Player Watch #12: Jy Simpkin [Part II] - staying at North in 2026 + won't feature in leadership group as Larkey set to be named captain

[ferball]

The softness thing is also overblown. There was a moment in the practice game where he battered through a contest head-first and came up with the ball, and it's not the first time.

He's not physically strong or intense enough so he lloses contests but he's nothing like as bad as he was that first couple of months when he first arrived.

Its probably the same play you're talking about - against the Pies he beat two opponents when they had the best position for the ball by burrowing into the contest and forcing himself to win it. Was a very positive bit of play from him.

 

[King Corey]

I can think of one thing Jy could do that would cause the hate to cease markedly. And I say this as someone who tends to defend him.

Stop kicking it straight to the ****ing opposition. Simples

Trying to be traded while skipper without coming out and directly saying he wanted to be traded while skipper probably didn't help either.

 

[perplexed]

Well, he's right about this thread being an echo chamber of bullshit. It is also a study in confirmation bias. I swear some of you guys are delighted every time Jy butchers the footy, because it means you can come on here and whine about it. Fact is, our three best mids (Harry, LDU, and Jy) all butcher it. And when you look at the stats, they do so pretty much equally. And if your eyes are telling you differently, it is because you are only seeing what you want to see.

 

[zoomba23]

Trying to be traded while skipper without coming out and directly saying he wanted to be traded while skipper probably didn't help either.

I think he had valid reasons to be pissed off. I know many don't. But the fact is we were 5-17-1 last year and decided to put in two players both worse in contested situations and slower.

Deserved to lose the captaincy of course. But I see it as a symptom of frustration. The kicking, though; that's just a symptom of being a bit rubbish in uncontested situations. And I don't appreciate that

 

[King Corey]

I swear some of you guys are delighted every time Jy butchers the footy, because it means you can come

Oh behave.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Day after day after day after day after day. FMD.

Thanks Jy.

On the flip side, it's possession after possession after possession that you hit the opposition on the tit when you're calling for it and receive it in space (how many flipping times?). Fix that, and you won't have to deal with the faithful, we'll shut up and deal with your turncoat-ness separately.

Wrong.





I never went to school.

Ya big Bully.

 

[Only Forwards]

Give him a per game mistake allowance.

He exceeds it and he plays VFL.

I want all the good shit he can do with none of the bad.

Hardline.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Give him a per game mistake allowance.

He exceeds it and he plays VFL.

I want all the good shit he can do with none of the bad.

Hardline.

Do the crime (> 5 coach killers per match ) do the time (in the VFL).

 

[King Corey]

Well, he's right about this thread being an echo chamber of bullshit. It is also a study in confirmation bias. I swear some of you guys are delighted every time Jy butchers the footy, because it means you can come on here and whine about it. Fact is, our three best mids (Harry, LDU, and Jy) all butcher it. And when you look at the stats, they do so pretty much equally. And if your eyes are telling you differently, it is because you are only seeing what you want to see.

Come on man. Have covered the folly of stats elsewhere.

If I polled 17 other coaches to rank who they'd tag out of those 3 Jy would be ranked 3rd by every one of them.

If Harry or LDU had tested the market in trade period we would've needed a call centre to field the enquiries.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Come on man. Have covered the folly of stats elsewhere.

If I polled 17 other coaches to rank who they'd tag out of those 3 Jy would be ranked 3rd by every one of them.

If Harry or LDU had tested the market in trade period we would've needed a call centre to field the enquiries.

And a security detail to prevent either of them being kidnapped prematurely.

 

[chubbspeterson]

If Simpkin keeps playing the way he is, anything would have been a win. His constant turnovers when we are in positions to attack and score, kill this side.

In saying that, you just know he would go somewhere else and turn into a superstar with elite disposal.

He just frustrates me because at this stage of his career he should be able to positively impact games, not the opposite.

I get it. He's frustrating with his decision making.
Worst case we get a similar offer I think of a 2027 or 2028 R2 from a team in the window.
Any potential player trades we should be pushing for 2026 picks with a potential bid in mind.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Well, he's right about this thread being an echo chamber of bullshit. It is also a study in confirmation bias. I swear some of you guys are delighted every time Jy butchers the footy, because it means you can come on here and whine about it. Fact is, our three best mids (Harry, LDU, and Jy) all butcher it. And when you look at the stats, they do so pretty much equally. And if your eyes are telling you differently, it is because you are only seeing what you want to see.

He's frustrating, but he's not as bad as people make out. He's just above average, not elite.
You are right about other guys butchering the ball. LDU made some bad turnovers last year through the middle.
But I would say Jy, Konstanty and Zurhaar last year really stood out with those momentum killing one's.

 

[shinboner magic]

Stephens is very harshly judged.

Might be soft compared to Jy but much smarter runner and user.

If only he could accumulate like Jy

 

[speedy]

My ‘feel’ on Simpkin’s game… he is a selfish player and a butcher.

He seems quite content on just hacking the ball forward, often using his left like it doesn’t matter.
The only time he takes his kicking seriously is with set shots at goal.
He’d rather side step, pirouette and hack the ball forward rather than give the obvious handball.
He uses his engine only to get the ball, not for defensive transition or to help out the defenders. I’ve even seen Stephens as a winger get back deep to defend, can’t say the same for Jy. I remember him mostly wondering down back to get a cheap kick.
His 3.2 tackle average last year is no where near good enough from your captain who isn’t getting games for his finesse.

In short, he plays like a Prima Donna without the skills to back it up. No wonder he wanted out, prima donna’s don’t play wing.

 

[perplexed]

Come on man. Have covered the folly of stats elsewhere.

If I polled 17 other coaches to rank who they'd tag out of those 3 Jy would be ranked 3rd by every one of them.

If Harry or LDU had tested the market in trade period we would've needed a call centre to field the enquiries.

It's not about who is the better player. It is about the way different players are judged on here. Some are judged only on their weaknesses, others on their strengths. All those three players butcher the footy equally, but only one gets this deranged response.

As an example, last year's game against Sydney, round 19 and Jy's first full game on the wing. He had a very good game, was our best (according to me and the coaches), 28 and 1, 9 marks, 800m gained. He basically ran his arse off for four quarters. I was expecting to come on here and read about how well we went in the new role. Nup. Just pages of crap about how his turnovers were killing us. He had 10, which is high, but not very for someone with 800m gained. Things like X not playing and us losing the hitouts 80-10, or Heeney having 13 clearances and kicking five goals, these didn't rate a mention. It was all Jy's fault.

 

[speedy]

10 ****ing turnovers in one game? 35% of his disposals?

 

[Makeshift Park]

Just pages of crap about how his turnovers were killing us. He had 10, which is high, but not very for someone with 800m gained. Things like X not playing and us losing the hitouts 80-10, or Heeney having 13 clearances and kicking five goals, these didn't rate a mention. It was all Jy's fault.

I was at that game, three rows back from the boundary on the wing.

He ran really hard all game, but his decision making ball-in-hand and execution was appalling. What the metres gained stat doesn’t tell you was he missing good available options all over the shop.

 

[perplexed]

I was at that game, three rows back from the boundary on the wing.

He ran really hard all game, but his decision making ball-in-hand and execution was appalling. What the metres gained stat doesn’t tell you was he missing good available options all over the shop.

And yet both coaches gave him votes. Funny that.

10 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
8 Brodie Grundy (SYD)
6 Chad Warner (SYD)
3 Jy Simpkin (NMFC)
3 Nick Blakey (SYD)

 

[Makeshift Park]

And yet both coaches gave him votes. Funny that.

10 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
8 Brodie Grundy (SYD)
6 Chad Warner (SYD)
3 Jy Simpkin (NMFC)
3 Nick Blakey (SYD)

Reward for effort. 800 metres gained is a nice big juicy number. Doesn’t mean shit when more than 1 in every 3 disposals ends up in the arms of the opposition.

 

[perplexed]

Reward for effort. 800 metres gained is a nice big juicy number. Doesn’t mean shit when more than 1 in every 3 disposals ends up in the arms of the opposition.

Not all turnovers come from disposals, but anyway....
For some context, for every 800m Harry gains he turns the ball over 12 times.
Now I don't rate Jy's disposal at all, it's ordinary at best. But the obsession with it here is way over the top and ignores what he does well. People are watching him play and only seeing the turnovers, largely because that is all they are looking for.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Not all turnovers come from disposals, but anyway....
For some context, for every 800m Harry gains he turns the ball over 12 times.
Now I don't rate Jy's disposal at all, it's ordinary at best. But the obsession with it here is way over the top and ignores what he does well. People are watching him play and only seeing the turnovers, largely because that is all they are looking for.

You’re the one who insists on bringing up metres gained as some measure for Simpkin’s worth. If he’d actually avoided a dozen long bombs, and lowered his eyes, and executed lower risk kicks properly, then sure his metres gained wouldn’t have been so impressive, but his contribution would have been better. The bottom line here is that you’re identifying a metric that is blind to decision quality to try and demonstrate that Simpkin is just as prone to butchering it as Sheezel, when anyone can see the decisions Sheeze makes with the ball are generally more efficient.

 

[perplexed]

You’re the one who insists on bringing up metres gained as some measure for Simpkin’s worth. If he’d actually avoided a dozen long bombs, and lowered his eyes, and executed lower risk kicks properly, then sure his metres gained wouldn’t have been so impressive, but his contribution would have been better. The bottom line here is that you’re identifying a metric that is blind to decision quality to try and demonstrate that Simpkin is just as prone to butchering it as Sheezel, when anyone can see the decisions Sheeze makes with the ball are generally more efficient.

It may be what you see, but it really isn't supported by the stats. You are seeing what you are looking for and expect to see. Harry's disposal efficiency is marginally better and he turns it over a little less per disposal, but this isn't surprising as many of his disposals are junk and Jy is generally trying to move the ball forward. Both have an awful retention rating, and Harry's is worse.

And I mention metres gained in relation to turnovers because there is a strong correlation between the two. From that game it isn't surprising that Jy's turnover numbers are high because his metres gained were huge. That is not to say he doesn't butcher it, he does, but compared to our other mids, no more so. Overall, Harry turns the ball over more than Jy and gains less territory in doing it. I don't expect this to continue, Harry is too talented and diligent a player not to get this sorted out. But that many seem to only notice one of these players butchering it is curious.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Not all turnovers come from disposals, but anyway....
For some context, for every 800m Harry gains he turns the ball over 12 times.
Now I don't rate Jy's disposal at all, it's ordinary at best. But the obsession with it here is way over the top and ignores what he does well. People are watching him play and only seeing the turnovers, largely because that is all they are looking for.

This is a strange Hill to find yourself on my friend.

Let's unpack it.

You don't get awarded a clanger for a 44m dump kick (after running yourself into trouble), but you get the meters gained...

Absurd.

I would take ~500m, a few goal assists/scoring involvements.

 

[perplexed]

I would take ~500m, a few goal assists/scoring involvements.

Isn't Jy ahead of Harry in all these stats? Goals also.

 

[Ether]

You are the Fool on the Hill.

I wouldn't take that too badly footy front . Don't think TMP intended to back you up, but the "fool" in the song sees the world for what it is, while everyone else thinks he's a fool.