Player Watch #7: Zane Duursma - 14 goals so far in 2026 - R.Beveridge says club yet to open contract talks with Duurs

[DocSholl]

I’m biased towards a set of hands and mercurial talent in the forward line over a small forward. But would many take wizard over him or wait to more development from Zane before making that call?

I like Duursma but it's not really a contest at the moment.

 

[Harvey Manfrenjensenden]

My favourite part about Zane is even if he's the third best footballer in his family Essendon still have the Shit Dursma.

 

[DuckYeah]

I’m biased towards a set of hands and mercurial talent in the forward line over a small forward. But would many take wizard over him or wait to more development from Zane before making that call?

Im a zane corner man. Imagine what Zane would be doing in Hawthorn colours? He’d kick 80 goals.

 

[The Maestro]

He’s obviously playing a role within the team at the moment. Once he gets some more games and experience under his belt and becomes a more focal point of our forward line he will regularly kick bags of goals.

Right now he is feeding off scraps and is our 3rd leading goalkicker.

I’ve often read about Whitlock becoming the Darling replacement. In my opinion we will go with Larkey, Trembath and Zane as our 3 tall structure where Duursma provides us with more flexibility. Curtis, Dovaston, Spargo, Simpkin etc as our smalls

Edit: different discussion, however that means Zurhaar is surplus to needs. If I was Clarkson I would be throwing him on the trade table.

 

[Dinkers]

As hopeful I am for how Zane's career turns out I'd say the overwhelming majority are taking Watson still as things stand currently.

Yeah well I blardy remember posting on these here boards prior to the 1991 draft.

I said we should take Dunkley Swans picked him with #54
And we took Tim Leng with pick #34. Of course he was the first ever Chinese ruckman drafted, unfortunately he was 5ft 3. That was of course before the Chinese found those vitamins that their swimming team use on a regular basis.
Had Tim be on those, he'd have been near 7ft and 3 axe handle wide across the shoulders.

 

[Mixed Results]

He is playing well enough at the moment that we should cease the comparisons.

We probably should have taken Steele Sidebottom

22

Steele Sidebottom

Age

35

Ht

184cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.4

5star

K

14.1

5star

HB

13.3

5star

M

5.5

5star

T

3.7

5star

CL

3.2

5star

D

24.0

5star

K

12.0

5star

HB

12.0

5star

M

4.5

4star

T

4.3

5star

CL

2.3

4star

D

31.6

5star

K

14.4

5star

HB

17.2

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

4.2

5star

CL

6.0

5star

over Jack Ziebell

7

Jack Ziebell

Age

35

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.1

5star

K

12.8

5star

HB

6.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

4.6

5star

MG

369.5

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.6

3star

MG

125.8

2star

D

16.2

4star

K

11.4

4star

HB

4.8

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

3.0

5star

, but we didn't spend Ziebell's entire career whining about it.

 

[I Want To Believe]

Really hope he signs an extension with us. Is one of my favourite players - brings so much excitement to the game for mine.


Still hold onto dreams that he may one day turn into a Fyfe type player.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

Stop ignoring him on the lead and when he’s 1 out in the goal square kick it to him, it’s that simple.

 

[Ether]

Yeah well I blardy remember posting on these here boards prior to the 1991 draft.

I said we should take Dunkley Swans picked him with #54
And we took Tim Leng with pick #34. Of course he was the first ever Chinese ruckman drafted, unfortunately he was 5ft 3. That was of course before the Chinese found those vitamins that their swimming team use on a regular basis.
Had Tim be on those, he'd have been near 7ft and 3 axe handle wide across the shoulders.

Not a day goes by that I don't regret this. Joke / basket case of a club. Sack whoever was before Nev Stibbards.

 

[Disco Dew]

Stop ignoring him on the lead and when he’s 1 out in the goal square kick it to him, it’s that simple.

We burn him a lot hey

 

[HugeJohnson1]

We burn him a lot hey

Same with Blamires? Or am I imagining things

 

[hoffseason gains 01]

Same with Blamires? Or am I imagining things

No saw that a lot too. He’s always there for a switch that never comes.

 

[Devil Fish]

Im a zane corner man. Imagine what Zane would be doing in Hawthorn colours? He’d kick 80 goals.

Easily. Maybe even 100.

 

[Liam Boy]

He is playing well enough at the moment that we should cease the comparisons.

We probably should have taken Steele Sidebottom over Jack Ziebell, but we didn't spend Ziebell's entire career whining about it.

Well, now that you mention it...

 

[DuckYeah]

Easily. Maybe even 100.

In a 15 year career he’d be an all time leading goal kicker

 

[pupstar]

In a 15 year career he’d be an all time leading goal kicker

Just behind Gerreyn.

 

[FlyHigh18]

Im a zane corner man. Imagine what Zane would be doing in Hawthorn colours? He’d kick 80 goals.

This is just copium mate and based on nothing except trying to makes oneself feel better.

We produce the same amount of inside 50s as Hawks, they’ve just been about 0.9 goals more efficient per game.

The main difference is their forwards know how pressure better than ours.

 

[DuckYeah]

This is just copium mate and based on nothing except trying to makes oneself feel better.

We produce the same amount of inside 50s as Hawks, they’ve just been about 0.9 goals more efficient per game.

The main difference is their forwards know how pressure better than ours.

absolutely not. They have better vision going inside 50. They hit up gunston better than we hit up our forwards.

They are superior in organising their delivery. They also havent played west coast, carlton, richmond.

I love stats, used to suggest anything you want. You havent got the data to prove anythig. Its round 9. Maybe you should use last season as thats at least a complete season.

 

[Frank Thring]

Trembath and Larkey half forward and Zane out of the square

 

[FlyHigh18]

absolutely not. They have better vision going inside 50. They hit up gunston better than we hit up our forwards.

They are superior in organising their delivery. They also havent played west coast, carlton, richmond.

Yes, 0.9 goals superior

 

[DuckYeah]

Yes, 0.9 goals superior

Lets see how that .9 goals looks at the end of the season or after they have played the bottom 4 teams including us.

 

[JZTIME!]

absolutely not. They have better vision going inside 50. They hit up gunston better than we hit up our forwards.

They are superior in organising their delivery. They also havent played west coast, carlton, richmond.

I love stats, used to suggest anything you want. You havent got the data to prove anythig. Its round 9. Maybe you should use last season as thats at least a complete season.

They just have more space inside their F50. Something we just don't seem to do. It has to be a structure thing, or speed of ball I'm not sure.

 

[My Left Foote]

They just have more space inside their F50. Something we just don't seem to do. It has to be a structure thing, or speed of ball I'm not sure.

I suspect it's a bit of both but would lean more to speed of ball movement being the main reason. Not sure what the stats are this season, I'm sure it's improved, but last season IIRC were 18th in the league for transitioning the ball from the back 50 to the forward 50.

 

[JZTIME!]

I suspect it's a bit of both but would lean more to speed of ball movement being the main reason. Not sure what the stats are this season, I'm sure it's improved, but last season IIRC were 18th in the league for transitioning the ball from the back 50 to the forward 50.

If we could get that to a top 8 level, we could be anything

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

We burn him a lot hey

Weird considering zane has more talent then anyone on the list except fos