Retired #11: David Zaharakis - Survivin'

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a

 

[VelvetSledge]

Have this feeling about Zaka today. Will have a monster game.

 

[ant555]

Zaharakis is the logical match up for Sidebottom - Both play similar games, though Sidebottom has better endurance.

.

If we want Steele to win the Anzac medal.

 

[ant555]

It's ridiculous, isn't it?

It's like most are looking for any excuse to sink the boots in. I can't work out whether it is because expectations are high, and fans are disappointed, or because he's quite pretty and therefore must have a default setting of soft.

Why is there never any criticism of Colyer who is numerous times worse than Zaharakis in every facet of his game without the ball and around the contest? Few people will call out Watson and Heppell for being useless off the ball (because they don't run defensively). All I should need to say is "Josh Green".

He's not soft and it surprises me that so many people harp on about having to be at games but then miss what is in front of them. The VFL gives the best perspective of the positioning of mids and wingers and flankers around the ball (because you can hear the players talking to each other). The mids will always plays on the inside with the others standing away from the stoppage. I also don't understand why there is such value in getting KO'd. It makes everyone feel good about themselves but does sweet **** all in terms of a game (after which we pretend that it sets a standard).

What became absolutely clear last year, if there was any doubt, and there should not have been, is that Zaharakis is just a good player. He's not good enough to wear a tag but as second-string midfielder he is a quality outside player who, unlike a lot of these types, can at least get his hands dirty on the inside if it is required. He is good enough to rip five or six games a year to pieces rotating between the half forward line and on-ball.

No reason he will not play another hundred games.

Bruno i respect your opinions but i can not go with this one. Colyer is not worse than Zaka in every facet of the game. To start with their is the obvious, he is quicker. Secondly his defensive zone is a mile better than Zaka. Both players can be very weak on the defensive side as far as chasing goes. The thing that annoys me the most about Zaka is he flat out refuses to do anything in defense at times. Even when players are screaming at him to move up or across.
If he plays another 100 games at the same level we will no win a flag in the next 5 seasons.

 

[BrunoV]

Bruno i respect your opinions but i can not go with this one. Colyer is not worse than Zaka in every facet of the game. To start with their is the obvious, he is quicker. Secondly his defensive zone is a mile better than Zaka. Both players can be very weak on the defensive side as far as chasing goes. The thing that annoys me the most about Zaka is he flat out refuses to do anything in defense at times. Even when players are screaming at him to move up or across.
If he plays another 100 games at the same level we will no win a flag in the next 5 seasons.

It was every facet of the game without the ball.

I wont argue the point about the zone given that I haven't been to an AFL game but there is also contested work.

 

[Oraz]

So lucky to be getting a game

 

[Highly Evolved]

Honestly thought he was average to good today. Upped his workrate when the game was won but wr kbow he is a skiier.

 

[pepsi]

Honestly thought he was average to good today. Upped his workrate when the game was won but wr kbow he is a skiier.

Fair assessment. Much better last 40% of the game but I'm still wanting more from him.

 

[eth-dog]

Was good enough to retain his place. Needs to have a good game next week on the faster track of Docklands

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

I'd swap him out for Myers. He needs to go back to the VFL for a few weeks. Looks flustered under pressure, whiffs easy kicks and doesn't appear to be overly confident about any part of his game at the moment. He's not our worst but he's well down on his best and a stint in the lower leagues could be what he needs.

 

[CBombers17]

Wasn't at the game but he looked to work his way into the game.

Was great to see him take a mark running back unseen. Its that kind of effort and courage I really want to see from him. Fantastic.

 

[pepsi]

Was great to see him take a mark running back unseen. Its that kind of effort and courage I really want to see from him. Fantastic.

Stood up and applauded that. Very courageous.

 

[Rack Watts]

That mark running back with the flight was fantastic.

 

[bombreys]

Finished the game off okay. The conditions obviously didn't suit him.

One thing I did notice, which was perhaps a bit embarrassing - Tim Watson, for whatever reason, interviewed Zaka at the half time break. When his stats popped up in the corner of the screen, it was something like 8 disposals with 0 tackles, 0 hard ball gets, 0 contested possessions.

Gave me a bit of a chuckle.

 

[bacon buster]

the mark was about the only good thing he did all day, in fairness

a player of his quality should not kick it out on the full when on the run from about 45-50m out. he is paid to kick those goals.

he's been poor all season apart from the Brisbane game. i love him as a player, his potential. i'd love to see him get back to where he was at the end of 2014 - he was on fire for about 5-6 weeks straight. if we are to be a really competitive side, we need him to get back to that level.

 

[Doss]

Skating on thin ice, I think.

 

[Donakebab]

The few good things he did yesterday don't make up for the long periods of nothing for that game and over the year to date. A message needs to be sent, he simply must go back to the twos and earn his spot back.

 

[YEMOC NAYR]

I think a game or 2 in the 2s sometime in the next few weeks is in order if he keeps the same level of performance up. Just goes missing. OOC, needs to be shown he's got to work for his spot.

 

[Summer Nights]

I thought it was a bit selfish for him to have that shot from 50 instead of giving it off to a forward. It's one of those things, isn't it? Kick the goal and get the kudos; miss the goal and you're selfish. Hard to argue he wasn't thinking of himself and not the team in that moment, although lots of players do it. It just looks worse when you're down on form and the spotlight is looking at your every behaviour.

 

[Ambrosia]

I don't see why we'd drop him he's clearly best 22 at the moment even with his average form.

 

[ezard15]

I thought it was a bit selfish for him to have that shot from 50 instead of giving it off to a forward. It's one of those things, isn't it? Kick the goal and get the kudos; miss the goal and you're selfish. Hard to argue he wasn't thinking of himself and not the team in that moment, although lots of players do it. It just looks worse when you're down on form and the spotlight is looking at your every behaviour.

Watching the replay it looked like Hooker wasn't out in much space but I could be wrong.

 

[Donakebab]

I thought it was a bit selfish for him to have that shot from 50 instead of giving it off to a forward. It's one of those things, isn't it? Kick the goal and get the kudos; miss the goal and you're selfish. Hard to argue he wasn't thinking of himself and not the team in that moment, although lots of players do it. It just looks worse when you're down on form and the spotlight is looking at your every behaviour.

Kicking that goal would have looked nice in the highlights but it wouldn't pave over the cracks in the rest of his game. However, kicking it on the full just emphasises how off he is.

Watching the replay it looked like Hooker wasn't out in much space but I could be wrong.

Green was probably the best option and he sure let Zaka know about it.

 

[Doss]

I thought it was a bit selfish for him to have that shot from 50 instead of giving it off to a forward. It's one of those things, isn't it? Kick the goal and get the kudos; miss the goal and you're selfish. Hard to argue he wasn't thinking of himself and not the team in that moment, although lots of players do it. It just looks worse when you're down on form and the spotlight is looking at your every behaviour.

In fairness he also does often nail those more often than not, and has done so at crucial stages of games on several occasions.

 

[SherbertLemon]

I don't see why we'd drop him he's clearly best 22 at the moment even with his average form.

That's simply not true. He'll always be serviceable, but if he's not going to win the hard ball then he must provide outside class. He wasn't good enough yesterday.

We have good enough depth to cover him now.

However, credit where due, great courage to take that mark.

 

[Ambrosia]

Are we seriously criticising Zaharakis for taking a shot on goal when he had time and space inside 50?

Despite his terrible shank Zaharakis remains an excellent running shot on goal who 9 times out of 10 should have shot on that occasion IMO.

 

[ezard15]

Kicking that goal would have looked nice in the highlights but it wouldn't pave over the cracks in the rest of his game. However, kicking it on the full just emphasises how off he is.



Green was probably the best option and he sure let Zaka know about it.

Right, I missed that.