Player Watch #20: Thomas Matthews – Pick 30

[TheBoss]

Plays like Spargo.

Which version of Spargo?

Young Spargo was promising before he shit his pants and popped his achilles.

 

[Proper Gander]

I like him. He looks nice

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Which version of Spargo?

Young Spargo was promising before he shit his pants and popped his achilles.

Hopefully the younger version.

 

[I Love Lamb]

Plays like Spargo.

You sound like me.

I think he looks much faster than Spargo and can clearly kick over 35m and take a mark based on his highlights so will easily be an upgrade to Spargo.

Spargo may get him with his field kicking but considering he only did 1 of those a quarter it’s not a big loss.

 

[Toump Ass]

Charles Spargo, what a legend. One of my favourite Dees would love to see another just like him.
Tommy "2.0" Matthews.

 

[knackers29]

Forget the nice grab, kicking around the corner from the top of the goal square???? pass...

 

[I Love Lamb]

Forget the nice grab, kicking around the corner from the top of the goal square???? pass...

Spargo would have tried to pass it concerned by the distance so it’s an upgrade

 

[markm106]

Who is Tom Matthews? The inside word on Melbourne's AFL Draft bolter

Why did the Dees take the Gippslander at Pick 30?

www.zerohanger.com

 

[Ando727]

Brace yourself. We have drafted the second coming of Jeff Farmer and that's probably underselling it. Matthews will be better.

He is no ordinary pick 30. The presence. The aura. The blinding radiance. And despite having roughly the stature of a hobbit, he somehow carries himself like a man who’s already controlled Middle-earth twice.

When the club called him to congratulate him on being drafted JT said, “mate… you’re basically Gandalf.”

And boom! New nickname locked in. The White Wizard!

Sure, Farmer was an electrifying match winner, a human highlight reel… but Matthews? Oh, he's destined for such greatness that the AFL is already pre-engraving his name on a few medals to save time.

Welcome to the Dees, Thomas “Gandalf” Matthews. May your wizardry light up the ’G like the Phial of Galadriel.

A measured and conservative assessment. I like that.

 

[ray_purchase]

I don't have high hopes but I like the Elliot comparison, would need to be at that height. Hopefully we've got a player here and that injury is why he slid so far back. Can't really melt when most picks have been mostly unknowns.

Jamie Elliott comparison looks spot on. The highlights have sold me on him. Has JT done it again?

 

[mrmonkey]

Jamie Elliott comparison looks spot on. The highlights have sold me on him. Has JT done it again?

Kind of feels like a free hit. Sounds like he was tracking well until he had his injury. Hopefully he's as good as he seems, nothing to lose as he only cost pick 30.

 

[Bluelegs]

Jamie Elliott comparison looks spot on. The highlights have sold me on him. Has JT done it again?

Are there more highlights than the one minute vid the club put up?

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Jamie Elliott, calm down.

 

[dylan93]

With the Humphrey, McLennan and Lindsay links it makes sense. Also the fact that we need crafty small forwards, cause Chin ain't it.

 

[Meds]

Jamie Elliott, calm down.

After the young Spargo comparisons, likening him to Elliott IS calming down!

 

[Demon 16]

I can see the Jamie Elliot comparison.

Not in ability, just in style.

I suspect theyll manage some of the aerial efforts out of him at AFL level - at 171cm he’ll need to be at the fall of the ball.

 

[Grimey Sylvia]

Spargo would have tried to pass it concerned by the distance so it’s an upgrade

Can you stop making so much sense mich0, your throwing off my equilibrium!

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

If he turned out like Brent Daniels

16

Brent Daniels

Age

26

Ht

172cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.9

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.9

4star

G

0.4

3star

D

10.3

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

6.0

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

1.9

3star

G

0.0

1star

D

9.0

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

3.0

5star

G

0.8

4star

, Rhylee West

14

Rhylee West

Age

25

Ht

183cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

5.7

2star

HB

6.7

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.5

3star

G

0.5

3star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

13.0

4star

K

5.6

3star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.2

3star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.6

3star

or Darcy Jones I'd be very happy.

 

[ray_purchase]

Jamie Elliott, calm down.

Whats the issue? He has the same style of play.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Whats the issue? He has the same style of play.

Nah, you've seen one mark and you think he's a leading forward you leave in the goal square like with Elliott, not happening. He's said himself he's a pressure forward.

 

[Topkent]

Whats the issue? He has the same style of play.

He absolutely does not that's such a bad comparison

 

[Bluelegs]

Unless I've missed something we've got about one minute of highlight footage to work with, yeah?

So anywhere between Charlie Spargo

9

Charlie Spargo

Age

26

Ht

172cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.7

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

5.3

4star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

2.0

1star

M

1.0

1star

T

0.0

1star

G

0.0

1star

D

13.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

G

1.2

4star

and Jamie Elliott is about as narrow range as we can hope for.

 

[Crusty Demon]

After the young Spargo comparisons, likening him to Elliott IS calming down!

Yeah he looks way more like Jamie Elliott than Spargo. Pretty sure Twomey likeneed him to Jamie Elliott as well.

 

[danster168]

You sound like me.

I think he looks much faster than Spargo and can clearly kick over 35m and take a mark based on his highlights so will easily be an upgrade to Spargo.

Spargo may get him with his field kicking but considering he only did 1 of those a quarter it’s not a big loss.

Spargo was never a world beater but he stood up in big moments.

He kicked a goal in the opening quarter of the 2021 granny. Kicked 2 goals in the prelim vs the Cats. Kicked a goal in the qualifying final. Kicked 2 clutch goals against the cats in Round 23 of the season to help us get top of the ladder.

Circa 2023, final vs Carl he stood up to the occasion with 14 touches, 6 tackles and 5 marks in half a game.
Circa 2022, final vs sydney he had 13 and a goal.

If you want to draft someone with better traits on paper then go and recruit Jay Kennedy-Harris. Spargo will never win the 'on paper' comparisons.