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

 

[donlav99]

10 x 1%ers. Plenty of like about his game. But he's young, he makes mistakes. I remember people had similar feedback about Hooker a few years ago. He's clearly a confidence player that would in no way benefit from being dropped.

 

[yodellinhank]

Maybe they are, but he's only played 20 something games. I think it's too early to be branding any traits.

Fingers crossed. Toward the end of last year he played a game that was solid not spectacular, I remember thinking he didn't lose focus, and it was the most impressed I've been on him.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Love the frang.

Even love the stupid s**t, strangely enough. I do reserve the right to lose it at him when it costs us a game, however.

 

[Milanista28]

Rance was another who was prone to a couple of brain fades a game. He's going to have games where he looks unstoppable now he has got his fitness to standard.

 

[JuniorWatch]

Rance was another who was prone to a couple of brain fades a game. He's going to have games where he looks unstoppable now he has got his fitness to standard.

Rance was more skill errors by foot. He was always good 1on1 just had to learn how to play within his capabilities. I don't mind Francis taking the game on by foot because he actually has the skill to pull it off and needs practice at it.
Francis's problem is that he's still adjusting to playing on AFL level forwards instead of U18 forward who he could afford to be ultra-attacking on because he was routinely dominate as a spare or 3rd man in.
He needs to get defensively basics right first before tries to McGovern every single contest.

 

[FlyingV]

Rance was another who was prone to a couple of brain fades a game. He's going to have games where he looks unstoppable now he has got his fitness to standard.

I remember Rance making some shocking decisions. Francis is a confidence player and if he gets a good run at it over 2-3 seasons he’s going to be a beast. We just have to tolerate the brain fades he has initially

 

[fairbump_playon]

Rance was more skill errors by foot. He was always good 1on1 just had to learn how to play within his capabilities. I don't mind Francis taking the game on by foot because he actually has the skill to pull it off and needs practice at it.
Francis's problem is that he's still adjusting to playing on AFL level forwards instead of U18 forward who he could afford to be ultra-attacking on because he was routinely dominate as a spare or 3rd man in.
He needs to get defensively basics right first before tries to McGovern every single contest.

Agree that he is now adjusting his game from being the gun who reads the footy best and can just float in.

However .. yesterday his approach was to kill every contest by spoiling, exemplified by him even pulling out the move I never understand - the two fisted, uncontested spoil. I don’t think that’s very McGovern. If anything I thought he maybe was too conservative and could have tried to mark a bit more.

 

[eDPS]

Got 3 coaches votes

 

[ant555]

You know what. I did not mind him being physical. I doubt Papley misses from where he marked it anyway and 90% would have missed from where Heeney was. I doubt very much if either free kick is paid in a final. He is a decent size. He should be playing a bit on the edge.

 

[Mr Bultitude]

I'd rather a player err on the side of attacking a contest than not.

 

[horj89]

Getting 3 coaches votes from I’m assuming Woosha for his job on Heeney speaks volumes.

 

[Dons4days]

Getting 3 coaches votes from I’m assuming Woosha for his job on Heeney speaks volumes.

Could also have been from horse for the 2-3 gifts Francis gave them

 

[Donakebab]

Yep in the votes, I'm clearly just as hot headed as Franga and let that cloud my vision.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Will need to watch the replay because I though he looked barely AFL standard.

Seriously? I really think you need to re-watch the game. Plus coaches gave him 3 votes as well.

 

[blitzer]

I agree that some of his defensive work was undersold which was very solid. That said its not surprising that in a close game not everyone is thrilled with a number of rather silly frees both not even affecting the actual contest (Papley/Heeney ones).

I'd also like to see him marking when he gets the opportunity - although he dropped a sitter early and that may have shaken his confidence. That said I appreciated his aggressiveness when spoiling. It reminded me of a younger Hurley. I think we are very fortunate to be developing Francis and BZT under the tutelage of seasoned defenders like Hooker and Hurley as they were tutored under Fletcher.

 

[yaco55]

Thought he judged the ball much better in the air which has been a criticism of mine, although he dropped one or two marks he should have gobbled up - His most impressive feature is how strongly he ran out the game which has always been a knock.

 

[rumply]

Looks like Frang's had a class at the Woosha School of Defending, just needs to tidy up a bit around the edges now.

 

[JuniorWatch]

Would like to see him on Fritsch this week to see how he goes.
Him and Petracca really look like the only forwards who can take the game away from us atm.

 

[fairbump_playon]

You know what. I did not mind him being physical. I doubt Papley misses from where he marked it anyway and 90% would have missed from where Heeney was. I doubt very much if either free kick is paid in a final. He is a decent size. He should be playing a bit on the edge.

Getting called for 50m kind of makes you wish he had hit Papley harder

".....get out of my space!!!"

 

[yaco55]

Would like to see him on Fritsch this week to see how he goes.
Him and Petracca really look like the only forwards who can take the game away from us atm.

Think Petracca is a good match up for Francis.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Think Petracca is a good match up for Francis.

Would like to see Ambrose wipe the floor with him, like he did with Nat Fyfe tbh.

 

[ghostdog]

I agree that some of his defensive work was undersold which was very solid. That said its not surprising that in a close game not everyone is thrilled with a number of rather silly frees both not even affecting the actual contest (Papley/Heeney ones).

I'd also like to see him marking when he gets the opportunity - although he dropped a sitter early and that may have shaken his confidence. That said I appreciated his aggressiveness when spoiling. It reminded me of a younger Hurley. I think we are very fortunate to be developing Francis and BZT under the tutelage of seasoned defenders like Hooker and Hurley as they were tutored under Fletcher.

...and coached by Pops Kelly.

 

[ghostdog]

Thought he judged the ball much better in the air which has been a criticism of mine, although he dropped one or two marks he should have gobbled up - His most impressive feature is how strongly he ran out the game which has always been a knock.

Agree, Francis is starting to look and play like a strong unit throughout.

 

[JuniorWatch]

Think Petracca is a good match up for Francis.

They matched up together last year and i thought Francis was poor that day.
Feel like, especially more so this year, that Petracca is too good at ground level.
A stopper who's better on the ground like Redman would be better IMO.
Fritsch needs to be stopped in the air mostly, which is Frangas go.

 

[BrunoV]

They matched up together last year and i thought Francis was poor that day.
Feel like, especially more so this year, that Petracca is too good at ground level.
A stopper who's better on the ground like Redman would be better IMO.
Fritsch needs to be stopped in the air mostly, which is Frangas go.

Fritsch is probably at he best on lead, working back to goal, etc.

Not saying Francis can't play on Fritsch but he's much better suited to playing on Petracca. They've got an almost identical athletic profile.