Traded #30: Brandon Zerk-Thatcher - 🚨 traded to the Pear, thanks for your service

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2023
My Boy Draft 2023: Pick 8, 84859300

 

[BrunoV]

Like hell they can, Astbury doesn’t even have knees. King is a nightmare match up for anyone when the Saints march the ball inside 50 without pressure to the point where I don’t think Zerk’s physical attributes even matter. You either gamble and inevitably get burnt or you put a folding chair in his place and get the same result.

Astbury has played on every number 1 forward at least since 2017. He both has the speed and the size to do it. Keath can and is doing the jobs. Talia is a great stopper but not good at much else so Keath hasn't had to do it for as long.

That's not say they never get beaten, by the way. We haven't played Hooker on a player that can run since 2012. By any estimation BZT will be a poor version of Hooker.

Who then is he suited to playing on? When Francis has similar limitations, why would you limit yourself to BZT?

 

[Zach Package]

Astbury has played on every number 1 forward at least since 2017. He both has the speed and the size to do it. Keath can and is doing the jobs. Talia is a great stopper but not good at much else so Keath hasn't had to do it for as long.

That's not say they never get beaten, by the way. We haven't played Hooker on a player that can run since 2012. By any estimation BZT will be a poor version of Hooker.

Who then is he suited to playing on? When Francis has similar limitations, why would you limit yourself to BZT?

Who is he suited to now or who is he suited to when he fills out and grows out of the weird, lanky frame?

 

[TheGrizz]

He is a 5 games player who was playing KPD in a team that defends like a sieve through the middle of the ground.

The turnover when he tried to run around the mark was bad, absolutely. But like i said that is a 5 game player mistake. He clearly wasnt confident enough to hit the 40m target kick to the flank and reluctant to bomb it long.

I am taking yesterday with a handful of salt.

 

[DERO]

He is a 5 games player who was playing KPD in a team that defends like a sieve through the middle of the ground.

The turnover when he tried to run around the mark was bad, absolutely. But like i said that is a 5 game player mistake. He clearly wasnt confident enough to hit the 40m target kick to the flank and reluctant to bomb it long.

I am taking yesterday with a handful of salt.

People have probably forgotten how dicey Hooker was early on. From memory, there were plenty writing him off early too.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

I am taking yesterday with a handful of salt.

Great call, me too

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Really struggles with repeat efforts and looks absolutely knackered. Nothing that a few more games and pre seasons can't fix.

At close to 22 you'd think he'd have played a few more games by now but the club has preferred to stick with the old and trusted for some reason and not blood enough youth.

Would be interesting to see how he goes after another year or two but definitely something to work with.

 

[eth-dog]

Was pretty good yesterday given he was basically the only tall in the back line for the second half.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

191cm in the OP? Pretty sure he's at least 195.

 

[Tang]

191cm in the OP? Pretty sure he's at least 195.

yeah surely cant be right

 

[Vander18]

He’s a really good aerialist - reads the flight well and solid hands.

I’m afraid he’s what’s known in basketball as a ‘tweener. Ie an in-between type not genuinely suited to a position at this level.

He is horrendously slow - alarm bells started ringing when Himmelberg left him for dead against GWS and last night it was Tim O’Brien. We are not talking about renowned speedsters here....and they put a gap on him in 2-3 strides.

 

[fairbump_playon]

He’s a really good aerialist - reads the flight well and solid hands.

I’m afraid he’s what’s known in basketball as a ‘tweener. Ie an in-between type not genuinely suited to a position at this level.

He is horrendously slow - alarm bells started ringing when Himmelberg left him for dead against GWS and last night it was Tim O’Brien. We are not talking about renowned speedsters here....and they put a gap on him in 2-3 strides.

Watching him run made me wonder how Margaret Thatcher herself covered the ground - and I got the sense that she may actually have been a bit more mobile in her heydey.

 

[andleanback]

He’s a really good aerialist - reads the flight well and solid hands.

I’m afraid he’s what’s known in basketball as a ‘tweener. Ie an in-between type not genuinely suited to a position at this level.

He is horrendously slow - alarm bells started ringing when Himmelberg left him for dead against GWS and last night it was Tim O’Brien. We are not talking about renowned speedsters here....and they put a gap on him in 2-3 strides.

O’Brien did a 2.94 20m sprint at his combine which is elite speed for a tall. Himmelberg is no sloth either.

 

[eth-dog]

He’s a really good aerialist - reads the flight well and solid hands.

I’m afraid he’s what’s known in basketball as a ‘tweener. Ie an in-between type not genuinely suited to a position at this level.

He is horrendously slow - alarm bells started ringing when Himmelberg left him for dead against GWS and last night it was Tim O’Brien. We are not talking about renowned speedsters here....and they put a gap on him in 2-3 strides.

Like O'Brien's thing is that he's a really good athlete. It's just that he kinda sucks at the football part of the equation.

 

[Vander18]

Like O'Brien's thing is that he's a really good athlete. It's just that he kinda sucks at the football part of the equation.

Maybe I have underrated O’Brian but BZK got left for dead in two strides - he is dead set slow.

 

[BrunoV]

Maybe I have underrated O’Brian but BZK got left for dead in two strides - he is dead set slow.

While Himmleberg is genuine gas, I'd say quicker than O'Brien, it doesn't change the reality that BZT is slow.

Its also doesn't help that most key forwards are explosive and or genuinely quick.

He's too limited to be peciled in a prospective post Hooker/Hurley backine.

I'd be aiming to have McBride and even Brand in the side. BZT should be worth a spot as depth assuming the list reductions are not too severe.

 

[blitzer]

Yeah I still see it as a bit of an uphill battle for BZT long term. His lack of pace by itself isn't so bad but he also isn't particularly good in the strength stakes (he's no Hooker who can simply wrestle his opponents out of position). So he has to rely on his reading of the ball. He's a lot like the tall version of Gleeson. He's not awful and I genuinely think his intercept game has some potential but if you consider we are loaded up with interceptors already and really just need someone with height to match up on the taller blokes his position for the long term is in some doubt.

 

[Vander18]

While Himmleberg is genuine gas, I'd say quicker than O'Brien, it doesn't change the reality that BZT is slow.

Its also doesn't help that most key forwards are explosive and or genuinely quick.

He's too limited to be peciled in a prospective post Hooker/Hurley backine.

I'd be aiming to have McBride and even Brand in the side. BZT should be worth a spot as depth assuming the list reductions are not too severe.

Himmelberg is quick too? Him I have seen quite a bit (unlike O’Brien) and would said he was ok to pretty good but nothing special. I’ll take your word for it.

Regardless, what i saw was how quickly they left him behind. It was literally two strides. There was zero horsepower. It doesn’t bode well.

 

[eDPS]

Have some patience, some of the best key defenders in the game aren’t highlighted by how quick they are.

He has so many more years to reach his prime and should get some good advice from fellow slow guy Hooker haha

 

[andleanback]

Have some patience, some of the best key defenders in the game aren’t highlighted by how quick they are.

He has so many more years to reach his prime and should get some good advice from fellow slow guy Hooker haha

Had some really good moments in the last qtr aswell. Outmuscling mcevoy which set up the Clarke goal and killing a big contest on the wing. People forget he’s only played half a dozen games, it’s rare key backs look like stars early. Give him a couple more preseasons and 40 more games, then we’ll really know.

 

[carnthedons]

Had some really good moments in the last qtr aswell. Outmuscling mcevoy which set up the Clarke goal and a killing a big contest on the wing. People forget he’s only played half a dozen games, it’s rare key backs look like stars early. Give him a couple more preseasons and 40 more games, then we’ll really know.

Yeah that’s fair enough. I guess when we’ve had the luxury of defenders making almost immediate impact (Pears, Hurley, Ridley) we probably have a different view to what most other club’s fans would. Combine that with us having genuinely elite tall backs for as long as I can remember (Fletch, Wellman, Michael, Pears, Hooker, Hurley, Carlisle, Ridley) and as a supporter group we have been spoilt in one regard.

 

[eth-dog]

Needs to put on another 10 kilos minimum though

 

[ant555]

People have probably forgotten how dicey Hooker was early on. From memory, there were plenty writing him off early too.

There where plenty saying we should trade or delist him.

 

[ant555]

Needs to put on another 10 kilos minimum though

Now this is the interesting one. I am not sure he is going to be someone who wrestles the hulks so 10kg may not be a benefit for him. In all honesty not a lot of young players actually put on more than 6 or 7 kg anyway. I would be looking at another 5kg but more core and upper body strength allowing him to still have a decent leap at the ball.

 

[carnthedons]

There where plenty saying we should trade or delist him.

Yep I was probably one of them, guess it wasn’t helped by having Pears from his draft class, Hurley right after and Ryder moderately competent at CHB (Buddy notwithstanding)

 

[Vander18]

Now this is the interesting one. I am not sure he is going to be someone who wrestles the hulks so 10kg may not be a benefit for him. In all honesty not a lot of young players actually put on more than 6 or 7 kg anyway. I would be looking at another 5kg but more core and upper body strength allowing him to still have a decent leap at the ball.

I dunno - I kind of agree with Ethan here.

Feel like playing on the gorillas is his only shot. He has the height and reach to play on genuine bigs, needs the body to go with it.

If not these guys, who does he play on?