Retired #11: David Zaharakis - Survivin'

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11 - [PLAYERCARD]David Zaharakis[/PLAYERCARD].jpg

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Phone said:
the only difference I noticed from his game last night from most of his other games this season is that the team won.

actually, his disposal was a bit below par last night too.
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Agree. He's been very good all year IMO.

Not sure why there is often such vitriol/blame directed at him on here. Think it might stem from some of the unrealistic expectations people had when he won his first B&F (inc. GAJ comparisons).
 
Phone said:
the only difference I noticed from his game last night from most of his other games this season is that the team won.

actually, his disposal was a bit below par last night too.
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Far more run and carry with twice the metres gained compared to his season average as well as far better around stoppages both offensively and defensively. He hasn't played like that since round one, except in this match he also hit the scoreboard more and did it in tougher conditions.
 

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I wanted him dropped before the Carlton game. Was one of our worst offenders when it came to one way running.

However I did notice (I think I even said it here somewhere) that I noticed a big improvement in his defensive running in the Carlton game.

Has continued his improvement and last night had the perfect balance.

Happy to see him putting in the two way effort because he is one of our very best when he does and essential to our success.

Keep it up Zaka!
 
I have given him a wack in the past but he has been good the last 3 weeks. It is okay for the blinker brigade to post his offensive stats, that has never been his problem. The issue that annoys me has been total lack of defensive effort. Last 3 weeks he has been doing a lot more on that side of the game. He will never be perfect but all I want to see is an effort. So you have to say well done. When he makes an effort to work both ways then he makes a real difference to the side.
 
ant555 said:
I have given him a wack in the past but he has been good the last 3 weeks. It is okay for the blinker brigade to post his offensive stats, that has never been his problem. The issue that annoys me has been total lack of defensive effort. Last 3 weeks he has been doing a lot more on that side of the game. He will never be perfect but all I want to see is an effort. So you have to say well done. When he makes an effort to work both ways then he makes a real difference to the side.
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He will always conserve energy for the attacking side of his game, but I think people are living in the past with the opinion that he is a one way runner.

He may have had a tendency to do that early to midway through his career but it hasn't been a liability for a while now.

For example, this will be the third year in a row that he will finish top 3 in tackles for us.
 
zahoorahkis said:
He will always conserve energy for the attacking side of his game, but I think people are living in the past with the opinion that he is a one way runner.

He may have had a tendency to do that early to midway through his career but it hasn't been a liability for a while now.

For example, this will be the third year in a row that he will finish top 3 in tackles for us.
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Tackles is not what I am talking about. Tackling is a part of pressure but when you play midfield and around the contest you can tackle. The congestion lets you do it. Z Merrett has had defending issues at times but has always been a good tackler.
His problem had been defending. Look at the Bulldogs game. Two goals given up because he dead set refused to stand on a man inside their 50. BJ is a poor defender but at least he will stand near someone inside the opposition 50.
It is not about hard tagging. It is about not zoning of 20 meters away when we have not got the footy. It is the same thing Stanton suffered from.
I can go back to when Long was playing his first game and even he was yelling at Zaka to pick up a player 20 meters away. He did not and just jogged away. The ball ended up going through that player and a goal was kicked.

He has been good for the last 3 weeks. He was bloody ordinary in a few games before that. It has been an issue for us. He has had to lift. He has so well done to him but do not say he hasnt been a liability as far as defensive actions go in the last few years. He has.
 
ant555 said:
Tackles is not what I am talking about. Tackling is a part of pressure but when you play midfield and around the contest you can tackle. The congestion lets you do it. Z Merrett has had defending issues at times but has always been a good tackler.
His problem had been defending. Look at the Bulldogs game. Two goals given up because he dead set refused to stand on a man inside their 50. BJ is a poor defender but at least he will stand near someone inside the opposition 50.
It is not about hard tagging. It is about not zoning of 20 meters away when we have not got the footy. It is the same thing Stanton suffered from.
I can go back to when Long was playing his first game and even he was yelling at Zaka to pick up a player 20 meters away. He did not and just jogged away. The ball ended up going through that player and a goal was kicked.

He has been good for the last 3 weeks. He was bloody ordinary in a few games before that. It has been an issue for us. He has had to lift. He has so well done to him but do not say he hasnt been a liability as far as defensive actions go in the last few years. He has.
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Firstly, tackling is a part of defending. To say otherwise is to have the blinkers on, as you have said.

Secondly, gut-runners are not always going to have the gas to sprint and pick up a man or zone effectively, especially when they have been running hard to make a play which has then broken down further up the ground.

Has Zaharakis been guilty of not zoning plenty of times? Sure he has, but to single out a gut running attacking midfielder for it is kind of unnecessary. He is a play maker. His role involves the risk that if play breaks down, he will be struggling to cover his man the other way. He carries this risk more than any "good zoning mids" that you can name in our side the last 10 years.

I think for what he gives offensively, he more than compensates for any defensive issues he has.
 
I know it's unfair.

I know it's irrational.

But when he makes mistakes (like hitting the post) I usually go the verbal tirade.

I hold him to a high standard. It pisses me off how much more I trust Devon than Zak's
 
The nature of modern team defense is that you need 18 players defending at all times once the oppo get the ball. If even one player doesn’t play their role an overlap is created and then teams can run and carry and you get scored on.

It’s totally wrong to say that it’s okay for playmakers to not defend because they are gassed. That’s exactly the attitude that was on track to ruin our season. Once one or two players believe there is an exception to be made for them (even some of the time) that laziness spreads like wildfire. And before you know it we are 2-6.

All players need to be desperate and ruthless when the other team has the football. There’s no other way.
 
zahoorahkis said:
Firstly, tackling is a part of defending. To say otherwise is to have the blinkers on, as you have said.

Secondly, gut-runners are not always going to have the gas to sprint and pick up a man, especially when they have been running hard to make a play which has then broken down further up the ground.

Has Zaharakis been guilty of not zoning plenty of times? Sure he has, but to single out a gut running attacking midfielder for it is kind of unnecessary. He is a play maker. His role involves the risk that if play breaks down, he will be struggling to cover his man the other way. He has this risk more than any "good zoning mids" that you can name in our side the last 10 years.
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images

Mate I do not watch the side and play favourites. I call it how it is on anyone.

I never said tackling was not about defending to start with. I simply said you get more chances to tackle when you are around the contest. Of course if you choose not to tackle you are not defending well. That is bloody obvious.
Now we get to the gut running excuse. And it is an excuse. How is pushing into the opposition forward 50 and setting up in a selfish position to just win an easy kick got anything to do with gut running ? If you can jog into the opposition forward 50 then you can jog to an opponent. It has nothing at all to do with being "tired" from gut running. It has everything to do with attitude!
Yes he is a play maker but everyone has to do their part. I have never said it is about sprinting up the ground both ways. There are times when you just have to be 5 meters from a player in your zone and not 20. There are time you have to follow a player who is jogging up the ground when the opposition has the ball. It is not ******* hard.
To say "His role involves the risk that if play breaks down, he will be struggling to cover his man the other way. He has this risk more than any "good zoning mids" that you can name in our side the last 10 years" is total horse s**t. I am talking about team defence here. Does not always work but efforts have to be made. When someone else covers further up the ground then you do not just jog along thinking about where you may get your first kick.

There is a reason he played as well as he did last night. He made an effort to be a better defender. To pick players up and hold the footy in our forward half. Funny his attacking game was still very good despite having to put more effort into his defence.
 

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Phone said:
it's always interesting how a player's team gets a couple of wins behind them and all of a sudden his defensive efforts have clearly markedly improved from when his team was going through a rough stretch
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So you are saying I am talking through my arse then ?
 
eth-dog said:
People around me were saying broken collarbone (but that's pure conjecture)
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Commentary was saying collarbone too, but the club is apparently saying he's being assessed for a shoulder.

It actually looked like a really similar situation to when Laverde did his AC joint... two? years ago. Wouldn't be surprised if it's that... even though that's a relatively rare injury.
 
Phone said:
just the way he walked off and the how the incident happened, it reminded me a bit of when a cyclist goes over their handle bars and breaks the collarbone, but yeah just conjecture
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Mate, I haven't seen the incident so just calm it with the sass.
 
Phone said:
dude i said that with no sass whatsoever! just acknowledging my conjecture was just that. given you know what I mean by the cycling comparison i felt comfortable saying that to you
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Settle down David Sasskarakis.
 
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