Player Watch #29: Shai Bolton - What an absolute jet!
- Thread starter Grockadoc
- Start date
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Bolton 100% deserves a spot this week and if Hardwick is serious about rewarding performances this kid needs to be played ahead of
Ellis,Butler,Castagna
Ellis,Butler,Castagna
Phar Ace
Brownlow Medallist
Dunno, maybe you better tell us 
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Dr Tigris
Brownlow Medallist
"Look Brando, I don't want any of this clean possession stuff. Go out there and kick the ball like it's going to bite you, only target team mates when they are being closely marked and looking at their shoe laces, and have a big meal and diuretics before the game."
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Should get a game this week for Butler, they play the same role and Butler has been horrible through both JLT games and the season. Castagna would survive for me, he's only just come back in and atleast he competes in the air and seems to be working hard definisively to put on pressure.
What. Have you ever watched Bolton? He is a mid who can go forward much like Shane Edwards.
Roachy8
Premium Platinum
So excited about this weeks game now - with in’s including Shai
We hyped him up when he arrived but in reality was a precocious skinny kid with flair.
Since then has almost been forgotten here as others have sort of passed him....
But now hearing he has been working on his craft - becoming a footballer - playing in the middle / on the wing.
Hope he plays a ripper.
We hyped him up when he arrived but in reality was a precocious skinny kid with flair.
Since then has almost been forgotten here as others have sort of passed him....
But now hearing he has been working on his craft - becoming a footballer - playing in the middle / on the wing.
Hope he plays a ripper.
Always good to watch Bolton but he is still a bit undersized and sometimes doesn't have much confidence in front on contests when he is likely to be in a heavy physical clash if he commits fully for the ball. You keep reminding yourself with this bloke he was the youngest in his draft year and also of very slender conformation. Definitely a good selection this week but I suspect we will need to be patient with him and if so, we could be rewarded in spades in the future.
With Shai bolton you really need to look at him as if he is a 2nd year player and not 3rd , He was probably the youngest player in his draft and came to the club at 68kgs and with no tank but amazing talent.
Was always going to take him 2-3 years to be anywhere near afl ready in body size and endurance and probably still a year away from really being ready to play 22 games.
Sir_Loin
🏆🏆🏆
OK...so knowing this when his contract came up, why did the club offer him a cut throat one year extension?
It would not be cut throat as in Richmond will delist him if he doesn't make the grade this year. It would be more like he will want a bigger value contract and wants to be re-assessed after this year. Bolton and manager would not have wanted him locked away for 2-3 years on current wages. You would be nuts to cut a player like this as a 20yo, he looks a really big talent.
Maybe Shai Bolton didnt want a longer deal or Perhaps he was not working hard enough and they wanted to make sure he had the work ethic and dedication to play football.
So many players give up and the club is left holding the contract and usually paying it out
Sir_Loin
🏆🏆🏆
Bold move given the number of games played in a top 4 team. Probably the gutsiest move in the history of the AFL
Sir_Loin
🏆🏆🏆
But your premise is that he’s a year behind everyone else in his draft year. And with that he’s actually more progressed than people think.
I’m just curious if that’s the case the
Club would have shown more faith and offered him a longer deal. From memory there wasn’t a lot of interest from clubs when his last deal was expiring.
What is there to say the club didn't offer him a longer deal? Surely the club has heard and responded to Bolton and his manager not wanting to get locked in on low wages for multiple years. And a club would be nuts to offer a developing youngster who has not got close to nailing down a senior spot more than a fairly minimal wage. Because of his light frame and young draft age he is taking a little longer than normal for a player of his ability to find his feet, so after 3 seasons he will be where a lot of players are after 2 seasons. It makes perfect sense for all concerned then to give him a third year on minimal wages and re-assess after this season. Even a 10 game season with signs of improvement and development is likely to earn Bolton good offers from Richmond and rivals clubs alike.
I saw a bit of the Collingwood VFL practice match this season and watched Bolton closely(he is hard to miss at that level.) He looked very lively and damaging, but a bit shy of front on traffic once or twice. If I am correct in thinking this alone is why the club has held him back this season then you would back him to overcome this problem as his body matures and he develops the knowledge of how to deal with these situations. As mentioned earlier, you just want some patience with this type of player.
Cdog71
Premiership Player
- Sep 21, 2017
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Negotiated another year on base salary, hired a personal trainer and trained hard asked to be played mid/wing rather than fwd without Ellis and Miles.
He’s earn’t an opportunity in a different role after one pre-season and a couple of games.
Will be in a better position to negotiate at the end of the year and higher market value.
Good Management I reckon, looks like he’s commited getting more out’ve himself.
Good on him, buiding his future and making his life in the afl.
Hope he’s a club man, guess we’ll see what happens later on.
He’s earn’t an opportunity in a different role after one pre-season and a couple of games.
Will be in a better position to negotiate at the end of the year and higher market value.
Good Management I reckon, looks like he’s commited getting more out’ve himself.
Good on him, buiding his future and making his life in the afl.
Hope he’s a club man, guess we’ll see what happens later on.
A little bit like Sheds when he started a skinny lil kid that could play footy, just had to learn the pace of the game and not get hammered in the physical stuff while he developed his frame...
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Have we ever had this many indigenous players playing together in the same team?
Rioli, Stack, Edwards & Bolton.
Rioli, Stack, Edwards & Bolton.
clark1980
Senior List
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good luck shai. just another one of our younger players that has shown highlights and ability but no consistency when promoted previously. if balta, Sydney and shai can make it, it gives our team a certain amount of X factor, which is always needed.
Sir_Loin
🏆🏆🏆
Irrespective of how he goes I hope they stick with him and give him some games to find his feet at the level. Dropping players after one game isn’t great for development IMO
Just let the bloke play for a few weeks I say, can see him working well with our small forwards and not butcher the ball like a few have this season.
