Player Watch #24: Tom Powell - signed thru 2026 - 7th highest ranked player league-wide after 3 rds - avg. 27.7d & 7clearances p/g

[Snake_Baker]

If the blokes thought his way into a wide open possession then he'll be more likely to hit his target because he has the time and space to use. Much preferable than some bloke with a laser boot who can't find the footy and when they do get it they don't have any time/space to let their talent shine through.

His disposal by foot is a negligible issue.

I have shown him kicking 50 metre goals and spotting up blokes 40 metres away quickly, but it appears no one even bothered to look at these posts.

This "footskills" bullshit is a ridiculous recurrence on this board.

 

[Hazey1977]

We've been buried by mass of possession for too long.

Hurt factor is important but you don't get many burgers with the lot. Powell's sheer weight of numbers is compelling, when a kid pulls those figures with an immature physique you have to take notice.

I think outright natural ball-winning ability should be seen as an x-factor as much as power-explosiveness, pace and height-athleticisms combinations. These are usually inborn traits for players that aren't easily developed in others.

As in - not many players get drafted then later develop previously unseen abilities in these areas.

Well said.

I'd love someone with the time (i.e. no kids/wife) to get the stats and names of players who've gone from sub 20 possessions in juniors to >25-30 at AFL level.

On SM-G965F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[ferball]

His best asset is his footy brain - he knows where to be at the right time, uses his body really well and makes the right decision by hand and foot. This means that the knock for me around his kicking is more his execution over a medium-long to long range distance rather than the decision-making aspect which is a massive plus. This often means that even if his kick misses, it's not as devastating as bad decison-making - of course you want to limit the execution errors as much as possible as it will still hurt you.

The thing we need to remember is that Tom was injury-riddled for much of the 2018 and 2019 seasons and so there was a sense in which he 'burst on to the scene' in 2020 as he was able to get his body right and get some continuity. Being injury-riddled means there's more room for improvement as he continues to work on his game in a professional environment and gets more games under his belt - there's a sense in which he's behind his draft class from a match experience point of view due to having 2 injury-plagued years before 2020. His kicking improved throughout 2020 and I don't see why he doesn't continue to improve in this regard, particularly as he makes good decisions, even if the execution over a medium-long range distance has room for improvement.

Awesome. Cheers.

As I said I think kicking or any physical technique in or out of footy can be learned with time and effort. But those other things you mention, his real assets, are a lot harder to teach, if its possible to teach them at all.

 

[Usayed Givashe]

His disposal by foot is a negligible issue.

I have shown him kicking 50 metre goals and spotting up blokes 40 metres away quickly, but it appears no one even bothered to look at these posts.

This "footskills" bullshit is a ridiculous recurrence on this board.

It’s the combination of poor skills and slowness of brain and body that hurts us.

 

[LB2Snake]

His best asset is his footy brain - he knows where to be at the right time, uses his body really well and makes the right decision by hand and foot. This means that the knock for me around his kicking is more his execution over a medium-long to long range distance rather than the decision-making aspect which is a massive plus. This often means that even if his kick misses, it's not as devastating as bad decison-making - of course you want to limit the execution errors as much as possible as it will still hurt you.

The thing we need to remember is that Tom was injury-riddled for much of the 2018 and 2019 seasons and so there was a sense in which he 'burst on to the scene' in 2020 as he was able to get his body right and get some continuity. Being injury-riddled means there's more room for improvement as he continues to work on his game in a professional environment and gets more games under his belt - there's a sense in which he's behind his draft class from a match experience point of view due to having 2 injury-plagued years before 2020. His kicking improved throughout 2020 and I don't see why he doesn't continue to improve in this regard, particularly as he makes good decisions, even if the execution over a medium-long range distance has room for improvement.

Insightful write up as always there Souup .....interested what the injuries were that derailed his 18-19 campaigns?

 

[desie]

Insightful write up as always there Souup .....interested what the injuries were that derailed his 18-19 campaigns?

Hip last year from memory.

 

[ferball]

His disposal by foot is a negligible issue.

I have shown him kicking 50 metre goals and spotting up blokes 40 metres away quickly, but it appears no one even bothered to look at these posts.

This "footskills" bullshit is a ridiculous recurrence on this board.

Anyone can hit goals from 50 or hit 40 metre passes, especially at this level. Its the precision and consistency of doing it that matters. The best kicks in the comp are consistent.

Footskills have cost us games, finals places and finals regularly since Brad Scott took over. Its been a massive weakness considering the game is called football.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Anyone can hit goals from 50 or hit 40 metre passes, especially at this level. Its the precision and consistency of doing it that matters. The best kicks in the comp are consistent.

Footskills have cost us games, finals places and finals regularly since Brad Scott took over. Its been a massive weakness considering the game is called football.

Are you claiming that Tom Powell has terrible foot skill consistency?

 

[ferball]

No I'm asking if there are questions on his kicking cos in that photo he looks all over the place.

 

[ferball]

The idea our footskills have been acceptable as a side in the last decade, especially the last 6 seasons is laughable tho. Consistently we've lost the ball with poor kicking and missed goals and lost games thru poor shots on goal.

 

[Snake_Baker]

No I'm asking if there are questions on his kicking cos in that photo he looks all over the place.

No draftee whose kicking is "all over the place" gets drafted any more.

 

[Shinboner1]

Did fine at training today but is really skinny compared to the other players.

 

[ferball]

No draftee whose kicking is "all over the place" gets drafted any more.

His kicking is alright on video but compared to Lazzarro its higher and slower ... but its only a few videos. In the photo upthread its just looks all wrong.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

have a look at his kicking in this clip, a couple of really well weighted kicks to space.

 

[ferball]

have a look at his kicking in this clip, a couple of really well weighted kicks to space.

Yeah true and yet the first one the whole package is pretty average and nearly turns it over. Its a poor pass, if you've gonna move the ball in the air move it away from your teammates opponent to their advantage. Or ideaaly kick it where he was trying to land it without the movement. Against a committed defender it would have been a poor kick. The goal @ 1.03 is a lucky bounce. Still good play for a young kid. Any goal on the burst from the middle is great.

But you can see from that photo upthread why he sometimes kicks like that first pass. His stance and body movement is out of whack and the ball drop looks too close from that angle. Probably understandable after a hip injury tho. If you watch the best drop punts or see some good photo breakdowns they look so different at that point.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Just drop the inane waste of bandwidth.

 

[ferball]

Just drop the inane waste of bandwidth.

* off. How many premiership sides have you coached at any level?

 

[Snake_Baker]

fu** off. How many premiership sides have you coached at any level?

If you have something to state, then state it.

Don't be contrarian based on ignorance.

It's time wasting bullshit like this that ends up with me putting you on ignore.

 

[remfan101]

If you have something to state, then state it.

Don't be contrarian based on ignorance.

It's time wasting bullshit like this that ends up with me putting you on ignore.

He pretty clearly laid out his point and evidence to back it up. What exactly is ‘inane’ about pointing out potential technical flaws in someone’s kicking action? It’s interesting insight imo

 

[Snake_Baker]

He pretty clearly laid out his point and evidence to back it up. What exactly is ‘inane’ about pointing out potential technical flaws in someone’s kicking action? It’s interesting insight imo

Okay, he should quote you in future then.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Passmore]

Clean and composed.

 

[NewNorth]

Clean and composed.

Yep - I like that he is clean. He just needs time in the gym obviously, which is easy enough to do as professional athlete.

Looking forward to seeing him play in the intra club and praccy games, just to see where he is at. just looks like a footballer

 

[the big lebowski]

Certainly can’t see him playing much senior footy this year. Just too slight.

But that’s absolutely fine.

 

[chairo]

He looked good in the video. Interesting that even he thinks that he needs to work on his kicking.