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Player Watch #44: Cameron Zurhaar

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ferball said:
Its not that one game. He consistently hasn't run off the forward line enough across his career.

There's multiple close games where his poor decisions and failure to chase cost us across the last five years and especially last season.
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Agree with that. But there's nobody who has really been there to take the spot.
It's over to BGeorge, Duursma or Hugo to gun for that Zurhaar spot.
 
We just delisted a pick 3 spud, and I reckon a few that aren't rating Cam, were in the other fellas corner , cripes !!

2025- Cam 25th on goal kicking table
2024- 47th
23- 78th
22- 34th
21- 35th
20-29th
19- 37th

18 teams, 6 forwards = 108 of them, has been rather consistent and what a great get when you factor in he was a rookie pick, and has spent his career in one of the worst sides in history for fwd 50 entries.
Really thinking we will be better in 26 and I feel Cam will be one of those that reap the benefits. looking fwd to bumping this thread and season 26 wears on.
 
Themanbun said:
Turned up in better nick than anyone competing for his spot, and played most of the year injured. So get used to him, he ain't gonna go anywhere.
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Yeah but that's part of the problem.
 

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People have to speak to their families more and get out of the house more often. How this bloke has become an issue is laughable. Not every player on the list has to be a hall of famer. Thought he had a great year last year and has matured recently to the point he’s being recognised as a leader. Looking forward to a big 2026
 
Injuries and form permitting we might field Larkey, Trembath, Curtis, Dovaston, Zurhaar and one of Darling, Konstanty, Branch, Spargo, Duursma, Whitlock without reaching pure list stuffers across the season. There are a fair few teams in the comp who would gladly swap their forward hand for ours. I am actually a little excited to see what our forward line might produce next season, CZ included.
 
Bull

Bambi

I’m actually surprised how unpopular not rating Zurhaar is. I honestly don’t see it as at all controversial.

He’s approaching his 10th(!) season and his highest goal tally is a princely 38 goals last season.

In is “best” season he didn’t crack the top 10 in votes per game in the Syd.

His career output and impact on the side has been average. For reasons others have articulated well enough.

Hopefully his apparently improved fitness and an overall stronger forward mix help him to have more of an impact offensively and defensively next season.
 
I am not sure many are saying they ‘rate’ him as a top player, simply most of us think that he is a functional player with strengths and flaws that is still good enough overall to be part of taking the next step in terms of wins and ladder next season.

If we can have a solid 2026 to improve our standing with players and agents we should be able to upgrade on him in a future free agency period as we look to become a proper Finals team.

In short, he is ‘mid’ but that has him well ahead in output (not talent) terms of e.g. Duursma who some are hyping to step up. Zane is the guy who needs the rocket up his backside. CZ is pretty reliable within his frustrating limitations.
 
RooInNorthLondon said:
I am not sure many are saying they ‘rate’ him as a top player, simply most of us think that he is a functional player with strengths and flaws that is still good enough overall to be part of taking the next step in terms of wins and ladder next season.

If we can have a solid 2026 to improve our standing with players and agents we should be able to upgrade on him in a future free agency period as we look to become a proper Finals team.

In short, he is ‘mid’ but that has him well ahead in output (not talent) terms of e.g. Duursma who some are hyping to step up. Zane is the guy who needs the rocket up his backside. CZ is pretty reliable within his frustrating limitations.
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Fwiw, I don’t hold a grudge with anyone who does rate CZ, and he still has time on his side to have a big impact when it matters i.e. in 2 or 3 seasons.

Fritsch kicking 6 in a grand final comes to mind.

Also, I have very much enjoyed your posting on this and other topics so I appreciate your considered reply.
 
Ichiro #51 said:
Bull

Bambi

I’m actually surprised how unpopular not rating Zurhaar is. I honestly don’t see it as at all controversial.

He’s approaching his 10th(!) season and his highest goal tally is a princely 38 goals last season.

In is “best” season he didn’t crack the top 10 in votes per game in the Syd.

His career output and impact on the side has been average. For reasons others have articulated well enough.

Hopefully his apparently improved fitness and an overall stronger forward mix help him to have more of an impact offensively and defensively next season.
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Funny thing is that it wasn't that unpopular this time last year.

There seems to this weird correlation between the increasing unhappiness with Duursma on this Board and the renewed enthusiasm for Zurhaar - definitely amongst the more vocal posters anyway.

For me, it's not about Zurhaar, it's about a forward line carrying the likes of PC, Zurhaar, Larkey, Darling and now Spargo.

All slow and unathletic.

Larkey and PC get hall passes and Dovaston will help, but we need to shake that mix up big time and the rest have to be on serious notice if we're gonna take the next step.
 
King Corey said:


For those who recognise a good player.
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Fair old package.

How good is that goal against Essendon in the pocket? Nice.

Masked Avenger said:
Funny thing is that it wasn't that unpopular this time last year.

There seems to this weird correlation between the increasing unhappiness with Duursma on this Board and the renewed enthusiasm for Zurhaar - definitely amongst the more vocal posters anyway.

For me, it's not about Zurhaar, it's about a forward line carrying the likes of PC, Zurhaar, Larkey, Darling and now Spargo.

All slow and unathletic.

Larkey and PC get hall passes and Dovaston will help, but we need to shake that mix up big time and the rest have to be on serious notice if we're gonna take the next step.
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Curtis isn't slow or unathletic and I wouldn't be pencilling Spargo in just yet. Agree the mix needs changing though and they clearly recognise that with Dovaston in and Konstanty basically playing every game last year.
 

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Zurhaar always improves in the off-season. Come January he'll be an A Grader.

He's ok, good even on his day.

But he needs to reinvent himself as a defensive mid IMO. Just for periods of the game, we need his big body in there.
 
Chip Scab1 said:
Zurhaar always improves in the off-season. Come January he'll be an A Grader.

He's ok, good even on his day.

But he needs to reinvent himself as a defensive mid IMO. Just for periods of the game, we need his big body in there.
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Bro the guy is ranked elite for goals by position and has kicked a lazy 200 goals as second fiddle in the shittest side in history.

He's way better than ok.
 
King Corey said:
Bro the guy is ranked elite for goals by position and has kicked a lazy 200 goals as second fiddle in the shittest side in history.

He's way better than ok.
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It's ok to have differing views.

He's good on his day, great even. But we don't see many of them, against good teams with season on the line (type shit) lol. We'll see from now how good he is... or isn't - it's only from 2026 onwards we probably should be judging.

I hope he brings his A game in 2026 cos when he does, we'll be difficult to shake.
 
Chip Scab1 said:
It's ok to have differing views.

He's good on his day, great even. But we don't see many of them, against good teams with season on the line (type shit) lol. We'll see from now how good he is... or isn't - it's only from 2026 onwards we probably should be judging.

I hope he brings his A game in 2026 cos when he does, we'll be difficult to shake.
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He doesn't have an A game. He has fade ins and fadeouts. He's like a screenplay.

This year was as good as we'll get from him, and he still only averaged 2.1 tackles and 9 pressure acts. Bloke's part of the defensive transition problem, like eighteen odd of his mates.

We were 12th for average goals. Do that again and shore up the defensive transition and suddenly our floor raises. But who's betting on these campaigners to change their spots? Not me, unless Smallcock and Marlow can bring about some gameplan wizardry
 

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zoomba23 said:
He doesn't have an A game. He has fade ins and fadeouts. He's like a screenplay.

This year was as good as we'll get from him, and he still only averaged 2.1 tackles and 9 pressure acts. Bloke's part of the defensive transition problem, like eighteen odd of his mates.

We were 12th for average goals. Do that again and shore up the defensive transition and suddenly our floor raises. But who's betting on these campaigners to change their spots? Not me, unless Smallcock and Marlow can bring about some gameplan wizardry
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I know they're seperate arguments but I can see a world where he may score 50 goals, if we ever improve.
 
Chip Scab1 said:
I know they're seperate arguments but I can see a world where he may score 50 goals, if we ever improve.
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Its not how many goals he scores. He can score more than enough, especially with other options up forward as well. Its the goals he costs us - the ones we don't score and ones the opposition score off the back of his flaws.

If he fixes that we'll be a significantly better side. The real question is can he fix that?
 
Not sure Cam is or was our problem defensively. I'd look at the likes of Harvey, Payne (delisted) Hansen nee Spicer.

If someone could be arsed I think that lot combined for 20 plus games and laid nary a tackle between them.
Could be wrong though.

Hansen nee Spicer did work up and down the ground well enough , just didn't impact the play.
 
The angst with CZ is that while people still think he is 'the guy' in our forward half PC has gone past him so quickly most of us now realise what a really good forward half footballer looks like - and it looks like PC not CZ.

Just to compare rankings on the key forward metrics last year between PC and CZ - which according to most was CZ's best year and PC is still early days into his career

Score involvements - PC - 49th in the comp - CZ 77th
Tackles inside 50 - PC - 1st in the comp - CZ 40th
Goal average - PC 13th in the comp - CZ 29th
Marks inside 50 - PC 27th in the comp - CZ 42nd.

CZ will remain best 23 next year but in 12 months time it will be even money whether we can still say that.

The forward line now needs to revolve around PC, Larkey and the promising youngsters in Trembath and Doveston. CZ needs to understand now that he is a role player - to lead up and create space for the better players in our team.
 
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Player Watch #44: Cameron Zurhaar

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