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

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blitzer

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I really like what Stewart has brought to our side this year. I can actually imagine that by the time Hooker is ready to retire that Stewart will be quite capable of being able to play in that 2nd tall forward spot. He didn't have a lot of AFL experience when he came to us so I expect that next year he will be far better prepared.

I think he'll be able to bring greater consistency through games from quarter to quarter.
I love his agility for a big man. He's quick, he's clean at ground level and he's a pretty good kick. His marking isn't a strength but I don't think its that bad - I see him getting into good positions a lot and just not quite finishing the job. I reckon he can work on that marking and I don't think there's anybody better to teach him than guys like Hooker and Daniher.
 

VelvetSledge

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Best trade of last season was Mitchell, by a mile, because hes a stud.

But we got a good one in Stewart, really happy with how hes turned out this year.
Especially when you consider we only handed over Pick 77 for him. Awesome stuff.
 

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BrunoV

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Best trade of last season was Mitchell, by a mile, because hes a stud.

But we got a good one in Stewart, really happy with how hes turned out this year.


We could hardly have found a better player given our needs, what we paid and the potential Stewart has to be a genuinely good 200 game key forward/third tall for the club.

I've developed a serious man crush on this guy. At worst he'll be a unique point of difference as a third tall and important role player though he can quite clearly be more than that.

Frustrating as his game against GC was he still put himself in a position to kick 5 playing a deeper role. It's an important part of his evolution as a player to demonstrate that he can take a good match-up to the goal square and have an impact on a game.

If your an opposition coach in an elimination final, particularly if its a nice day, you ignore Stewart at your peril because it might only take a 30 minutes to get 4 shots on goal. It would be nice if he could get back to solid conversion that was on display earlier.
 
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The one thing that he is not yet...is a match winner. Joe, Hooker, Fanta and Walla all can turn a game on its head. Hopefully at some stage he tears a game to shreds and kicks a bag. Plenty of time to keep learning...but I cant wait till he does it as it will cause more major head aches for opposition coaches trying to contain our forward line.
 

Skipper_

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The one thing that he is not yet...is a match winner. Joe, Hooker, Fanta and Walla all can turn a game on its head. Hopefully at some stage he tears a game to shreds and kicks a bag. Plenty of time to keep learning...but I cant wait till he does it as it will cause more major head aches for opposition coaches trying to contain our forward line.
Don't need all of our forwards to be match winners. You can always count on him for a goal or two a game.
 

BrunoV

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Gets into brilliant positions. Really like having this bloke in the team. So mobile. If only he'd snag more chances, but that can only get better. Very important for us.

Rounding his 1.3 goals a game to 1.5 would give him 33 goals for the year. That's great return from a work horse who does most of his work getting the ball into the forward 50 and then keeping it there.
 

Knox Harrington

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Another example of good bargain Recruiting by dodoro the last three years.
Stewart - pick 77
Brown - pick 54
Hartley - pick 68
Fantasia - pick 55
Ambrose, Mckenna, Tippa - rookie
Leunberger - free agent

7 or 8 (brown debatable) best 22 players in 4 years for next to nothing.

Massive reason we've been able to come through these draft bans competitive
 

84859300

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Does it seem to anyone else that Stewart gets too close to the man on the mark, when kicking for goal?

I had the feel that some of the kicks he has missed of late have been skewed, almost by surprise after he comes out of the stutter with no room left.
 

Vander18

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Does it seem to anyone else that Stewart gets too close to the man on the mark, when kicking for goal?

I had the feel that some of the kicks he has missed of late have been skewed, almost by surprise after he comes out of the stutter with no room left.
Haven't noticed that but have noticed that he moves his body away from being square with the goals when coming in and then straightens back up. He gets it wrong at times and his kicks simply follow where his body is facing.....usually to the right if memory serves.
 

Howard Moon

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Haven't noticed that but have noticed that he moves his body away from being square with the goals when coming in and then straightens back up. He gets it wrong at times and his kicks simply follow where his body is facing.....usually to the right if memory serves.

He's slowly being taught the Essington way, we could have taken plugger down to 50%
 

EnolaGay

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Haven't noticed that but have noticed that he moves his body away from being square with the goals when coming in and then straightens back up. He gets it wrong at times and his kicks simply follow where his body is facing.....usually to the right if memory serves.
He's working on the Josh Kennedy (WCE) style of 2013.

 
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