AFL Player 15: Dyson Sharp - 187cm midfielder & SA Captain, Welcome to Essendon!

[Pweter]

Pace is a little overrated.

Some of the best players in the game don't have elite pace
- Pendlebury, Bontempelli

Mark Fraser had it in spades, so too did Andrew Lovett.

Sharp just needs to play a Dyson Peverill role for mine. Tag the oppositions best mid, get brought to the footy.
Rest at HFF and try and kick a goal. Given average pace, needs to have a good aerobic capacity.

He is a contested beast. Thats his bread and butter. Its also something we have lacked in the guts.

Dyson Peverill, my favourite Essington Bombre of all time.

 

[ALL IN]

3 votes P.Cripps goes alright and isn’t all that quick

 

[shockmaster]

I am always mystified by the player that people want when they're looking for an elite inside midfielder.
Couldn't give a **** if they are an average kick, or don't have pace.

The things I want are (in order)

Contested ball winning ability
Elite vision and reading of the play in tight spaces
Well timed, fast handballing ability
Strength to fight through tackles
Great tackling technique and timing
Agile lateral movement
Can rest forward and kick goals

People are always looking for these unicorns like Dangerfield and Chris Judd, when in reality Simon Black, Jobe Watson or Robert Harvey is what you should be aiming for.

Hell, Darcy Parish ticks some of those boxes (close to the best handball in the comp).

I wouldn't disagree with any of this but my feeling is that it's the outside traits (such as pace/spread and kicking) that our midfield lacks more, which is why its a valid concern regarding the midfield mix even if Sharp does possess elite inside traits

 

[Mercurial89]

I wouldn't disagree with any of this but my feeling is that it's the outside traits (such as pace/spread and kicking) that our midfield lacks more, which is why its a valid concern regarding the midfield mix even if Sharp does possess elite inside traits

For quite a number of years our midfield has been too small and leaned more outside types rather than competitive players that had the bodies to mix it inside.

Quite frankly Sharp was exactly what this midfield needed. Does he have to be everything? No, he needs to have elite traits in a certain area (he does) and other parts of his game that can be coached up or rounded off to be a complete player.

That's been the failing point with the midfields we have had, too small, too much the same thing, no single elite traits or traits offset by fatal flaws when part of a whole. It's the basis for the frustrations about Parish.

 

[MiguelM]

I wouldn't disagree with any of this but my feeling is that it's the outside traits (such as pace/spread and kicking) that our midfield lacks more, which is why its a valid concern regarding the midfield mix even if Sharp does possess elite inside traits

Think Sharp could compliment Parish perfectly, bit of a Setterfield role with better marking/goal sense and overall reading of the game.

As others have said a Cripps type.

We have Durham, Merrett, Martin (When fit), Caldwell who are good on the outside plus cameo's from Roberts, Kako, Gresham on rotation. Eventually Robey could be our DeGoey type.

Also if we play attacking from backline many players to link up, Redman, Duursma, Clarke, Johnson, Nguyen to name a few.

Sharp is the engine we have been crying out for IMO.

 

[King Patty]

We have Durham, Merrett, Martin (When fit), Caldwell who are good on the outside plus cameo's from Roberts, Kako, Gresham on rotation. Eventually Robey could be our DeGoey type.

You didn't mention Farrow.

if he translates from defence to midfield he's our Jordan Dawson/Scott Pendlebury type.

 

[MiguelM]

You didn't mention Farrow.

if he translates from defence to midfield he's our Jordan Dawson/Scott Pendlebury type.

My bad!

How good does he look!

Listening to a few at the ground some saying he is already our best kick in the side. Reads the play like a seasoned player.

 

[Bipolar Bear]

View attachment 2534254

You look like beer

 

[Bipolar Bear]

I would suggest that, above all of those, you want competitiveness. And he has it in spades

Haha I always forget about this as a trait, as I forget many humans don't have it naturally >_>

 

[JayJ20]

Personally a little worried about pace. It’s borderline too slow. He was just getting to contests against a bottom 4 team. His iq is amazing which really helps and his skills were good, was also excellently accountable around stoppage. Just that one part that has me concerned.

i'm not too worried considering our midfield mix. In fact, he complements our young mids well.

 

[Keystone agony]

Agree in general with whats been said, just hope were playing him as if he was a 50% CBA mid. By that i mean, i dont necessarily need him starting in there, but he needs to be tracking the ball around as M.Rowell would be post centre

Just dont see it at high half fwd

Think we get a better output with Sharp mid - Zerrett/Duz/Caldwell high half fwd than the other way around

Dont think we need Roberts in there just yet. Think the other 5 can share the cbas nicely with Parish maybe getting a smidge of the lions share

 

[ant555]

He will play midfield. Maybe not a lock to be in the side early, maybe yes but he will be 75% midfield with 25% forward as he develops.
Right now they are simply honing the forward stuff in practice matches which is what they do.
If he gets early games it will be because his pressure and defensive efforts are good enough for him to fill a bench spot and cover midfield which he is good at and forward where he is an upgrade on some we have been running through there.
He actually played a totally different forward role on Friday compared to what he did in under 18 footy where he was used as more of a medium forward.
Friday was more be at the contest and tackle / pressure or win the football and create.

 

[ant555]

Personally a little worried about pace. It’s borderline too slow. He was just getting to contests against a bottom 4 team. His iq is amazing which really helps and his skills were good, was also excellently accountable around stoppage. Just that one part that has me concerned.

Not discounting your concern but the Tigers being bottom 4 doesn’t really come into it given they play a up and back running game and draft accordingly.

 

[jannissary]

Personally a little worried about pace. It’s borderline too slow. He was just getting to contests against a bottom 4 team. His iq is amazing which really helps and his skills were good, was also excellently accountable around stoppage. Just that one part that has me concerned.

this is exactly what i love reading when footy’s back. over the top dooming about a recent draftee

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Not discounting your concern but the Tigers being bottom 4 doesn’t really come into it given they play a up and back running game and draft accordingly.

More the secondary contest, not in general play. Didn’t think they looked that quick from the spread.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

this is exactly what i love reading when footy’s back. over the top dooming about a recent draftee

If it’s not outright adoration around here, the interpretation is apparently the sky is falling. Slight concern based on how football has been for the last 3-4 years in regards to spread, we’ll see how it goes. Who would have guessed that watching a game and judging what you see is a no go on a football forum.

 

[jannissary]

If it’s not outright adoration around here, the interpretation is apparently the sky is falling. Slight concern based on how football has been for the last 3-4 years in regards to spread, we’ll see how it goes. Who would have guessed that watching a game and judging what you see is a no go on a football forum.

it's also just a single practice match from a new draftee, it's not like he's the big off-season recruit who's totally been tearing the house down and someone who'll get us to a final win. be for real, focusing on something as miniscule and negative as the pace at which he runs. why focus on sharp especially? why not every other slow paced plodder in the side.

 

[King Patty]

Agree its a bit early to write off a young player after 1 practice match.

They all showed glimpses, masses of positives, but lets query Sharps pace.

 

[dank420_]

Honestly feels like Hobbs mk2











Haha jokes

 

[ant555]

Honestly feels like Hobbs mk2











Haha jokes

Hobbs on the rack.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

it's also just a single practice match from a new draftee, it's not like he's the big off-season recruit who's totally been tearing the house down and someone who'll get us to a final win. be for real, focusing on something as miniscule and negative as the pace at which he runs. why focus on sharp especially? why not every other slow paced plodder in the side.

It is a single match but it’s also the first time we get to see him at the highest level and see whether there is basis for projections (like skills/athletic profile) that saw him slide from a touted pick 1 to 13. The skills were fine so I didn’t think that was a data point that was observable, unlike the pace. You can say it’s minuscule but I disagree, getting from contest to contest effectively is a trait of premiership midfields. That is not writing him off, his mobility is just the variable I find most pressing and one worth watching how they manage his physical development, given his frame suggests he’ll get much heavier. That is not dooming.

 

[katana]

i think if you don't want to read people's opinions on players then don't access a football forum.

 

[jannissary]

i think if you don't want to read people's opinions on players then don't access a football forum.

show me where i explicitely said i didn't want to read peoples opinions, please.

 

[ant555]

More the secondary contest, not in general play. Didn’t think they looked that quick from the spread.

Think our defensive set up put the brakes on them. They wanted to keep it moving but we actually had structure up the ground.
Anyway, back to Sharp. I do not think it is unfair to worry about him having the pace to get to secondary contests. He is not anything more than average pace at best. He may not ever be that guy consistently. It may well be we have to cover a bit in that area. I think the trade-off is how smart he is and his ability to know when he can go and when he cannot and set up defensively. We probably have enough guys who can go contest to contest to contest. We do not have many who know not to simply chase the footy like a seagull after a chip.
It is something they will have to work with as his pace is what it is. Thankfully his endurance is okay, and he has a footy brain. He would be no worse than Setterfield in the same department. We will just have to use him in the right way.

 

[Call Me Cake]

i think if you don't want to read people's opinions on players then don't access a football forum.

i think if you don't want to read people's opinions about reading people's opinions on players then don't access a football forum.