Delisted #33: Brayden "Donny" Ham - not offered another contract - 18/10

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2022
Injury Status: n/a

My Boy Draft 2022: Claim here

 

[Big Slam]

I do not understand the Zaharakis selection. He is not strong overhead, he is not a strong tackler, bobs up with a goal or two and can run all day - just like Ham!

Ham has 5 goals.

Not this season - in his entire career. He is nothing like Zaharakis.

Zaharakis, at the very least, has goal sense.

Ham has none.

25 career games. 5 goals.

For a wing/HFF that return is almost as appalling as his fear of the contest.

 

[Old man fletch]

Ham has 5 goals.

Not this season - in his entire career. He is nothing like Zaharakis.

Zaharakis, at the very least, has goal sense.

Ham has none.

25 career games. 5 goals.

For a wing/HFF that return is almost as appalling as his fear of the contest.

Not sold yet on Ham being on the list long term, but the aim isn't to play finals this year. It's to bed in a system and get games into our young players.

Ham clearly showed in the off season he can put on weight (one of his weaknesses). If he puts on the same sort of weight in the off season again, you'd expect him to be more physical, be able to break a tackle or 2, or at least stand up in them to get the ball off.

Would rather we persist with an undersized winger with room for growth than one of our oldest players who doesn't add something like other older players (hooker shielding Jones) and who won't be on the list for our next tilt at a flag

 

[ant555]

I think we do know if he can get stronger. Building lean mass and improving core strength is no obstacle for any able-bodied young man. What we do not know is whether he will really commit to doing so.

You can build it but everyone has a different level they can get to. You can get stronger than you where but can you get stronger than the next guy who is going to bowl you over. We are talking athletes who have specific training programs playing against other athletes with specific training programs. Everyone is building up their strength every year they are in the system. Not everyone can reach the same level.
It is different in a local footy environment where some will be working harder on it than others so you would not have a decent percentage reaching close to their full potential .

 

[ant555]

Not sold yet on Ham being on the list long term, but the aim isn't to play finals this year. It's to bed in a system and get games into our young players.

Ham clearly showed in the off season he can put on weight (one of his weaknesses). If he puts on the same sort of weight in the off season again, you'd expect him to be more physical, be able to break a tackle or 2, or at least stand up in them to get the ball off.

Would rather we persist with an undersized winger with room for growth than one of our oldest players who doesn't add something like other older players (hooker shielding Jones) and who won't be on the list for our next tilt at a flag

It is a building time but sometimes there are circumstances where it is not always about getting games into young guys. Ham has had a decent go. You could not say they have not given him a decent opportunity to find the level. I would be saying the injury list and the average form of some other young players has more to do with Zaka playing. There really has only been Cahill playing solid footy that could possibly play the same role but they have been working on his midfield craft in the VFL. Hird and Johnson have not been anywhere near senior footy although Hird has been improved in recent games. The rest have been injured. Sometimes the older guys do get into the side to fill a gap in a rebuild. There is no point playing young blokes week in and week out if they are struggling or simply not ready. Playing Zaka last week did not hinder anything as there was no one else behind him right now that has been in decent consistent form.

 

[Old man fletch]

It is a building time but sometimes there are circumstances where it is not always about getting games into young guys. Ham has had a decent go. You could not say they have not given him a decent opportunity to find the level. I would be saying the injury list and the average form of some other young players has more to do with Zaka playing. There really has only been Cahill playing solid footy that could possibly play the same role but they have been working on his midfield craft in the VFL. Hird and Johnson have not been anywhere near senior footy although Hird has been improved in recent games. The rest have been injured. Sometimes the older guys do get into the side to fill a gap in a rebuild. There is no point playing young blokes week in and week out if they are struggling or simply not ready. Playing Zaka last week did not hinder anything as there was no one else behind him right now that has been in decent consistent form.

Makes sense.

Think the mentality should be young guys get first crack, but if they're not performing, a run in the 2s to build confidence/correct flaws in their game. The difference from the woosha years is hopefully that once they've done that, they're back in the senior team and we're not gifting games to our older guys when there's in form youngsters not getting a game

 

[Summer Nights]

You can build it but everyone has a different level they can get to. You can get stronger than you where but can you get stronger than the next guy who is going to bowl you over. We are talking athletes who have specific training programs playing against other athletes with specific training programs. Everyone is building up their strength every year they are in the system. Not everyone can reach the same level.
It is different in a local footy environment where some will be working harder on it than others so you would not have a decent percentage reaching close to their full potential .

I agree with this as it’s a bit different to the initial comment I was referring to. My point is that Ham clearly still has room to grow physically. Whether or not he will get strong enough quickly enough is a valid question but there’s no doubt in my mind he’s not near his physical potential yet in terms of lean muscular development.

I’m not sure when the photo at the top of this thread was taken but I’ll give you an example. Look at his arm flexed backwards. The deltoids are ok (not great but ok) but the tricep is tiny. It’s not a great angle but that tricep is small even for a local footy player in seniors. Obviously it’s just one muscle but it’s an important one for arm strength in things like pressing off an opposition player. It can get bigger and stronger if he works on it.

 

[DERO]

Forget the beach muscles, he needs to develop an arse. At the moment he just has a hole in his back that s**t comes out of.

 

[Ants]

BTW Lore , the top post is incorrect. He got extended to 2022 earlier this year.

It is a building time but sometimes there are circumstances where it is not always about getting games into young guys. Ham has had a decent go. You could not say they have not given him a decent opportunity to find the level. I would be saying the injury list and the average form of some other young players has more to do with Zaka playing. There really has only been Cahill playing solid footy that could possibly play the same role but they have been working on his midfield craft in the VFL. Hird and Johnson have not been anywhere near senior footy although Hird has been improved in recent games. The rest have been injured. Sometimes the older guys do get into the side to fill a gap in a rebuild. There is no point playing young blokes week in and week out if they are struggling or simply not ready. Playing Zaka last week did not hinder anything as there was no one else behind him right now that has been in decent consistent form.

My only issue is that he couldn’t play VFL this week and was selected as an emergency last week. So he’s had no football for two weeks.

 

[JT_the_Man]

BTW Lore , the top post is incorrect. He got extended to 2022 earlier this year.

My only issue is that he couldn’t play VFL this week and was selected as an emergency last week. So he’s had no football for two weeks.

Sub tonight. Hopefully doesn’t need to be activated, but there is a chance he sees game time.

 

[Don35]

Is utterly useless

 

[Ambrosia]

Rumour has it Don35 was upset when Ham kicked the match winner against Freo

 

[ant555]

BTW Lore , the top post is incorrect. He got extended to 2022 earlier this year.

My only issue is that he couldn’t play VFL this week and was selected as an emergency last week. So he’s had no football for two weeks.

All the Victorian sides are in the same boat now anyway.

 

[Ants]

Think he would have offered more than Zaka last night. However, it’s probably Cahill I’d bring in for Zaka.

 

[eth-dog]

Some questioned his inclusion for Snelling, but he was very good tonight. 3 goals, well deserved.

 

[Megabattimus]

Simply must play every game the rest of the year.

 

[Donakebab]

Is utterly useless

So useless.

 

[MiguelM]

Simply must play every game the rest of the year.

He might have to!

Replaces Zakka now.

 

[JT_the_Man]

Nearly had him in my votes. Still might if I change my mind.

I did change my mind for those wondering...

 

[Darealrath]

Lovely finishing. Almost had too much time on a couple of them but made no mistake.

 

[ant555]

Some questioned his inclusion for Snelling, but he was very good tonight. 3 goals, well deserved.

Played a different role though. He was very good kicking his 3 goals and getting involved but on the flip side 1 contested possession and 1 tackle.
Happy he played well in a pressure game as that is when he generally struggles.

 

[BombersDave]

Played a different role though. He was very good kicking his 3 goals and getting involved but on the flip side 1 contested possession and 1 tackle.
Happy he played well in a pressure game as that is when he generally struggles.

That's the part for me that makes me question him being part of the future. 4 tackles in his past 4 full games doesn't exactly ooze blue collar nor does it fit into our pressure gamestyle.

 

[Don35]

So useless.

Yep

 

[doug85]

The Don took this very seriously

Pocket profile: Brayden Ham

Get to know our No.33 a little bit better.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[JT_the_Man]

The Don took this very seriously

Pocket profile: Brayden Ham

Get to know our No.33 a little bit better.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Some personal favourites from that -

What makes you laugh: Nik Cox's head
What did you learn about yourself during COVID lockdowns? That I don’t really like Matt Guelfi as a bloke
Most enjoyable thing about hub life: Dinner time with my friends Ned (Cahill) and Nick (Bryan)
Least enjoyable thing about hub life: Seeing Matt Guelfi every day
Favourite sporting event you would like to attend: Under-17s Irish hockey at 3am
Who would you like to see as the half-time entertainment? Will Ferrell from the Catalina Wine Mixer
What is the best sporting event you have seen? Under-15s badminton in Korea
Something people would be surprised to learn about you: That I’m friends with Jayden Laverde
Life after football: Probably living on Nik Cox’s couch in his billionaire mansion

That’s less than a third of the profile and I still left out some laughs.

 

[Ambrosia]

Some personal favourites from that -

What makes you laugh: Nik Cox's head
What did you learn about yourself during COVID lockdowns? That I don’t really like Matt Guelfi as a bloke
Most enjoyable thing about hub life: Dinner time with my friends Ned (Cahill) and Nick (Bryan)
Least enjoyable thing about hub life: Seeing Matt Guelfi every day
Favourite sporting event you would like to attend: Under-17s Irish hockey at 3am
Who would you like to see as the half-time entertainment? Will Ferrell from the Catalina Wine Mixer
What is the best sporting event you have seen? Under-15s badminton in Korea
Something people would be surprised to learn about you: That I’m friends with Jayden Laverde
Life after football: Probably living on Nik Cox’s couch in his billionaire mansion

That’s less than a third of the profile and I still left out some laughs.

Wanting to live in Fresno for absurdity as well.