he potentially replace in our best 22?

Can play forward/hhf and inside mid. He has already replaced Banna's in my mind.

 

[wakojako]

I'm very glad he got a taste of the top level in such a high pressure contest. He will need to be the sort of player who works his butt off all game, like he did, to keep his spot. Similar to Schultz. Not really carrying the weapons of the elite kick or speed or leaping marks etc, but with elite work rate he can carve himself a career.

For that though he needs the reminder of how hard he needs to be able to work in round 23 against high performance teams, which he got.

So I expect big things from him in preseason.

Really liked what he brought, had an enforcer feel about him and let the other small forwards be a bit looser.

I actually think you are underselling him. Tom doesn't have elite speed but he is quite quick, definitely faster than Schultz. His kicking was also pretty decent going at 70% which was a lot higher than our team yesterday. As someone said earlier, he reminds me of a smaller Treacy.

 

[Nodgey]

There's always room for improvement, so here goes.... I didn't like the bucketloads, nay, truckloads of mayo he put on that high/holding call that led to his first goal...

But those calls get paid against us all the time, so I was happy to take it.

 

[Dockeroo]

The way half our team handpasses it around i50 trying to turn an ok scoring opportunity into a great one and inevitably turning it into no shot? We could use some selfishness lol.

Good comment - jeez it’s maddening to watch at times isn’t it.
I’m convinced this is a coaching directive from JL. His “brand” over the 4 years we have seen from him has been massive reliance on the handball. Far more than any other AFL team.

 

[anchor man]

The way half our team handpasses it around i50 trying to turn an ok scoring opportunity into a great one and inevitably turning it into no shot? We could use some selfishness lol.

Agree.

 

[Descent]

He may not be lightning quick, but he seems to read the play really well, which means we collects/receives the ball at full tilt. Kicking aside, he seems like a natural footballer.

 

[fnerd]

The way half our team handpasses it around i50 trying to turn an ok scoring opportunity into a great one and inevitably turning it into no shot? We could use some selfishness lol.

****ing amen to this

 

[freo_leo29]

Showed a bit.

Should've played earlier in the season in hindsight imo.

Just when he was getting near it he went out with concussion

 

[Sturty2Hurty]

I‘ve been banging on about this all year. We constantly take that extra handball when not necessary. Take the bloody responsibility and kick the goal!

yeah it’s tough to watch when you see Butters kicking goals out of a phone box down the other end

 

[freo_leo29]

I too was surprised how slow he looked at the ground, he looks fast at WAFL level so I'll put it down to first game

 

[BettercallSaul]

yeah it’s tough to watch when you see Butters kicking goals out of a phone box down the other end

Not wrong. Irony is I think we kicked very well in the first 10 minutes or so but from then……….

 

[greatgatsby]

Behind Tom Emmett’s extraordinary journey to his AFL debut with the Fremantle Dockers​

Having endured teenage cancer and a crippling injury, then a time just two years ago where he could barely cut it at state league level, few players have earned their AFL debut like Tom Emmett, writes ELIZA REILLY.
Behind Tom Emmett’s extraordinary journey to his AFL debut with the Fremantle Dockers


5 min read
August 22, 2023 - 8:00AM

Tom Emmett has endured an incredible amount of adversity on the road to his AFL debut, which came for Fremantle against Port Adelaide on the weekend. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Tom Emmett has already overcome more adversity than most regular footballers would expect to face across an entire career.
And that’s precisely why Emmett is no regular footballer.

Four years ago, the South Australian was in the fight of his life. The then-teenager was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after months of feeling unwell.
Then there was a serious Achilles injury, with doctors telling the 18-year-old he may never run freely, let alone play football, again.
There was also a broken collarbone and hand.
Emmett’s goal of playing AFL seemed for a long time to be improbable, even impossible.
Still, he kept believing.
“I don’t know … I’d hoped so but it was just a dream,” Emmett said when asked if he thought he would ever make his AFL debut. “It’s something you dream about for so long but to actually do it is surreal. It’s still sinking in.”

They say AFL players don’t deserve anything, whether it be success or acclaim, from the second they step onto a list. Emmett is a rare exception.
Emmett earned his opportunity with Fremantle.
And he deserved to kick two goals on debut.
On Sunday, Emmett ran out as one of the best 22 players on the Dockers’ list.
Two years ago, he could barely cut it at state league level.
After beating cancer, Emmett resumed his football career in year 12 with Pembroke’s first XVIII. He finished the season strongly and decided to email Sturt football manager Chris Trapp asking if he could attend pre-season training, the same club that had turned him away as a 16-year-old due to injury concerns.
Double Blues coach Martin Mattner was willing to see what Emmett could offer.

“He came down to our senior pre-season really as the last player on our list,” Mattner said. “He had some potential and we saw some good attributes in his junior footy but he just hadn’t played much. We thought we’d give him an opportunity to see how he’d go.
“It was only going to be a pre-season so we could assess where he was at with his footy. But he trained strongly and worked really hard.”
Emmett was on a mission to make up for lost time and Sturt took notice. However, that summer he sliced his Achilles while attempting to jump a fence, putting his SANFL comeback on hold for eight months.
The following season, Emmett forced his way into Sturt’s reserves side only to miss 14 weeks with a broken collarbone. A broken hand cost Emmett a round one berth last year.
Then, in round six, he finally made his SANFL debut.
“Initially it was his determination and resilience,” Mattner said when asked why Sturt continued to persist with Emmett. “Once he started playing footy and training, it was his competitiveness, tackling and pressure.
“We chatted a lot about the opportunity he had to play league football. And he worked hard, harder than most if not all of our guys, because he knew how much he missed his footy when he was injured and ill and wasn’t able to play. His resilience was key to that.”

Naturally, after coming so far, Emmett wasn’t satisfied playing reserves footy. But there were a few deficiencies Sturt needed to see addressed before Mattner could consider Emmett for senior selection.
“We had a lot of conversations around building his game so when he did get into the side, he wouldn’t fall out,” Mattner said. “His pressure and intent were there as a forward. It was his marking and hitting the scoreboard as a high half-forward that needed some work.
“He was someone who always wanted to get better. He’d come and see me for review and feedback.
“He thought he probably should’ve been selected a couple of weeks earlier as all players do. But once he got in the team, not only did he stay in the team but he started having a huge impact on games.”

Emmett played 14 consecutive games and kicked 17 goals for Sturt.
Mattner wasn’t surprised when AFL clubs, including Fremantle, started asking the question.
“It only really took him half a season to get noticed. He came from nowhere,” he said. “I thought it was obvious (that he was going to play AFL) but there was probably an element of timing and luck to it.
“He had all the attributes. He’s a good size. He’s athletic. He chases and applies pressure.
Then he added in the marking and goal kicking and suddenly he was the complete player. He can impact games in so many different ways.
“Suddenly he’s gone from the last player selected on our list to playing AFL the following season.”


Drafted by Fremantle with pick 41 last year, Emmett’s patience faced one last test.
The 21 year-old has gradually gained confidence in the WAFL this season, kicking 13 goals in 13 games. Dockers coach Justin Longmuir

Justin Longmuir

Age

43

Ht

196cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.4

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

4.5

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.4

3star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

7.0

2star

K

3.6

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

could no longer ignore his state league form.
“A lot of it has been about my polish, my execution under pressure and my composure,” Emmett said. “I’ve been trying to get as much touch as I possibly can and doing those extras twice a week.
“It’s just some of the mental things I was making errors on. Because it’s a step up in pressure, I needed to be able to execute under that heat to take the next step up.
“I got told (I’d be debuting) on Thursday morning by JL in our team meeting. It was so surreal. It’s something you always dream of but to hear your coach say it, it’s like, ‘Wow’.”

Fremantle teammates rush to congratulate Emmett on his first AFL goal. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

‘Wow’ is likely what the 38,360 patrons at Optus Stadium, including several of Emmett’s family and friends, were thinking when he lined up for his first career set shot against Port Adelaide after winning a free kick inside 50.
Somewhere in that 30-second window, players have to commence their approach.
Emmett took a moment to reflect on how far he had come.
“When I was walking back (for the set shot) I was actually thinking about what an opportunity I‘ve got here and to actually kick it was awesome,” he said. “The Freo fans are so loud. The boys always talk about how loud they are but to actually be out there … we’ve got the best fans in the competition.

“Getting two goals on the scoreboard isn’t what the coaches really value. It’s playing your role and so many other little things like that. It was nice to get them but I was just trying to play my role.”
That role?
A pressure forward, a Docker and an inspiration.

 

[Righteo]

Eliza is one of the very few bright spots in the footy journalism industry.

 

[Madas]

The way half our team handpasses it around i50 trying to turn an ok scoring opportunity into a great one and inevitably turning it into no shot? We could use some selfishness lol.

Freo Dockers

Masters of the Hospital Handball

I don’t want to see that shit next year

 

[Madas]

Loved Tom Emmets game

Looking forward to more and good to see we have someone to put the heat on some of our other forwards who can go missing regularly.

 

[Madas]

There's always room for improvement, so here goes.... I didn't like the bucketloads, nay, truckloads of mayo he put on that high/holding call that led to his first goal...

But those calls get paid against us all the time, so I was happy to take it.

1%ers that win games

If you can’t beat ‘em join em

 

[Purple Suit]

Good comment - jeez it’s maddening to watch at times isn’t it.
I’m convinced this is a coaching directive from JL. His “brand” over the 4 years we have seen from him has been massive reliance on the handball. Far more than any other AFL team.

Have you only been watching for four years? We’ve been doing this all thru the Lyon era too. It’s what happens when you play defensive players as forwards who’s job is to tackle first, kicks goals second.

I would love to see a forward line of 4-5 natural forwards.