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

 

[eDPS]

Highlights added to the OP, Includes full Reserves Grand Final which includes fellow draftee Jordan Houlahan

 

[Zach Package]

View attachment 440079 Welcome to Essendon, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.

I'm not sure why we've drafted a tall defender, but I trust Dodo.

Also, longest neck ever.

Could be because it's a clear and obvious need

 

[DapperDon]

View attachment 440079 Welcome to Essendon, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.

I'm not sure why we've drafted a tall defender, but I trust Dodo.

Also, longest neck ever.

That is an elite neck, no doubt about it.

 

[citizen-erased]

Welcome Margaret

Maggie-Z?
Zerky?
Cider? (Thatchers Gold - lovely)

 

[ghostdog]

Could be because it's a clear and obvious need

...ahead of inside mids. Clearly.

 

[Capt Hindsight]

Welcome Zerk-Thatcher (Excellent name).
At pick 66 don't mind being speculative and taking a long term prospect.
Needs a massive amount of building up though as at least 20kgs off AFL playing weight, considering his height.

 

[Zach Package]

...ahead of inside mids. Clearly.

I don't think you're looking close enough. We've actually got a decent little core of midfielders (and midfielders in training) under 21 in Parish, Langford, Mutch, Begley, McGrath, Clarke and now Guelfi.

Until we drafted BZT we didn't have a key defender under the age of 25 on the list. Enormous demographic hole.

 

[Highly Evolved]

Welcome!

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Welcome to Essendon Brandon.

More importantly, Zaharakis is no longer last alphabetically at Essendon.

YES!

 

[ghostdog]

I don't think you're looking close enough. We've actually got a decent little core of midfielders (and midfielders in training) under 21 in Parish, Langford, Mutch, Begley, McGrath, Clarke and now Guelfi.

Until we drafted BZT we didn't have a key defender under the age of 25 on the list. Enormous demographic hole.

Maybe so, but Mutch plays outside, and Langford, Begley and Clarke are still unproven in an inside role. Parish I believe can but he's undersized, as is McGrath, so it's not that clear at all. A KPD isn't as immediate a need as inside mids are, especially now we have Stringer and the option of sending Hooker back (not that I'd want to).

 

[Mootsy]

Very good skills, reminds me of Rance a bit.

 

[Zach Package]

Maybe so, but Mutch plays outside, and Langford, Begley and Clarke are still unproven in an inside role. Parish I believe can but he's undersized, as is McGrath, so it's not that clear at all. A KPD isn't as immediate a need as inside mids are, especially now we have Stringer and the option of sending Hooker back (not that I'd want to).

And your solution is to go with someone else unproven.

Devon Smith is a midfielder, Parish will continue to get better, McGrath and Stringer we think will run through there and Langford, Mutch and Begley with another year of physical development will all push for a spot. I said it this morning, we addressed the midfield a month ago, tonight was an opportunity to address other holes. Would also add that we actually did add a pretty decent inside midfield prospect tonight in any event.

 

[duckdog]

We win "Best draftee name"

The sneeze

 

[Beerfish]

Jesus Christ. That's actually a name. Like for real.

 

[Lore]

Jesus Christ. That's actually a name. Like for real.

Doesn't even have unusual punctuation...

 

[Rack Watts]

His initials sound like an electric shock.

 

[Kaiser Powser]

Zerk Thatcher. Sounds like an agricultural profession from Star Wars.

 

[carnthedons]

Very good skills, reminds me of Rance a bit.

Very good skills and Rance. I don’t follow.

 

[ant555]

Any comparison to Sean Gregory? albeit not as tall (iirc Sean was 199cm)

You could say he is. Probably a bit quicker/more mobile than Gregory and has a much better leap but yes similar in that he needs development body wise and would need to improve his ball winning in the back half from what he did in the champ series.

 

[eDPS]

You could say he is. Probably a bit quicker/more mobile than Gregory and has a much better leap but yes similar in that he needs development body wise
and needs to start finding a bit more of the ball.

His disposals numbers where actually good for his position. Averaged 16 touches and had 5 games over 20 touches. Not many good young key defenders get those numbers

 

[ant555]

His disposals numbers where actually good for his position. Averaged 16 touches and had 5 games over 20 touches. Not many good young key defenders get those numbers

Played a bit in the ruck in the SANFL Colts at stages.
Have not seen a huge amount of him but he defended well during the champs but was not a high ball winner.

 

[eDPS]

Played a bit in the ruck in the SANFL Colts at stages.
Have not seen a huge amount of him but he defended well during the champs but was not a high ball winner.

Not many key defenders where big ball winners at the champs to be fair. I thought he read the play really well at the champs just needed to tidy up his kicking a bit

 

[ant555]

His disposals numbers where actually good for his position. Averaged 16 touches and had 5 games over 20 touches. Not many good young key defenders get those numbers

And you managed to quote me before I modified my post

 

[ant555]

Not many key defenders where big ball winners at the champs to be fair. I thought he read the play really well at the champs just needed to tidy up his kicking a bit

Not knocking the pick. Just adding my observations. Right sort of pick for the range but he is still a pick in the 60's from a draft that looks to be light in KP players. I like the fact that we have used this pick on someone who has had exposure to the Champ series and also SANFL finals albeit reserves finals.

 

[eDPS]

Not knocking the pick. Just adding my observations. Right sort of pick for the range but he is still a pick in the 60's from a draft that looks to be light in KP players. I like the fact that we have used this pick on someone who has had exposure to the Champ series and also SANFL finals albeit reserves finals.

Yeah not saying you are knocking him just stating his numbers aren't that bad for his position