Player Watch #1 GigaChad Warner

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Chad Warner
When the Sydney Swans swept up Chad Warner with pick 39 at the 2019 AFL Draft, they secured a youngster with an insatiable appetite for the contest. Warner attacks the ball and opponents with aggression and is relishing calling midfield bulls Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker his teammates at the Swans. Warner impressed for Western Australia in the 2019 AFL Under-18 Championships, averaging 18.2 touches (50 per cent contested), 3.2 clearances and 6.8 tackles per game. He also tallied an average of 27.1 disposals, 6.4 clearances and 7.4 tackles per match at Colts level for East Fremantle in 2019. He earned his AFL debut against Richmond in Round 6 of the 2020 season, recording eight disposals and two tackles.

Chad Warner
DOB: 19 May 2001
DEBUT: 2020
DRAFT: #39, 2019 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Willetton (WA)/Aquinas College (WA)/East Fremantle (WAFL)

 
Chad is such a competitor that showing him that list would only goad him.

On the other hand, it says so much about how incredible Harley Reid is.
 
Chad is such a competitor that showing him that list would only goad him.

On the other hand, it says so much about how incredible Harley Reid is.


Reid is such a big body already.

It's a tough one with Chad as others have said , he breaks lines, takes it on and you have to wear the errors at times .
 
Reid is such a big body already.

It's a tough one with Chad as others have said , he breaks lines, takes it on and you have to wear the errors at times .

If I had my way, based purely on what I've seen with Chad and no personal knowledge, I'd be exploring how he stays active in the game when things aren't going his way. There are times where it seems like he seems to hold his mistakes with him during the game and gets down on himself but in a way it seems to spur him to try even harder to break tackles and burst away when it might just be an off day.

I'd be showing him that smother from the Richmond game that got us going in the 4th quarter and encourage that if it's not working you don't have to make something happen with the ball with sheer force of will. Use sheer force of will to chase and tackle and smother and focus your attention there rather than get down on yourself and force yourself with the ball to be dominant because that doesn't seem to work that well for many.

I have no doubt he'll work through it and be fine, but it's something I'd be getting him to think more actively about, the defensive side that he could be really effective with given his dynamic athleticism and pace to focus on trying to harass, smother, tackle when it isn't working with the ball.
 

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Something I noticed with Chad over the first three games in particular was that, while he was trying to break through tackles, he was also keeping his arms free and actively looking for a constructive handball. It actually looked like something the whole team had worked on over the preseason, but it was particularly noticeable with him because he tries to break tackles more often.

In past seasons it seemed like his sole focus was to break the tackle and keep on running, so to be thinking of disposing in a way that keeps the ball in the team’s possession, at the same time as trying to bust through, adds another weapon to his arsenal.
 
Something I noticed with Chad over the first three games in particular was that, while he was trying to break through tackles, he was also keeping his arms free and actively looking for a constructive handball. It actually looked like something the whole team had worked on over the preseason, but it was particularly noticeable with him because he tries to break tackles more often.

In past seasons it seemed like his sole focus was to break the tackle and keep on running, so to be thinking of disposing in a way that keeps the ball in the team’s possession, at the same time as trying to bust through, adds another weapon to his arsenal.
Good pickup.

His instinct is still to take the tackler on but he's not just tucking the ball under his wing.
 
Noticed a couple of times he started in the goal square yesterday if i saw correctly on tv?

Thought he had a few speed bursts away and played quite well. However The suns youth didn't really ask any defensive questions.

His break away speed though is so important
 

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