Player Watch #1: Nick Vlastuin

[OhDustinMartin]

I seem to remember a motherload of sh*tposting sometime last year on getting Tigger into the midfield........

 

[HumanMeatball]

Think you start vlastuin at half back with maybe 5-10 min patches in midfield. Kmac In the midfield and conca rotates between half back and midfield

 

[HumanMeatball]

His increased fitness levels are only going to make him better if or imo when he lines up at half back. Don't get to sucked in to pre season positions.

 

[TJTIGER]

I'm not completely sold on Tigga as a mid at this stage. But it will take more than a preseason to transition him to that position.I think he has the ability. You just know he will work hard & do everything he can , but time will tell .....Just my 2c worth

 

[tigerT]

definitely prefer him in midfield. So he had a bad game, still think hes a much much better midfielder than defender. Feel he was nothing but an average at best defender

 

[Charlie Pannam]

definitely prefer him in midfield. So he had a bad game, still think hes a much much better midfielder than defender. Feel he was nothing but an average at best defender

Agreed, persevere with him in the midfield. He needs time to get used to the role and learn of the likes of Cotch, Dusty and Prestia. Also nothing like midfield gut running to improve his tank.
Also the back line needs more run so i'd prefer to see a couple of Markov/Menadue/Short/McIntosh developed in that role.

 

[mopsy]

Yes we should players I their best position and in case people didn't notice Vlastuin was a perfectly good half back flanker. What's the result? We move him into the gut where he has been largely disappointing and then try and plug his gap in defence with McIntosh who is a natural midfielder and a damn good one!
Arse backwards!

Agree and disagree Vlastuin is a defender and so is McIntosh. Imo McIntosh has been ordinary as a mid we do hype them up at tigerland.
His natural role is a third tall he could even play kpd on some types if we just developed him properly in the role and we just have not developed him in this role i suggest patience and you will be rewarded.

For me we just dont get enough out of either as mids, and there are more promising options both inside and out for the midfield roles.
The one when fit and when he shows enough who should play inside is Graham.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Keep him in the middle. He allows Cotch and Dusty to do more. Vlas will be a quality mid. Needs to keep playing there. If we don't want problems in defence then play Short and Markov. Pretty simple

 

[Goldust]

On a rare occasion I agree with you goldy , I've never quite got the vlas to midfield drama. He goes from a pretty good defender who works in straight lines to an average mid who works in straight lines ,,,and is NO forward , believe me. I do think kmac can play back though, backs himself to work through traffic and plays with lots of dash that I like . Much prefer to see him down there than hunt or batch. If our defence was bursting yes, great to have tall dashing wingman , right now we need him. ,,,,,should persist with Markov though ,,,again much better option than. Hunt and batch

When you put it that way, I'll leave McIntosh back there at the expense of Batch and particularly Hunt.
As the bloke seated next to me at the pub yesterday said: "Why is Taylor Hunt still on an AFL list?'

 

[Snooza 100]

Conca played well yesterday down back..

 

[Bojangles17]

if edwards/miles can return to form and prestia and caddy do what they're paid to do, there s no reason at all to use vlas in the middle

 

[Bojangles17]

Conca played well yesterday down back..

yes he did, won a good amount of ball, doesnt take intercept marks like vlas can though. conca is least of our worries right now, finding a second tall forward is the challenge right now, wtf elton and chol only played 1JLT bw them ill be buggered

 

[Snooza 100]

if edwards/miles can return to form and prestia and caddy do what they're paid to do, there s no reason at all to use vlas in the middle

too true..

 

[TigerImposter]

His chances of being a full blown midfielder are very skinny at best. Within junior footy he was able to use his superior core strength due to being a early developer, he hasn't ever been super clean in contests or had great evasive skills.
Was always going to play games early in his career, but never possessed potential to be a star much the same as b ellis , conca.

Perfect description.

 

[tiggywigs]

I see Tigga as a utility (old fashioned term I know); someone you can use forward, back or middle, wherever the need arises.

I'd expect that they will continue using him in the middle to complete his training, but I doubt that he will be a full-time mid unless we have a seriously bad run with injury.

I have a lot more faith in him than some it seems. He's a very strong mark, good in heavy traffic and is often able to get his arms free when tackled. I expect him to win back quite a few fans before the end of the season.

 

[juss]

Think you start vlastuin at half back with maybe 5-10 min patches in midfield. Kmac In the midfield and conca rotates between half back and midfield

Conca should rotate between runner and waterboy, for the VFL team.

 

[HumanMeatball]

Conca should rotate between runner and waterboy, for the VFL team.

Based on his form yesterday he will line up round 1

 

[tropicaltiger]

Based on his form yesterday he will line up round 1

conca, bellis and grigg are always in dimmas best 22 and i agree with him.

 

[Bojangles17]

if your a tramtracks mid you need to get leather poisoning week in week out, dane swan is a perfect example. vlas is doing well to break 20p, now unless you chop the oppo up like liver with sizzling pace and clinical use with those possies, you wont cut it as a mid. Tram track mids are ok if 25-30p ea week anything less and they're vfl material...so that means back to HBF

 

[Juke]

Unfortunately his development has been stalled like many others.

He is a good back pocket, but his best games came in his first year at the club where he was played in the position he was drafted in. I think that the coaching unit are right to persist with him in the midfield and it will take some time, but the benefits will outweigh the short run negatives.

 

[tigerT]

if your a tramtracks mid you need to get leather poisoning week in week out, dane swan is a perfect example. vlas is doing well to break 20p, now unless you chop the oppo up like liver with sizzling pace and clinical use with those possies, you wont cut it as a mid. Tram track mids are ok if 25-30p ea week anything less and they're vfl material...so that means back to HBF

He's barely played a game there, let's see what he offers in the real stuff, methinks you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Can't believe the love he is getting as a back man, he's been pretty average in the role at best to date. He also has shown more impact in one game vs the swans in the guts than the rest of his career in the backline (imo)

 

[Groupie_]

Keep him in the middle. He allows Cotch and Dusty to do more. Vlas will be a quality mid. Needs to keep playing there. If we don't want problems in defence then play Short and Markov. Pretty simple

highly doubt they will play short in the 1s next thursday

cant get a game over hung and bellis

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

if your a tramtracks mid you need to get leather poisoning week in week out, dane swan is a perfect example. vlas is doing well to break 20p, now unless you chop the oppo up like liver with sizzling pace and clinical use with those possies, you wont cut it as a mid. Tram track mids are ok if 25-30p ea week anything less and they're vfl material...so that means back to HBF

Thing about Dane Swan though was for one he had an unbelievable ten metre burst in him. And secondly and probably what sets him apart was an innate sense in the forward line. He was deadly up Forward.
One of the all time underrated players even for a Brownlow medalist.

 

[Danog]

We have very few back/mids. We have a surplus of mids that drift forward. Can't have all of our mids resting forward, so let Vlastuin play in the backline for his bursts, rather than forward.

 

[Goldust]

He's barely played a game there, let's see what he offers in the real stuff, methinks you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Can't believe the love he is getting as a back man, he's been pretty average in the role at best to date. He also has shown more impact in one game vs the swans in the guts than the rest of his career in the backline (imo)

It was the game against Hawthorn he played in the guts and was jogging up and down on the one spot before three quarter time becuase he was not fit enough.
The Hawks ran all over the top of us and won by 50.