Past #18: Shaun Atley - delisted end '21 - 237 NM games / 44 NM goals - thanks Ats

[The Nostradamus]

Still think he’s best off hbf like that year he was too 5 in the bnf

Too many plodders running it out for us. Get ats back there with his zip

Have enough who can play forward anyway Turner, Zurhaar, Garner (when fit) Simpkin, Wilkinson

 

[Tas]

Still think he’s best off hbf like that year he was too 5 in the bnf

Too many plodders running it out for us. Get ats back there with his zip

Have enough who can play forward anyway Turner, Zurhaar, Garner (when fit) Simpkin, Wilkinson

Clubs figured him out that he was only good in a straight line, once they put someone in front of him he couldn't zig zag through traffic, even when people in front of him were plodders. It is what made guys like Harvey and Wells special, they could weave through traffic at their top speed, even though they weren't the fastest in a straight line, being good in a straight line isn't that big an asset in a game that deploys zones, presses and nets.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Again on the weekend we would have benefited more from him playing across hbf giving us run out of there. Plus he’s pretty good one on one

 

[Tas]

Again on the weekend we would have benefited more from him playing across hbf giving us run out of there. Plus he’s pretty good one on one

I think we have got him to a point that he is now a consistent, effective and dangerous half-forward, lets not experiment with his career to fix a problem we have somewhere else. If he was doing nothing as a forward I could understand trying something else. Given it has taken him a long time to get to this standard consistently in any position/role, don't think it is worth messing around with his footy.

 

[Jesslc]

I think we have got him to a point that he is now a consistent, effective and dangerous half-forward, lets not experiment with his career to fix a problem we have somewhere else. If he was doing nothing as a forward I could understand trying something else. Given it has taken him a long time to get to this standard consistently in any position/role, don't think it is worth messing around with his footy.

He was fourth for direct goal assists (At nmfc) in 2018 too. He went under the radar in that regard.

2nd for score involvements (Not a favoured stat but relevant, none the less.).

 

[Caracas]

We have to accept the fact that Atley is one of our “cherry on top” type players. If the team is playing well, he shines. If the team is playing badly, he is more or less anonymous. The question becomes “ how many “cherry on top” players can we sustain. Personally, I believe we should persist with Atley as our “cherry in chief”.


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[Tas]

He was fourth for direct goal assists (At nmfc) in 2018 too. He went under the radar in that regard.

2nd for score involvements (Not a favoured stat but relevant, none the less.).

I know score involvement can be a bit of a bullshit stat because someone with a fumble in the middle can get credited for a score due to other players good play, but Atley gets involved in a quite a few score involvements close to goal where his disposal doesn't get an assist but is significant in breaking a pack or getting it out which results in a shot on goal.

With the new satanic 666 rule, he has a lot more opportunity to use his speed to get into space and be really damaging up forward, he kicked 2 on the weekend and had a goal assist and we played shithouse as a team. I think he does have the capacity to be a 25-30 goal half-forward with 20+ assists, to me that is worth a lot more than someone who goes on 2 to 3 good runs out of the backline a game.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

One criticism I have of Atley the half Forward is that we don’t see him really get high up on the wings to provide an outlet to our half backs. If he could up there and get a few extra marks per game it would go a long way to him becoming an excellent half forward.

 

[Tas]

One criticism I have of Atley the half Forward is that we don’t see him really get high up on the wings to provide an outlet to our half backs. If he could up there and get a few extra marks per game it would go a long way to him becoming an excellent half forward.

That is probably a fair criticism of all our smaller forwards, Boomer was the last one who aggressively ran between the arcs, partly to lose his opponent in traffic, partly to create score involvements, he was such a critical part of our ability to score. We were very fortunate we got Higgins for nothing and he achieved his potential with us. We would have been very vanilla without him. He needs more help though.

 

[Snake_Baker]

I'll take a couple of goals from a defensive HFF every day of the week.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

That is probably a fair criticism of all our smaller forwards, Boomer was the last one who aggressively ran between the arcs, partly to lose his opponent in traffic, partly to create score involvements, he was such a critical part of our ability to score. We were very fortunate we got Higgins for nothing and he achieved his potential with us. We would have been very vanilla without him. He needs more help though.

Patch Adams done it really well early in his career too before all the injuries and setbacks.

We rely way too much on Brown/Wood to provide a contested mark on the wing rather than hitting up the 20m smaller kicks to a free half forward.

I'm hoping Polec and Hall go a long way to alleviating this little kink in our scoring chains.

 

[shintemaster]

He was fourth for direct goal assists (At nmfc) in 2018 too. He went under the radar in that regard.

2nd for score involvements (Not a favoured stat but relevant, none the less.).

He was great last year whenever we were playing well and the stats back that up. Least of our problems at the moment.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

I'll take a couple of goals from a defensive HFF every day of the week.

Bring back Ed Lower.:stern look

 

[Snake_Baker]

Looking to kick more goals this year (mentioned Hall would be rotating through half forward)

 

[Harris 10]

Forward or back?

I think he’s a much better player back and adds way more to the side when down back.

 

[tazaa]

Forward or back?

I think he’s a much better player back and adds way more to the side when down back.

Nah forward
He was switched back when the game was done and allowed the room to run as his opponent was goal chasing

 

[Harris 10]

Nah forward
He was switched back when the game was done and allowed the room to run as his opponent was goal chasing

Just think we need to create some run, I liked him when he went back in JLT 2 and on the weekend.
Gives us something, none of our other backs can give.

 

[MinistryOfMajak]

I'm happy enough for him to just be a swingman. He seems to have improved his composure and ball use and he can play both roles to a decent standard.

Think he'll continue to start forward but we'll still see a fair bit of him at half back.

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[Quivorir]

There was one point we had Polec, Hall and Atley all within 10m of each other on the back flank. If that wasn't the time to whip out the Flying V I don't know when it is.

 

[shintemaster]

I thought he looked quite smooth and polished before everything and everyone else turned to crap around him. Most calm in traffic I think I've ever seen Atley.

 

[Snake_Baker]

He's a very honest footballer.

 

[shintemaster]

He's a very honest footballer.

That's a very fair comment. Not only that, he is physically very reliable and rarely has a truly poor disposal under low pressure. Every time people complain about him I can't quite shake the feeling that it's not because of what he is - but what he isn't that they wish he was. I don't think he's indispensible but he is absolutely one player that I don't feel I need to worry about what I'll get week in week out.

 

[Devington]

That's a very fair comment. Not only that, he is physically very reliable and rarely has a truly poor disposal under low pressure. Every time people complain about him I can't quite shake the feeling that it's not because of what he is - but what he isn't that they wish he was. I don't think he's indispensible but he is absolutely one player that I don't feel I need to worry about what I'll get week in week out.

I didn't feel that way about him 2 years ago, but something seems to have clicked for him. While he might not be the gamebreaking star we wanted, I wouldn't necessarily say he's wasted talent either. Consistency between games has greatly improved, glaring weaknesses have been softened, and uses his strengths better. Could potentially be pushed out of the team, but I think he now has enough versatility and points of difference (speeeeeeed) to stay in pretty much fulltime.

I do wish he used his speed defensively a bit more though. I swear I used to see more 30 meter run downs from boomer.

 

[tazaa]

One of those footballers who plays better angry

Wish he was more intense more often

 

[Junk yard]

One of those footballers who plays better angry

Wish he was more intense more often

Not any mongrel in him unfortunately. Has turned into a solid player, not sure why he couldn't run the wing? Has matured a heap and I don't think the forward line is his go. Has looked composed and more involved off half back in his brief stints this year.