Nat Fyfe: ruined by injuries?

[PP34]

Watching Fyfe this year it's clear he's not the 2015 beast that won the Brownlow and was a Dangerfield level sort of talent.

Obviously injuries wrote off last year and affected his 2015 finals I believe meaning he's spent a fairly long time rehabbing while the likes of Dangerfield, Martin etc all have all been able to focus on improving their games.

He was a clearance machine in 2015 averaging 8.6 a game and now averages only 5.4. His clangers are back to 2012 levels and he's actually the worst clanger player in the AFL right now. His contested possessions stats are down by about 3 a game from 2015.

His last few games he has accumulated possessions, but hasn't seemed to have done anything with it. You want him winning the ball, but he's the type of player you'd much rather dominate in the clearances and contested possession game than simply getting a lot of disposals.

Is it time to worry with Fyfe that the leg injuries may have seriously affected him as a player? With his impending free agent status teams surely must be having serious doubts about throwing a huge deal at him?

 

[compact72]

Reckon he knows his not going to be at Freo next year. Saving the body

Was on fire at the start of the season. Somethings happened

 

[PP34]

Reckon he knows his not going to be at Freo next year. Saving the body

Was on fire at the start of the season. Somethings happened

That's something worth considering too, but surely it would be more beneficial for him financially to be playing really well with contract offers coming up.

 

[Purple Jesus]

He hasn't been on fire all year, he's building though, slowly improving. His game on the weekend wasn't the best but wasn't the worst either. His numbers this year actually aren't that far off his 2015 numbers. Maybe just less 'flashy'. Has been instrumental in all of our close wins this year.

He's not going anywhere. Will sign soon.

 

[compact72]

That's something worth considering too, but surely it would be more beneficial for him financially to be playing really well with contract offers coming up.

Not if everything is ticked off (as much as you can)

I reckon St Kilda are in for him and have proposed a deal where both sides are happy. Could be saving his body for a big 2018 season as St Kilda will be getting there grove on better than 2017

 

[theprospect]

Playing like a bloke who's already packed his bags. Welcome to St. Kilda, Nat god knows we need you

 

[compact72]

Playing like a bloke who's already packed his bags. Welcome to St. Kilda, Nat god knows we need you

Will be interesting. Think you guys would benefit from using your draft picks a bit better as Fyfe won't fix all your problems.

 

[PP34]

Not if everything is ticked off (as much as you can)

I reckon St Kilda are in for him and have proposed a deal where both sides are happy. Could be saving his body for a big 2018 season as St Kilda will be getting there grove on better than 2017

A team would be nuts to already have locked up a deal for such a big player without seeing how he goes in a full comeback season.

Worked horribly for Carlton with Daisy.

 

[Teagueeee15]

The report during the 2016 pre-season was that he had ruptured a disc or discs in his back, so it shouldnt be a surprise that he's not what he was in 2015. I think he's done a good job to be playing as well as he has given the severity of that injury.

 

[theprospect]

Will be interesting. Think you guys would benefit from using your draft picks a bit better as Fyfe won't fix all your problems.

I tend to agree, if we were to make a deal for Fyfe I'd much rather keep our pick from Hawthorn and use it on the best available mid. Would mean we have to offload this years and next years first picks, but I want to have at least one in the first round this year

 

[Farm Boy]

Of course injuries have taken their toll. Not just the leg - but shoulders as well. Fyfe has the body of a veteran, and whilst his mind may be willing - his body isn't. This has nothing to do with being unhappy, it has to do with the fact that his body isn't what it once was.

 

[PP34]

Will be interesting. Think you guys would benefit from using your draft picks a bit better as Fyfe won't fix all your problems.

If you've got the chance to recruit a Brownlow medalist into a club that will likely be full of bloke hitting their primes in the next 2-3 years you take the punt.

Much better chance of the Saints getting the star midfielder they need via Fyfe rather than relying on a pick that could fall anywhere from 1-10. Even if it ends up as a top 3 pick history has shown star players aren't always guaranteed.

 

[JG22]

Has an injury written all over it,

Hoping it is at least.

 

[mightymouse75]

Playing crap. Lowering the bar because he knows he Will be a saint nek year

 

[Righteo]

Jesus Christ sensationalist title much? He's working his way back from serious injury and needs to regain confidence in his legs again. He's not "ruined", just a victim of his own standards.

 

[james Dean]

A team would be nuts to already have locked up a deal for such a big player without seeing how he goes in a full comeback season.

Worked horribly for Carlton with Daisy.

O'Meara too

 

[PP34]

Jesus Christ sensationalist title much? He's working his way back from serious injury and needs to regain confidence in his legs again. He's not "ruined", just a victim of his own standards.

Didn't say he was ruined. Questioning if it's something to consider.

 

[Anoncomment]

Nat Fyfe: ruined by injuries?

Didn't say he was ruined.

The term "Orwellian" should be reserved for much better acts of linguistic duplicity than this farce.

 

[Righteo]

Didn't say he was ruined. Questioning if it's something to consider.

Using ruined in the title is pure clickbait.

 

[Belnakor]

Playing like a bloke who's already packed his bags.

thats why he had 26 in a team that got flogged by 100 points. Was one of the few who didn't give up on the weekend (Mundy had 7 touches... for the game.)

 

[DrEvil_]

Ruined by Sam Mitchell, what a dog he is, disgusting WC culture.

 

[Damon_3388]

Could simply be that the Dockers feel Lachie Neale more suited to the "extractor" role. The dip in clearances and contested possessions for Fyfe could be as much to do with opportunity and structures and the personnel around him as anything else.

 

[Yeti]

Could simply be that the Dockers feel Lachie Neale more suited to the "extractor" role. The dip in clearances and contested possessions for Fyfe could be as much to do with opportunity and structures and the personnel around him as anything else.

Serious question. Have you watched any Freo games this year?

 

[aussierulesrules]

If you've got the chance to recruit a Brownlow medalist into a club that will likely be full of bloke hitting their primes in the next 2-3 years you take the punt.

Much better chance of the Saints getting the star midfielder they need via Fyfe rather than relying on a pick that could fall anywhere from 1-10. Even if it ends up as a top 3 pick history has shown star players aren't always guaranteed.

The thing is though, if you get someone like Fyfe and he costs you not only a huge chunk of your salary cap, but also potentially two really good draft picks, you're basically giving up 3 really good opportunities to get a "gun" (one with each draft pick, plus at least one more with the money, since you can now get someone through FA for just money), for one guy.

That's fine if you reckon that one guy is the last piece of the puzzle for a premiership, but if he isn't, it might not be the best idea to throw so many of your trade and draft assets at him, like say Carlton did when they got Judd.

Sure the kids you get with the first rounders in the draft (or from a lesser trade) probably won't be as good as a Fyfe, but the thing is, if you get two who are at least long term best 22 types from the picks, then you still have that huge amount of salary cap space available to go after a different "big fish" next year, when you're more ready for them to be the "final piece of the puzzle".

 

[Damon_3388]

Serious question. Have you watched any Freo games this year?

Yes.

I feel a change in the Dockers' midfield structure could be as much a factor as anything else. Fyfe doesn't necessarily need to carry the load he did in 2015.