Player Watch #13: Jack Higgins

Remove this Banner Ad

Zoom said:
Stephenson is overrated. He is developing as a medium sized high half forward that may push up to a wing. He essentially has zero contested game and players who are predominantly outside get found out pretty quick at AFL level. He will obviously make it due to his goal sense, but his ceiling is limited as a wirey running type. Unless he can all of a sudden develop a contested game (which he showed no evidence of doing as a junior), then he will struggle to impact physical contests. The best outside runners are typically not considered in the top echelon of midfielders either. Hill, Smith, Scully, Phillips, etc. are all on the tiers well below the elite. Even Gaff and Sidebottom spent years developing an inside game because they couldn’t get away with being one trick ponies. Fyfe, another who was previously a beanpole midfielder, put on significant size to go inside. Is Stephenson capable of doing it? I’m not so sure.

All this talk of his potential as a Brownlow medalist, I don’t see it at all. In fact, he’s one that I doubt will ever finish top fifteen. He’ll be a good half forward, a seagull outside mid or a combination of both. I predict he will become a decent enough player, but will regularly fade out of games, especially when the heat is on.

Jack Higgins has exactly what is required to become an elite AFL midfielder. The modern day mid requires you to be able to play inside while pushing forward and hitting the scoreboard. Jack has proven he can do both in his first year. He’s crafty up forward and he’s already a good clearance player with prolific numbers as a first year player. He reminds me of Zorko and I believe he will reach that level.

All the best mids can become a weapon up forward. Martin, Dangerfield, Fyfe, etc. while youngsters like Oliver and Cripps are learning their forward craft because they know it’s crucial for their development. Bontempelli and de Goey have already mastered both, which is why they’re so highly regarded. One dimensional inside mids are becoming a thing of the past, as are pure outside midfielders, tap ruckman specialists, lockdown defenders, stay at home full forwards, etc. Stephenson’s midfield game won’t enable him to reach the heights that are expected of him because he is too outside. Unless he becomes an inside weapon, his influence will be limited and he’s better off being a stay at home forward.
Click to expand...
Good observation... dare you to post that on the Collywobble board.
 
Grrr said:
Good observation... dare you to post that on the Collywobble board.
Click to expand...
I got banned from the main board on my old account when I wrote something similar in the Stephenson thread (yes, he has his own thread on the main board - goes to show how overrated the pr*ck is).

I’d cop a perma if I went to the Injuries FC board and wrote it.
 
Zoom said:
I got banned from the main board on my old account when I wrote something similar in the Stephenson thread (yes, he has his own thread on the main board - goes to show how overrated the pr*ck is).

I’d cop a perma if I went to the Injuries FC board and wrote it.
Click to expand...
Banned on the main board for having an opinion... you're old account must have had some history. And pasting that on the woods board would be funny for about a minute. Perma ban.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Zoom said:
Stephenson is overrated. He is developing as a medium sized high half forward that may push up to a wing. He essentially has zero contested game and players who are predominantly outside get found out pretty quick at AFL level. He will obviously make it due to his goal sense, but his ceiling is limited as a wirey running type. Unless he can all of a sudden develop a contested game (which he showed no evidence of doing as a junior), then he will struggle to impact physical contests. The best outside runners are typically not considered in the top echelon of midfielders either. Hill, Smith, Scully, Phillips, etc. are all on the tiers well below the elite. Even Gaff and Sidebottom spent years developing an inside game because they couldn’t get away with being one trick ponies. Fyfe, another who was previously a beanpole midfielder, put on significant size to go inside. Is Stephenson capable of doing it? I’m not so sure.

All this talk of his potential as a Brownlow medalist, I don’t see it at all. In fact, he’s one that I doubt will ever finish top fifteen. He’ll be a good half forward, a seagull outside mid or a combination of both. I predict he will become a decent enough player, but will regularly fade out of games, especially when the heat is on.

Jack Higgins has exactly what is required to become an elite AFL midfielder. The modern day mid requires you to be able to play inside while pushing forward and hitting the scoreboard. Jack has proven he can do both in his first year. He’s crafty up forward and he’s already a good clearance player with prolific numbers as a first year player. He reminds me of Zorko and I believe he will reach that level.

All the best mids can become a weapon up forward. Martin, Dangerfield, Fyfe, etc. while youngsters like Oliver and Cripps are learning their forward craft because they know it’s crucial for their development. Bontempelli and de Goey have already mastered both, which is why they’re so highly regarded. One dimensional inside mids are becoming a thing of the past, as are pure outside midfielders, tap ruckman specialists, lockdown defenders, stay at home full forwards, etc. Stephenson’s midfield game won’t enable him to reach the heights that are expected of him because he is too outside. Unless he becomes an inside weapon, his influence will be limited and he’s better off being a stay at home forward.
Click to expand...

That time when he thought he could outrun Grimes was delicious
 
Zoom said:
Stephenson is overrated. He is developing as a medium sized high half forward that may push up to a wing. He essentially has zero contested game and players who are predominantly outside get found out pretty quick at AFL level. He will obviously make it due to his goal sense, but his ceiling is limited as a wirey running type. Unless he can all of a sudden develop a contested game (which he showed no evidence of doing as a junior), then he will struggle to impact physical contests. The best outside runners are typically not considered in the top echelon of midfielders either. Hill, Smith, Scully, Phillips, etc. are all on the tiers well below the elite. Even Gaff and Sidebottom spent years developing an inside game because they couldn’t get away with being one trick ponies. Fyfe, another who was previously a beanpole midfielder, put on significant size to go inside. Is Stephenson capable of doing it? I’m not so sure.

All this talk of his potential as a Brownlow medalist, I don’t see it at all. In fact, he’s one that I doubt will ever finish top fifteen. He’ll be a good half forward, a seagull outside mid or a combination of both. I predict he will become a decent enough player, but will regularly fade out of games, especially when the heat is on.

Jack Higgins has exactly what is required to become an elite AFL midfielder. The modern day mid requires you to be able to play inside while pushing forward and hitting the scoreboard. Jack has proven he can do both in his first year. He’s crafty up forward and he’s already a good clearance player with prolific numbers as a first year player. He reminds me of Zorko and I believe he will reach that level.

All the best mids can become a weapon up forward. Martin, Dangerfield, Fyfe, etc. while youngsters like Oliver and Cripps are learning their forward craft because they know it’s crucial for their development. Bontempelli and de Goey have already mastered both, which is why they’re so highly regarded. One dimensional inside mids are becoming a thing of the past, as are pure outside midfielders, tap ruckman specialists, lockdown defenders, stay at home full forwards, etc. Stephenson’s midfield game won’t enable him to reach the heights that are expected of him because he is too outside. Unless he becomes an inside weapon, his influence will be limited and he’s better off being a stay at home forward.
Click to expand...
Boy thats a harsh assesment are you as harsh with our own players.

He just finished his first yr playing every game as a small/medium fwd where he kicked 38 goals. Our own fleet of small FWDS have come nowhere near that.

I have him listed at 188cm and just 76kg of course he lacks a contested game, atm he just has not got the tools to compete in the contested stakes, but what about when he gets to 85 - 88kg what then?
For his size/weight i think he layed 75 tackles almost as many as our smalls in his first yr.Even if he is nothing more than a fwd you would take two goals a game from one in a heartbeat and after just one season he aint far off that.

Hes managed to do in his first yr what both Markov and Menadue have not.If he was at our club i really wonder what the reactions and talk would be.

On Jack for a first yr player he had a fine yr as well.they both have a power of work to do to get there but surely noone could be too critical of their first seasons.
 
Last edited:
mopsy said:
Boy thats a harsh assesment are you as harsh with our own players.

He just finished his first yr playing every game as a small/medium fwd where he kicked 38 goals. Our own fleet of small FWDS have come nowhere near that.

I have him listed at 188cm and just 76kg of course he lacks a contested game, atm he just has not got the tools to compete in the contested stakes, but what about when he gets to 85 - 88kg what then?
For his size/weight i think he layed 75 tackles almost as many as our smalls in his first yr.Even if he is nothing more than a fwd you would take two goals a game from one in a heartbeat and after just one season he aint far off that.

Hes managed to do in his first yr what both Markov and Menadue have not.If he was at our club i really wonder what the reactions and talk would be.
Click to expand...
Markov is a HBF and Menadue is a HBF/winger so I’m struggling to understand the comparison. They’re also both barely AFL standard at present so I’m not sure why you’re bringing them up as if they’re some kind of benchmark.

I said Stephenson can be a very good forward but I’m not backing him in to excel in the midfield as he has no proven track record of an inside game. Outside midfielders and small forwards lay tackles, it doesn’t make them inside. Inside midfielders are contested ball winners, win clearances and get first use from stoppages. Do you really see Stephenson excelling in that area when you consider his debut season and juniors? Higgins averaged 8 contested possessions. Stephenson averaged 3. Stephenson also averaged close to zero clearances. He’s not a hard ball winner and he likely never will be. You talk about him bulking up as well, look at the size of Isaac Smith. He’s got muscle, but he’s still as outside as they come. You need ability to read the game on the inside, not size.

I’m not a fan of pure outside players and I think clubs should steer clear from these types in the future. Ditto medium to tall HFFs, tap specialist ruckmen, lockdown defenders, one dimensional inside mids and stay at home monster forwards. I do have big concerns for guys like Patrick Naish, Connor Menadue, Fraser Turner, etc. unless they develop some sort of inside game because they’ll struggle to make it in midfield unless they do. The same goes with Stephenson.
 
Zoom said:
Markov is a HBF and Menadue is a HBF/winger so I’m struggling to understand the comparison. They’re also both barely AFL standard at present so I’m not sure why you’re bringing them up as if they’re some kind of benchmark.

I said Stephenson can be a very good forward but I’m not backing him in to excel in the midfield as he has no proven track record of an inside game. Outside midfielders and small forwards lay tackles, it doesn’t make them inside. Inside midfielders are contested ball winners, win clearances and get first use from stoppages. Do you really see Stephenson excelling in that area when you consider his debut season and juniors? Higgins averaged 8 contested possessions. Stephenson averaged 3. Stephenson also averaged close to zero clearances. He’s not a hard ball winner and he likely never will be. You talk about him bulking up as well, look at the size of Isaac Smith. He’s got muscle, but he’s still as outside as they come. You need ability to read the game on the inside, not size.

I’m not a fan of pure outside players and I think clubs should steer clear from these types in the future. Ditto medium to tall HFFs, tap specialist ruckmen, lockdown defenders, one dimensional inside mids and stay at home monster forwards. I do have big concerns for guys like Patrick Naish, Connor Menadue, Fraser Turner, etc. unless they develop some sort of inside game because they’ll struggle to make it in midfield unless they do. The same goes with Stephenson.
Click to expand...
I think along the same lines.
I just think after one season where he excelled as a fwd and theres good reasons why he doesnt have an inside game atm you write him off.

As he gets bigger id say he can find a bit of ball for himself if he fails in that then like you id write him off but he has a bit of time up his sleeve imo.

Menadue was a wingman and Markov a utility more a fwd than anything.
I mention both because they have been around for 3 or 4 yrs and are a similar body shape and size.Yet both after that amount of time seem to escape criticism. I think its a natural phenomenon that we talk our own up and talk down the opposition.
 
mopsy said:
I think along the same lines.
I just think after one season where he excelled as a fwd and theres good reasons why he doesnt have an inside game atm you write him off.

As he gets bigger id say he can find a bit of ball for himself if he fails in that then like you id write him off but he has a bit of time up his sleeve imo.

Menadue was a wingman and Markov a utility more a fwd than anything.
I mention both because they have been around for 3 or 4 yrs and are a similar body shape and size.Yet both after that amount of time seem to escape criticism. I think its a natural phenomenon that we talk our own up and talk down the opposition.
Click to expand...
I didn’t write him off. I said he can be a good forward but I’m questioning his ability to become a prominent midfielder because I value contested ball and don’t think he has that element to his game. If you’ve been on the main board, Collingwood fans are talking Brownlows. I don’t see him ever coming close considering it’s a midfielder’s award. At best, he could be Toby Greene like. If he surpasses Greene then I’ll be very surprised.

Definitely agree with regards to talking up our own. I find myself being more critical than most.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

THE_GUN said:
2017 afl draft selections J.Higgins V Top 5 in his draft

1. C. Rayner https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy...2=15&type=A&pid1=6472&pid2=6465&fid1=S&fid2=S

2. A. Brayshaw https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy...2=15&type=A&pid1=6473&pid2=6465&fid1=S&fid2=S

3. P.Dow https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy...2=15&type=A&pid1=6464&pid2=6465&fid1=S&fid2=S

4. L Davies-Uniake https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy...2=15&type=A&pid1=6488&pid2=6465&fid1=S&fid2=S

5. J Stephenson https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy...2=15&type=A&pid1=6485&pid2=6465&fid1=S&fid2=S

Looks pretty bloody good to me

J.Higgins V Dustin Martin in his 1st year
https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy...2=15&type=A&pid1=3316&pid2=6465&fid1=O&fid2=O
Click to expand...


Swap Stephenson for Cerra and that's the actual and accurate 2017 top 5.

Stephenson was pick 6.

Sorry.
Just me nitpicking.
 
It still beggars belief for me that on the back of a dream winning a premiership Higgins landed in our lap at our pick.
Talk about everything just falling into place in a season. The bloke is absolutely obsessed and just one of those one in a hundred that is so programmed, switched on, regimented and as I say obsessed that it’s not even a guessing game. It’s just a 10-15 season pro walking through the club doors on the back of a premiership.... unreal.
 
Rodney Dangerfield said:
It still beggars belief for me that on the back of a dream winning a premiership Higgins landed in our lap at our pick.
Talk about everything just falling into place in a season. The bloke is absolutely obsessed and just one of those one in a hundred that is so programmed, switched on, regimented and as I say obsessed that it’s not even a guessing game. It’s just a 10-15 season pro walking through the club doors on the back of a premiership.... unreal.
Click to expand...

Also because he is so young he is going to raise the bar for the other younger blokes on the list
Knowing that if they are willing to put the work in they will be rewarded
 
Muddiemoose said:
Also because he is so young he is going to raise the bar for the other younger blokes on the list
Knowing that if they are willing to put the work in they will be rewarded
Click to expand...
It’s true that the young players set the bar at all clubs, a bar set for them by great leaders.
Having the great leaders we do encourages the like of Rioli then Higgins to emerge very early on. Walking into that as a draftee makes it pretty clear what’s required or it’ll be a fairly swift stay.
 
Rodney Dangerfield said:
It still beggars belief for me that on the back of a dream winning a premiership Higgins landed in our lap at our pick.
Talk about everything just falling into place in a season. The bloke is absolutely obsessed and just one of those one in a hundred that is so programmed, switched on, regimented and as I say obsessed that it’s not even a guessing game. It’s just a 10-15 season pro walking through the club doors on the back of a premiership.... unreal.
Click to expand...
Dont blow your truck yet mate ....

We still have
Noah Balta
Callum Coleman-Jones
Patrick Naish

All looking like genuine players at the lower level and the transition for some older players to be seamless
 
THE_GUN said:
Dont blow your truck yet mate ....

We still have
Noah Balta
Callum Coleman-Jones
Patrick Naish

All looking like genuine players at the lower level and the transition for some older players to be seamless
Click to expand...
This. Love that we have a big eye on the future too. Add in RCD, Ross, Stack, Turner from this draft too who all look likely. Hopefully we can do a Sydney and not bottom out for a long long time
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top