Player Watch #35: Matt "The Swingman" Whitlock! - Extends contract to 3 years.

[shintemaster]

Will be good.
Is not AFL ready.
Needs a huge preseason and needs to hit the weights room massively.

Honestly barring injuries even 4-6 games next year at AFL would be fine.

 

[Gasometer]

Some people are just never happy or just like repeating the obvious

Pick pick pick

Anyway, a memory to saviour

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

Definitely as a forward. He is fast, skilled and skilful enough to play as a hybrid 4th defender.

Yeah I’d love to see him developed as a back. Modern defenders are play makers, and I think he has the skills to be both defensively and offensively damaging in the D50. Him, Chom, Hardeman, Dawson and (hopefully) goater are the backline we deserve. Add a fit Griff, Arch and we’re in a good place.

 

[spicerFanClub]

Yeah I’d love to see him developed as a back. Modern defenders are play makers, and I think he has the skills to be both defensively and offensively damaging in the D50. Him, Chom, Hardeman, Dawson and (hopefully) goater are the backline we deserve. Add a fit Griff, Arch and we’re in a good place.

Agree he's got the ball skills to be an intercepting play maker in defence - his foot skills are underrated, is a great kick. Paired with Dawson who is more of your brute, they could be serious opposition if they can develop in defence.

Unfortunately we just don't have the experienced KPD / defensive cattle to develop anyone down back right now, seems we put them up forward to get a feel for speed of game and general AFL. Lambs to the slaughter down back. I'm sure we're hunting someone.

 

[ferball]

Read it well too.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Still a long way off it. Too skinny at the moment.

But being part of that win is worth it weight in gold for any young player.

Just think of all the young blokes we have taken that have been part of big losing streaks.

He’s on the board.

Massive preseason in the gym and bowl of pasta after pasta.

Agree didn't really get near it but it's what I expected from a young tall.
Not a surprise when he's matched up on a 26 year old Tylar Young who probably has a good 10 kg on him at least.
Did some holds/blocks for teammates to mark and goal and dragged his defender away.
Armstrong down the other end struggled as well against the bigger body.
You just want to see some nice moments or contributions from him as he develops.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Agree didn't really get near it but it's what I expected from a young tall.
Not a surprise when he's matched up on a 26 year old Tylar Young who probably has a good 10 kg on him at least.
Did some holds/blocks for teammates to mark and goal and dragged his defender away.
Armstrong down the other end struggled as well against the bigger body.
You just want to see some nice moments or contributions from him as he develops.

Good call. As you say, looked completely out of the direct play, but you can just tell he is 100% footy smart with his team-first play.

 

[Only Forwards]

Reckon we got him in because we thought we’d win.

But agree with consensus on here, he’s underdone.

Needs size and then a stint in the ones so he can work his way in.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

Read it well too.

a pretty good small forwards goal for a big man.

 

[ferball]

a pretty good small forwards goal for a big man.

Took his defender away from the contest, read the ball better and was back in there for the crumb.

After the game I said wtte of "great first goal well done" and he was rapt.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

If Tom Lynch can have a hard and direct conversation with Trembath last year on what is required to play at this level, then I expect the same for Whitlock over the summer on what he needs to work on. Seems like a great country kid like FOS and he is smart enough to get there imho. That 1st win will do wonders for his confidence.

 

[The Nostradamus]

He’s a defender long term

 

[Roosurgence]

Agree didn't really get near it but it's what I expected from a young tall.
Not a surprise when he's matched up on a 26 year old Tylar Young who probably has a good 10 kg on him at least.
Did some holds/blocks for teammates to mark and goal and dragged his defender away.
Armstrong down the other end struggled as well against the bigger body.
You just want to see some nice moments or contributions from him as he develops.

Just being a part of that win will be great for him.

He now knows what his preseason focus should be and what he needs to do to get in that side regularly.

I have no doubt he becomes a player when his body is AFL ready.

 

[spicerFanClub]

If Tom Lynch can have a hard and direct conversation with Trembath last year on what is required to play at this level, then I expect the same for Whitlock over the summer on what he needs to work on. Seems like a great country kid like FOS and he is smart enough to get there imho. That 1st win will do wonders for his confidence.

He's already in our system though, so it will probably be normal conversation. Trembath needed a push or his career wouldn't exist. Matlock will come along, he's got the traits. 2027 is his year.

As others have said, long term it's likely the vision is WDawson and MWhitlock as a 1-2 defensive punch.

 

[shinboner magic]

Two brothers - one with us and one at poort
Want to see how their body shapes develop to compare the different clubs development of young players

 

[Possession]

Two brothers - one with us and one at poort
Want to see how their body shapes develop to compare the different clubs development of young players

Bigfooty conducting nature vs nurture research.

 

[justroyal]

If Tom Lynch can have a hard and direct conversation with Trembath last year on what is required to play at this level, then I expect the same for Whitlock over the summer on what he needs to work on. Seems like a great country kid like FOS and he is smart enough to get there imho. That 1st win will do wonders for his confidence.

I’d like him to have the conversation with Griffin Logue, to be honest.

 

[Dinkers]

Pick 3 aye, Sheesh how many first rounders did Trembath cost us . I assume they're a similar age.

 

[the big lebowski]

from a positive he instinctively position himself to be where the ball was

The negative was how easy young was able to move him under the ball. Obviously a 26 year old vs 19 year old its to be expected.

But another issue was several times he didn’t lead hard enough.

Good that he got another taste but doesn’t finish the season in the side for mine. Attack pre season and add some weight.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Kind of kid you can look at and see he has the base frame to put on good size.

Up to him now to eat well and get in the gym. Has all the tools.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Pick 3 aye, Sheesh how many first rounders did Trembath cost us . I assume they're a similar age.

Trembath is 7 months older. He was eligible for the 2023 draft as he was 18 before 31 Dec 2023.
Trembath DOB 17-10-2005 (19 yrs 10 months) and Whitlock DOB 16-05-2006 (19 yrs 3 mths)
But Trembath has more than a year extra development on Whitters after being overlooked in 23' & 24' drafts.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Like the kid. Got some speed and athleticism plus a big frame that you can stack some weight on
Going to be a longer burn as still too skinny but plenty to like

 

[DuckYeah]

Trembath is 7 months older. He was eligible for the 2023 draft as he was 18 before 31 Dec 2023.
Trembath DOB 17-10-2005 (19 yrs 10 months) and Whitlock DOB 16-05-2006 (19 yrs 3 mths)
But Trembath has more than a year extra development on Whitters after being overlooked in 23' & 24' drafts.

Trembath a year of development? 7 months is not a year. Whitlock has been in an AFL program for almost 12 months. Trembath has been running around for a club that trains Tuesday 6pm-8pm and Thursday 6pm-8pm and a recovery day. maybe we need to send our players to the Panthers to develop

 

[KiwiRoo]

Whitlock needs to shadow Trembath for the next 6 months and steal his food at every opportunity

 

[Devil Fish]

It's an amazing investment into a player who realistically, is 3-4 years away from being able to compete physically at AFL level. We're all seeing how long Goad is taking. MW will take just as long. He seriously needs 2-3 years in the gym before he can think about competing as a KPP in the AFL.