Player Watch #36 Joel Amartey

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Joel Amartey
Joel Amartey has shown strong form in the ruck and as a key-position player at both ends of the ground since being drafted to the Sydney Swans as a rookie ahead of season 2018. The Ghanaian-Australian produced arguably his best performance of the 2019 season against Sydney University in Round 6, which saw him collect 42 hit-outs and a goal. In season 2020, he made his AFL debut against Brisbane Lions in Round 17 after producing some strong individual performances in scrimmage matches, and impressed with eight hit-outs and two inside 50.

Joel Amartey
DOB: 02 September 1999
DEBUT: 2020
DRAFT: #28, 2017 Rookie Elevation
RECRUITED FROM: Beaumaris (Vic)/Mentone Gram (Vic)/Sandringham U18

 

mark121

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Aug 22, 2009
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yeah thats where i topped out at around 19. It's a serviceable height. you'd have been a bit disappointed though. I had a mate 6'5 at 15 and he stopped. just got wider ;)

Hope he considers himself lucky any taller than 6'5 would just be a hindrance unless you are a professional athlete.
 
Oct 14, 2016
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I stopped at 16 - topped out at 187 so a decent height.

Works differently for some... even within families. Between the ages of 12-16 my brother grew 20cms more than I did, poor prick spent most of those years sleeping and in pain from growing so quickly. He stopped 1cm short of 2m and it pisses him off royally as he wanted that for his Basketball CV.

Anyway.... if our new boy can put on a couple more cms and kilos without losing too much agility it's going to look like very smart business bringing him in.
 

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Jun 10, 2007
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he's 36 now and still playing bball with me. It killed his footy rucking career, he'd made rep sides as a ruck and wasn't gunna make it as KPP.

Anyways, We'd all like to be taller still. we must be crazy.

He's still a size 14 and im a 12. 12 seems to be the last size of the normal mostly in stock sizes. He just orders everything from the usa.
 

mark121

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Aug 22, 2009
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he's 36 now and still playing bball with me. It killed his footy rucking career, he'd made rep sides as a ruck and wasn't gunna make it as KPP.

Anyways, We'd all like to be taller still. we must be crazy.

He's still a size 14 and im a 12. 12 seems to be the last size of the normal mostly in stock sizes. He just orders everything from the usa.

That's unfortunate but he was as tall as some current rucks are today of course they are at a disadvantage and just to make it they needed to be better than their taller counter parts.
 
Sep 8, 2008
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Kiama Chris

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I’ve just watched this highlight reel again and can’t believe how talented this kid is as a ruckman! He’s already a better ruckman than Tippett ever was, going by that. Seems to have a great sense of awareness in terms of where he’s placing the ball.
Amazing that we managed to snaffle this kid. Rucks like someone 4-5 years older. If he continues to develop (Coxy!!) then there is huge upside. Might be worth watching a few ressies games just to see him. (Joking - love the Ressies!).
 
Jun 19, 2011
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I’ve just watched this highlight reel again and can’t believe how talented this kid is as a ruckman! He’s already a better ruckman than Tippett ever was, going by that. Seems to have a great sense of awareness in terms of where he’s placing the ball.

Amartey right now would get flogged by 2017 Tippett, let alone when he was fit.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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TIppett hasn’t flogged anyone or anything (aside from a Balfours pie) in years.

Even if that was true for argument's sake, a sashimi-raw, 196cm rake of an 18 year old is nothing on Tippett even last year when he was struggling mightily. Any senior ruckman would flog Amartey right now.

I have hope for Amartey as a long term prospect but come on, dude.
 
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Sep 8, 2008
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Even if that was true for argument's sake, a sashimi-raw, 196cm rake of an 18 year old is nothing on Tippett even last year when he was struggling mightily. Any senior ruckman would flog Amartey right now.

I have hope for Amartey as a long term prospect but come on, dude.
Surely you know I’m taking the piss :)

But let’s not forget, Tippett in 2017 was completely useless. He did zip in the few games that he managed to play. He was shot. An 18 year old kid would’ve done little more, but little less too.

Tippett was good in 2016, up until the injury, then he was basically done.

This kid is raw, but so are all 18 year olds. But that highlight reel shows me one thing: Amartey knows where his midfielders are, and how to get the ball to them. Tippett to me never really felt like a ‘natural’ ruckman.

Anyway, our ruck stocks look good again. Naismith, maybe Aliir, Cameron and now Amartey.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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Surely you know I’m taking the piss :)

But let’s not forget, Tippett in 2017 was completely useless. He did zip in the few games that he managed to play. He was shot. An 18 year old kid would’ve done little more, but little less too.

Tippett was good in 2016, up until the injury, then he was basically done.

This kid is raw, but so are all 18 year olds. But that highlight reel shows me one thing: Amartey knows where his midfielders are, and how to get the ball to them. Tippett to me never really felt like a ‘natural’ ruckman.

Anyway, our ruck stocks look good again. Naismith, maybe Aliir, Cameron and now Amartey.

Ok I'm glad you're taking the piss.

Tippett did more than nothing in a few games but sure, he was very limited. And I'm not even a defender particularly of him, I'm actually glad we've moved on from him so we can concentrate our game time into other longer term options whose bodies are more reliable.

I wouldn't say our ruck stocks are strong at all though. If Callum Sinclair is the most experienced ruckman on your list, you don't have a strong stable. An exciting stable perhaps, in that many of our rucks are not fully developed and could be something but not strong imo. If we're relying on Aliir to be a ruck saviour of sorts we don't have an ideal situation in the ruck in my eyes.
 

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Sep 8, 2008
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Ok I'm glad you're taking the piss.

Tippett did more than nothing in a few games but sure, he was very limited. And I'm not even a defender particularly of him, I'm actually glad we've moved on from him so we can concentrate our game time into other longer term options whose bodies are more reliable.

I wouldn't say our ruck stocks are strong at all though. If Callum Sinclair is the most experienced ruckman on your list, you don't have a strong stable. An exciting stable perhaps, in that many of our rucks are not fully developed and could be something but not strong imo. If we're relying on Aliir to be a ruck saviour of sorts we don't have an ideal situation in the ruck in my eyes.
Haha I forgot about him! He’s an ok ruckman, but he’s got s**t hands...

It’s funny, but ruckmen are like wicketkeepers to me. In the old days they just had to be good at catching the ball, then Gilchrist came along and ruined all that!

Sometimes i feel we expect too much from them. Swans haven’t really had a proper ruckman since we got rid of Mummy.
 

Kiama Chris

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Watched Joel pretty carefully in the GWS ressies practice match. He is still very young but gee there's a lot to like. Good jump, nice hands in both tap and grab, decent handball and strong kick. Mobile and plenty of second effort. Got pretty much flogged in the ruck by Rory Lobb who is at least close to AFL standard but NEVER stopped trying. Reckon the coaches would be well pleased with his effort. Shouldn't play seniors this year as I reckon he may well still be growing but in a year or two when he bulks and hardens some....
 

Neverwas

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Aug 15, 2009
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Watched Joel pretty carefully in the GWS ressies practice match. He is still very young but gee there's a lot to like. Good jump, nice hands in both tap and grab, decent handball and strong kick. Mobile and plenty of second effort. Got pretty much flogged in the ruck by Rory Lobb who is at least close to AFL standard but NEVER stopped trying. Reckon the coaches would be well pleased with his effort. Shouldn't play seniors this year as I reckon he may well still be growing but in a year or two when he bulks and hardens some....
Thanks for the info. We are all starved for news of the kids this year.

Sent from my ZTE BLADE A610 using Tapatalk
 
Jun 16, 2012
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Haha I forgot about him! He’s an ok ruckman, but he’s got s**t hands...

It’s funny, but ruckmen are like wicketkeepers to me. In the old days they just had to be good at catching the ball, then Gilchrist came along and ruined all that!

Sometimes i feel we expect too much from them. Swans haven’t really had a proper ruckman since we got rid of Mummy.
We did win a flag with a canadian rugby player as our ruck so it shows you how valuable they are
 
He was first or second in the league for contested marking one year. He had some value.
And he was top 10 in the league for hitouts, 3 years in a row. A wonderfully consistent player who we have not been able to adequately replace
 

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