Past #26: Tarryn Thomas - Roo until end '24

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Passmore

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Relax mate, no need to get in the defensive, we all want the mural to succeed but at this point 7.8 possessions a game from a very high draft pick is looking more like Kieran Harper than Daniel Wells.. doesn’t mean that wont change.
Year 1 he averaged 12 disposals a game. Year 2 was a bit of a wash given he only played 4 full games.

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Apr 24, 2013
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I guess it depends on your expectations of a first year player.

He needs to step up a grade this year regardless of how folks view his beginning to AFL football.
 

Passmore

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He needs to step up a grade this year regardless of how folks view his beginning to AFL football.
He's like any player on the list. He needs to step up his output as the years go on. He's in the same boat as someone like Bailey Scott, LDU, McKay, Zurhaar, Larkey, Taylor etc.

Folks need to temper expectations on kids in their first year or 2.

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Apr 24, 2013
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Some people are way too eager to throw him under the bus and then drive it over him for practically one season's worth of games...

It's difficult to take a person who equates "he needs to step a gear" with "throw him under a bus".

It reads as if you're setting him up for failure and making excuses for him.
 
Apr 24, 2013
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He's like any player on the list. He needs to step up his output as the years go on. He's in the same boat as someone like Bailey Scott, LDU, McKay, Zurhaar, Larkey, Taylor etc.

Folks need to temper expectations on kids in their first year or 2.

And on a block of games where he's basically been on par with any 1-2 year player. It's bizarre.

Okay, let's cut the bullshit.

Are you, like firestarter, also not confident that he can turn the corner in 2021?

You're making excuses for him failing before the ball has even been bounced.
 
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Passmore

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Okay, let's cut the bullshit.

Are you, like firestarter, also not confident that he can turn the corner in 2021?

You're making excuses for him failing before the ball has been even bounced.
I'm as confident about Thomas as any kid on the list. I just don't think he's been underwhelming so far. My expectations on kids when they're kids are more realistic than some.

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Apr 24, 2013
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I'm as confident about Thomas as any kid on the list. I just don't think he's been underwhelming so far. My expectations on kids when they're kids are more realistic than some.

His impact per possession has been good, but his possession per game time has been poor.

Again, I put this down to conditioning, but he's had 3 years of pre season training now.

It is reasonable to expect a detectable rise in output from Tarryn in 2021, and I suspect we will see it.

If we get to the end of 2021 and he has averaged 10 touches a game, then question marks will rightfully arise.

It's a big year for Tarryn, and all the damage control of an unsatisfactory output is irrelevant.
 
Nov 7, 2020
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Yeah nah, I’m happy to go with underwhelming in relation to where I thought he’d be at this stage of his career. That isn’t a slight on him btw, I just thought he’d be further advanced in terms of his midfield transition. I also feel that when he was drafted he was the man, yet now, even if he doesn’t make it I’m not sure it affects us which is a decent fall from Grace.

No one is denying his class and awesomeness, but as SB said, he needs to start getting his hands on the ball and/or begin kicking more goals consistently.

I believe. But Taylor and Zurhaar are IMO, just as important to us now and they were pick #57 and a Rookie.
 
Apr 24, 2013
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I dunno if he'll ever be a midfielder.

Our drafting strategy would suggest the footy dept don't see him that way.

The only excuse he'll have against a rise in output in 2021 is injury.
 
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Year 1 he averaged 12 disposals a game. Year 2 was a bit of a wash given he only played 4 full games.

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No doubt he’s showed some flashes of brilliance already, but we just want to see more of it and I’m hoping this is his break out year. If he gets the pill more he straight away becomes a weapon for us and very much a headache for the oppo.
 

Passmore

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His impact per possession has been good, but his possession per game time has been poor.

Again, I put this down to conditioning, but he's had 3 years of pre season training now.

It is reasonable to expect a detectable rise in output from Tarryn in 2021, and I suspect we will see it.

If we get to the end of 2021 and he has averaged 10 touches a game, then question marks will rightfully arise.

It's a big year for Tarryn, and all the damage control of an unsatisfactory output is irrelevant.
For a first year player his possession rate to position was average for the competition.

It took Luke McDonald until season 7 to start to fulfil his potential. For some it takes a bit of time for it to come together.

He's a kid, give him time like the other kids on the list.

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Passmore

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No doubt he’s showed some flashes of brilliance already, but we just want to see more of it and I’m hoping this is his break out year. If he gets the pill more he straight away becomes a weapon for us and very much a headache for the oppo.
Absolutely Sherm. We need him to get the pill on his hands. 12 per game in year 1 was a solid start. I'm prepared to give a 2nd year kid a Mulligan for 2020.

If he can turn that 12 into 15, he's well on track.

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Mar 23, 2001
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Absolutely Sherm. We need him to get the pill on his hands. 12 per game in year 1 was a solid start. I'm prepared to give a 2nd year kid a Mulligan for 2020.

If he can turn that 12 into 15, he's well on track.

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I reckon he should be playing JMacs old role.

Running off half back with his speed, evasiveness and vision is definitely what we need.

He’s a fantastic tackler and we could use his precision kicking out skills when the oppo kick a point.

He could probably kick 15 goals from defensive transitions too.
 

Swallow_Wood

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Some strange calls on expectations going on here. He's been underwhelming and needs a big year?

Please.

Some noticeable steps in physical conditioning and a general improvement in output and impact on his first two years is fair for a kid who didn't come from the elite system in VIC, SA or WA, who was known to be a little on the immature side and who missed two thirds of his second year due to injury. His output dipped last year playing as a half forward (as many on here will know is the hardest position on the ground to maintain involvement) in the most dysfunctional North side in decades whilst living in the hub.

Much will depend on how Noble uses him so I think it wise to see where he is playing in praccy's and the first few games and how the team is looking to utilise him before applying specific metric expectations.
 
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AnEmptyChair

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Yeah nah, I’m happy to go with underwhelming in relation to where I thought he’d be at this stage of his career. That isn’t a slight on him btw, I just thought he’d be further advanced in terms of his midfield transition. I also feel that when he was drafted he was the man, yet now, even if he doesn’t make it I’m not sure it affects us which is a decent fall from Grace.

No one is denying his class and awesomeness, but as SB said, he needs to start getting his hands on the ball and/or begin kicking more goals consistently.

I believe. But Taylor and Zurhaar are IMO, just as important to us now and they were pick #57 and a Rookie.
Err what exactly did you expect at 20 years old with less than 30 games under his belt? The problem here is with your expectation, not his performance.

I want to see him get the ball more too because if he does so it means we're a far better team. But he's played less than two years of football. LDU had done very little and Simpkin was dropped around the same time, yet people preached time with them. Why is Tarryn different in that respect?
 
Apr 24, 2013
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For a first year player his possession rate to position was average for the competition.

It took Luke McDonald until season 7 to start to fulfil his potential. For some it takes a bit of time for it to come together.

You're definitely putting some lube on this.

He's a kid, give him time like the other kids on the list.

C'mon, you're talking to me mate. You don't think I have a solid read on kids & development after all these years of putting gooses on show?
 
Apr 24, 2013
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No doubt he’s showed some flashes of brilliance already, but we just want to see more of it and I’m hoping this is his break out year. If he gets the pill more he straight away becomes a weapon for us and very much a headache for the oppo.

I doubt Tarryn will ever be a 30 disposal player, and that's okay with me considering his ability to impact, but he must eventually become a 20+ disposal player and I'll state again, it's all about conditioning and work rate for him.
 

Passmore

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You're definitely putting some lube on this.



C'mon, you're talking to me mate. You don't think I have a solid read on kids & development after all these years of putting gooses on show?
You seem to be putting a different timeline to the expectations on Thomas to others.

I think his first year was as as good as you could expect. He just needs to keep improving on that. Hopefully it clicks sooner rather than later.

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Apr 24, 2013
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You seem to be putting a different timeline to the expectations on Thomas to others.

It just "seems" that way.

I'll concede that how the coaches play him will have some impact on his output and I will factor this at the end of the year when I evaluate his season.

I put him at ~15 disposals for 2021 based on the probability that the ball is going to get flicked around a hell of a lot between the half back and half forward lines.
 
Nov 17, 2011
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If you adjust disposals for time on field then Thomas looks a lot better, as he had a couple of games with niggles that brought his averages down. The below numbers are disposals per game adjusted for 70% time on field.

Thomas: 8.56
Taylor: 8.61
Ziebell: 7.86
Zurhaar: 8.00
Scott: 9.07
Mahony: 7.88

People need to relax on Thomas. The reality is that everybody forward of centre struggled last year because of the gameplan. I did a fairly lengthy post when he was drafted that his career would be a slow burn, but I still have no doubts that he is going to be a gun.
 

Passmore

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It just "seems" that way.

I'll concede that how the coaches play him will have some impact on his output and I will factor this at the end of the year when I evaluate his season.

I put him at ~15 disposals for 2021 based on the probability that the ball is going to get flicked around a hell of a lot between the half back and half forward lines.
15 per game would be decent output for him for this stage of his development.

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