Player Watch #29: Shai Bolton - What an absolute jet!

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Madison

Club Legend
Jul 28, 2009
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Dimma spoke about him in his presser the other day. Said Bolton has been training really well and he's improved heaps in that area and it's just a matter of it clicking consistency at AFL level. He's had some good games that have shown his promise, he's gotta get to 50 games and he'll start showing that consistency and talent the club knows he has.

Defs need to learn to bring his team mates into the game more and not go all himself, but when he starts to get that right he'll be a jet imo
 

Grrr

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Aug 16, 2009
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Dimma spoke about him in his presser the other day. Said Bolton has been training really well and he's improved heaps in that area and it's just a matter of it clicking consistency at AFL level. He's had some good games that have shown his promise, he's gotta get to 50 games and he'll start showing that consistency and talent the club knows he has.

Defs need to learn to bring his team mates into the game more and not go all himself, but when he starts to get that right he'll be a jet imo
Tad harsh I reckon. Up the ground he always gives off to a player in a better position and is very creative with the ball, just around goals his instinct is to go for those goals. I have seen him dish off where he wouldn't have previously, but habits take time to break. There is also an argument where players are too unselfish and either go to far with the dish off when they should have a shot. BEllis passing to Castagna last week when he had every right to have a shot from 45m out directly in front, which of course George missed. Lost count of the amount of times we have dished off near goals only to mess it up. KB never dished off... ever.
 

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Jan 13, 2005
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Tad harsh I reckon. Up the ground he always gives off to a player in a better position and is very creative with the ball, just around goals his instinct is to go for those goals. I have seen him dish off where he wouldn't have previously, but habits take time to break. There is also an argument where players are too unselfish and either go to far with the dish off when they should have a shot. BEllis passing to Castagna last week when he had every right to have a shot from 45m out directly in front, which of course George missed. Lost count of the amount of times we have dished off near goals only to mess it up. KB never dished off... ever.

Gets called selfish but is 2nd behind Dusty for total goal assists in 16 games. :rolleyes:
 
If you think about Shane Edwards at the same age, I would have Shai well ahead.

Just imagine if he improves every year like Shedda has for the last 10 years. He could be the best player in the comp! How good would that be?

Really hope the rumours of a 3 year deal are true.
 

Madison

Club Legend
Jul 28, 2009
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Tad harsh I reckon. Up the ground he always gives off to a player in a better position and is very creative with the ball, just around goals his instinct is to go for those goals. I have seen him dish off where he wouldn't have previously, but habits take time to break. There is also an argument where players are too unselfish and either go to far with the dish off when they should have a shot. BEllis passing to Castagna last week when he had every right to have a shot from 45m out directly in front, which of course George missed. Lost count of the amount of times we have dished off near goals only to mess it up. KB never dished off... ever.

I think he’s gotten better but he’s still got a bit of work to do. I’m not just talking about goal kicking. Outside 50 he still gets caught a bit trying to do too much.

He’s bobs got some tricks and he can get himself out of trouble, he just needs to know when to do it and when to use his team mates. It’ll go a long way to him reaching his potential.
 

Grrr

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Aug 16, 2009
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I think he’s gotten better but he’s still got a bit of work to do. I’m not just talking about goal kicking. Outside 50 he still gets caught a bit trying to do too much.

He’s bobs got some tricks and he can get himself out of trouble, he just needs to know when to do it and when to use his team mates. It’ll go a long way to him reaching his potential.
Fair enough, but he takes the game on which is exciting, and has the ability to extract himself from trouble when he tries to do a bit much, but the longer he is in the better his decision making will get. Reckon he needs a breakout game, he's had a few good ones, but needs one like Rioli is the final against GWS. Not far away.
 

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4tune8

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Jul 31, 2017
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Fair enough, but he takes the game on which is exciting, and has the ability to extract himself from trouble when he tries to do a bit much, but the longer he is in the better his decision making will get. Reckon he needs a breakout game, he's had a few good ones, but needs one like Rioli is the final against GWS. Not far away.
shai bolton.GIF
 
I think he’s gotten better but he’s still got a bit of work to do. I’m not just talking about goal kicking. Outside 50 he still gets caught a bit trying to do too much.

He’s bobs got some tricks and he can get himself out of trouble, he just needs to know when to do it and when to use his team mates. It’ll go a long way to him reaching his potential.

And Edwards used to do the exact same things. I would pull my hair out screaming that this guy made too many mistakes! Then all of a sudden it was like watching someone from the Matrix doing things that you had to watch 3-4 times before you realised how special it was.

Then I realised that it didn't happen all of a sudden. He learned from his mistakes and he became better as a result. Let him keep trying the impossible. Some players should be given that licence. Not many. Maybe 2-3 on any given list but he's one of those guys I reckon.
 
I’ve been holding my cool about this kid, but now that it’s up in the air a little I’m gonna say.
This kid is one out’ve the box.
The club has been a little firm with him but I reckon I haven’t seen many like him.
I’ve always taken an interest in the Tiwi kids cause I really like the way they play and I reckon a bit if it is because they grow up dreamin of playin at Darwin at the TIO Stadium, it’s a big ground bigger than the G and you’ll end up in space and if you want to beat your oppo you need some tricks.
The French have got a word for it, they call it ‘Panache’.
Bolton didn’t grow up there but he’s got Panache, maybe the most I’ve seen.
This kid comes from suburban/second level footy Royalty over there and the other thing about him I reckon he’s got a strip of steel running down the middle of his back.
First year, first couple of games got rubbed out for knockin a carlton vfl player in the mouth in a practice match for giving him chat.
2018 goal of the year and mark of the year.
Goal of the year game laid 8 tackles.
Got told he needs to play the Richmond way.
Hired a personel trainer and came back fair dinkum and ready to go.
If this kid was played like some other clubs play their small forwards and he was the oppo I don’t reckon Grimes would’ve played on anyone like him, I reckon he’s got more tricks than Cyril and if it came to it he’d knock Cyril in the teeth.
This kid is somethin really special and I really hope he stays.
 
I’ve been holding my cool about this kid, but now that it’s up in the air a little I’m gonna say.
This kid is one out’ve the box.
The club has been a little firm with him but I reckon I haven’t seen many like him.
I’ve always taken an interest in the Tiwi kids cause I really like the way they play and I reckon a bit if it is because they grow up dreamin of playin at Darwin at the TIO Stadium, it’s a big ground bigger than the G and you’ll end up in space and if you want to beat your oppo you need some tricks.
The French have got a word for it, they call it ‘Panache’.
Bolton didn’t grow up there but he’s got Panache, maybe the most I’ve seen.
This kid comes from suburban/second level footy Royalty over there and the other thing about him I reckon he’s got a strip of steel running down the middle of his back.
First year, first couple of games got rubbed out for knockin a carlton vfl player in the mouth in a practice match for giving him chat.
2018 goal of the year and mark of the year.
Goal of the year game laid 8 tackles.
Got told he needs to play the Richmond way.
Hired a personel trainer and came back fair dinkum and ready to go.
If this kid was played like some other clubs play their small forwards and he was the oppo I don’t reckon Grimes would’ve played on anyone like him, I reckon he’s got more tricks than Cyril and if it came to it he’d knock Cyril in the teeth.
This kid is somethin really special and I really hope he stays.

He has “it”
 

Sol23

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Jun 17, 2013
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I’ve been holding my cool about this kid, but now that it’s up in the air a little I’m gonna say.
This kid is one out’ve the box.
The club has been a little firm with him but I reckon I haven’t seen many like him.
I’ve always taken an interest in the Tiwi kids cause I really like the way they play and I reckon a bit if it is because they grow up dreamin of playin at Darwin at the TIO Stadium, it’s a big ground bigger than the G and you’ll end up in space and if you want to beat your oppo you need some tricks.
The French have got a word for it, they call it ‘Panache’.
Bolton didn’t grow up there but he’s got Panache, maybe the most I’ve seen.
This kid comes from suburban/second level footy Royalty over there and the other thing about him I reckon he’s got a strip of steel running down the middle of his back.
First year, first couple of games got rubbed out for knockin a carlton vfl player in the mouth in a practice match for giving him chat.
2018 goal of the year and mark of the year.
Goal of the year game laid 8 tackles.
Got told he needs to play the Richmond way.
Hired a personel trainer and came back fair dinkum and ready to go.
If this kid was played like some other clubs play their small forwards and he was the oppo I don’t reckon Grimes would’ve played on anyone like him, I reckon he’s got more tricks than Cyril and if it came to it he’d knock Cyril in the teeth.
This kid is somethin really special and I really hope he stays.
I know our players play the Richmond way but I wish they would let this kid show his tricks and give him a bit more freedom.
 
I know our players play the Richmond way but I wish they would let this kid show his tricks and give him a bit more freedom.
Thats the thing...a good team player is a player that his team mates know what he will do and he does it 8 times out’ve 10.
This kid naturally wants to do things that can’t be taught.
Sam Walsh is a really determined kid, he’s does what he thinks he needs to do to improve and has sacrificed and tried every week to get better, but he is as boring as a dogs arse. It’s unusual to be that single minded and to do what makes him thought of as good.
But thats not talent.
 

Sol23

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Jun 17, 2013
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Thats the thing...a good team player is a player that his team mates know what he will do and he does it 8 times out’ve 10.
This kid naturally wants to do things that can’t be taught.
Sam Walsh is a really determined kid, he’s does what he thinks he needs to do to improve and has sacrificed and tried every week to get better, but he is as boring as a dogs arse. It’s unusual to be that single minded and to do what makes him thought of as good.
But thats not talent.
Yeah completely agree. Hopefully shai can light it up this final series.
 
Yeah completely agree. Hopefully shai can light it up this final series.
I really hope he stays, what we got with the indigenous leader program and him coming from a family thats super respected in WA, him getting dropped and getting a Personal Trainer and coming back and with him playing the way that kids try and play in the street or on an oval without a whistle, he’d be an awesome leader and role model.
Talent doesn’t always mean success but this kid gets the “special” from me.
He’s like the Dane Swan of the aboriginal kids I reckon from the family he’s come from.
 
Dec 28, 2007
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Said it many times he is very similar to Michael Walters but walters wasnt at Shai's level at the same age


Dusty mentioned that Shai is the most talented footballer on our list and we must keep this kid at Richmond
 
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