Esava remains a Cat!!
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- Sep 11, 2006
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standupand
Club Legend
Love watching Esava play. I don't doubt that he'll continue to work hard and improve and continue to play with that infectious smile on his face. Hope he stays in the hoops for a long time.
- Aug 16, 2009
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Trying to compare the two is not reasonable. Sav has played 47 games and the number of games purely as a key forward is probably around 20. I don't think he will ever be as good a kick as Tom. Tommy I would say has had a good technique since he was a kid. He was taught properly from the start and he still had a couple of years where he had the yips. Would have won the Norm smith medal in the 2011 Grand Final had he kicked straight and not become so paranoid about it that he gave off at every opportunity.
The thing that disappoints me with Sav is that over the five years his ball drop does not appear to have improved. He lets go of the ball way too early to ever have real control which makes the probability of error really high. Having said that I love him. He is the only big bloke on our list that will launch himself at a pack and can split a pack even if he does not take the mark. Rohan is the only other forward that does it.
The thing that disappoints me with Sav is that over the five years his ball drop does not appear to have improved. He lets go of the ball way too early to ever have real control which makes the probability of error really high. Having said that I love him. He is the only big bloke on our list that will launch himself at a pack and can split a pack even if he does not take the mark. Rohan is the only other forward that does it.
- May 20, 2014
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My view from the couch on his kicking for goal was that it was poor to start with, it improved a little bit going into his second year, then has regressed again in the last 12 months or so after his injuries. Looking at the stats he is exactly 50:50 for goals to behinds for all 4 seasons so there you go, no change statistically.
Absolutely.
Hawkins was one of the highest touted players in his draft and would've arguably a no.1 pick and then played in one of the best teams ever with arguably the best midfield ever.
Sav is a project player that is playing in a team that struggles to hit Hawkins and Cameron on the tit and he gets made to play ruck. Sav won't ever be as good as Hawkins but that doesn't mean he can't be a great player.
- Apr 9, 2015
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There really is no point in comparing Hawkins and Esava. They are very different players but also one of them is an all time great.
Esava has deficiencies in his game and I don’t think he can become as good a player as Hawk. But he can still be a really important player for the club.
I think a better comparison is a player like Cam Mooney. Mooney became a really important part of our premiership teams. But he didn’t have the talent of Cameron or Hawkins.
Important signature for the club and he knows he’s got two superstars in front of him. Perhaps some other young players might be inspired to wait and fight for their spot as well.
Esava has deficiencies in his game and I don’t think he can become as good a player as Hawk. But he can still be a really important player for the club.
I think a better comparison is a player like Cam Mooney. Mooney became a really important part of our premiership teams. But he didn’t have the talent of Cameron or Hawkins.
Important signature for the club and he knows he’s got two superstars in front of him. Perhaps some other young players might be inspired to wait and fight for their spot as well.
BlakeyNoFlakey
Brownlow Medallist
KP big men always take time to develop so I don't hold anything against the big Sav. He still has loads of potential if he can develop his game to the level it needs to be. I'm glad he's staying a Cat to continue that journey. I hope he makes it, but I also know there's always that chance he won't.
He was. It was noticeable from his very first game and drew immediate attention. So much so that when he kicked his (I think) 3rd goal, the commentators called out beforehand the sound the ball made leaving his boot.
The issues Hawkins had early on were as much about getting the ball and self-belief as they were conversion. Once the self-belief kicked in he never looked back. He was also extremely unselfish early on too.
Unfortunately you either have 'it' or you don't... Hawkins might have been spraying them all over the place but he was always a 'footballer' and showed glimpses. Esava however exciting has never managed to put a full game together - got a bad feeling in another 5 years we will be saying the same things.. If only he could kick straight, if only he could do this etc. Nice bloke though. He actually strikes me as too 'nice' - he has the size to impose himself and never does. He needs way more agro in his game. Unfortunately like I said this isn't likely to change - like expecting an alcoholic to give up the drink.
Little bit harsh - I think he’s had a number of games with +5 contested marks, including dominant games against Richmond and West Coast. Agree that he needs to become consistent. But the club knows that players at his size, agility, leap and relative speed in contests are very rare - they’ll persist.
People forget that Esva has had to recover from a major leg break and a leg problems again this year. Esva is not at full fitness, that’s half the problem this year IMO. Really should have given him a run of VFL games to build up and given Fort a run in meantime.
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Well said. Give him time. But if he doesn’t perform as a forward in the next 2/3 games, then we should look for alternatives. The flag chance is now.
Sav would not cost much so keep him just as a back up, he did not have a pre-season wait until he has one then judge him
cats_09
Otters United
- Jun 21, 2011
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The Richmond match last year is the only time he's had 5 contested marks, and then there's 3 other games with 4 contested marks
The problem is here hasn't looked close to that this year - 3 contested marks against St Kilda, then 4 matches with 1 contested mark and 2 matches with no marks whatsoever
He just looks off the pace this year - there was some positive steps last year along with moments of frustration, but not sure he's built upon those positives from last year
Sorry eddie i thought it ws pre-season
cats_09
Otters United
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I'm more concerned about the groin issue which saw him sit out only a week after returning - there was never much said from the club about that, but looking at him this year he doesn't look the same as last year, especially in terms of not having the same leap or attack in marking contests & the ruck
- Nov 12, 2015
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In fairness to Sav, comparing him to a bloke who would have gone number 1 if not for the fact he was father son, and will highly likely be in the Cats HoF probably isn't fair.
BlakeyNoFlakey
Brownlow Medallist
I don't think it's much of an issue. Jezza will be back in hopefully 3-4 weeks so the need to play Sav solely as a forward will become moot. The real scenario will remain the battle between Sav and Stanley for the no. 1 ruck spot. If Sav wants to play finals he'll need to prove he's a better option than Stanley. That's how I see it. But once Jezza is back, Sav's only hope to play is as the ruck.
Ricketz
Norm Smith Medallist
Must have got a cheap price to give him three years. Hard to see how it is justified otherwise from the outside. Two at most. I had high hopes for Sav, but this year has convinced me he has gone backwards.
Freo forward's future unclear, big Cat set to shun rival offers
AFL.com.au reporters Mitch Cleary and Callum Twomey with all the latest trade newswww.afl.com.au
Assuming this comes off, this is fantastic news, IMO. At 22 there is a lot of upside in the big man. I know people say he can't kick to save himself, but there was a time when Tom Hawkins couldn't kick!
Ricketz
Norm Smith Medallist
1. It's Mitch Cleary. The AFL's answer to Caro.
2. It was GWS last year. They also lack a decent 2nd ruck/kpf.
I wouldn't read too much into that comment.
cats_09
Otters United
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There's nothing confirmed in the article, just that other clubs have speculated he will re-sign with Geelong and that if he signs for 3 years it'll take him to FA time frame
For all we know another team will offer him 3/4 years on better coin than we will and he may request a trade - he's not locked away yet
Ricketz
Norm Smith Medallist
Going from just under a goal and a point per game in his first year to a goal and a point every three games this year is probably where the regression lies.
- Apr 6, 2017
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Not sure why everyone is talking about the goal kicking.
Wells said at the start of 2020 that he expects Esava to be #1 ruck in the future.
He certainly doesn't suck in that regard. Needs to get better? Sure. But I do like his follow up efforts with the ground ball.
I'd like to see him mark more. Now that may seem like a strange comment re: his rucking being more important.
But sometimes the guys down the line need a reliable target up the ground. I want him to be that guy.
He's definitely athletic when jumping at the ball. But sometimes I feel that if he wasn't so athletic he wouldn't get near it. I'm not sure if he's way out of position too often. If so, there's one guy I'd have him talking to. N Riewoldt.
Wells said at the start of 2020 that he expects Esava to be #1 ruck in the future.
He certainly doesn't suck in that regard. Needs to get better? Sure. But I do like his follow up efforts with the ground ball.
I'd like to see him mark more. Now that may seem like a strange comment re: his rucking being more important.
But sometimes the guys down the line need a reliable target up the ground. I want him to be that guy.
He's definitely athletic when jumping at the ball. But sometimes I feel that if he wasn't so athletic he wouldn't get near it. I'm not sure if he's way out of position too often. If so, there's one guy I'd have him talking to. N Riewoldt.
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