Player Watch Francis Evans
- Thread starter RossFC
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Hey, I dont have an issue with that in principle, of course we want to get elite talent in. But we did target elite talent in Josh Dunkley and JHF, and landed JHF. If we had another two 1st round picks we probably would have gone for Kozzy, or another ... But we didnt! Evans is a free hit, and bolsters our depth. Suggesting at this stage that a "Kozzie or Rioli" is a better option, is unrealistic, and makes no sense!
It's a stretch to say he bolsters our depth.
Does he improve our depth compared to our 2022 list depth?
Our small forwards last year were Fantasia, Gray, Motlop, McEntee.
Now they are Fantasia, Rioli, Evans, McEntee.
So is 2023 better than 2022? On paper, no. But - Gray was cooked. Motlop was cooked. Fantasia didn't play a game.
I would argue that, on the park, having a fit Evans is better than having a cooked Gray & Motlop. We decry the focus on defensive pressure, but with Gray & Motlop in the forwarding we were playing almost two players short once the ball bounced the wrong way.
Is he the optimum choice? That's not something I'm qualified to assess. Maybe Ronke would be better?
But he's definitely better than having just McEntee as our third best small forward and no-one after that, and probably better than pick 84 as well.
He played 7 games for the premiers this year, also preforming really well in the VFL, so was considered as a decent "depth" player by Geelong. Besides his highlight reel, I know nothing more about him, but am totally confident that our recruiting team know more than me, or you. As mention by Sleazy, an injured Fantasia, a cooked Gray and Motlop, and an out-of-position McEntee were just terrible in 2022. A [hopefully] fit Fantasia and Rioli, and Evans will be much better.
So yes, I do believe he will bolster our depth, and IMO he plays a vital depth role, behind the other two. I would much rather have him than some random pick in the #70's, or a rookie gamble.
Schulzenfest
TheBrownDog
There will be plenty of players available at 'some random pick in the 70's' who had a better junior career than Evans did.
Not sure it's a huge deal at that stage. I'm sure Billy Frampton won a McDonalds voucher at some point.
The_Sheek
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Better junior career doesn't always equal better output in the AFL, surely being facetious there...
Like how tf do we know pick 70 will be better than Evans? Do we watch hundreds of hours of junior footage? Interview the kids and their families?
But nah let's look at TOG %, for the Bendigo 2nds, watch a 5min highlight package and then make our minds up farken
Like how tf do we know pick 70 will be better than Evans? Do we watch hundreds of hours of junior footage? Interview the kids and their families?
But nah let's look at TOG %, for the Bendigo 2nds, watch a 5min highlight package and then make our minds up farken
Jello_B
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You need to pinch the tip mate.
Kudos to you for sharing oranges with your 1/4 time buddy.
People grow up and move on, I think it’s about time you did too.
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Hes a genuine crumber
This year we didnt have genuine crumber available
Is there a genuime crumber better than cam Hitchcock as pick 60 in this draft?
Probably not
This year we didnt have genuine crumber available
Is there a genuime crumber better than cam Hitchcock as pick 60 in this draft?
Probably not
robbo1981
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He definitely has some nice traits marking over head, a nice long accurate kick, genuine goal sense and a solid little unit.
The one thing I haven't really seen is speed which I have heard said about him.
Didn't cost anything so I will give him a chance.
The one thing I haven't really seen is speed which I have heard said about him.
Didn't cost anything so I will give him a chance.
I was thinking more likely to have similarities to Greg Evans and run Perfect Pear for us....
Given the output we got from our small forwards this year, you'd think any fringe small forward elsewhere in the comp would back themselves to get a regular spot on our list.
FourthTimeAround
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I’ve got a funny warm feeling that Fantasia will play out a full year.
or maybe that’s what pissing into a stiff breeze feels like?
Watching Port this year (both teams) it's clear we have a glaring deficiency in KPD's (not just this season). We don't need Francis Evans or a Francis Evans type. People say it's a free hit. That's rubbish. It's a spot on our list. On the main list is mystifying. Please don't tell me it's longer than a 1 year deal....
I honestly don't know how you can say we don't need a small forward when:
a) Fantasia is constantly injured & Rioli's fitness/availability is at this stage an unknown
b) Robbie Gray & Motlop have retired
c) Jed McEntee is the only other dedicated small forward on the list (and he probably shouldn't be)
Farrel is a wing/halfback. Rozee & Butters are mids. SPP is a mid shoehorned into the HFF role.
Assume we play Dixon, Finlayson, Marshall, Georgiades for every game. We still need 66 games from small forwards/HFF.
- 22 from SPP
- Maybe 22 from Fantasia & Rioli, if we're lucky
- 22 more from who?
If we don't reckon Rioli is gonna fill that role then what the **** was the point of picking him?
Small forward is one of those roles you can get away with a placeholder anyway. Remember when we stuck Aaron young down there and he had his best season?
I agree. Forget McEntee, that experiment is over. He stays on our list as a defensive tagger. Our small forward need is as big as our KPP need.
He does fill that role, but he is not enough!
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It's called depth. You can go ahead and pick up a delisted KPD but if the quality out there is like Skinner then there's not much point. If there's a particular quality defender out there that we chose to ignore picking up then complain away, bit AFAIK that player doesn't exist.
Never seen so much whinging over a depth small forward before.
Never seen so much whinging over a depth small forward before.
Agree. We picked up a depth key forward/ruckman a couple of years ago from Geelong because it was an area of need.
Delisted without a game so what was the point?
Port see something in Evans and most Geelong fans i see post about him dont have a bad thing to say and reckon he will be a good player for us.
Time will tell, and if it doesnt work? who cares...its a delisted free agent not a 1st round draft pick
Plus he has a couple of years of AFL-level development/fitness under his belt, he's not some raw skinny kid we'd get with a pick in the 70's that would then take a while to develop. He's ready to play and if he's a spud he's gone, all at minimal cost to us.
