Traded #10: Aaron Francis - Traded to Sydney w. Pick 42 + Future fourth rounder for Pick 37. Thanks Frang!

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2022
Injury Status: n/a

My Boy Draft 2022: Pick 29, Mr Bultitude

 

[Doss]

Francis will get 67 Brownlow votes this year.

Think about that.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I was thinking about putting him Captain of my Supercoach team -- thoughts?

I couldn't see a Supercoach thread so thought I'd post in here.

Personally I’d go with McCartin, but it’s your call.

 

[Jobe Watson]

He's ready to grab the competition by the marble bag and yank it hard.

Is it possible that we could have 3 Rising Star winners in the space of just 8 years? I SAY YES.

 

[Blind Turn]

If the club aren’t thinking about having him step up as captain/coach they aren’t taking this game seriously.

 

[Blind Turn]

Francis will get 67 Brownlow votes this year.

Think about that.

The bonus Chuck Norris admiration vote for being better than awesome.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Francis will get 67 Brownlow votes this year.

Think about that.

Round 1, Richmond vs. Carlton

3 votes: A. Francis

 

[windyhill]

Good luck Franga

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Very happy for him, hopefully the side needing him in Gleesons absence gives him the impetus to stay focused. Driving towards a goal is great for ones mental health.

 

[fishardansin]

Francis will get 67 Brownlow votes this year.

Think about that.

I doubt that statement. 67 is not divisible by 3. 69 votes.

 

[ezard15]

But on the other side none of the WA boys have wanted to go back to WA, even Ryder didn't go back.

mmm, interesting. Its a pity he didn't go back to West Aus and get eaten by sharks I mean reunite with family and friends.

 

[ezard15]

Bullish on him?

Think he can go top 5 in your b&f?

Mate I've said this before. He will win the b & f - biggest and fattest.

Seriously though I'd rate him a better chance at resurrecting his career than Collingwood making the finals this year.

 

[CBombers17]

Had this space written off so anything goos coming from Franga would be gold - be great to see the smug campaigner saints fans EAD over it too.

 

[Zach Package]

Bullish on him?

Think he can go top 5 in your b&f?

If he’s not the most physically gifted player in either of our lists it’s only because Daniher is in another stratosphere.

All between the ears, which shouldn’t be an unfamiliar concept to St. Kilda fans.

 

[calyam]

If he’s not the most physically gifted player in either of our lists it’s only because Daniher is in another stratosphere.

I bet Andy McGrath is sitting there with his Little Athletics trophies thinking 'Geez ... I wish I was as physically gifted as the unfit Ranga who can't sprint without tearing a leg muscle.'

 

[BrunoV]

If he’s not the most physically gifted player in either of our lists it’s only because Daniher is in another stratosphere.

All between the ears, which shouldn’t be an unfamiliar concept to St. Kilda fans.

I don't know about this. There will be a number of players who are physically capable of doing extraordinary things but it's really just an isolated example of something that looks and is amazing. It's not really an indicator of what 4 quarters of footy will ever really look like.

This is a trap that even some at the club have possibly fallen into.

Some of the freakish stuff that Francis has done in the VFL is no better than the explosive stuff of Hurley early on.

I think of Josh Jenkins, for example, bursting out of the centre square both playing VFL for us and then against in 2014 as a ruckman and bombing goals from 60 out.

Stringer looms as another example of someone with explosive physical attributes that do not necessarily translate into domination of the AFL but still make for an awesome highlights package.

Francis certainly has an amazing burst of power but I don't think it's better than the combinations of speed, power and agility of McKenna and McGrath. Laverde is slightly different but he also possesses amazing natural strength and power together with good speed and agility. Daniher is a freak as you've suggested.

I don't think that Francis' physical strengths are really those which result in consistent domination of AFL.

 

[yaco55]

Bruno is spot on with his post.

 

[Vander18]

Bruno is spot on with his post.

He is but so were you earlier- Francis attacks the ball hard and can split packs and scatter bodies.

As you noted, not many others in our team have this trait.

 

[BrunoV]

He is but so were you earlier- Francis attacks the ball hard and can split packs and scatter bodies.

As you noted, not many others in our team have this trait.

The type of role I see him most suited to is playing as an inside mid, which is also the role that he is farthest from being able to play. That's where his aggression at the ball will have the most impact. I don't think it's that much of a stretch that he could be a first touch inside mid who is absorbing most of the physical impact at stoppage, playing in a style similar to Jobe of Josh Kennedy.

I'm far from convinced that there is a big part for immobile (at least in terms of aerobic capacity) mid-sized defenders and forwards to play on AFL fields in 2018. He's not big enough to play the roles that he'd naturally play.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

The type of role I see him most suited to is playing as an inside mid, which is also the role that he is farthest from being able to play. That's where his aggression at the ball will have the most impact. I don't think it's that much of a stretch that he could be a first touch inside mid who is absorbing most of the physical impact at stoppage, playing in a style similar to Jobe of Josh Kennedy.

I'm far from convinced that there is a big part for immobile (at least in terms of aerobic capacity) mid-sized defenders and forwards to play on AFL fields in 2018. He's not big enough to play the roles that he'd naturally play.

If he’s too immobile for defensive role how can he play inside mid. He’s supposedly 193 cms same height as Hurley, taller than Eagles McGovern. If he can’t play defence he won’t play at all because he looks miles away from midfield

 

[BrunoV]

If he’s too immobile for defensive role how can he play inside mid. He’s supposedly 193 cms same height as Hurley, taller than Eagles McGovern. If he can’t play defence he won’t play at all because he looks miles away from midfield

There are plenty of slow inside midfielders.


Edit: I'm also coming at this from the perspective of the way Francis has been used and has performed in the reserves.

He hasn't been used as one of the key defenders nor has he been playing loose(ish) across half back.

It looks like we've been having him 'play small' quite a bit. If he was as suited to being a tall defender as it is claimed he should be able to both play as a KPD and zone off a VFL forward at the same time.

It's pretty clear that we don't know how to best use him. The answer to that may well be not to further complicate matters. If that's the answer we come to, Francis needs to be the CHB. Heap the responsibility on him.

 

[yodellinhank]

Let's not forget Jobe Watson won a brownlow...

 

[FlyingV]

Let’s just play him as a 3rd/intercept defender in the VFL, get his confidence up and then when he seems to be able to run through a whole match slot him in the 1s as a intercept/3rd defender.

No more screwing around with him as a inside mid/CHF.

To quote Zac Efron in the classic High School Musical 1: “stick to the stuff you know, stick to the status quo”

 

[carnthedons]

To quote Zac Efron in the classic High School Musical 1: “stick to the stuff you know, stick to the status quo”

Ewww

 

[FlyingV]

Ewww

You love it bruh

 

[blitzer]

I wonder what people are smoking talking him up as an inside midfielder. He ain't a midfielder of any kind. The reason why he hasn't been playing seniors is because he isn't fit enough (recent issues aside). Midfield is all about two way running. The improvement he's had so far doesn't give rise to any optimism that he will ever be able to cope with the endurance demands that AFL midfielders require. Stringer would probably run circles around him and he's not even fit enough to do full time mid.

He probably needs to make it as a 3rd tall or key position player at AFL level if he wants to play. Maybe at a stretch he could be a Gleeson type as a medium defender that plays tall and offers some rebound.

That said lets see what comes. Its only his 3rd year and he sounds like he's in a good place again so we'll see where he's at in a month or two and whether he can snag himself a spot (likely in defense).