Player Watch #10: Aaron Francis - Omitted - 11/4

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Charliebrow 16

Premiership Player
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Posts
3,637
Likes
2,463
Location
Tasmania
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Celtics, Federer, Birmingham FC
Fantastic result. I'm not as sold on him as a lot of other people around here, but I've undoubtedly seen glimpses and that's all you can really ask for at this stage. Big pre-season and he'll hopefully have a massive year!
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

donlav99

Senior List
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
Posts
260
Likes
333
AFL Club
Essendon
A silver lining to this year is the accelerated maturity and drive of our youth. Merrett back running. Francis having only 2 weeks off then getting back into it. Sounds like a bunch of the other young guns are doing similar things. When most teens and 20 somethings would be things about the end of season trip, our boys are focused on 2017. They see the potential. They know they're the key, and they're relentless in their search for it. Much respect.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Posts
46,956
Likes
26,037
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
A silver lining to this year is the accelerated maturity and drive of our youth. Merrett back running. Francis having only 2 weeks off then getting back into it. Sounds like a bunch of the other young guns are doing similar things. When most teens and 20 somethings would be things about the end of season trip, our boys are focused on 2017. They see the potential. They know they're the key, and they're relentless in their search for it. Much respect.
It's great that our youth are the ones who will take us forward with the core senior players coming back as the cream.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
May 5, 2009
Posts
14,834
Likes
18,183
AFL Club
Essendon
If I was going to compare Francis to any player in the league, it is Hurley. He has almost identical physical attributes, albeit at a few cm shorter, with game which is built on powerful/explosive movements and average agility (and suspect endurance). I don't see any Goddard even if he says that is who he has based parts of his game on.

The major difference between Francis and Hurley that I can see is that as a defender Francis is an intercept player whereas Hurley is as good a one on one defender as there is in the league. Francis' hands are better and he seems a smarter forward with more tricks than Hurley who really only had a "bull at a gate" lead in his repertoire.

Having seen him forward in the two VFL finals I am now of the view that it's both a better use of Francis' talents and a better fit for the side for him to play forward.
 
Last edited:

DERO

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER
Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Posts
12,211
Likes
16,137
Location
The Ivory Tower
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Mitcham FC
If I was going to compare Francis to any player in the league, it is Hurley. He has almost identical physical attributes, albeit at a few cm shorter, with game which is built on powerful/explosive movements and average agility (and suspect endurance). I don't see any Goddard even if he says that is who he has based parts of his game on.

The major difference between Francis and Hurley that I can see is that as a defender Francis is an intercept player whereas Hurley is as good a one on one defender as there is in the league. Francis' hands are better and he seems a smarter forward with more tricks than Hurley who really only had a "bull at a gate" lead in his repertoire.

Having seen him forward in the two VFL finals I am now of the view that it's both a better use of Francis' talents and a better fit for the side for him to play forward.
I keep thinking Lance Whitnall... Which is good and bad I reckon. Probably the red-hair and lack of muscle definition in the arms but both were big bodied red-heads of similar size with questionable endurance/ conditioning but an amazing ability to judge a football in the air and mark as well as having some serious football smarts.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
May 5, 2009
Posts
14,834
Likes
18,183
AFL Club
Essendon
I keep thinking Lance Whitnall... Which is good and bad I reckon. Probably the red-hair and lack of muscle definition in the arms but both were big bodied red-heads of similar size with questionable endurance/ conditioning but an amazing ability to judge a football in the air and mark as well as having some serious football smarts.

Whitnall is an aesthetic thing.

He had not an ounce of athleticism in him.
 
Last edited:

DERO

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER
Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Posts
12,211
Likes
16,137
Location
The Ivory Tower
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Mitcham FC
Whitnall was is an aesthetic thing.

He had not an ounce of athleticism in him.
Whitnall was a brilliant mark and beautiful reader of the play, especially earlier in his career. I guess that is what I am getting at. He is also a ranga who had tuck shop lady arms.
 
Top Bottom