Toast WalshWatch 2019

[Faz 2000]

No doubt he has been as impressive as could reasonably be hoped in his first 4 games. Of course four games don't make a career, and plenty of draftees will take time to find their spot at the level and come through in time, but he has ticked literally every box so far. The fact that he's already elite at the AFL level in some areas/stats is outrageous.

 

[BluesRule]

6 games now and Walsh continues to be elite every week.

Would like to know if he is the AFL's best ever first year (18yo) draftee for immediate impact and who would be the other contenders?

 

[NumberEight]

6 games now and Walsh continues to be elite every week.

Would like to know if he is the AFL's best ever first year (18yo) draftee for immediate impact and who would be the other contenders?

As of right now, there are none.

If he keeps it up, it will be the best first season for an 18 year old of the modern error. Judd included.

 

[Sector 7G]

16.1 kms must be close to No1 running player in the league with Whitfield playing lame yesterday and running less than 14kms.

 

[tarczonandjane]

6 games now and Walsh continues to be elite every week.

Would like to know if he is the AFL's best ever first year (18yo) draftee for immediate impact and who would be the other contenders?

If you look at the AFL website, the answer is Connor Rozee. Their reportedly breathlessly declares this year’s NRS is a race in two. The subtly changing dynamic of the media is summed up in the article, which appears to stake out match-winning ability and the capability to change a game from their own boot as new metrics for the award. A few of us who have watched Cripps and Camporeale lose to far inferior players have warned of this. Watch it snowball from here.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

If you look at the AFL website, the answer is Connor Rozee. Their reportedly breathlessly declares this year’s NRS is a race in two. The subtly changing dynamic of the media is summed up in the article, which appears to stake out match-winning ability and the capability to change a game from their own boot as new metrics for the award. A few of us who have watched Cripps and Camporeale lose to far inferior players have warned of this. Watch it snowball from here.

Oh, it's on for sure. Media gunning for an upset. Stack or Rozee will win it. Mark my words.

 

[agro]

I called this weeks ago and the anti Carlton AFL media push for Rozee is getting stronger and stronger.

Jon Anderson on 3AW this morning has been pumping up Rozee - and this morning went on about how much harder is the position that Rozee plays.


It’s funny the most ordinary and vanilla Rising Star (Andrew McGrath) was given the award chasing kicks around the half back line the year he won it.

Walsh will finish the year with an average disposal count of 25+, Rozee will probably finish the year with 25 goals - but this will be the year that forward line is “much harder to play” than mid field.

 

[RedFury]

I have to agree with this. Whatever the Carlron player does well seems to magically be the opposite of what is "hard" or "important" in any given year.

You can bet your life that if Rozee played for Carlton and Walsh played for - any other team - the narrative would look vastly different.

"Rozee is promising, but putting in a few cameos each game and getting some cheap kicks in the forward line can't compete with the consistent, hard, contested midfield role that Walsh performs week in, week out."

Something like that?

So many carlron haters in the media. Sometimes I think they don't even realize how biased they are being - it's like a subconscious bias.

If Walsh and Rozee both keep up current form then Rozee will win it. He shouldn't, but he will.

 

[tarczonandjane]

I called this weeks ago and the anti Carlton AFL media push for Rozee is getting stronger and stronger.

Jon Anderson on 3AW this morning has been pumping up Rozee - and this morning went on about how much harder is the position that Rozee plays.


It’s funny the most ordinary and vanilla Rising Star (Andrew McGrath) was given the award chasing kicks around the half back line the year he won it.

Walsh will finish the year with an average disposal count of 25+, Rozee will probably finish the year with 25 goals - but this will be the year that forward line is “much harder to play” than mid field.

Two further points Agro.

First, people should note that McGrath played for * in a year where we were meant to feel sorry for them. This demonstrates the NRS is political.

Second, the narrative against Walsh was built further over the weekend when Leigh Montagna came out and said recruiters rate this year’s top two prospects as better players than Walsh. Once again, notice the shift. Walsh comes in and gets better stats than any players in history, but there are now other prospects coming through the system who are even better.

Agro is spot on. The next phase will be the one where we are told that playing forward is harder than midfield. It was essentially the reason we were told that Holland and Hogan were the best players in their years.

 

[onesilop]

The next phase will be the one where we are told that playing forward is harder than midfield. It was essentially the reason we were told that Holland and Hogan were the best players in their years.

While that irritates me, I would much rather have Walsh not win and then follow the same path as Cripps to being talked about as the best player in the game and Rozee follow Hogan down the path of being a good bit inconsistent player.

Imagine in 2 years when the two best mids in the game are playing in Navy Blue and we have one of the best backs and two of the best forwards and they are all under 26

 

[HARKER]

What we may find is that Rozee could well start slowing down.
Not sure he has the fitness base and aerobic ability of Walsh, but if he has, he has every right to be in the discussion.
Hard to fathom this Rozee is the same one I saw at The Champs. Must have been something wrong with him mid last year.

A few of the already nominated Rising Stars have tapered off already. Scott is in and out of the team, Constable has missed a game already and Petruccelle isn't really a RS potential winner.

About time Walsh starts clocking up his rating, also.
This 25, 26 possessions a game is just not on any more. 30+ or GAGF!

 

[JustaBattler]

The best way to get media plaudits is to win games.

 

[tarczonandjane]

While that irritates me, I would much rather have Walsh not win and then follow the same path as Cripps to being talked about as the best player in the game and Rozee follow Hogan down the path of being a good bit inconsistent player.

Imagine in 2 years when the two best mids in the game are playing in Navy Blue and we have one of the best backs and two of the best forwards and they are all under 26

You’re right of course. Gee I wish we had Hogan rather than Cripps on our list... said no one, ever.

 

[Jabba73]

Heard Lloyd spruiking there were two kids playing for Carey that are going to be better than Walsh.

There are going to be some serious guns running around the competition next season.

 

[BigFrizz36]

Leigh montagna on afl tonight "clearly sam Walsh should be leading the rising star"
He said that rozee has a good highlites reel but that people seriously under rate how hard it is for walsh to be doing what he is doing.

 

[HBF]

Not sure any of us could have imagined he would have started his career like this.

 

[HARKER]

Who cares if Walsh doesn't take out the RS in.....20 weeks time.
He's a sum of the parts player and not a Lone Ranger.

Will make us a better squad for years to come in the way Cripps did vs Hogan.

 

[thebluelagoon]

yea...! I think there is an argument that Key forward is a more difficult position to dominate for a rookie. Key forward requires the physical strength and development to beat big mature backs, more than playing midfield. This argument got enough traction to get Hobo over the line despite not playing to the level that Cripps did. By voicing this argument you are already admitting that Cripps put in a better season.

Nobody can argue with a straight face that snagging a few jam roles in the forward pocket is a more difficult position to play and have an impact as a rookie. There is a hierarchy and it goes

Key forward
inside mid
bla
bla
bla
back pocket

*this is why only the dopers would take a back pocket with pick 1 when there are inside mids and goal kicking mids on the table.

 

[NewDarkNavyBlues]

I called this weeks ago and the anti Carlton AFL media push for Rozee is getting stronger and stronger.

Jon Anderson on 3AW this morning has been pumping up Rozee - and this morning went on about how much harder is the position that Rozee plays.


It’s funny the most ordinary and vanilla Rising Star (Andrew McGrath) was given the award chasing kicks around the half back line the year he won it.

Walsh will finish the year with an average disposal count of 25+, Rozee will probably finish the year with 25 goals - but this will be the year that forward line is “much harder to play” than mid field.

I went to the Anzac Day game and watched McGrath. He really underwhelmed. Shirked multiple contests, had the yips and turned it over under pressure. Taranto far superior. Walsh in another league.

This Rozee garbage is all anti Carlton hate again.

They know we're coming.

 

[Mr_Plow]

I went to the Anzac Day game and watched McGrath. He really underwhelmed. Shirked multiple contests, had the yips and turned it over under pressure. Taranto far superior. Walsh in another league.

This Rozee garbage is all anti Carlton hate again.

They know we're coming.

Taranto is insanely better than McGrath. Not sure what Essendon were thinking back in that draft; big bodied classy skillful midfielders with big engines and high football IQ are ******* rare.

 

[Arr0w]

Who cares if Walsh doesn't take out the RS in.....20 weeks time.
He's a sum of the parts player and not a Lone Ranger.

Will make us a better squad for years to come in the way Cripps did vs Hogan.

Ultimately that is all that matters

 

[HARKER]

Ultimately that is all that matters

Yeah, don't you think?

We're always searching for the best individual in isolation, but that's not always how a team-game plays out and even more so in our sport that has a starting squad of 22 players. 22 individuals or 22 players unified in the common cause?

 

[Arr0w]

Yeah, don't you think?

We're always searching for the best individual in isolation, but that's not always how a team-game plays out and even more so in our sport that has a starting squad of 22 players. 22 individuals or 22 players unified in the common cause?

You know I rated others ahead of him long term, but have always said he is the best bust proof kid I have seen in some time, will be Mr Consistency

Floor Cotchin, ceiling Whitfield

While picking the best player at every pick is a bonus, the goal is not having a bust, especially in the first 3 rounds

From our draft picks between 2007 - 2014, only Cripps and Kruezer are still on an AFL list (2E the only other player, taken as a free hit)

Confident that our drafting ( and the majority of our trades, given what we gave up) from 2015 are on another level

 

[HARKER]

You know I rated others ahead of him long term, but have always said he is the best bust proof kid I have seen in some time, will be Mr Consistency
Floor Cotchin, ceiling Whitfield
While picking the best player at every pick is a bonus, the goal is not having a bust, especially in the first 3 rounds
From our draft picks between 2007 - 2014, only Cripps and Kruezer are still on an AFL list (2E the only other player, taken as a free hit)
Confident that our drafting ( and the majority of our trades, given what we gave up) from 2015 are on another level

There are four players in particular I watched in their junior years (limited viewing) that I saw a factor above what they showed on-field that had me thinking -

1. Lever - I didn't even see a game played, but for the respect he garnered at Optus Oval when joining team-mates, given his season off for injury.
2. Moore - Same as above but looked capable of tearing the game apart. Had everything going for him.
3. Weitering - An absolute boss that got into his opponents heads when the ball was at the other end of the ground. An intimidator and it worked.
4. Walsh - Omnipresent. Just appeared at every contest. Had to look around the ground to see whether there were 2 #2's on the ground. Had not seen the like of that before.

 

[Burgers45]

In this mornings HUN, Tex Walker also pushing hard for Rozee as well. Surprise, surprise as a South Australian.