Player Watch #33: Brayden 'Sausage' George

[Twinkletoes]

Welcome to the best BG since Barry Gibb.

Look forward to seeing you fully fit and firing for season ‘24.

 

[chubbspeterson]

So he's powerful, explosive (under 3.00s 20m is pretty good yeah?) and looks a good kick of the footy, is the knock just consistency and endurance?
It took De Goey a while to become consistent so we need to give him some time but looks like a guy you'd want to go watch along with Sheez.

 

[tenderwarrior]

So he's powerful, explosive (under 3.00s 20m is pretty good yeah?) and looks a good kick of the footy, is the knock just consistency and endurance?
It took De Goey a while to become consistent so we need to give him some time but looks like a guy you'd want to go watch along with Sheez.

The knock is that he did his ACL.. if not for injury he may have been drafted top 10

 

[LB2Snake]

Speaking to Brayden's mum, Clarko actually likes Brayden. He called him in the week he did his ACL to wish him well and to provide support.

Geez that’s classy by Clarko.

 

[gustaaf]

I don’t think we thought he’d be realistically available.

Not suggesting you are, but anyone still complaining about trading our f2 now can STFU. I’d say with fair certainty that George is as talented as anyone we’d be getting with an early second next year.

Hard to make predictions about the quality of draftees outside the top 20 next year, but from what I've read Brayden was at once stage rated a realistic top 10 pick chance this year, so he clearly has raw top end talent. The ACL injury and 12 months delay in his development obviously changed that. You could almost reason that we have effectively used our 2023 R2 pick for a 2023 selection, except that we get to control his rehab until then. Maybe we can get a few VFL games out of him towards the end of the 2023 season.

 

[spongebucket]

Welcome George!

May you have a speedy recovery.

 

[Sphynx]

So he's powerful, explosive (under 3.00s 20m is pretty good yeah?) and looks a good kick of the footy, is the knock just consistency and endurance?
It took De Goey a while to become consistent so we need to give him some time but looks like a guy you'd want to go watch along with Sheez.

I don’t really like the De Goey comparisons.

De Goey was a very accomplished mid at underage level, he became that permanent forward at AFL level that they are comparing a George to.

De Goey has played his best football since at AFL level out of the middle.

I think Heeney or even Zurhaar himself is a better comparison.

 

[Shermanator]

Looks like Zurhaar
Plays like Zurhaar
Acts like Zurhaar
Speaks like Zurhaar

It's uncanny. We've now got 2x Zurhaars.

All we need is for Brayden to start trolling JHFF to finish it off.

 

[jay317]

So he's Zoohar with a better kick but less tackling?

 

[Sphynx]

So he's Zoohar with a better kick but less tackling?

Cam can move for his size, but not like George.

Big vertical, very quick and agile.

 

[Shagga is all Class]

HF - Zurhaar - Comben - Sheezel
FF - George - Larkey - Curtis

Capable of kicking big scores.

And when you throw in Thomas, Stephenson, Ford, Curtis Taylor and remember the old Clarko-Hawks forward lines, it starts to mark sense.

The Hawks used foot skills further up field and then the Gunston and Bruest types were still threats from marks as well even post Buddy.

Gotta remember Paul Curtis outmarked Vlastuin a couple of times, so we have blokes who will be a danger in the air and on the deck.

 

[blackshadow]

Welcome to the greatest club in the land BG!

 

[Mixed Results]

It’s disappointing that he won’t play at all next year, but then you look at picks 15 - 25 from last year and most of those types hardly managed a game in their first year anyway.

With ACL injuries he should be able to be on the stationery bike soon, and then after that progress to straight line running. It gives him a great opportunity to work on his tank for 12 months before having a full preseason. For a bloke who has the size, but needed to work on his running capacity, it might not be the worst thing for him.

 

[BlueandWhiteinmyBlood]

It’s disappointing that he won’t play at all next year, but then you look at picks 15 - 25 from last year and most of those types hardly managed a game in their first year anyway.

With ACL injuries he should be able to be on the stationery bike soon, and then after that progress to straight line running. It gives him a great opportunity to work on his tank for 12 months before having a full preseason. For a bloke who has the size, but needed to work on his running capacity, it might not be the worst thing for him.

We have that much young talent we still need to look at or are on the cusp of selection i’m actually almost relieved we have a genuine reason to really take our time with Boy George, also gives someone like Eddie Ford a real solid chance to make a place in the 23 his.

 

[Val Keating]

It’s disappointing that he won’t play at all next year, but then you look at picks 15 - 25 from last year and most of those types hardly managed a game in their first year anyway.

With ACL injuries he should be able to be on the stationery bike soon, and then after that progress to straight line running. It gives him a great opportunity to work on his tank for 12 months before having a full preseason. For a bloke who has the size, but needed to work on his running capacity, it might not be the worst thing for him.

Yeah it sucks a bit, but if it wasn’t for that he wouldn’t have been available at our pick.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

So he's powerful, explosive (under 3.00s 20m is pretty good yeah?) and looks a good kick of the footy, is the knock just consistency and endurance?
It took De Goey a while to become consistent so we need to give him some time but looks like a guy you'd want to go watch along with Sheez.

Consistency, Accumulation and endurance would be the 3 knocks. Avg'd less than ten disposals per game at NAB league level.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

We obviously aren't going to rush him, but he could potentially get a game or two later in the season depending on how he is tracking. Recovery time for ACL's on avg is now is around 11 months.

He did his ACL mid August, which, as long as everything is progressing well means he would be into his running by May.

He is already bloody solid through the hips and across the shoulders, just going to be a matter of building that tank.

 

[Sphynx]

Consistency, Accumulation and endurance would be the 3 knocks. Avg'd less than ten disposals per game at NAB league level.

Which is why I don’t like the De Goey comparisons.

De Goey is a good/great accumulator further up the ground. It was Buckley letting him rot at FF that turned him into a low production forward.

George is very much a potential 9-13 disposal per game permanent forward you would be looking at 35-50 goals per year from.

AFL players that fall into that disposals/goals per game profile currently are:

Bailey Frisch
Isaac Heeney (although at 16 disposals a game he’s high production for that role)
Cam Zurhaar
Jack Ginnivan
Jake Stringer
Jamie Elliott
Tim Membrey

From an athletic ability and skill stand point, he’s on the Fritsch/Heeney/Stringer level

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Which is why I don’t like the De Goey comparisons.

De Goey is a good/great accumulator further up the ground. It was Buckley letting him rot at FF that turned him into a low production forward.

George is very much a potential 9-13 disposal per game permanent forward you would be looking at 35-50 goals per year from.

AFL players that fall into that disposals/goals per game profile currently are:

Bailey Frisch
Isaac Heeney (although at 16 disposals a game he’s high production for that role)
Cam Zurhaar
Jack Ginnivan
Jake Stringer
Jamie Elliott
Tim Membrey

From an athletic ability and skill stand point, he’s on the Fritsch/Heeney/Stringer level

Spot on mate. Early stages yet, but I'm not sure we even need to investigate him as a midfielder considering our depth.

I see a lot of Zurhaar & Heeney in his game.

 

[Sphynx]

Spot on mate. Early stages yet, but I'm not sure we even need to investigate him as a midfielder considering our depth.

I see a lot of Zurhaar & Heeney in his game.

People will say he’s got midfield potential and can have burst in the midfield….

But how often does Zurhaar have burst in the midfield? You leave your best natural forwards, forward, because they are the best at winning one on ones and are natural at kicking goals…

LDU, Wardlaw and Phillips are all just as quick and powerful as George, but are all natural mids with better clearance ability.

We don’t need George in the middle long term.

If George can become an aerial threat deep forward (he is much more of an aerial threat than Zurhaar and comparable to Paul Curtis)

Sheezel will definitely be a half forward with his motor and pushing up into the midfield and wings. You want him delivering the ball into F50.

Someone mentioned this setup earlier for a few years time. I think it’s right.

Sheezel - Comben - Zurhaar
George - Larkey - Curtis

 

[blackshadow]

HF - Zurhaar - Comben - Sheezel
FF - George - Larkey - Curtis

Capable of kicking big scores.

The stuff of nightmares for opposition teams. So many lethal options and a forward line capable of locking the ball in.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

People will say he’s got midfield potential and can have burst in the midfield….

But how often does Zurhaar have burst in the midfield? You leave your best natural forwards, forward, because they are the best at winning one on ones and are natural at kicking goals…

LDU, Wardlaw and Phillips are all just as quick and powerful as George, but are all natural mids with better clearance ability.

We don’t need George in the middle long term.

If George can become an aerial threat deep forward (he is much more of an aerial threat than Zurhaar and comparable to Paul Curtis)

Sheezel will definitely be a half forward with his motor and pushing up into the midfield and wings. You want him delivering the ball into F50.

Someone mentioned this setup earlier for a few years time. I think it’s right.

Sheezel - Comben - Zurhaar
George - Larkey - Curtis

Totally agree.

Good thing with all those mid sized forwards is that they all have the capacity to get up the ground and play that link up role, particularly Sheezel and Curtis.

If we can throw a speedy natural crumber and pressure forward into that mix then that's a premiership capable forward line if they all reach their potential imo.

 

[Pres]

Speaking to Brayden's mum, Clarko actually likes Brayden. He called him in the week he did his ACL to wish him well and to provide support.

Yep Clarko was at that game too

 

[DesertRoo]

And when you throw in Thomas, Stephenson, Ford, Curtis Taylor and remember the old Clarko-Hawks forward lines, it starts to mark sense.

The Hawks used foot skills further up field and then the Gunston and Bruest types were still threats from marks as well even post Buddy.

Gotta remember Paul Curtis outmarked Vlastuin a couple of times, so we have blokes who will be a danger in the air and on the deck.

The thing with Clarkos teams, they were also deadly in front, reliable kicks are worth their weight in gold in close games.
That scoreboard pressure breaks teams

 

[The acurate one]

“He’s got more athletic traits than anyone else we’ve had come through our program in the time I’ve been involved, in the last seven years,” Bushrangers talent manager Mick Wilson told The Age.

“The way he kicks the footy – you know when you watch a good golfer, and it’s effortless, but their shot still goes further than everyone else and makes that nice sound?

“Him and (ex-Bushranger-turned-Crow) Josh Rachele kick the ball exceptionally well, just with timing and power.

“There’s no patience in footy nowadays … they want a ready-made player who can make an impact in his first season, especially in the first round.”

The ultimate risk v reward prospect: Why Brayden George has AFL recruiters salivating

Brayden George is one of the most intriguing prospects of this year’s AFL draft and is compared to the likes of Jordan De Goey and Christian Petracca. So why are recruiters so hesitant to pick him?

www.theage.com.au

Nephew of the Galloping Gasometer and my second cousin may need to reach out.