Retired #11: David Zaharakis - Survivin'

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Doss]

It's pretty easy to call someone a coward from the comfort of our couches.

Could he go harder at times? Yes, and I admit I find him frustrating sometimes too.

 

[fishardansin]

There is a big difference between coward and soft. He is the later and not the former. Zaka is not normally as soft as he was last night, which is why some of his "contests" last night stood out.

 

[Andronicus]

It's pretty easy to call someone a coward.......

Fun too.

 

[bjisgod9]

Everyone would agree he didn't have his best game, needs to find confidence & consistency, but he has a lot more to offer the team than Howlett, come on.

 

[Rack Watts]

Everyone would agree he didn't have his best game, needs to find confidence & consistency, but he has a lot more to offer the team than Howlett, come on.

What's wrong with Howlett? Tackles, applies pressure, is a good kick, is quick enough, goes when it's his turn. He's a good average footballer, sometimes I prefer a player who is all 6s in his attributes, to somebody like Zaharakis who is all 8s and 2s.

 

[bjisgod9]

What's wrong with Howlett? Tackles, applies pressure, is a good kick, is quick enough, goes when it's his turn. He's a good average footballer, sometimes I prefer a player who is all 6s in his attributes, to somebody like Zaharakis who is all 8s and 2s.

Not much wrong with Howlett at all, I like how he goes about it and you know what you're getting.
Just think with players like Zaka you take the good with the bad because the good is worth it. He just needs to make sure even his bad games are serviceable and there are less of them. I still think he was serviceable.

 

[Rack Watts]

Yeah, he was serviceable. His second half was a big improvement for sure.

 

[Bombermania]

I don't consider Zaha a coward, he is far from it, he clearly does the job the coach asks him to do, sure we might want him to do more but his the kind of guy we would soon miss if he went down with an injury, some guys are like that.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

Shirked a few contests and then plenty of times he would go to tap a high/bouncing ball instead of taking possession, seemingly for fear of being hurt in a tackle. Needs to go back and watch his game closely. Very frustrating to watch.

 

[Beerfish]

It's a strong word to describe his softness. He shirks contests for fear of getting hurt. Not sure how it's ridiculous at all.

It's a pretty emotive term to use for someone that seems to go out of their way not to appear to be posting emotionally. It's almost like you're just fishing for reactions.

 

[Blind Turn]

Zaka was alright. Will play better games this year for sure but he did some good things Sat night. Hopefully he only needs to be the cream this year rather than the eggs.

 

[Summer Nights]

It's a pretty emotive term to use for someone that seems to go out of their way not to appear to be posting emotionally. It's almost like you're just fishing for reactions.

You probably know as well as anyone I'm not fussed about reactions - good or bad. If I say it then I mean it.

Yeah, it's a strong term. I was nowhere near as talented as Zaka, but I'd never avoid getting hurt. That's what frustrates me about him.

 

[Phone]

Zaka could be the biggest coward in the world and he'd still be best 22 and I don't even know what the * Howlett is doing in the conversation. man, a 18 touch game with a goal and a massive goal assist (where many players would have just let the ball go over the boundary to lock it in), oh but he didn't endanger himself or something

 

[akiva]

Read an article that pointed out that only a few players currently in the league, have had 30+ possessions and 4 goals in a game. Zaka is one of those few. His best is so so good! obviously I don't expect that from him ever week, but I just want to see him be a more consistent and a more reliable player.

 

[Towno78]

You probably know as well as anyone I'm not fussed about reactions - good or bad. If I say it then I mean it.

Yeah, it's a strong term. I was nowhere near as talented as Zaka, but I'd never avoid getting hurt. That's what frustrates me about him.

Yet there is so much more to being an AFL player than simply pulling on some boots and playing a game.
To do what they have to do requires them to put themselves through endless torture just to even play a game. That in itself requires oodles of courage and determination, and is why no AFL player is a coward.

 

[carnthedons]

Yet there is so much more to being an AFL player than simply pulling on some boots and playing a game.
To do what they have to do requires them to put themselves through endless torture just to even play a game. That in itself requires oodles of courage and determination, and is why no AFL player is a coward.

Agree

Except Josh Hunt

 

[Killer79]

Easily best 22. Every player can't be a bull like Watson, you need outside silk. Zaka is in similar roles to Kelly, Stanton and B.J (although B.J did a bit of grunt on Saturday night) in that they create play, use the ball well, receive handballs and do stuff with it.

Some blokes need to take their finger off the trigger, the same guys that were calling for the heads of Ambrose and Stanton two weeks ago are now calling for Zaka and Langford to be dropped.

I guarantee this week Worsfold will go through the tape with Zaka and say things like "in this one you need to body up on him before receiving the ball not wait to tackle him" or "you have to hit that ball harder there to knock Burgoyne off it" - Woosha won't just drop him to the VFL, we need guys like Zaka if we are going to go anywhere, they will be coached to improve their weaknesses and encouraged to use their strengths!

 

[JayJ20]

Zaharakis played well in the second half. I'm sure he'll be told about his first half.

 

[Summer Nights]

Yet there is so much more to being an AFL player than simply pulling on some boots and playing a game.
To do what they have to do requires them to put themselves through endless torture just to even play a game. That in itself requires oodles of courage and determination, and is why no AFL player is a coward.

I use the term in a relative sense, as in relative to AFL standard. Same thing as saying a player is a s**t kick. They're better than all of us, but s**t by AFL standard. We can't just change to absolute categorisation for one thing when we don't do it for everything else.

 

[Oh Tayteridge]

Easily best 22. Every player can't be a bull like Watson, you need outside silk. Zaka is in similar roles to Kelly, Stanton and B.J (although B.J did a bit of grunt on Saturday night) in that they create play, use the ball well, receive handballs and do stuff with it.

Some blokes need to take their finger off the trigger, the same guys that were calling for the heads of Ambrose and Stanton two weeks ago are now calling for Zaka and Langford to be dropped.

I guarantee this week Worsfold will go through the tape with Zaka and say things like "in this one you need to body up on him before receiving the ball not wait to tackle him" or "you have to hit that ball harder there to knock Burgoyne off it" - Woosha won't just drop him to the VFL, we need guys like Zaka if we are going to go anywhere, they will be coached to improve their weaknesses and encouraged to use their strengths!

Most people are not advocating for Zaharakis to be dropped, they're highlighting the obvious weakness in his game on Saturday night. Personally, I've never seen anyone shirk a contest like that. At the same time, I wouldn't be dropping anyone from our round 1 side, especially given we already have at least one forced change. Deserves another chance at least.

I don't get why, all of a sudden, there's an army of people pushing the idea that we can't be critical of players. Zaharakis had a shocker, and looked genuinely weak at times. Expect criticism if you're going to put up that kind of effort in an Essendon jumper.

 

[dnbassador]

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[Howard Moon]

hes an outside player - thats his gig.

why would you want him getting at the coal face getting his head knocked off? thats the job for the other hard at it blokes.

Leave him to use his fitness and kicking skills to get on the end of plays and deliver to the forwards.

 

[Highly Evolved]

Isn't he the "cream"? I don't think I have ever expected him to get a hardball, and I don't think he has been developed to do so. He is more of a finisher in my opinion.

Having said that, poor first half last week, but improved in the second.

 

[threeleggedgoat]

I'm not sure that anyone expects him to be at the coalface, in and under, winning hard balls. We know that's not his role.

The issue is, even as an outside player, you're always bound to find yourself in a contested one on one at some point and you still need to go in hard to win it - even if your role is not to be an inside ball winner. Jobe or zach or hep aren't always going to be there to do the grunt work so when it's your turn, you have to go, and if you don't go in hard you'll probably lose the contest and give the ball up.

Even as big a fan of his as I am, I still think he's pretty poor in that department and it's not great to watch a senior player pull up short and concede possession.

 

[Killer_Mike]

Good luck to Zaka on the 150 this weekend.

Hope he can return to solid form and put Carlton to the sword!