Player Watch SSP (2025) - Josh Lai

[davesnothere]

Yeah why not. So close.

 

[crafty_bernardo]

Cochrane and Lai our young fresh talent having some rotten luck

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

would he be our first ever player to debut who hasnt played some form of leauge football?

incredible story, he's brother is one to watch as well.

Do you consider U/18's football as some form of league football?

 

[Rash]

Do you consider U/18's football as some form of league football?

i only consider league football to be VFL, WAFL, QFL, SANFL and those types of leauges.

u18 is a funny one

 

[It Just Is]

Feels like our young players always get injured when they are about to debut

 

[Freak Dodgeball Accident]

Feels like our young players always get injured when they are about to debut

Definitely, I was thinking exact same thing the other day when this happened. Jake Pasini was definitely in line, pretty sure Hugh Jackson at one stage, possibly Bergman. There's a couple more I had thought of but have completely forgotten now

 

[1954]

i only consider league football to be VFL, WAFL, QFL, SANFL and those types of leauges.

u18 is a funny one

I don't consider U18 level league football either, but back when the SANFL and WAFL were very strong comps and their top 4 or 5 teams were regularly competitive against the lower ranked Melbourne clubs there were Victorian commentators (Lou Richards was the major culprit), who when calling a VFL game would describe a 20 plus SA or WA footballer who had played at least 2 or 3 seasons in the `league' team for their original club as playing `their first game of football!'

It was patronising and condescending BS that got up the noses of many non Victorians and probably helped cause `the kick a Vic' type responses of the era, but Richards in particular got away with that crap for years.

 

[PortAdelFC1997]

Bont talks heat up, Eagles close on VFL Tiger, Docker's new deal

Check out all the latest trade news from around the League

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A little late but a one year extension looming for the kid. Hope once he comes back from his injury and has a few solid weeks getting up to scratch again and pushes his case for an AFL debut.

 

[davesnothere]

That's about the easiest decision Port have made lately.

 

[PowerLil]

Watching Josh has been one of the true joys of this awful season. Hopefully the mention of him re-signing is true. Easily 2 years.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

One of the very few against Norwood who played for 4 quarters. Has some serious pace and will drag in a few hangers, loves a leap.

Look forward to seeing him next year.

 

[PortAdelFC1997]

One of the very few against Norwood who played for 4 quarters. Has some serious pace and will drag in a few hangers, loves a leap.

Look forward to seeing him next year.

Not gonna solve the lack of a lockdown small defender but I reckon use Lai in the back and move Sinn to the wing. Lai has more defensive capabilities than Sinn imo.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Not gonna solve the lack of a lockdown small defender but I reckon use Lai in the back and move Sinn to the wing. Lai has more defensive capabilities than Sinn imo.

Honestly I’d play him in front of Farrel at this point.

He does a couple decent kicks each game at best

 

[Doctor Feel]

Like him a lot. Certainly much tougher than Farrell.

Farrell actually has a massive weakness in his contested game. Gets beaten 1on1 every single time be it in a wrestle or for a ground ball. You can set your watch to it. Absolutely horrendous contested player.

 

[RossFC]

Career high 23 disposals vs Norwood.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Like him a lot. Certainly much tougher than Farrell.

Farrell actually has a massive weakness in his contested game. Gets beaten 1on1 every single time be it in a wrestle or for a ground ball. You can set your watch to it. Absolutely horrendous contested player.

I've said it a dozen times.

 

[crafty_bernardo]

Looked a class above yesterday

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Lai thinks through his moves too, he's not just a run and dump kick player.

 

[ahneadearut]

I've said it a dozen times.

You wanna say it again..punk? Well do yer?

 

[TeeKray]

Like him a lot. Certainly much tougher than Farrell.

Farrell actually has a massive weakness in his contested game. Gets beaten 1on1 every single time be it in a wrestle or for a ground ball. You can set your watch to it. Absolutely horrendous contested player.

We have a fleet of very mediocre small defenders (Farrell, Jones, Sinn) who do just enough to get a game each week and should be seen as eminently replaceable by a decent young prospect like Lai. Hopefully Carr sees this and doesn't just roll out more of the same.

 

[Lefti93]

Good player. It would be one of the best recruiting calls Parker has made if Lai can translate what I saw yesterday to the AFL.

 

[The Hobo]

We have a fleet of very mediocre small defenders (Farrell, Jones, Sinn) who do just enough to get a game each week and should be seen as eminently replaceable by a decent young prospect like Lai. Hopefully Carr sees this and doesn't just roll out more of the same.

Harsh to call both Jones and Sinn mediocre small defenders. Sinn has had an excellent season as a defender (not yet shown his attacking side, but as a pure defender)

Jones has had a pretty solid season as well, and was right up there with some defensive stats across the comp before he got injured.

Farrell is a mediocre defender, but is in the side for his kicking - which I don't think was particularly special this season to be fair.

 

[TeeKray]

Harsh to call both Jones and Sinn mediocre small defenders. Sinn has had an excellent season as a defender (not yet shown his attacking side, but as a pure defender)

Jones has had a pretty solid season as well, and was right up there with some defensive stats across the comp before he got injured.

Farrell is a mediocre defender, but is in the side for his kicking - which I don't think was particularly special this season to be fair.

I disagree completely.

I look at guys like Starcevich and Lester at Brisbane and they're streets ahead of Jones and Sinn for dependability.

There's a reason only West Coast, North and Richmond conceded more than us this year and it's not because all of our defenders are amazing. We have to lift our standards across the board and look for players who are going to be able to win premierships not just be not totally terrible.

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

Should get a game next year with Ryan Burton

3

Ryan Burton

Age

29

Ht

191cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.5

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

6.3

4star

M

4.6

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

277.3

4star

D

16.8

4star

K

12.3

5star

HB

4.5

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.0

2star

MG

277.3

4star

D

13.4

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.4

4star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.2

4star

’s departure.

 

[RossFC]

Should get a game next year with Ryan Burton’s departure.

As soon as Bergman got moved into the midfield, and then Rozee got moved out the backline as well, he should have had 4-5 games under his belt this season.