Delisted #39: Pat Voss - Stiff Armed by Essendon on Oct 25. Refer to #556

[TheGrizz]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2023 (Category A Rookie)
My Boy Draft 2023: Pick 18, Bipolarbear

 

[owen87]

I have a fundamental problem with the entire Voss lifecycle.

We draft him, knowing full well what his limitations were and what he was as a footballer, he plays well, again, within those limitations and then we cut and run after he has a pretty good year.

We also had a golden opportunity to blood him in form and with a head of steam and decided not to.

What does that accomplish? Outwardly at least, it would seem the Venn diagram for reasons for delisting him and the reasons for initially drafting him are a perfect circle.

They drafted him hoping he could bring his limitations up to be AFL standard. He didn't. He got delisted.

Yes, his form probably could have warranted a game or two at AFL level, but ultimately it wouldn't have changed that his limitations stopped him being AFL standard.

It's such a strange one for people to get up in arms about.

 

[dank420_]

It's such a strange one for people to get up in arms about.

I feel like that's stemming from his size. But that's a weird one too because there was nothing to suggest he would be able to use his size in the midfield, and by staying forward his size is a bit of a non factor. He isn't big for a forward.

 

[Zach Package]

They drafted him hoping he could bring his limitations up to be AFL standard. He didn't. He got delisted.

Yes, his form probably could have warranted a game or two at AFL level, but ultimately it wouldn't have changed that his limitations stopped him being AFL standard.

It's such a strange one for people to get up in arms about.

Little point drafting him in the first place then.

It’s Tom Jok all over again. What the hell are you doing drafting him, getting to the end of his deal and going ‘well, you know what, he’s actually quite lightly built and needs a fair bit of work’.

 

[P Money]

Should've recruited one of those rookie options that didn't have any deficiencies and were guaranteed to develop into quality AFL players instead hey?

 

[owen87]

Little point drafting him in the first place then.

It’s Tom Jok all over again. What the hell are you doing drafting him, getting to the end of his deal and going ‘well, you know what, he’s actually quite lightly built and needs a fair bit of work’.

I feel like people have no concept of the difference between a first round draft pick and a rookie one.

 

[ant555]

I have a fundamental problem with the entire Voss lifecycle.

We draft him, knowing full well what his limitations were and what he was as a footballer, he plays well, again, within those limitations and then we cut and run after he has a pretty good year.

We also had a golden opportunity to blood him in form and with a head of steam and decided not to.

What does that accomplish? Outwardly at least, it would seem the Venn diagram for reasons for delisting him and the reasons for initially drafting him are a perfect circle.

He was not actually in form when the spot came up . On top of that even his better games there where a lot of issues.
The simple fact is we drafted him hoping he could be a midfielder. It was a dumb choice even for a rookie.
Another example of why we can not quite get it right .

He simply isn’t an AFL standard player who had his best games against the weaker sides .
If you can not do it in the VFL then you are not going to get it in the AFL .
He is basically a slow tweener who can not take a contested mark.

 

[ant555]

Should've recruited one of those rookie options that didn't have any deficiencies and were guaranteed to develop into quality AFL players instead hey?

Should have drafted a midfielder if that is what they wanted

 

[Zach Package]

He was not actually in form when the spot came up . On top of that even his better games there where a lot of issues.
The simple fact is we drafted him hoping he could be a midfielder. It was a dumb choice even for a rookie.
Another example of why we can not quite get it right .

He simply isn’t an AFL standard player who had his best games against the weaker sides .
If you can not do it in the VFL then you are not going to get it in the AFL .
He is basically a slow tweener who can not take a contested mark.

So I think we’re all on the same page, funnily enough.

Erred in drafting him, erred in developing him and erred in delisting him?

 

[dank420_]

So I think we’re all on the same page, funnily enough.

Erred in drafting him, erred in developing him and erred in delisting him?

2/3

 

[ant555]

So I think we’re all on the same page, funnily enough.

Erred in drafting him, erred in developing him and erred in delisting him?

The first yes. After that we where always going to have an issue when he could not be a midfielder. So 1/3 .

 

[Pweter]

Should have drafted a midfielder if that is what they wanted

Outrageous!

 

[carloss]

Harsh on him. Played in a very ordinary VFL side with a below par midfield.

 

[Ambrosia]

I have a fundamental problem with the entire Voss lifecycle.

We draft him, knowing full well what his limitations were and what he was as a footballer, he plays well, again, within those limitations and then we cut and run after he has a pretty good year.

We also had a golden opportunity to blood him in form and with a head of steam and decided not to.

What does that accomplish? Outwardly at least, it would seem the Venn diagram for reasons for delisting him and the reasons for initially drafting him are a perfect circle.

I think the club was hopeful he’d take a step athletically in the AFL system

 

[Zach Package]

Training with Freo apparently

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Little point drafting him in the first place then.

It’s Tom Jok all over again. What the hell are you doing drafting him, getting to the end of his deal and going ‘well, you know what, he’s actually quite lightly built and needs a fair bit of work’.

Its almost like our club is absolutely incapable of developing footballers and has been for decades.

 

[ant555]

Its almost like our club is absolutely incapable of developing footballers and has been for decades.

Or the issue is not to draft slow forwards as possible midfielders simply because they have a big body.

 

[wakojako]

Hey all, it looks like we picked up Vossy. Doesn't seem he was highly rated in this board?

 

[eth-dog]

Hey all, it looks like we picked up Vossy. Doesn't seem he was highly rated in this board?

Good state league player. Not enough tricks for the top level imo

 

[wakojako]

Good state league player. Not enough tricks for the top level imo

Thanks mate, what are some of his limitations?

 

[eth-dog]

Thanks mate, what are some of his limitations?

He's very lead and mark. Good set shot. Struggles in contested situations.

 

[boncer34]

Hey all, it looks like we picked up Vossy. Doesn't seem he was highly rated in this board?

Should've got games at Essendon. Would've involved shooting a Bambi of this board though so that immediately made him unpopular.

 

[Zach Package]

Hey all, it looks like we picked up Vossy. Doesn't seem he was highly rated in this board?

If we had managed his situation better he would have played 3-4 games and both us and you would have far more information to go on, for better or for worse

 

[BrunoV]

Hey all, it looks like we picked up Vossy. Doesn't seem he was highly rated in this board?

My take:

You need to be looking at Voss as an oversized flanker. The best, most likely version of him that makes it would be something like Chris Mayne with the physicality and power of Aaron Hamil.

That he happens to be 193/194cm and 94kg I think was his downfall. I think for a lot of guys in this in-between height, life gets too complicated, particularly early in a career and they'd be better off at 188cm. At the shorter height they'd be seen more for what they are than what they could be.

He was a third tall at either end as an 18 yo. He played midfield in his younger days.

He lacks tricks to stand and deliver as a key forward (even though there are quality key forwards at that size and shorter). He's not explosively quick and doesn't have a noteworthy leap. So even though he could score at the lower level you have to query whether he has the game of an AFL KPF.

He went through a patch in the middle of 2023 when he couldn't catch the ball but that was not characteristic of 2022 or his form either side of the bad run in 2023. He's a solid mark but not the type to jump over or stand and deliver in a pack.

He's a former high level junior rugby league player (was tied to GWS academy). It's not that he wasn't a 'footballer', he was playing both sports. I mention the league because when he's not absorbed in trying to be a key forward he does bring a brutal physicality to his game.

He was winning time trials during his first preseason with us. He has good, and possibly very good, running capacity without an explosive burst of speed or great agility.

He's a very nice, long kick of the ball.

I'm convinced there is a player there but that, at least in a first 50 games, that is as a hard working half forward who you could even play as an outnumber up the ground where he'd be really good at throwing his weight around (i.e. the modern version of Aaron Hamill). He may well become a genuine key forward but that is putting the cart before the horse.

 

[wakojako]

My take:

Good write up! Thanks for passing that on. All the best with your 2024 season fellas.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Going alright at half time in Freo's practice match.