Player Watch #3: Christian Salem

[Tempy Tiger]

I seem to remember him being advertised as quite quick when he was a junior, he just never seems to sprint.

He’s not quick. The tell tale sign is how he always goes to ground in a foot race. The Jordan Lewis technique.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

I seem to remember him being advertised as quite quick when he was a junior, he just never seems to sprint.

I like to think of him as 'blistering', rather than quick

 

[blitznu]

hopefully gets a full preseason in and backs it up with another 1 next year. both he and Petracca just dont look fit enough reckon once their tanks are bigger to get to more contests be able to see what sort of player he'll actually be. but right now he just doesnt look like hes gonna become anything more than an average player but ill hold off til he has a full pre season

 

[rhaz]

Can I bump this thread again... cos he was super average again today.

Unfortunately the Josh Kelly trade, which started promisingly, looks very poor now.

 

[Simon_Says]

Can I bump this thread again... cos he was super average again today.

Unfortunately the Josh Kelly trade, which started promisingly, looks very poor now.

doesn't help that Dom is also slow by foot AF
wish he was silky like his name

 

[Grimesy87]

Meh. Really meh.

 

[Fork n Hell]

thought there was plenty worse than him.

 

[ABray10]

Same old, same old, always plenty worse than him but never near our best. At least I know what I am going to get from him.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

I thought he was fairly solid, good ball use, competes and makes good decisions.

He needs to play more in the midfield.

 

[Dee Won]

We could have drafted Nathan 2-3 Freeman for his speed, a lot of mocks had him or Salem at our spot, Freemans just too fast for his hammys

 

[Tulip]

I thought he was fairly solid, good ball use, competes and makes good decisions.

He needs to play more in the midfield.

15 touches. If you're putting up those numbers in 2018, you need to be hitting the scoreboard, tagging, or shutting down elite small forwards. Not floating around the ground doing very little (three tackles).

 

[Topkent]

15 touches. If you're putting up those numbers in 2018, you need to be hitting the scoreboard, tagging, or shutting down elite small forwards. Not floating around the ground doing very little (three tackles).

Yah. Why does he play in defence?
Not a great defender by any means and doesn't get 30 touches like Laird thereby being a weapon
.

 

[Tulip]

Yah. Why does he play in defence?
Not a great defender by any means and doesn't get 30 touches like Laird thereby being a weapon
.

He could be so much better, but he just doesn't seem to want to be. Very frustrating.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

15 touches. If you're putting up those numbers in 2018, you need to be hitting the scoreboard, tagging, or shutting down elite small forwards. Not floating around the ground doing very little (three tackles).

Don’t quite agree mate.

We’re playing him in the backline where our main rebounders are Hibberd and Lewis, Lewis is our ‘quarterback’ as well.

I’m not too worried about his numbers when he’s having a positive impact with what he does.

Needs to be up around the ball like earlier in the year.

Having a player like Salem who doesn’t lose many 1 on 1s and is clean with the ball is great.

 

[pjfairbairn]

I had him in our 6 best, especially his first half. Composure and actually threw his body around a little. Needs more time in the midfield.

 

[KickLongTackleHard]

I was a bit worried about Salem after his indifferent form during the experiment of playing him as a full-time mid, but he's really added a hardness to his game and has locked down a half back role really well in the second half of 2018. Foot skills are very handy in traffic across half back and wing.

 

[Topkent]

Doesn't mark the footy so I still think he should play as a winger but he's consolidated lately. Him an Lewis really marshalled the back line

 

[Tulip]

He's come good as the team has become better. Pleased with him. We'll need him with Lewis getting old and Hibbo set to slow down over the next 2-3 years.

 

[ABray10]

I think he is just a good player. Never going to be a star but probably end his career with 200-250 games. Better than a lot of top 10 picks.

 

[schmuttt]

ThePuppetMaster has backed him in all the way, starting to see the best of him.

 

[degustation]

I think he is just a good player. Never going to be a star but probably end his career with 200-250 games. Better than a lot of top 10 picks.

Yeah I don't think he's actually improved that much. It's just that now he's an average to solid player in a good side, rather than in a bad one, and he's not getting dragged over the coals as much because he's fitting into a stronger system. Happy for him to get the accolades which our average to good players have missed out on in the past, thought

 

[jhong]

Quiet achiever !

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

I reckon he's a bloody good player.

Isn't going to be a high possession winner, but players who have his mix of skill, vision & competitiveness are worth their weight in gold.

 

[degustation]

Also Salem's success is independent of the success of the trade. If we'd drafted Cripps, Merrett, or even Sicily with pick 9 no one would think twice about Kelly. Can't really judge whether the trade was the right decision or not based on what the recruiters ended up doing.

 

[schmuttt]

I reckon he's a bloody good player.

Isn't going to be a high possession winner, but players who have his mix of skill, vision & competitiveness are worth their weight in gold.

His attack on the man and ball sets him aside from other HBFers who sheepdog for 120 minutes. Thing is I don’t mind Salem on the outside because he is a beautiful kick, but will always go when it is his turn.