Player Watch #44: Cameron Zurhaar

[guapo]

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 metric 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.

Great post. Spot on.
If Sausage, Durz, or even a rotating mid doesn’t force him out next year then we are bound for bottom 4 again.
For me, the only two locks in our forward line are Souv and PC. Hopefully add Trembath and Dovaston. The other two spots to be given on output and preparedness to do that team thing

 

[Fish Sticks]

I don’t think Zurharr is a lock for all 23 games if his form isn’t up to scratch.
If he is not kicking or setting up goals & not putting forward pressure on, he will be in the firing line to be dropped.

Durrs & George are certainly highly rated candidates to take his spot, but neither have yet to show they deserve to take it (mainly due to injuries)

I’m hoping Zurharr’s inclusion into the leadership squad will drive him to improve in the areas he needs to.
I want to see angry Cam… hunting & trying to hurt the opposition!
When he is on, he does this very well & it can be a real team lifter.

 

[Dinkers]

Threads getting worse lol. Cam playing all games next year will not be the reason we finish bottom 4 . We won't fwiw.

If Harvey, Hansen and the Kont combine for another 40 plus games in 2026 we could then be in trouble .

The Dogs have the Bont and we have the Kont, plays like one as well.

Harvey reminds me of me. I played the same position as he does. 'Centre half shit house' We both do it well.
Hansen Jnr should be moved on now. Wasting ours and his time.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Threads getting worse lol. Cam playing all games next year will not be the reason we finish bottom 4 . We won't fwiw.

If Harvey, Hansen and the Kont combine for another 40 plus games in 2026 we could then be in trouble .

The Dogs have the Bont and we have the Kont, plays like one as well.

Harvey reminds me of me. I played the same position as he does. 'Centre half shit house' We both do it well.
Hansen Jnr should be moved on now. Wasting ours and his time.

Call me the minority... but I'd give Harvey 3 more years and I'd delist Hansen who quite possibly is the worst NMFC listed player I've ever seen.

 

[DunderHead]

Call me the minority... but I'd give Harvey 3 more years and I'd delist Hansen who quite possibly is the worst NMFC listed player I've ever seen.

Hansen plays the high half forward role - Finds opportunities and can cut the game up with smart ball movement. Harvey doesn’t get into those sorts of positions but has a much better contested game - especially for his size. They both bring different things to the team. I assume they think Hansen is more suited to modern footy.

 

[DuckYeah]

Hansen plays the high half forward role - Finds opportunities and can cut the game up with smart ball movement. Harvey doesn’t get into those sorts of positions but has a much better contested game - especially for his size. They both bring different things to the team. I assume they think Hansen is more suited to modern footy.

RHJ can cut games up?

 

[Chip Scab1]

RHJ can cut games up?

lol like a hot knife thru butter.

I can't believe there are people who waste their lives thinking this shit up, it holds zero semblance of reality.

I don't want him delisted yet, happy to give RHJ Jr another year to see if he he can make it (we're hardly pressed in terms of those we should delist) but to suggest he's been good enough (on any ****ing level) is delusional nonsense.

 

[KiwiRoo]

I've been critical of Cam as I didn't think he showed enough professionalism turning up underdone for a number of years, plus just not a lot of footy IQ

But he has pulled his finger out & was pretty good this year and hopefully with a decent small forward drafted he and Paulie can be a tough matchup

 

[Passmore]

Call me the minority... but I'd give Harvey 3 more years and I'd delist Hansen who quite possibly is the worst NMFC listed player I've ever seen.

Can we **** both of them off?

 

[DunderHead]

lol like a hot knife thru butter.

I can't believe there are people who waste their lives thinking this shit up, it holds zero semblance of reality.

I don't want him delisted yet, happy to give RHJ Jr another year to see if he he can make it (we're hardly pressed in terms of those we should delist) but to suggest he's been good enough (on any ****ing level) is delusional nonsense.

He doesn’t do it consistently enough. I’m not saying he isn’t the 44th or whatever it is player on the list. But in transition, he is more dynamic than a lot of others we have on the list not just in his ability to get the ball in space but also his delivery then into the forwardline.

You’re comparing two guys that play the same position but what they offer is very different. I think you can say we need more of this than that, but it doesn’t make sense to simply say one is better than the other and so you give them the chop.

 

[amaz199]

Zurhaar's role was simplified by the addition of Darling. Got more looks at goals and was benefiting from being the third or fourth banana.

With a healthier list and added fire-power it only gets better from here.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Can we **** both of them off?

I'll order the ****ing off (SFs only), for this lovely Sunday, why not, nothing better to do:

Steven
RHJs
Konstantys
Banchee
...

If we get anything out of those 4 including Konstantys, then we're going places...

Then our next to be delisted crew is yet to really establish themselves as yay or nay. They're sure as **** close, but they get a pass from me. Just.

That crew is;

Cooper
Stephen
Daniels probably
Goater possibly
CurtainRaiserGZ

If you monitored this level of player movement for us over the last decade, it's fairly obvious this would be the strongest "could be delisted and side loses basically nothing" crew we've had in years. Nearly 30 ****ing years.

What if the Angry Little Man hasn't even really coached us for 1 game. He has a different look about him at Pre-Season this year, reckon he's down to an L from an XL. It's a sign. Like Goose, he's reengaged.

 

[shinboner magic]

Zurhaar's role was simplified by the addition of Darling. Got more looks at goals and was benefiting from being the third or fourth banana.

With a healthier list and added fire-power it only gets better from here.

And will only improve if we have more dangerous players around him - dovo , brayden and duurs will help.

 

[DuckYeah]

third or fourth banana.

Need to work defensively.

 

[backtothedraft]

I don’t think Zurharr is a lock for all 23 games if his form isn’t up to scratch.
If he is not kicking or setting up goals & not putting forward pressure on, he will be in the firing line to be dropped.

Durrs & George are certainly highly rated candidates to take his spot, but neither have yet to show they deserve to take it (mainly due to injuries)

I’m hoping Zurharr’s inclusion into the leadership squad will drive him to improve in the areas he needs to.
I want to see angry Cam… hunting & trying to hurt the opposition!
When he is on, he does this very well & it can be a real team lifter.

Zurhaars spot under threat from an untried 3rd year player who is coming off the back of multiple surgeries and is currently being trialled on the wing and a high draft pick who’s shown little to no ability at AFL level, has question marks over his professionalism and tried to leave at years end.

These are the opinions you form when you just exist within the BigFooty thought bubble and don’t actually watch football

 

[RooInNorthLondon]

Zurhaar's role was simplified by the addition of Darling. Got more looks at goals and was benefiting from being the third or fourth banana.

With a healthier list and added fire-power it only gets better from here.

This is the hope. It relies on Dovaston being as advertised and Trembath being able to turn three hot games when nobody knew him into 23 solid games when he will command a bit more attention. Both are possible but not certainties. Best case we have 5/6 of a solid forward line with lots of variation and competition in the 6th banana candidates.

 

[amaz199]

This is the hope. It relies on Dovaston being as advertised and Trembath being able to turn three hot games when nobody knew him into 23 solid games when he will command a bit more attention. Both are possible but not certainties. Best case we have 5/6 of a solid forward line with lots of variation and competition in the 6th banana candidates.

We should be expecting a more consistent output from our forward line now that they've been playing together for a while with the added bonus of new recruits.

It just needs to happen. We can't hope.

 

[zoomba23]

Call me the minority... but I'd give Harvey 3 more years and I'd delist Hansen who quite possibly is the worst NMFC listed player I've ever seen.

Three more years. Get off the pipe lol

 

[rickety]

RHJ can cut games up?

I think he meant the oranges .... he can cut the oranges up

 

[shintemaster]

I don’t think Zurharr is a lock for all 23 games if his form isn’t up to scratch.
If he is not kicking or setting up goals & not putting forward pressure on, he will be in the firing line to be dropped.

Durrs & George are certainly highly rated candidates to take his spot, but neither have yet to show they deserve to take it (mainly due to injuries)

I’m hoping Zurharr’s inclusion into the leadership squad will drive him to improve in the areas he needs to.
I want to see angry Cam… hunting & trying to hurt the opposition!
When he is on, he does this very well & it can be a real team lifter.

No player is "safe" if form isn't up to scratch - the only question is how bad, how replaceable with the list and for how long they are safe. He is such an easy walk up start as of today that it is not worth arguing about for now.

 

[BrownPaperBag]

RHJ can cut games up?

Yeah nah that was an odd claim

 

[shintemaster]

Just a PS as well, not wanting to have a dig, but the idea that Curtis is better than Zurhaar so therefore Zurhaar is on borrowed time I find... weird. That's not how it works and not how we make serious improvements. If McKercher becomes unequivocally better than LDU next year we don't look to figure out how to make Luke redundant - we figure out how to smash teams. Sure, we don't need 4 ruckmen in the ones but I reckon we can have two B+ or better ones (medium forwards) even if one ends up the "best".

 

[Fish Sticks]

No player is "safe" if form isn't up to scratch - the only question is how bad, how replaceable with the list and for how long they are safe. He is such an easy walk up start as of today that it is not worth arguing about for now.

Agreed.
If Durs & George are bashing the door down in the VFL & Zurharr is stinking it up, we will obviously look at changing things up.
As things currently stand, Zurharr is miles ahead of both.
Hopefully they can all fit into the team, from & injuries permitting.

 

[Dinkers]

No player is "safe" if form isn't up to scratch - the only question is how bad, how replaceable with the list and for how long they are safe. He is such an easy walk up start as of today that it is not worth arguing about for now.

A long held belief when choosing one player over another is, who at their very best is better. have they got runs on the board to support them during a lean patch.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

This bloke not making the WA side either

Seriously.