Player Watch #17: James Stewart - Groin injury, not running yet. couple of weeks once he starts running - 23/4

Vander18

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God forbid we get an injury to Hooker/Daniher in the season proper and he gets a competent AFL key defender. Plays as if he is sub 190cm and not in a way that is advantageous to his actual height.
Agree. Thought he was really dissaponting.

Very little presence about him. Might be better suited to a third tall role but at his size you'd expect more.

Looked nervous.
 

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Vander18

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One thing I will say is that he was better in the ruck than Smack. Not saying much mind, but that's still there.
Smack is a genuine liability in the ruck. Just can't stop grabbing blokes and giving away frees. Makes the same mistake over and over.

It's a real issue as it costs us at important times.
 

eth-dog

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Smack is a genuine liability in the ruck. Just can't stop grabbing blokes and giving away frees. Makes the same mistake over and over.

It's a real issue as it costs us at important times.
Yep. Can't pick him based entirely on that.

Does it at the lower level too which is more frustrating than ever.
 

WEEVZ

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Think Stewart will probably be better when he has has Daniher and Hooker (or Francis) next to him taking the better defenders. He's not the "main man" type, but played his role reasonably well (though yes he was slow to work his way into the game).

Us turning it over as much as we didn't didn't help guys like him either, though I guess that's just the rust showing in the skills.

Definitely agree that McKernan shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the ruck, keeps making the same mistakes time after time and gives away stupid frees. Thought he had more of a presence up forward than he has in the past though.

But back on Stewart lets not called it a failed trade just yet, he's only played the one game and showed a few nice glimpses later in the game.
 

JayJ20

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Jarrod Waite v2. Here's hoping he gets that confidence going asap.
Pretty generous.

Reminds me of Grimley, but more mobile. Look I'll give him a go, but at this stage, I haven't seen anything that excites me.

If this doesn't work out, we can stop venturing to GWS.
 

WEEVZ

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He is a cheap risk, has the athletic ability to make it, and even a fair bit of game sense judging by some of his efforts. I'd love for him to work out, as I have abandoned the Smack Project.
Yup! That tap to Raz in the goal-square was a good sign. To be fair to him, we didn't get him to be the main target and it sure as hell didn't help having Brown and McKernan partnered with him (I'm still unconvinced on both of them as forwards despite McKernan kicking 3).
 

Red Black and Blue

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Smack is a genuine liability in the ruck. Just can't stop grabbing blokes and giving away frees. Makes the same mistake over and over.

It's a real issue as it costs us at important times.
He's a great around the ground ruckman, the rucking rules are just crap. He consistently takes dominant position against way bigger opponents and straight arms them out of position with his strength and timing. You don't get penalized for that in a marking contest so why should you in the ruck.
 

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Howard Moon

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He's a great around the ground ruckman, the rucking rules are just crap. He consistently takes dominant position against way bigger opponents and straight arms them out of position with his strength and timing. You don't get penalized for that in a marking contest so why should you in the ruck.
The mistake he makes is strong arming them after their feet have left the ground, gets pinged for push or block every time
 

BrunoV

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Think there is a risk of over analysing last night which was a bizarre spectacle but, given that Stewart already seems to be copping it, I'll take the risk.

I paid close attention to Stewart at the ground last night and it was hard to work out what he was supposed to be doing. Whatever it was it did not look particularly good. In fairness, on the few occasions he was one-out against his opponent or he had space to meet the ball he won a free kick or took a mark (Colyer kicked a goal playing and Stewart missed a couple).

There was little structured movement of the ball forward with a lot goals kicked as a result of the race back toward goal. It's not a style of play that suits Stewart. Langford is a good point of comparison and he was similarly non existent when playing at half forward for the first three quarters (although he had the advantage of being closer to the action). It doesn't really suit any forward who wants the ball on the lead. Brown did nothing forward either.

Kakkle mentioned that Stewart plays like he is 190cm and I think that is probably correct, as a style of player he is like Watts or Gunston, but last night, he seemed to be playing a role like Bellchambers did in 2013. He's definitely not going to play his best footy standing under a high ball and trying to take pack marks, he needs to use his athleticism on the lead or he needs a jump at the ball.

The catch-22 for Stewart is that I don't think he needs Daniher and Hooker so that he gets an inferior opponent as much as he needs those guys so that the focus of the team becomes a more traditional build up through half forward (which we'd have to assume would occur). Unless there is a change in forward play, and given that Daniher and Hooker are still working their way to match fitness, I doubt that Stewart will do enough to play round 1.
 

Rack Watts

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There was little structured movement of the ball forward with a lot goals kicked as a result of the race back toward goal. It's not a style of play that suits Stewart. Langford is a good point of comparison and he was similarly non existent when playing at half forward for the first three quarters (although he had the advantage of being closer to the action). It doesn't really suit any forward who wants the ball on the lead. Brown did nothing forward either.
Such a good point! if you were to name the prototype player for this role in the competition, who would you say it is Bruno?
 

Red Black and Blue

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The mistake he makes is strong arming them after their feet have left the ground, gets pinged for push or block every time
Yeah he definitely does but it's clearly his only tactic as he is often dwarfed. I just think it's stupid the rules don't allow for mitigating the opposition advantages, as long as you are still playing the ball, which he mostly does. If they want it to be a jump ball, they should remove the contact all together.
 

yaco55

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Suspect Stewart is not AFL standard, but more will be revealed when he plays as a third tall - Then he will get a lesser defender and will play more upfield where he can use his athletic attributes.
 

Ambrosia

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Impossible to judge him off this game all we did was play counter attack footy or kick long down the line.

I don't think JLT 1 will be reflective of how we structure up in the real stuff
 

TheGreatBarryB

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So if he plays alongside Hooker and Daniher who plays second ruck? Because there's no way you can play these three together and Bellchambers/Luey.

Stewart is simply back up if one of talls gets injured. Even then he may be behind McKernan.
 
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