Retired #29: Patrick Ambrose - Officially retired - 11/8

[Lore]

Contract Status: Retired. 11/8
Last Game Played: Elimination Final 2019 (injured)
Injury Status: Injured, stayed in Vic with a young baby - 18/7
Sore, finished the VFL game on the bench - 29/6

 

[blitzer]

Picking athletically talented players with great attitudes sounds like a winning strategy to me. Really spoke very well and sounds very determined. His pace will be very welcome as well as none of our other tall forwards are exactly quick.

 

[Zach Package]

it's interesting how the obscure pick always generates more bf interest than higher, more well know picks

 

[Ashton Agar]

Lets just hope he doesn't choose to join the Bulldogs after we make him into a player. Welcome Patty Cake.

 

[Ashton Agar]

I was thinking Marcos.

That was the first name that came to my head as well seeing as I am more of a cricket fan than V8 Supercar fan. Couldn't give a stuff about NASCAR.

 

[Zach Package]

PATRICK Ambrose was on the phone with Essendon VFL teammate Zac O'Brien when the AFL rookie draft got underway this morning.
"Zac said to me, 'Imagine if we both got drafted','' Old Xaverians forward Ambrose related.
Within a few minutes they did.
Brisbane took O'Brien with pick 23. And the Bombers claimed Ambrose, 22, with selection 26.
"It was unbelievable the way it worked out,'' Ambrose said an hour after the draft.
"I'm just on my way to the club now. Still amazed, really. I'm pretty thrilled. It's a dream come true.''
Ambrose had been training with Essendon and the club let him know he was in its thoughts. "But I had no great expectations that it would actually happen,'' he said.
"I knew I was a bit of a chance - I'd had a few meetings with them - but there were so many players trying to make it on. I'm one of the lucky ones I guess.''
About 100 congratulatory text messages told him as much.
Ambrose played his junior football at the Ashburton Redbacks and for his school, Xavier College.
He had a season with Coburg in the VFL before linking with Old Xavs.
Along with his brother Murphy he joined Essendon's VFL team this year, playing seven matches late in the season. Significantly, the 193cm right-footer saved his best performance for the elimination final against Werribee.
Bombers general manager Matty Little said Ambrose had stand-out qualities that would serve him well in his bid to become an AFL player.
"He's an extremely hard worker and he's athletically gifted,'' Little said. "For a bloke of his height to be able to run like he can, I reckon he's going to do some special things. He's suited to that third tall role, let him get up the ground and use his tank. He's got brilliant speed as well. I think he's going to be a very handy replacement for Stu Crameri.''
Ambrose is studying environmental management at Deakin University and is a bartender at the Skinny Dog Hotel in Kew.
He's entitled to pour himself a drink when he's next behind the jump.

http://www.heraldsun...x-1226769638111

works at the skinny dog, so has probably served me a pint over the journey.

Also an Ashy boy, so from our neck of the woods eth-dog

 

[Old Campaigner]

Loved that.

wow did i just get drafted?

 

[eth-dog]

http://www.heraldsun...x-1226769638111

works at the skinny dog, so has probably served me a pint over the journey.

Also an Ashy boy, so from our neck of the woods eth-dog

Like him more already

 

[VelvetSledge]

Studies at Deakin. Knew he looked familiar.

 

[yaco55]

I am interested that none of our astute VFL watchers ever mentioned Ambrose as a draft propspect. I know that Zac O'brien was mentioned in despatches.

 

[dnbassador]

Yeah. Jobe's huge, Myers and Goddard are just below that, Ambrose is above it, and Crameri's fuggen s**t and can go **** himself regardless.

Bring on the Crameri vs Hurley!

If i was playing AFL i would much prefer to be Hurleys Team Mate than his Opposition

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Solid selection and fills a good need in our side. It is a punt, and good on the club even in a poor KP draft to take a gamble

 

[Phone]

I think this kid will do better then Cramdog. It's a gut feeling but I'm on the bandwagon of a nobody with no evidence for the first time since I saw Kouta pick up the ball one handed in a reserves match against us.

Bad skills means he plays forward where his turnovers won't murder us!!

However, if he's that bustling big man who can smash in, like Jack Darling, then we have a tall marking freak in Daniher and a resting ruck. Say hello to AA backline with Hurley and Carlisle making a mockery of all AFL forward lines.

I trust the coaches we have to turn him in a premiership player. He has all the tool and wants it. Now that footy will be full time he'll get the skills and game sense required.

well ok then

 

[Zach Package]

I am interested that none of our astute VFL watchers ever mentioned Ambrose as a draft propspect. I know that Zac O'brien was mentioned in despatches.

combination of not enough games (7) and not enough opportunities to show his wears.

He looks to be a legit mobile CHF now that i know he's that little bit taller, but with Joe, Gumby and even Shinners down there at times (as well as Hille and Bate occasionally) as marking targets, he didn't really have a chance to kick a big bag and really grab my attention, more often than not he was on a flank or a wing.

To be brutally honest I thought he was nothing more than handy, but didn't go to any games with him on the brain, like I did with ZOB or listed guys like Hams, kav or joe

 

[yaco55]

combination of not enough games (7) and not enough opportunities to show his wears.

He looks to be a legit mobile CHF now that i know he's that little bit taller, but with Joe, Gumby and even Shinners down there at times (as well as Hille and Bate occasionally) as marking targets, he didn't really have a chance to kick a big bag and really grab my attention, more often than not he was on a flank or a wing.

To be brutally honest I thought he was nothing more than handy, but didn't go to any games with him on the brain, like I did with ZOB or listed guys like Hams, kav or joe

Thanks for your analysis.

So next year, I need to focus on the sleepers in the team.

 

[yodellinhank]

Clearly they were trying to hide him, which worked until the AFL caught wind of it.

 

[Zach Package]

even if we didn't try to hide him, it's not like anyone else was going to grab him anyway

 

[Kong]

even if we didn't try to hide him, it's not like anyone else was going to grab him anyway

Please.

Bulldogs would've been all over him, naturally.

Oh and why we didn't select a Frankston defender is the most confusing thing.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Please.

Bulldogs would've been all over him, naturally.

Oh and why we didn't select a Frankston defender is the most confusing thing.

2014 is a strong draft for Frankston defenders I hear.

 

[Schopp]

For those who have seen Ambrose how would he compare to Darcy Hourigan. Sorry to mention after seeing a 3 minute clip but Hourigan looked to have a fair bit of potential and snagged a few goals at the champs must have been adverse things the 3 minutes didn't show

 

[YaPSaUnE]

I think he'll be good, good playing practice match on open training session, also plays Crameri roll!

 

[YaPSaUnE]

For those who have seen Ambrose how would he compare to Darcy Hourigan. Sorry to mention after seeing a 3 minute clip but Hourigan looked to have a fair bit of potential and snagged a few goals at the champs must have been adverse things the 3 minutes didn't show

Yeah, I was super surprised to see Hourigan not get picked up. Good size too.

 

[YaPSaUnE]

Yeah, I was super surprised to see Hourigan not get picked up. Good size too.

For those who have seen Ambrose how would he compare to Darcy Hourigan. Sorry to mention after seeing a 3 minute clip but Hourigan looked to have a fair bit of potential and snagged a few goals at the champs must have been adverse things the 3 minutes didn't show

I don't think we should be to worried, looks good.

 

[fishardansin]

I think he'll be good, good playing practice match on open training session, also plays Crameri roll!

Back off dude he's mine.

 

[Yoda_]

Love the upwards trajectory his development has gone in.

Went from bit parts player two years ago to a permanent fixture for us.

Love that similar storyline to that of Michael Barlow that he did not play TAC Cup football, played with mates but developed at amateur level and was invited down to the VFL. developed enough to now warrant a spot on our AFL list.

Here's hoping he can maybe have a similar impact in a year or two like that of Barlow

 

[BrunoV]

He's basically the a prototype athlete who already knows his way around a footy field.

With the skill set he has available I fully expect that we'll develop him into our CHF.