Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn, Denver Grainger-Barras

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I wouldn't have said he was a forward for a whole year. He still played a fair chunk of this year down back.

Unless I'm misremembering be started taking a a forward in preseason.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Unless I'm misremembering be started taking a a forward in preseason.

Perhaps was doing both in the pre-season but he played 3 senior games solely as a defender in 2023 (rounds 5, 6 and 19). Unsure what he was up to at BH as I didn't see many of their games this year.

 

[Mr Lizard]

Pretty sure he got moved there as a 'circuit breaker' for him mid season.

 

[burner1]

It’s generally not a good sign when a young guy is moved around and back again. Needs a big preseason otherwise opportunities in 2024 may be limited.

 

[Flukey!]

Lots of expectations on DGB because of where he was drafted.
A bit like what happened with Jack Watts but what he went through was cruel and unfair.
It's not like he selected himself at 1.

I'm hoping 2024 is DGB's year.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Lots of expectations on DGB because of where he was drafted.
A bit like what happened with Jack Watts but what he went through was cruel and unfair.
It's not like he selected himself at 1.

I'm hoping 2024 is DGB's year.

If DGB goes on from here to average a goal a game, 15+ disposals, 5 marks, 2 tackles from here, pulling up stumps with >150 AFL games, I think we would consider that a success.

 

[CHUBBSS]

I will settle for him just mastering one position before worrying about him being AFL quality at two.

Don’t disagree but I think his style lends itself to being 20%-30% forward and predominant backman, just gives the team flexibility for injuries and matchups and maximises dgb wild kamikaze approach.

All this is to say watch out once his fit just still patient that it will be a slow burn over the next two years.

 

[Flukey!]

All this is to say watch out once his fit just still patient that it will be a slow burn over the next two years.

I don't understand the reported lack of fitness.
You put me in an elite sporting environment for 3 years + and I am going to be a friggin machine.
And I am almost 3 times his age.

He must be fit by now.

 

[Slysh]

Don’t disagree but I think his style lends itself to being 20%-30% forward and predominant backman, just gives the team flexibility for injuries and matchups and maximises dgb wild kamikaze approach.

All this is to say watch out once his fit just still patient that it will be a slow burn over the next two years.

I just think people underestimate how hard it is to play as a forward. He is a half decent set shot and has good attack at the footy, that is all he has going for him as a forward.

He has 0 forward craft, has no idea where or when to lead. The only way he will develop that is by putting in significant time to do so, which is time he needs to put in as a defender. To good at both ends is something that very very few players are talented enough to do. We even see it with Sicily, he is arguably the best defender in the league but is no where close to that level as a forward.

I do not care if he plays down back or up forward but we need to settle him in to one position.

 

[CHUBBSS]

I don't understand the reported lack of fitness.
You put me in an elite sporting environment for 3 years + and I am going to be a friggin machine.
And I am almost 3 times his age.

He must be fit by now.

Young kid from w.a that came in quite skinny and unfit, 5 pre seasons are required the first almost doesn’t count as the club is always cautious on loads.

I don’t think anyone realises how high the afl standards are now, to me no sport in the world goes close to how intense and speed the game is at now. Throw a kid with almost zero fitness and strength base into that mix and we’ll goodluck. Why I still think two more season and everyone will be captain hindsight. (Why I was so impressed with the draft picks this year, looks like that professional standard has really gone up a level)

 

[Ned Ryerson]

We even see it with Sicily, he is arguably the best defender in the league but is no where close to that level as a forward.

Still doesn't stop people posting here that we should swing him forward - it's baffling.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

DGB does not strike me as a natural forward.

I don’t think he has the forward craft, bag of tricks or athletic profile to be an AFL forward.

To me the position he will need to make his own is that third defender who has license to roam off half back. This position suits his strengths.

The problem for DGB is that we are already stacked for these types and he’s probably fourth in line behind Sicily, Scrimshaw, Weddle, etc.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

He has 0 forward craft, has no idea where or when to lead.

You dont kick 9 goals in 2 weeks at VFL level as a key forward with 0 forward craft. He also showed this as a junior from memory, when thrown forward.

Matters not, as he’s going to train in defense all summer by the looks of things, but he certainly showed something as a forward in 2023.

 

[Nathan Detroit]

Young kid from w.a that came in quite skinny and unfit, 5 pre seasons are required the first almost doesn’t count as the club is always cautious on loads.

I don’t think anyone realises how high the afl standards are now, to me no sport in the world goes close to how intense and speed the game is at now. Throw a kid with almost zero fitness and strength base into that mix and we’ll goodluck. Why I still think two more season and everyone will be captain hindsight. (Why I was so impressed with the draft picks this year, looks like that professional standard has really gone up a level)

I think you would find ice hockey to be equally intense and much faster, but it's also a series of 100% exertion for short sprints as opposed to footy which requires longer periods of high exertion, but point taken. It's actually one of the reasons I love both sports so much. The primary trait the best players have is work rate.

 

[lethalselbow]

Back to being a defender. Great stuff. He has mongrel and determination. I'm sure the fitness is improving. I wonder who has more mongrel in them, Sicily or DGB? Obviously Sis has to keep a lid on it now.

 

[hawkinoz]

I just think people underestimate how hard it is to play as a forward. He is a half decent set shot and has good attack at the footy, that is all he has going for him as a forward.

He has 0 forward craft, has no idea where or when to lead. The only way he will develop that is by putting in significant time to do so, which is time he needs to put in as a defender. To good at both ends is something that very very few players are talented enough to do. We even see it with Sicily, he is arguably the best defender in the league but is no where close to that level as a forward.

I do not care if he plays down back or up forward but we need to settle him in to one position.

Going by all training reports he is pegged in a defender even though I was hoping it was a fwd.

Since we have enough people dumping on him, this pic should be a reminder that the guy has skills and can take a mark.

He had the best technique in the recent YT video showing different players taking a speccy.

 

[Mercy Seat]

If the club - who spend 30+ hours a week with him and know his every metric inside out - think he’s a defender, that’s good enough for me.

 

[HedgeFund]

If the club - who spend 30+ hours a week with him and know his every metric inside out - think he’s a defender, that’s good enough for me.

Ridiculous!

 

[Tony3163]

Ridiculous!

Exactly, Big Footy folk know better than the coaches.

 

[lethalselbow]

What about moving DGB to a wing?

 

[The Chad and I]

Sicily, he is arguably the best defender in the league but is no where close to that level as a forward.

Sicily kicked 30 goals as a skinny, underdeveloped kid in a shitty team, as the 3rd or 4th target.
He'd easily kick 60-70 goals now playing as a primary target.
That would put him among the top 4-5 KPF in the league.

 

[tl92]

Sicily kicked 30 goals as a skinny, underdeveloped kid in a shitty team, as the 3rd or 4th target.
He'd easily kick 60-70 goals now playing as a primary target.
That would put him among the top 4-5 KPF in the league.

We came top 4 that year. I’m sorry but there’s no chance he kicks 60-70 goals as a forward.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Sicily kicked 30 goals as a skinny, underdeveloped kid in a shitty team, as the 3rd or 4th target.
He'd easily kick 60-70 goals now playing as a primary target.
That would put him among the top 4-5 KPF in the league.

nah if this were true he would be playing forward for us. don't care how good he is as a backman if you're kicking 60+ a year you are more valuable as a fwd.

and our 2016 team was far from shitty, not as good as 13-15 but still finished top 4 and with many excellent ball users delivering inside 50

 

[Slysh]

Sicily kicked 30 goals as a skinny, underdeveloped kid in a shitty team, as the 3rd or 4th target.
He'd easily kick 60-70 goals now playing as a primary target.
That would put him among the top 4-5 KPF in the league.

shitty team?? We were top 4 lmfao. Also 3rd year in the league he kicked 30, 4th year he was struggling and was dropped, when sent down back looked AA quality straight away. Dominated that role ever since, anytime he has been shifted back forward he has looked nothing close to the same level.

He is a superstar defender, shown nothing to suggest he is close to that level as a forward.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

NoSicily kicked 30 goals as a skinny, underdeveloped kid in a shitty team, as the 3rd or 4th target.
He'd easily kick 60-70 goals now playing as a primary target.
That would put him among the top 4-5 KPF in the league.