Player Watch #14: Luke 'Gav' Urquhart - selected with Pick 57 in the ND - Welcome to North Melbourne

[roos_fanatic08]

Time is fine, when you see the signs that he's got it. Which is the question I was asking. Giving Phoenix Spicer time wasn't the way to go. Giving Goad time is the right thing to do. Time is not a panacea.

That’s fair. I think the biggest limiting factor for Urqs is his physique. He is going to be a stoppage midfielder in time but at the moment he isn’t able to compete (as strongly as he could in juniors) because he just a bit under developed.

Nonetheless I loved his tackling intensity and hands out of the stoppages when he got opportunities in there in the 2nd half of this year. Only avg’d 14 disposals per game across the year but I’d expect that to improve exponentially next year after he gets another pre-season under his legs.

 

[Moti]

Moti Season Review:

Rating: B

Despite early buzz, his season panned out like a mid-draft player. He had some games where he looked pretty good, other he looked off. Overall impact though was a little less than expected. Big off season coming.

Pre-Season focus: General physical development, improved disposal

Projected 2026 position: VFL midfield

 

[Midas]

Bookmark this: no chance of being AFL standard mid.

Yeah unnecessary … I’m taking it down. Thanks Mordecai

 

[Topparoo]

Personally he didn't show an awful lot to be excited about in the VFL in my opinion.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Personally he didn't show an awful lot to be excited about in the VFL in my opinion.

That’s cos Tom lynch barely played him in the middle and instead played keast there while urqs had to play wing which is not his position

In the final round he was played in the middle and impressed

Next year should be the main centre square mid in the vfl

 

[McKuursma]

Bigger bodied mids consistently need more time to develop their tank. We've only seen it with Ziebell, Cunnington, Swallow, LDU, JHF, Wardlaw, not to mention Danger, Petracca, Boak, Prestia, Harley etc...

Not saying he's in that realm of talent, there's a reason they went higher in the national draft, but to move that weight on a per step basis across repeat efforts for 120 minutes requires a significantly higher level of oxygenation than say, a McKercher would. General intensity around the contest through tackling/repeat efforts/ability to stay involved and increase in ToG% would probably be larger parts of his KPIs at this stage.

I digress, but it's probably where guys like Duursma look behind but can hit rapid inflection points 3-5 years in. It is difficult to build mass and running capacity simultaneously for the role/s we'll be able to properly leverage his talent in.

 

[Tas]

I think he has a lot of potential if we develop him right. if we leave him on the wing we are not developing him right.

 

[koshari]

I think he has a lot of potential if we develop him right. if we leave him on the wing we are not developing him right.

thats a big if, i see him being the next curtis/ford, couple of flash in the pan moments then a steady display of vanillaism.

 

[Merlin007]

I think he has a lot of potential if we develop him right. if we leave him on the wing we are not developing him right.

At least on my observation, he hasn't been left on a wing. He's been asked to play multiple positions, including HFF and wing, partly owing to more pressing first-team priorities, like giving Wardlaw midfield minutes on his way back, and Phillips the opportunity to press his call for a recall, both of which I think are reasonable expectations to have of the VFL side.

Urquhart might be a hard luck story, but not just yet.

 

[DuckYeah]

thats a big if, i see him being the next curtis/ford, couple of flash in the pan moments then a steady display of vanillaism.

I see him not being able to hit targets by foot or hand and as much as folk around here are optimistic, im confident drafting inside mids in the 3rd round succeed around the 6% mark and what we see, is what we’ll get. Unfortunately, cant kick, cant handball? We are letting go of one of our best users of the footy inside the contest and luke wouldn’t come close to him..

All you campaigners that jump up and down about phillips on here hoping this campaigner is any good. You’re ****in cooked.

 

[Dinkers]

well Kinnear Beatson is a huge fan and the Swans didn't take him due to thinking they had his type covered.
Will be interesting to watch him develop.

 

[Themanbun]

Haven't heard much of him of late. Does he still exist?

 

[DuckYeah]

Haven't heard much of him of late. Does he still exist?

has he been practicing getting his foot to connect with a footy?

 

[Chip Scab1]

has he been practicing getting his foot to connect with a footy?

Maybe this is a new strategy. Instead of kicking to the opposition and being exposed out the back, we miss the foot with the attempted kick and take a 50/50 shot of a bounce (where our Mids have the advantage).

It's 4D Chess, for mine.

 

[shintemaster]

I think he has a lot of potential if we develop him right. if we leave him on the wing we are not developing him right.

If. It is way too early to be deciding that. A full proper 2nd pre season should see him playing significant minutes closer to his junior role in the VFL - and more importantly closer to what we will want from him at AFL level.

 

[marklovesbeer]

Almost top of the list of guys I forget are on our list.

Looking fit.

 

[shinboner magic]

Is that enough muscle added or do we bite the bullet and delist

 

[hellas_johnny]

His frame was good from the beginning.. was wasted on the wing most of the season. Needs to be in the middle from the get go this year.

 

[zoomba23]

Is that enough muscle added or do we bite the bullet and delist

Just get him a surfboard and leave him to it I reckon

 

[Shinboner1]

Needs to get bigger imo.
If he can do that while keeping some speed, it'll push him ahead of some others on our list.
For a guy we supposedly hid, he's been a bit underwhelming so far.
Obviously early days.

 

[hotchilli]

Needs to get bigger imo.
If he can do that while keeping some speed, it'll push him ahead of some others on our list.
For a guy we supposedly hid, he's been a bit underwhelming so far.
Obviously early days.

Huh? How did we hide him?

 

[shinboner magic]

Dunkley type is what he should target - contested pig

 

[Passmore]

Huh? How did we hide him?

Fair job hiding him at East Fremantle.....

 

[Dinkers]

Huh? How did we hide him?

WA is huge, so I imagine it was rather easy.

 

[GS WARRIORS]

We hid him and for some reason we thought no one would be watching the U18 champs. Live and learn.