Past #18: Shaun Atley - delisted end '21 - 237 NM games / 44 NM goals - thanks Ats

Positive was his hit on bailey
Said it at the time, best thing he’s done in 2020.
Alas it resulted in nothing.
We still got belted.
 
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zoomba23

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 17, 2017
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North Melbourne
I know he's just about the shittest 200 gamer in the history of the game, but does anyone reckon he'd do better on a wing? Doesn't have a lot of defensive tricks in his bag, maybe if Rhyce tells him to get to the wing and just ******* run when the ball comes to him it might work? The bloke has some serious wheels and never bloody uses them. If Rhyce and the coaching staff just beat the Brad Scott out of him and tell him to take the game on, with all that space, I reckon we might actually get something out of him late in his career.
 
I know he's just about the shittest 200 gamer in the history of the game, but does anyone reckon he'd do better on a wing? Doesn't have a lot of defensive tricks in his bag, maybe if Rhyce tells him to get to the wing and just ******* run when the ball comes to him it might work? The bloke has some serious wheels and never bloody uses them. If Rhyce and the coaching staff just beat the Brad Scott out of him and tell him to take the game on, with all that space, I reckon we might actually get something out of him late in his career.

I doubt that it would work. The huge problem with Atley is that he just doesn't know what to do with the football when he gets it.
 

zoomba23

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 17, 2017
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I doubt that it would work. The huge problem with Atley is that he just doesn't know what to do with the football when he gets it.
Yeah I've noticed that tendency, but like, if there's any way we could get him playing on instinct, then maybe that could work. A lot of North players really struggle when they have to think when they have the ball. In fact, most of our players have that problem. If Atley gets told to turn off the brain and just play on instinct he might have a better output. Sort of in the mold of Buddy. Buddy doesn't think when he has the ball, he just wheels around on his left and yeets the ball towards goal. Obviously Atley doesn't have that ability, but he could just run with the ball without overthinking and maybe his instinct would take over and he'd find something. Of course, that's assuming he's got football instinct somewhere inside him.
 
Atleys been living off his potential since he’s been drafted.

He is a product of the Scott era as we know, but Atleys also the type of player who would be okay with being told his careers over and wouldn’t fight for his position on the list. Then he’ll nick off and become a sparky or a tradie in 2021.
 

CBSlogger

Club Legend
Aug 2, 2009
2,884
4,607
Melbourne
AFL Club
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I agree Ats is nearly done and he's a pretty underwhelming 200 gamer, but I'm gonna defend his honour as THE worst ever 200 gamer and throw some others up for consideration...

Justin Peckett
Brent Stanton
Dom Cassisi
Jared Crouch
Darren Gaspar
Marty Mattner
Angus Monfries
Nathan Bassett
Antony Grover
Matthew Stokes

And...

Fazza Ray!

He's still one of ours.
 

Rad Roo

Premiership Player
Aug 2, 2017
3,389
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North Melbourne
Chuck him on the wing. :stern look

center square with hall, force them to be useful, take away the safe options of the backline or forward 50 to rest and hide. They have to win or they are out.
 

north_lad

Club Legend
Oct 26, 2003
2,353
6,984
Melbourne
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I agree Ats is nearly done and he's a pretty underwhelming 200 gamer, but I'm gonna defend his honour as THE worst ever 200 gamer and throw some others up for consideration...

Justin Peckett
Brent Stanton
Dom Cassisi
Jared Crouch
Darren Gaspar
Marty Mattner
Angus Monfries
Nathan Bassett
Antony Grover
Matthew Stokes

And...

Fazza Ray!

He's still one of ours.

Can't ******* believe Dom Cassisi captained an AFL club. Just insane
 
I agree Ats is nearly done and he's a pretty underwhelming 200 gamer, but I'm gonna defend his honour as THE worst ever 200 gamer and throw some others up for consideration...

Justin Peckett
Brent Stanton
Dom Cassisi
Jared Crouch
Darren Gaspar
Marty Mattner
Angus Monfries
Nathan Bassett
Antony Grover
Matthew Stokes

And...

Fazza Ray!

He's still one of ours.

He might only cover 2 players on that list

Might
 
Yeah I've noticed that tendency, but like, if there's any way we could get him playing on instinct, then maybe that could work. A lot of North players really struggle when they have to think when they have the ball. In fact, most of our players have that problem. If Atley gets told to turn off the brain and just play on instinct he might have a better output. Sort of in the mold of Buddy. Buddy doesn't think when he has the ball, he just wheels around on his left and yeets the ball towards goal. Obviously Atley doesn't have that ability, but he could just run with the ball without overthinking and maybe his instinct would take over and he'd find something. Of course, that's assuming he's got football instinct somewhere inside him.

I haven't watched his entire career, but from memory, he played on instinct a fair bit a year or two ago when we had him more Forward. He was either setting up goals or kicking them himself, on the fly, with fluidity, and by all appearances, instinctively. Not saying that he can repeat that right now necessarily, but I do think it's worth a try putting him Forward again, one more time, just to see.

Bit off topic, but I really think what our side is desperately missing right now is a Jarrad Waite type of agitator. The Zurhaar has a bit of it about him at his best, but even he is predictable in it. What was so great about Waitey was that you never knew when he was going to turn up and just be an absolute pest. And kick a bag of goals in between.

Anyways, I've certainly seen Ats provide some inspiring moments for our team, and go his share to winning some games for us. I do believe he has a ton of instinct about him. He's also not the only player out there to get hung up on overthinking. But it stands out more when he does, because it's usually while he's on the fly in space with the potential to do something exhilarating.

Is he done? Maybe. But let's throw him Forward one more time. Just to see. Now's as good a time as any.
 
Aug 25, 2006
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Just out of curiosity what did people hate so much about his performance last night. For me nothing stood out that was bad in terms of clangers I know one big frustration is his inability to use his main attributes such as his pace but want to see what the big uproar is
Watch how many times he lets his opponent get into dangerous positions because he stupidly goes to a contest he can’t impact.

Then you add in that he actually does nothing anymore the other way. It’s painful watching a guy with pace, run, stop and prop because he has NFI what he is doing.

I think I can finally say Atleys shitfulness comes down to the fact that he is a terrible decision maker. He just has no clue what to do on a football field.
 
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