Past #27: Will Walker - delisted end '21 - 6 NM games/4 NM goals - go well Walks

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I know one assistant coach who has Spruiked him to me.

He said may only play a few games this year but watch him from 2019 onwards. Reads the play very well, listens and learns and has courage. Says he's been played back to understand the game in juniors but excelled quicker than expected. Most likely a winger, on baller in time as he disposes of the pill very well.
 
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RobZombie said:
I think it fits into a pattern in our recruiting lately.

Top pick seems to be the classic "best available" with lots of known quantities. Outside that we've gone for players whose upside is greater than their exposed form, i.e., more risk, more upside.

McKay: interrupted draft year where he went back to local footy for a bit
Ahern: Knee recos, cost peanuts
Anderson: injuries, hard 22 to break into, had been highly rated junior
Higgins, Waite: injuries and inconsistency, back in our medical staff
Hrovat: injuries, Boomer connection, Daniel basically took his spot
Morgan: injuries, top-30 pick in his draft year
Marley: out of favour with Bucks, needed a new start, cost peanuts
Hayden: missed a lot of his top-age year with OP
Mountford: Limited scouting data as he entered the elite pathways late(-ish)
Simpkin: broken leg (but was still a no-brainer best available talent at 12)
Walker: cross over from soccer, still on the upward development curve.

Even Murphy and Narrier have at least an elite attribute to work with, rather than honest pluggers like Fordham or McGenniss. In the last 3 years, players traded in or taken in that middling 2nd/3rd round of the draft, only EVW, Clarke and Hibberd are conventional unsurprising picks.
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i remember thinking clarke was a steal and looked like our next best mid, or at least exactly what we needed as a hard running accumulator - nec minnit, backline.

Hibberd seemed a bit the same, hard running accumulating half back who BFNAAK.

Both of them had me excited for the future.

Now EVW is the best of the crop and the other 2 have gone AWOL.

It's players/picks like those that should've really need to step up, you look at richmond's young team and they've all cemented their spots - butler - pick 67, costanga - rookie pick, lambert - pick 53.
 
Mcarcherey said:
i remember thinking clarke was a steal and looked like our next best mid, or at least exactly what we needed as a hard running accumulator - nec minnit, backline.

Hibberd seemed a bit the same, hard running accumulating half back who BFNAAK.

Both of them had me excited for the future.

Now EVW is the best of the crop and the other 2 have gone AWOL.

It's players/picks like those that should've really need to step up, you look at richmond's young team and they've all cemented their spots - butler - pick 67, costanga - rookie pick, lambert - pick 53.
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Clarke averaged 27 disposals in his last half a dozen games last year, not too bad.
 
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Go_Roos! said:
Clarke averaged 27 disposals in his last half a dozen games last year, not too bad.
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yes, but they're often uncontested/backward kicks, one on one in the air he can't compete and he just doesn't have that defensive side to his game.
in his first year he was getting the same number of possessions in the midfield - only cunners and higgins were getting close to those numbers, and even then it wasn't as consistent as clarke's first few games. He also was able to get forward and create/have shots at goal.
 
Mcarcherey said:
yes, but they're often uncontested/backward kicks, one on one in the air he can't compete and he just doesn't have that defensive side to his game.
in his first year he was getting the same number of possessions in the midfield - only cunners and higgins were getting close to those numbers, and even then it wasn't as consistent as clarke's first few games. He also was able to get forward and create/have shots at goal.
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Agree with everything you say, Clarke is way more suited to being a midfielder but unfortunately I guess he has to play where our coaches tell him. He always appears to be trying as hard as he can, not sure you can ask any more.
 
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Go_Roos! said:
Agree with everything you say, Clarke is way more suited to being a midfielder but unfortunately I guess he has to play where our coaches tell him. He always appears to be trying as hard as he can, not sure you can ask any more.
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He has some deficiencies, but I'm still backing him in to make it as a modfl Set
 

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Mcarcherey said:
yes, but they're often uncontested/backward kicks, one on one in the air he can't compete and he just doesn't have that defensive side to his game.
in his first year he was getting the same number of possessions in the midfield - only cunners and higgins were getting close to those numbers, and even then it wasn't as consistent as clarke's first few games. He also was able to get forward and create/have shots at goal.
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This. Very handy around goals for mine...
 
RobZombie said:
I think it fits into a pattern in our recruiting lately.

Top pick seems to be the classic "best available" with lots of known quantities. Outside that we've gone for players whose upside is greater than their exposed form, i.e., more risk, more upside.

McKay: interrupted draft year where he went back to local footy for a bit
Ahern: Knee recos, cost peanuts
Anderson: injuries, hard 22 to break into, had been highly rated junior
Higgins, Waite: injuries and inconsistency, back in our medical staff
Hrovat: injuries, Boomer connection, Daniel basically took his spot
Morgan: injuries, top-30 pick in his draft year
Marley: out of favour with Bucks, needed a new start, cost peanuts
Hayden: missed a lot of his top-age year with OP
Mountford: Limited scouting data as he entered the elite pathways late(-ish)
Simpkin: broken leg (but was still a no-brainer best available talent at 12)
Walker: cross over from soccer, still on the upward development curve.

Even Murphy and Narrier have at least an elite attribute to work with, rather than honest pluggers like Fordham or McGenniss. In the last 3 years, players traded in or taken in that middling 2nd/3rd round of the draft, only EVW, Clarke and Hibberd are conventional unsurprising picks.
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Great analysis and great strategy by the club too I reckon. Ben Brown is another example of this strategy paying dividends...
 
tazaa said:
He has this untapped hunger to want the ball in his hands. And hes a decent kick of the footy. His technique isnt that of a kid who picked up a football young.
His ceiling his high. Not sure how much muscle, pace and endurance he'll end up having but put it this way.

He reminds me of Captain America before the guns. Hoping its the same transition for Will.
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I think he tested very well for both speed and endurance at the combine. Not elite at either but both very strong....
 
After seeing him give a good acount of himself against men for his first time last week.....and now re-watching his elite capabilities on display in his draft vids, I reckon we could end up with a very, very good player with Will.
 
I really wanted Lachie Fogarty or Charlie Constable at this pick.

Constable in particular is going to be an inside bull in the Cripps mould.

I wasn’t sure on Will, but he is surprisingly very hard at it given his build at the moment.

I think he’ll play 4-6 games throughout the season.
 
Here this kid is a jet, would love to see more of him. Hopefully a seniors game soon.
 
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