Player Watch #37: Connor Menadue
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Yogibear17
Senior List
Jeez he's got some toe on him. Excellent choice.
telsor
Hall of Famer
He wasn't a bad player, just not as good as the draft pick expectations would have had him.
It will take Menadue a few years to fill out his frame but with the pace he has it will be worth it. I can already picture him tearing through the midfield and running into the forward 50 and kicking a goal.
He reminds me of Matty White with his pace, which should please a few people around here.
He reminds me of Matty White with his pace, which should please a few people around here.
Toadvine
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They shifted him all over the ground during the year so that could have something to do with what your talking about.
The "end game" was the elimination final.
Groupie_
time to return the traditional Richmond yellow
Jizzed myself on his highlights package
dat speed burst and slingshot running inside 50s
dat speed burst and slingshot running inside 50s
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Great pick. Reckon this one will prove to be a bit of a steal.
Dusty Cotch
Cancelled
Skinny Chris Judd!.....With the same blistering line breaking speed...Geez I hope I am right... I think he is Jet!
Tiger Claw
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Funny you mention Matty. Remember Wallace saying on SEN that Matty was a rare one in having endurance and pace. Well think we got 3 of them this year.
Just watched FJ interview on RFC http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2014-11-27/recruitment-zone-draft-review. Interesting to hear the pause before Menadue was to do with a couple of players still at our pick we weren't expecting.
Not anymore
Tiger Claw
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None in the draft have played AFL so why not look for what they could bring. Tonight we should be excited. The rest is before us.
Dusty Cotch
Cancelled
Yep... He did remind of Judd though the way he sprints away carrying the ball... Ya never know!
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We are overdue to get a gun 2nd rounder!
I thought you said i said that? or am i kevin sheehan??
Blueyboy74
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- Aug 17, 2009
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Reminds me a lot of Peter Matera. Rangy, quick, evasive, long kicking & a goal-kicker. Not to mention the way he held the ball ...
Can play a bit this kid. Just needs to get on the thymomodulin to bulk up.
And 5th rounder
Tiger Claw
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In for a penny in for a pound...and 4th rounder.And 5th rounder
Thanks Sin, Just quitely are you dissapointed not getting Connor with #28, I know alot of my Carlton supporting mates were hoping the blues take him with your 2nd pick.
By the way good get at #60 - Clem Smith
telsor
Hall of Famer
In for a penny in for a pound...and 4th rounder.
Think we should add a gun 3rd rounder to that as well.
The highlights package looked OK.
His speed was good, what impressed me is his kicking. His action seemed to pause (slightly) before letting the ball drop from his hand to his food. He kicked to space, or to the advantage of his target. If that is consistent I'm very impressed.
His speed was good, what impressed me is his kicking. His action seemed to pause (slightly) before letting the ball drop from his hand to his food. He kicked to space, or to the advantage of his target. If that is consistent I'm very impressed.
Grockadoc
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Here's Knightmare's run down of Menadue from his phantom:
Connor Menadue (VIC – Mid/Def)
Height: 188cm, Weight: 69kg, DOB: 19/09/1996
Recruited from: Western Jets
Range: 15-50
Best position/role: Midfield – on the ball.
Strengths:
Explosive sidestep – Menadue probably has a more explosive sidestep than anyone else presently in the game. He has some evasiveness and avoids tacklers to a high level but it is less in that Pendlebury evasive style where he looks like he has more time and space than anyone else but more an explosive, leave you in my wake variation on that. It starts with his explosive first step that he uses to get around guys and avoid tackles, moving explosively sideways to create separation and exploding past you. It is his major point of difference and is something he can use frequently in game whether it is in general play or after a mark.
Acceleration – In addition to the explosive sidestep Menadue has elite acceleration. He has that explosive first step, gets up to top speed quickly and has a top speed few others possess. He can go on long, full exertion runs with ball in hand and break away from the contest or break the lines on the outside to a high level, typically with runs of 20m-40m until he is either in range to finish for a goal or hit a target inside 50 lace out.
Skillset – Menadue from a skillset standpoint has it all. He is a precision kick and hits his targets over a variety of distances. He is an excellent kick under pressure and when tackled has shown that he can even in these situations find long targets lace out. He has the vision to find the best targets and the most damaging long targets. He consistently makes the best decisions by foot, looking for open targets rather than going long down the line to a contest. He is also an excellent finisher when within range from goal in general play whether on the run or from a stationary position. His work by hand is also excellent and he also by hand has the vision to find targets over a variety of distances and has the vision to find the most damaging outside runners.
Gamechanging ability – Menadue is a real highlight reel player and on his day has the talent to change games with his influence with his mix of traits with his sidestep, acceleration and his footskills and he showed in his only final v Dandanong that he can put forward a game whereby he can really exert his influence on numerous plays across the four quarters. It is also possible given his performance in his one final that he is a big game specialist but a larger sample size of big games would be required to determine this. He also has during the season for Western Jets had his moments where he has lifted in critical moments, exerting his influence which I have also been encouraged by.
Goalkicking – Menadue is a genuine goalkicking midfielder and has managed multiple goals in a number of his games through the midfield this year with his finishing ability from general play excellent. Many of those goals come thanks to his explosive ability to burst through the midfield to around the 50m mark and then kick the 45-55m long goal and it is something I expect to see a lot of at AFL level. He can also when in the forward 50 sidestep guys to create space for the easy finish which is another of his ways from general play to hit the scoreboard.
Versatility – Menadue has shown that he can not only play through the midfield but also be utilised off a back flank as a rebounder with his explosive pace and footskills real weapons if you can get the ball into his hands on a back flank, so he is someone who while best utilised through the midfield can as required get thrown behind the ball.
Upside – Menadue given his mix of dominant traits with his pace, explosive sidestep and footskills gives off the sense that he has tremendous scope to develop. He had that breakout final performance and given he has a light body it can reasonably be assumed that he has significant footballing and physical growth remaining that could further help him elevate his game.
Weaknesses:
Light body – Still only 69kg and will need to put substantial weight onto his frame before he is ready to play at AFL level. As such a light body it also brings into question once he puts on the weight whether he will retain that explosiveness, with that an unknown until we see it.
Contested ball winning ability – Still a work in progress and not something he does enough when played through the midfield as more of a receiver at this stage but the hope would be that as he puts more size onto his frame and that the contested side to his game will improve. What he can do well is read the ruck taps to get first possession and then use his explosiveness to burst forward which is one positive sign that he can develop his inside game.
Ability to take easy marks around the ground – While Menadue is capable overhead and capable even of taking some strong contested marks at times he lacks on the outside the ability to be a linkup target in forward chains at this stage as someone who outside the contest does not find much of the ball all that easily and really needs to be fed the ball by hand to get his hands on it much of the time rather than being in position to take those easy marks outside the contest. Understanding this Menadue will need to improve his running patterns in general play and start to work more into space so that he can find more of the ball.
Relatively lean and inconsistent production – Menadue at this stage while a high impact player when he has the ball, does not accumulate big numbers every game. He can at this stage have his quiet games and more quiet games than you would ideally like. He can also get tagged out of games and with it struggle to find the footy.
What I expect will improve:
I expect Menadue to continue doing what he does but also put weight onto his frame, to find more of the footy more often and to improve his inside game as he has played much of the past couple of seasons in the back half and will with more time on the ball improve his inside game.
Who he can become?
I see Menadue as being a slightly less productive Jonathan O’Rourke as a similar tallish but lightly built dynamic midfielder with that same explosive pace and excellent footskills.
When will he be ready to play?
I see Menadue taking some time and likely looking to establish himself as a regular in season three once he has put some size onto his frame and improved his inside game.
How to best utilise him?
Menadue is more an outside type at this point but once he puts some size onto his frame I expect will be best utilised on the ball through the midfield as someone you want around the ball and consistently impacting games.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Menadue’s numbers both through the U18 Championships and at TAC Cup level have lacked some consistency and have been only moderate. He has over the second half of the season shown strong signs through the midfield and has hit the scoreboard with frequency which is something he did not do last year or in the first few games this season. His disposal efficiency is excellent both at TAC Cup level and particularly through the U18 Championships with his role primarily in the back half helping with that efficiency through the U18 Championships. His tackle numbers are also very good by position and are helped by his speed and agility. He finds a large proportion of his ball through handball receives and will need to start winning more of his own ball and taking more marks around the ground to take that next step towards becoming a high production player.
Connor Menadue (VIC – Mid/Def)
Height: 188cm, Weight: 69kg, DOB: 19/09/1996
Recruited from: Western Jets
Range: 15-50
Best position/role: Midfield – on the ball.
Strengths:
Explosive sidestep – Menadue probably has a more explosive sidestep than anyone else presently in the game. He has some evasiveness and avoids tacklers to a high level but it is less in that Pendlebury evasive style where he looks like he has more time and space than anyone else but more an explosive, leave you in my wake variation on that. It starts with his explosive first step that he uses to get around guys and avoid tackles, moving explosively sideways to create separation and exploding past you. It is his major point of difference and is something he can use frequently in game whether it is in general play or after a mark.
Acceleration – In addition to the explosive sidestep Menadue has elite acceleration. He has that explosive first step, gets up to top speed quickly and has a top speed few others possess. He can go on long, full exertion runs with ball in hand and break away from the contest or break the lines on the outside to a high level, typically with runs of 20m-40m until he is either in range to finish for a goal or hit a target inside 50 lace out.
Skillset – Menadue from a skillset standpoint has it all. He is a precision kick and hits his targets over a variety of distances. He is an excellent kick under pressure and when tackled has shown that he can even in these situations find long targets lace out. He has the vision to find the best targets and the most damaging long targets. He consistently makes the best decisions by foot, looking for open targets rather than going long down the line to a contest. He is also an excellent finisher when within range from goal in general play whether on the run or from a stationary position. His work by hand is also excellent and he also by hand has the vision to find targets over a variety of distances and has the vision to find the most damaging outside runners.
Gamechanging ability – Menadue is a real highlight reel player and on his day has the talent to change games with his influence with his mix of traits with his sidestep, acceleration and his footskills and he showed in his only final v Dandanong that he can put forward a game whereby he can really exert his influence on numerous plays across the four quarters. It is also possible given his performance in his one final that he is a big game specialist but a larger sample size of big games would be required to determine this. He also has during the season for Western Jets had his moments where he has lifted in critical moments, exerting his influence which I have also been encouraged by.
Goalkicking – Menadue is a genuine goalkicking midfielder and has managed multiple goals in a number of his games through the midfield this year with his finishing ability from general play excellent. Many of those goals come thanks to his explosive ability to burst through the midfield to around the 50m mark and then kick the 45-55m long goal and it is something I expect to see a lot of at AFL level. He can also when in the forward 50 sidestep guys to create space for the easy finish which is another of his ways from general play to hit the scoreboard.
Versatility – Menadue has shown that he can not only play through the midfield but also be utilised off a back flank as a rebounder with his explosive pace and footskills real weapons if you can get the ball into his hands on a back flank, so he is someone who while best utilised through the midfield can as required get thrown behind the ball.
Upside – Menadue given his mix of dominant traits with his pace, explosive sidestep and footskills gives off the sense that he has tremendous scope to develop. He had that breakout final performance and given he has a light body it can reasonably be assumed that he has significant footballing and physical growth remaining that could further help him elevate his game.
Weaknesses:
Light body – Still only 69kg and will need to put substantial weight onto his frame before he is ready to play at AFL level. As such a light body it also brings into question once he puts on the weight whether he will retain that explosiveness, with that an unknown until we see it.
Contested ball winning ability – Still a work in progress and not something he does enough when played through the midfield as more of a receiver at this stage but the hope would be that as he puts more size onto his frame and that the contested side to his game will improve. What he can do well is read the ruck taps to get first possession and then use his explosiveness to burst forward which is one positive sign that he can develop his inside game.
Ability to take easy marks around the ground – While Menadue is capable overhead and capable even of taking some strong contested marks at times he lacks on the outside the ability to be a linkup target in forward chains at this stage as someone who outside the contest does not find much of the ball all that easily and really needs to be fed the ball by hand to get his hands on it much of the time rather than being in position to take those easy marks outside the contest. Understanding this Menadue will need to improve his running patterns in general play and start to work more into space so that he can find more of the ball.
Relatively lean and inconsistent production – Menadue at this stage while a high impact player when he has the ball, does not accumulate big numbers every game. He can at this stage have his quiet games and more quiet games than you would ideally like. He can also get tagged out of games and with it struggle to find the footy.
What I expect will improve:
I expect Menadue to continue doing what he does but also put weight onto his frame, to find more of the footy more often and to improve his inside game as he has played much of the past couple of seasons in the back half and will with more time on the ball improve his inside game.
Who he can become?
I see Menadue as being a slightly less productive Jonathan O’Rourke as a similar tallish but lightly built dynamic midfielder with that same explosive pace and excellent footskills.
When will he be ready to play?
I see Menadue taking some time and likely looking to establish himself as a regular in season three once he has put some size onto his frame and improved his inside game.
How to best utilise him?
Menadue is more an outside type at this point but once he puts some size onto his frame I expect will be best utilised on the ball through the midfield as someone you want around the ball and consistently impacting games.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Menadue’s numbers both through the U18 Championships and at TAC Cup level have lacked some consistency and have been only moderate. He has over the second half of the season shown strong signs through the midfield and has hit the scoreboard with frequency which is something he did not do last year or in the first few games this season. His disposal efficiency is excellent both at TAC Cup level and particularly through the U18 Championships with his role primarily in the back half helping with that efficiency through the U18 Championships. His tackle numbers are also very good by position and are helped by his speed and agility. He finds a large proportion of his ball through handball receives and will need to start winning more of his own ball and taking more marks around the ground to take that next step towards becoming a high production player.
Zach Package
Prespakis2Tsatas
You've got an absolute ripper in Connor, made many opponents look like they were wearing concrete boots this year.
Rate him higher than Ellis, and that's not to say I don't rate Ellis either, I just absolutely love what Menadue brings to the table
Rate him higher than Ellis, and that's not to say I don't rate Ellis either, I just absolutely love what Menadue brings to the table
Grockadoc
Brownlow Medallist
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Cheers mate. Of the 5 players we took in the draft, I'd say that in terms of potential, he would be second only to Reece McKenzie. I think he has the ability to be an elite talent at AFL level, and whilst he may not get there, I do believe he is going to have a very good career at AFL level.
He is the exact type of player we lack. Outside of Brett Deledio and Dustin Martin, we have no-one capable of busting a game open, or break lines. The fact that we now have Menadue I think will lessen the pressure on Deledio to be the eone who has to take the game on.
This is my second favourite pick in our draft, behind Drummond who I have been a huge fan of since last year.
Congrats on your draft too..
Laverde AND Langford? You guys killed it! Both players have the potential to be top 5 from this draft!
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We are a quick side now
