Player Watch #13 Oliver Florent

[Kennedy Parker]

Oliver Florent
Young speedster Oliver Florent

13

Oliver Florent

Age

25

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.7

4star

K

9.9

4star

HB

6.8

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

MG

350.0

5star

D

18.3

4star

K

11.7

5star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.1

3star

MG

350.0

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.2

4star

has become a crucial element of coach John Longmire’s team since the Sydney Swans secured him with their first selection at the 2016 AFL Draft. The Victorian has shown glimpses of exhilarating footy on a wing, most memorably when he jagged a runaway goal in Round 4, 2018 to seal a gripping victory for the Swans over the Bulldogs. But Florent, who’s also spent time on the inside of the contest, is determined to continue to grow his game as a hybrid midfielder in 2020.

Oliver Florent

13

Oliver Florent

Age

25

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.7

4star

K

9.9

4star

HB

6.8

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

MG

350.0

5star

D

18.3

4star

K

11.7

5star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.1

3star

MG

350.0

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.2

4star

DOB: 22 July 1998
DEBUT: 2017
DRAFT: #11, 2016 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Beaumaris (Vic)/Mentone Grammar (Vic)/Sandringham U18

Oliver Florent | AFL

Follow Oliver Florent's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[SSwans2011]

He is averaging almost 18 disposals a game with shortened quarters whats wrong with that?

Only 57% of those are effective possessions, which means he's only actually hitting Swans players 10-11 times a game. That's not good enough for someone that's playing as a full-time midfielder. Plus, within those 7-8 ineffective disposals, 4 are turnovers. It's a pretty awful ratio to be going at.

This would be forgivable if he could go forward and hit the scoreboard, but he's ineffectual everywhere else on the field. He desperately needs to add more to his game IMO.

 

[TheMase]

He is averaging almost 18 disposals a game with shortened quarters whats wrong with that?

Just having very little impact on the game at the moment.

 

[Tedeski]

I like that you're optimistic, mate, but I'd say Duncan was ahead at the same age, and he was probably spending less time in the midfield than Florent has this year.

Oliver Florent and Mitchell Duncan AFL Stats Comparison

Oliver Florent and Mitchell Duncan AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

Perhaps do a comparison at 20 years of age

 

[SSwans2011]

Perhaps do a comparison at 20 years of age

Oliver Florent and Mitchell Duncan AFL Stats Comparison

Oliver Florent and Mitchell Duncan AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

Duncan still marginally ahead, but all that proves is that he developed, whereas Florent has largely stayed stagnant, despite being given more responsibility.

 

[Tedeski]

Oliver Florent and Mitchell Duncan AFL Stats Comparison

Oliver Florent and Mitchell Duncan AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

Duncan still marginally ahead, but all that proves is that he developed, whereas Florent has largely stayed stagnant, despite being given more responsibility.

Well it proves more than that.
IMO it says that he has had to shoulder a major role in the midfield this season with the lack of senior players around him like Duncan had in that same season you first put up. Let's just see how he develops further. This is the worst season for some of these guys on our list. They have had to shoulder a fair load & in hindsight, today they actually finished the game off well when pre game I had us getting smashed by 50 plus.

 

[Millky95]

I remember thinking back to that Adelaide game where other than Heeney he was BOG for us. Wonder where that all went

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I remember thinking back to that Adelaide game where other than Heeney he was BOG for us. Wonder where that all went

Inconsistency like most of the side just hope im not saying the same thing 4yrs down the track.

 

[Kapers]

He's on the list, he's shown what he can do, he just needs to be consistent.
Hell, most players only get REAL consistency at around 24-26. That's why premiership teams are built around a core of middle age groups rather than early 20s.
If this kid can do what he did vs Adelaide, but has been inconsistent when JPK, Naismith, and Hewitt have gone down around him, why would we assume he won't pick the pieces up again.

 

[Olian]

409 metres gained today. If only he could improve his disposal efficiency.

 

[swansfan51]

I remember thinking back to that Adelaide game where other than Heeney he was BOG for us. Wonder where that all went

Adelaide are one of the worst teams in AFL history

 

[The King!]

He’s fine, people expectations are unrealistic

he is a c/b solid grade player

might have some trade currency might play 150 games for us

will get more consistent hopefully

 

[Millky95]

Adelaide are one of the worst teams in AFL history

Whilst true, he still was one of the main reasons we won that game

 

[The King!]

Whilst true, he still was one of the main reasons we won that game

He had a some excellent games after that too

 

[Millky95]

He had a some excellent games after that too

Which is why I am happy to back him in. If we had the NEAFL might be worth sending him there for a week but otherwise happy to back him in. He doesn't look out of form like Blakey did

 

[dosser]

I'm hoping he just needs some more experienced heads around him. I remember watching Mitch Duncan early days. He has become a gun in his own right now & with Danger around him to get the attention, he has exploded with that other midfield group.
I think we are on to something but just about a few years away.

I'd probably compare him more to Guthrie. He was very ordinary in his early days but a damn good player now.

 

[Tedeski]

Adelaide are one of the worst teams in AFL history

Round 1, pre lockdown, interstate game against full house hostile crowd, full strength Adelaide team.

It's fair to say we played the best Adelaide team anyone has played this season.
We aren't a fantastic team either but Ollie had a very good game then & I see no reason why that performance should be discredited without providing the remaining full facts of that game, when it was, where it was played & how much more difficult a task it was prior to the lock down with NO hostile crowds & with Adelaide NOW a team with shattered confidence.

Ollie was also part of the team in the midfield that beat GWS without JPK by his side.
We are a better team in season 2020 with him in it.
Clarke went ok too yesterday.

 

[SeanM]

I don't think Florent's form is anything to be worried about it.

There are 8 players in the midfield huddle. We should not expect Florent to be a mistake free A grade complete midfielder.

It is his second year playing inside midfield for us. He also offers something different to our midfield in being able to break away from the contest. If we got rid of him cheaply, next year we will probably be wishing we had a running inside midfielder. He is also 22 and it is not as though we have a excess of young inside midfielders.

 

[ScrewInStuds]

Round 1, pre lockdown, interstate game against full house hostile crowd, full strength Adelaide team.

It's fair to say we played the best Adelaide team anyone has played this season.
We aren't a fantastic team either but Ollie had a very good game then & I see no reason why that performance should be discredited without providing the remaining full facts of that game, when it was, where it was played & how much more difficult a task it was prior to the lock down with NO hostile crowds & with Adelaide NOW a team with shattered confidence.

Ollie was also part of the team in the midfield that beat GWS without JPK by his side.
We are a better team in season 2020 with him in it.
Clarke went ok too yesterday.

Revisionist history, there was no crowd at the Adelaide game.

 

[Chaisa]

Think he's just out of form badly. Ideally he should be having a spell in the NEAFL, but sadly that's not an option right now.

 

[The King!]

Round 1, pre lockdown, interstate game against full house hostile crowd, full strength Adelaide team.

It's fair to say we played the best Adelaide team anyone has played this season.
We aren't a fantastic team either but Ollie had a very good game then & I see no reason why that performance should be discredited without providing the remaining full facts of that game, when it was, where it was played & how much more difficult a task it was prior to the lock down with NO hostile crowds & with Adelaide NOW a team with shattered confidence.

Ollie was also part of the team in the midfield that beat GWS without JPK by his side.
We are a better team in season 2020 with him in it.
Clarke went ok too yesterday.

you know those crows Guernseys behind the goals were empty

 

[caesar88]

Interesting thoughts over the last few pages and I have to say I agree with all perspectives on Florent, the good and the bad.

His pros are obvious:
- He's our most obvious source of speed through the midfield. Losing Jones & Florent in back to back years would make us even more stagnant.
- He's an attacking mid who wants to take the game on and get it forward at all costs, hence his high metres gained and inside 50 numbers.
- He has that smooth movement and side-step that's silky AF and gets him out of trouble where 9/10 mids would get caught.
- He has these moments of incredible toughness and attack on the man that shows how far he's come from the skinny twig who debuted for us back in 2017.
- He also just seems like a good kid FWIW and he's stuck by this club when he's probably had more pull to go home than any Swan. Loyalty has to count for something.

His cons are equally obvious:
- When he lacks confidence, most aspects of his game fall apart, even his hands, as he fumbles the ball and robs himself of a good 4-5 possessions per game simply because he can't pick the damn thing up.
- Said confidence wavers too much. Would've expected him to use those first few matches as a launch pad into the season. Instead it seemed to just rattle him and hasn't been the same since.
- Work rate drops off massively when he is lacking confidence, to the point he opts out of making tackles or making second and third efforts.
- Second guesses himself a lot, as to knowing when to take the game on and when to take the sensible option, and just in general can make poor decisions when a split second decision is needed.
- His kicking, which has been well-documented.

IMO it's pretty clear Florent's game depends almost entirely on his confidence, his mentality and his application. When he's 'on', he is pretty bloody good. Not the silky Lachie Whitfield we might've hoped for with a first round selection, but still bloody good. When he's not 'on', he's hardly worth having in the team given how much his bad can outweigh his good.

I think his fate and what sort of career he carves out is almost entirely in his own hands.

What I do believe is that we have to be careful of falling into the trap of just assuming he will find that confidence, and the consistency will follow. Players like Gary Rohan and Sam Reid are a testament to how confidence players never shake that demon. I still think it will click for him, but I'd hope the club is willing to make a tough call if that click doesn't happen, to avoid another frustrating decade like the one we had with Reid & Rohan.

 

[Tedeski]

Revisionist history, there was no crowd at the Adelaide game.

The fake crowd was loud.

Check their line up out.

It was their strongest team of the year & their confidence hadn't been shattered yet.

 

[Tedeski]

you know those crows Guernseys behind the goals were empty

What about the rest of my points?
Any of them valid?

 

[The King!]

What about the rest of my points?
Any of them valid?

they were fine, i wasn't an advocate to remove Florent though

 

[Tedeski]

they were fine, i wasn't an advocate to remove Florent though

Well we're in trouble if we start dumping blokes like him.
Any else think that Clarke was terrific & instrumental in getting us back in the game.
Watching the replay suggested he had great impact.