Player Watch #1: Nick Vlastuin

[Spluff]

Ran into him at the Hawthorn Hotel last Tuesday and we were both off our heads, he was there with a few other boys. Great laugh.
He was the most talkative of the lot and also the most drunk. I spilt my beer all over myself, him and Mcintosh and they really didn't care which I took as a win
"If you don't hit that I will mate" in reference to my girlfriend who was talking to him at the time, made me lol. They all ditched him in the end and he asked me and my mates if we're interested in cheers, we turned him down on account of being cooked and he ranted about Burwood being a shithole.
Nice cameo that night.

On the field, I love him even more. Contested beast and should get more time in the guts next year.

It's a rough life when you're an AFL footballer and you still end up at Cheers.

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

that blind turn in the nab cup the other year was pure sex.

 

[mcuzzy]

It's a rough life when you're an AFL footballer and you still end up at Cheers.

Cheers not that bad is it?

I defs would've gone with him. Talk a bit about surfing and that. Judging by a few of his videos I'd probably get along alright with Tigg.

 

[Spluff]

Cheers not that bad is it?

You've obviously never been.

 

[vmasco]

Vlas is a genuine tough bloodnut. That surfing can only be good for his tank and scary for any sharks in his path.

Yeah he's fit. Bumped into him and a couple of (I think) Doggies boys down at Cathedral rock earlier in the season with some solid stormy conditions that required a lot of paddling. After about an hour he caught one all the way in then ran around the point and paddled out again for another hour without missing a beat.
Also a good sign was he found it amusing when some plodder got pounded and washed across the rocks without making it out - He likes to see others in pain!

 

[Helen Wheels]

Yeah he's fit. Bumped into him and a couple of (I think) Doggies boys down at Cathedral rock earlier in the season with some solid stormy conditions that required a lot of paddling. After about an hour he caught one all the way in then ran around the point and paddled out again for another hour without missing a beat.
Also a good sign was he found it amusing when some plodder got pounded and washed across the rocks without making it out - He likes to see others in pain!

Riiiiiiight. Good shit. More reasons to like the man.

 

[Hounddd]

This man is a born inside midfielder. Find an adequate replacement for him in the backline (Broad?), let Floss dominate stoppage after stoppage and we are top 4 next year.

He's as good a ball winner as Miles is, but also is fantastic overhead and has very solid foot skills.

Finding a way to get this bloke into the middle should be high on the agenda this preseason.

On a side note, was playing poker at the cas last week and got chatting with the bloke next to me who happened to be close mates with Lachie Whitfield. I worked in Townsend's name, and from what he was saying, GWS tried very hard to talk him into staying as they rated him, on ability alone as one of their best stoppage players.

 

[Tango67]

This man is a born inside midfielder. Find an adequate replacement for him in the backline (Broad?), let Floss dominate stoppage after stoppage and we are top 4 next year.

He's as good a ball winner as Miles is, but also is fantastic overhead and has very solid foot skills.

Finding a way to get this bloke into the middle should be high on the agenda this preseason.

What are you basing this on? Vlastuin has not played as a mid even in the U18 comp he was HBF so it's not like he is being played out of position. He also does not have the running ability to play as a mid..

He is hard, a good reader of the ball and is great one on one but you need good footy nous and a huge engine to play in the guts, if he had it he would have been tried by now

 

[Gosha]

What are you basing this on? Vlastuin has not played as a mid even in the U18 comp he was HBF so it's not like he is being played out of position. He also does not have the running ability to play as a mid..

He is hard, a good reader of the ball and is great one on one but you need good footy nous and a huge engine to play in the guts, if he had it he would have been tried by now

He was predominantly a midfielder before being drafted and was actually touted as the most fearless and physical midfielder in his draft by Jay Clark. He's a natural inside midfielder and one of our more talented players who I feel is being wasted playing across the HBF (one of the easiest positions to play).

 

[Severe]

Relton Roberts.

 

[kozi]

This man is a born inside midfielder. Find an adequate replacement for him in the backline (Broad?), let Floss dominate stoppage after stoppage and we are top 4 next year.

He's as good a ball winner as Miles is, but also is fantastic overhead and has very solid foot skills.

Finding a way to get this bloke into the middle should be high on the agenda this preseason.

On a side note, was playing poker at the cas last week and got chatting with the bloke next to me who happened to be close mates with Lachie Whitfield. I worked in Townsend's name, and from what he was saying, GWS tried very hard to talk him into staying as they rated him, on ability alone as one of their best stoppage players.

This would make way too much sense to ever be considered at Richmond

 

[Bobby Sands]

If he were a cat, he would be a city breed.

He lives inside.

 

[RobsJourney]

What are you basing this on? Vlastuin has not played as a mid even in the U18 comp he was HBF so it's not like he is being played out of position. He also does not have the running ability to play as a mid..

He is hard, a good reader of the ball and is great one on one but you need good footy nous and a huge engine to play in the guts, if he had it he would have been tried by now

In his draft video he described himself as an inside midfielder.
He just needs to get his tank right.

 

[Madtiger2006]

He'd be unstoppable at centre bounces. Isn't this why we got yarran so vlas could go into the middle?

 

[Wackelpudding]

I'm a huge Flossy fan. I'd love him to spend some decent time in the midfielder, but as noted by some above he played mostly HBF as a junior and there are concerns over whether he can get enough footy to play midfield. We should definitely try it out but everyone should be wary that it might not work out.

 

[Infamy]

I'm a huge Flossy fan. I'd love him to spend some decent time in the midfielder, but as noted by some above he played mostly HBF as a junior and there are concerns over whether he can get enough footy to play midfield. We should definitely try it out but everyone should be wary that it might not work out.

He played at HBF in his final U18 year, but pretty sure that was due to an injury which affected either his preseason or the start of the year so he didn't have the tank to play midfield and others were played ahead of him as a result. Think you'll find he's played midfield in earlier junior years.

 

[_RT_]

Vlaustin played midfield until his final junior year and that was because of an ankle injury. There was a game against Norf in his first year where they played him in the middle and it got many asking why we don't keep him there such was his impact. Needs to be there this year to build up his tank.

 

[TigermanM2]

The TAC is full of midfield prospects who are found a little wanting at AFL level.

I suspect the answer as to why he hasn't spent more time in the midfield lies somewhere between needing his hardness and reliability down back and not quite being up to scratch as a genuine midfield rotation (yet!)

 

[Sir_Loin]

Vlaustin played midfield until his final junior year and that was because of an ankle injury. There was a game against Norf in his first year where they played him in the middle and it got many asking why we don't keep him there such was his impact. Needs to be there this year to build up his tank.

Also first year plays against west coast kicks three goals. Played off HBF and midfield in that game. He can definitely play midfield the question is his tank. Hopefully he has developed it and can start pushing for more time in there. Tigger in the guts would be fantastic

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Hopefully he'll be more involved in the Midfield next year leading into a even bigger role in 2017.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Next skipper.

 

[sante]

Dimma loves him in defence. I reckon Dimma sees himself in the way Vlastuin plays. It won't be 2016 when Vlastuin gets into the midfield IMO although he could as we have more than enough capable to take his spot now.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Dimma loves him in defence. I reckon Dimma sees himself in the way Vlastuin plays. It won't be 2016 when Vlastuin gets into the midfield IMO although he could as we have more than enough capable to take his spot now.

Why would we be so intent on recruiting / upgrading rebounding defenders if it wasn't something we were looking at ?

 

[sante]

Why would we be so intent on recruiting / upgrading rebounding defenders if it wasn't something we were looking at ?

I agree, but Dimma said it himself that they don't see him leaving defence yet. This was during the season though. Hopefully he gets a go during the NAB Cup.

 

[CotchIsKing]

What would be nice to see next year is Vlaustin at least an option for the rotation.

Whilst stability in defence is important, replacing a player in that rotation should be part of the plan where required in any game. If we need a bigger body in the middle to win a few contests or quell an opposition dominating, be willing to move Floss in there. Same approach should be applied to moving Houli onto a wing or Yarran onto a wing or up forward.

To my eye, we have 3 or 4 players in defence and 2 or 3 in the forward line who will play more or less stay in the respective zones all year. The other 15-17 players should have the flexibility to play multiple positions (or at least a second position) and we should have game plans to take advantage of this whether for offensive or defensive purposes.