Player Watch #3 Christian Salem

[The Dr]

I know we all love Salem and rate his potential, but is he doing enough at the moment?

And possibly more to the point, are we using him in the best way?

13 touches, three tackles today. 15 touches, five tackles against GWS.

I know we're trying to make him our go-to quarterback player because of his great kicking skills, but we're dying out for more midfielders who can deliver the ball well forward of centre.

Teams realise how important to us he is and he's struggled to get out of second gear so far this year. I wonder if we'd be better throwing him into the midfield, at least sometimes ala Hodge and Burgoyne at the Hawks.

 

[AFL is Number One]

When you have two imbeciles like McDonald and Garland in teh backline...we need someone with class back there

 

[Xenthor]

I think he could play either position well, but our midfield is actually starting to come together and we need better ball users in the backline to help rebound. So he should play most of his footy across halfback with 5 minutes in the ball every now and then

 

[d33my]

Probably an unfair thread at this time as we had about 17 players who needed to do better today.

Having said that, some class with disposal and good decision making from him could have gone a long way to stopping some of our ridiculous choices with the ball.

But yeah that's not just on him.

 

[The Dr]

I think he could play either position well, but our midfield is actually starting to come together and we need better ball users in the backline to help rebound. So he should play most of his footy across halfback with 5 minutes in the ball every now and then

Yeah I probably agree. I guess I'd like to see him thrown into the midfield if we need a spark.

I guess the first question still stands though - is he doing enough at the moment? (I know he had a lot of mates today!)

 

[Xenthor]

Yeah I probably agree. I guess I'd like to see him thrown into the midfield if we need a spark.

I guess the first question still stands though - is he doing enough at the moment? (I know he had a lot of mates today!)

he is going alright for a young team who haven't exactly played very well in the last 2 games. But he needs to lift a bit more unless he wants to get dropped for someone like Grimes or Stretch

 

[Wizardy]

looked like a jogger yesterday. ive noticed that hes developing a bit of a habit of watching on when not in possession. if the opposition ball carrier is in your vicinity you need to go at him and not wait for someone else. not sure where his fitness is at, but not playing with the intensity or purpose we know hes capable of currently.

of course he was far from the only one guilty of this. too many players waiting for someone else to apply the pressure. reflects badly on our leaders inability to get the players up for the contest imo. theres no excuses. this happens all too often.

 

[Darksidepoints]

Get him out of the backline and give him room to run and gun to the forwards.

 

[Tulip]

No, he isn't doing enough.

As clean and composed on the ball as a third year player can be, and he never shirks a contest. Those are two positives.

The main issue with him for me is that he doesn't play with a great amount of appetite. He never goes and finds the ball himself, but seems happy to just coast along.

 

[Tempy Tiger]

I'd like to see him have a run on the ball too. Direct swap between him and N.Jones. I don't rate chunk in the midfield anymore. He got to run free yesterday due to the heavy tag on Viney but wasn't damaging at all. I know he got 29 but good mids rack up those numbers with a tag. He should have carved it up yesterday.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Salem is playing a role. Will look good in wins, inert in losses.

Needs a new role.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Salem has a bit of pace actually, so i would have loved to see him move up the ground yesterday. Remember him as a hungry kid in 2014

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

He'll keep developing - he was a bit off yesterday but was still reasonable.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

Kneejerk thread, imo.

 

[Cannon82]

Kneejerk thread, imo.

Way too early to make that call. Let's wait a couple of years and see how the thread develops before writing it off.

 

[blitznu]

looked like a jogger yesterday. ive noticed that hes developing a bit of a habit of watching on when not in possession. if the opposition ball carrier is in your vicinity you need to go at him and not wait for someone else. not sure where his fitness is at, but not playing with the intensity or purpose we know hes capable of currently.

of course he was far from the only one guilty of this. too many players waiting for someone else to apply the pressure. reflects badly on our leaders inability to get the players up for the contest imo. theres no excuses. this happens all too often.

Noticed this alot yesterday not just salem just ****ing waiting for shit to happen/unfold before trying to impact the game either attack the man with the ball or ****ing get to a spot to stop the next receiver.. then the ****ing coach comes out and says we looked cooked like we need a break.. hold the **** on the clubs job is to get the players to the bye then freshen up not come out and say we are cooked at round 2 cause its been a big 5 weeks. **** the NAB in that case...

Our midfield will look alot better when petracca n trengrove are back gives us 2 more players to run through it

 

[Sprout]

When you have two imbeciles like McDonald and Garland in teh backline...we need someone with class back there

We are treading water until we get some class by foot across the back six. McDonald remains a concern going forward. His kicking isn't anywhere near good enough for the position he's been groomed.

I'd like to see Salem moved into the middle a bite more but when he's up and about he playing an important role for now. When Trac and Trenners come into the side, it will be a nice shake up and provide a bit more flexibility.

 

[Tulip]

Noticed this alot yesterday not just salem just ******* waiting for shit to happen/unfold before trying to impact the game either attack the man with the ball or ******* get to a spot to stop the next receiver.. then the ******* coach comes out and says we looked cooked like we need a break.. hold the **** on the clubs job is to get the players to the bye then freshen up not come out and say we are cooked at round 2 cause its been a big 5 weeks. **** the NAB in that case...

Our midfield will look alot better when petracca n trengrove are back gives us 2 more players to run through it

I was an English major, so as cringey as I find your grasp of the language - you have been on the ball all weekend . If Salem doesn't have the ****ing appetite to chase his own ball, he'll never be anything more than a neat player. Does he want to be Luke Hodge/Kade Simpson, or does he want to be Shaun Higgins/Paul Seedsman.

 

[Tulip]

We are treading water until we get some class by foot across the back six. McDonald remains a concern going forward. His kicking isn't anywhere near good enough for the position he's been groomed.

I'd like to see Salem moved into the middle a bite more but when he's up and about he playing an important role for now. When Trac and Trenners come into the side, it will be a nice shake up and provide a bit more flexibility.

His kicking is good enough for a CHB, but only if you have a FB that can hit a target (do we?)

In our current rotation, only two can kick. Bugg has to be a big concern going forward. He's been recruited for a role that isn't tenable in our backline. Unless you're an ace KPB, you need to be able to kick.

 

[Higgs Boson]

I was an English major, so as cringey as I find your grasp of the language - you have been on the ball all weekend . If Salem doesn't have the ******* appetite to chase his own ball, he'll never be anything more than a neat player. Does he want to be Luke Hodge/Kade Simpson, or does he want to be Shaun Higgins/Paul Seedsman.

You'd agree then that he should be right at home in the crucible of an AFL match then?

 

[Tulip]

You'd agree then that he should be right at home in the crucible of an AFL match then?

This thread has been nothing short of a witch hunt.

 

[blitznu]

I was an English major, so as cringey as I find your grasp of the language - you have been on the ball all weekend . If Salem doesn't have the ******* appetite to chase his own ball, he'll never be anything more than a neat player. Does he want to be Luke Hodge/Kade Simpson, or does he want to be Shaun Higgins/Paul Seedsman.

Lol sorry man english aint my forte. Not hard to tell
Do love my footy though watch as many games as i can.
He'll sort it all out i reckon he just hasnt got the tank yet. He does go hard at tackles and sits under the high ball. Just needs to get on his bike more

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

You'd agree then that he should be right at home in the crucible of an AFL match then?

This thread has been nothing short of a witch hunt.

Good areas.

 

[Crusty Demon]

No he's not. But like a few others on our list, he's playing in a position that he's best not suited to. He's a midfielder for mine. At least get Stretch back in the side, and they can swap between wing and back flank during the game. Both have good skills and provide run. Without Stretch and Dunn in the team, we really have no one with any kicking ability in our back 6.

 

[PerfectFooty]

I don't even know where Stretch is even at, was unsighted during the NAB Challenge