AFL Player 5: Elijah Tsatas

[Nuggs Bunny]

 

[ghostdog]

function of ruck dominance and good fortune is the centre break.

we were top 4 on average for that stat last year with such elite sides as north melbourne and carlton.

imo it's him or parish.

Yeah, he reminded me a bit of Parish as well. Got heaps, delivery was just okay. I'd be reluctant to play both of them in the same side.

 

[P Money]

I haven't seen enough of him yet to determine this (I rarely manage to watch VFL), but he essentially a younger, bigger Parish? Great at reading a tap / swooping on a loose ball but not so much a contested beast, great hands but questionable kicking, questionable defensive intent / two way running?

Was spruiked as an explosive mid but as others have mentioned we haven't really seen that from him.

 

[ant555]

I haven't seen enough of him yet to determine this (I rarely manage to watch VFL), but he essentially a younger, bigger Parish? Great at reading a tap / swooping on a loose ball but not so much a contested beast, great hands but questionable kicking, questionable defensive intent / two way running?

Was spruiked as an explosive mid but as others have mentioned we haven't really seen that from him.

Reasonable take.

 

[Vander18]

I haven't seen enough of him yet to determine this (I rarely manage to watch VFL), but he essentially a younger, bigger Parish? Great at reading a tap / swooping on a loose ball but not so much a contested beast, great hands but questionable kicking, questionable defensive intent / two way running?

Was spruiked as an explosive mid but as others have mentioned we haven't really seen that from him.

Yep.

 

[Agronomus]

As always, we’ll get the best insight into where he’s at when the real stuff starts.

GC and Matt Rowell first up - big challenge for Elijah.

I was thinking Caldwell would have been a better match

 

[FootyGuru]

I haven't seen enough of him yet to determine this (I rarely manage to watch VFL), but he essentially a younger, bigger Parish? Great at reading a tap / swooping on a loose ball but not so much a contested beast, great hands but questionable kicking, questionable defensive intent / two way running?

Was spruiked as an explosive mid but as others have mentioned we haven't really seen that from him.

One glaring difference is tsatas isn’t afraid to be hit with the ball and fight to get his hands free. Parish releases the ball before the contact comes. This was one of the reason Merrett Shiel and parish didn’t work as a combo, all 3 would play hot potato with the footy.

 

[ghostdog]

I was thinking Caldwell would have been a better match

Yeah, I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if Tsatas could keep up with Rowell and contest with him. Rowell attacks contests without understanding what concussion is.

 

[cAsEy_18]

One glaring difference is tsatas isn’t afraid to be hit with the ball and fight to get his hands free. Parish releases the ball before the contact comes. This was one of the reason Merrett Shiel and parish didn’t work as a combo, all 3 would play hot potato with the footy.

Mm see I think Tsatas does a bit of this as well. A lot of first hands on it and immediately gives a handball to the first guy he sees, often to no benefit at all.

But, Tsatas does have more time on his hands to pick up the pace of the game and hopefully sort that out.

 

[FootyGuru]

Mm see I think Tsatas does a bit of this as well. A lot of first hands on it and immediately gives a handball to the first guy he sees, often to no benefit at all.

But, Tsatas does have more time on his hands to pick up the pace of the game and hopefully sort that out.

No doubt he will give the first option, but he isn’t afraid to delay the give and take contact. I was super impressed with some of the strength he showed over the ball against Geelong.

There are similarities with parish and tsatas ball winning and one touch footy though. And unfortunately similarities with some of their defensive stoppage work ball watching.

I think we could definitely play them together, but maybe not in the same centre bounce regularly.

I’m very interested to see where our midfield is at by the end of the season.

 

[ghostdog]

Mm see I think Tsatas does a bit of this as well. A lot of first hands on it and immediately gives a handball to the first guy he sees, often to no benefit at all.

But, Tsatas does have more time on his hands to pick up the pace of the game and hopefully sort that out.

Agree. Third year Tsatas already plays similar to sixth - eighth year Parish. Plenty of potential to improve. I'd rather we play Tsatas and move Parish.

 

[Vander18]

I was thinking Caldwell would have been a better match

Not suggesting Tsatas goes directly to Rowell…..just that they’ll be hunting the same footy.

 

[Happyskeret]

Not suggesting Tsatas goes directly to Rowell…..just that they’ll be hunting the same footy.

I really wish you made Tsatas your boy.

 

[Vander18]

I really wish you made Tsatas your boy.

It’s not personal Happy, it’s strictly business.

 

[P Money]

No doubt he will give the first option, but he isn’t afraid to delay the give and take contact. I was super impressed with some of the strength he showed over the ball against Geelong.

There are similarities with parish and tsatas ball winning and one touch footy though. And unfortunately similarities with some of their defensive stoppage work ball watching.

I think we could definitely play them together, but maybe not in the same centre bounce regularly.

I’m very interested to see where our midfield is at by the end of the season.

To be fair to Parish, he started his AFL career at a club with no focus or investment in developing players. I think we're only going to see the benefits of this relatively new interest in development as the younger players grow into their careers - pretty hard for the Parish generation to suddenly turn around all their ingrained habits in their mid-late 20s. Hopefully that means while Tstatas has some of the same weaknesses we see in Parish he'll actually have the opportunity (and be expected) to turn those around and become a more well-rounded player.

 

[bombreys]

Lot of people here still finding a reason to hate on the kid. 10 games (most as sub), 1 full preseason. And he came in and played basically as good as parish. As someone said, his kicking has gone from 'liability' level to 'not a strength' which if we told you this 6 months ago, you'd definitely take it.
Again, 10 games he's played. He will get better, and by all reports he was the most determined player in preseason. He will get there, and will improve one deficiency at a time. You can't expect him to be the finished product in year 3.

I haven't seen/read one person 'hate' on him. Wanting him to improve on a few things isn't hate. As a top 5 pick, he's a guy with a lot of potential and is someone we need to become a really good player if we want to improve as a team.

 

[faible]

To be fair to Parish, he started his AFL career at a club with no focus or investment in developing players. I think we're only going to see the benefits of this relatively new interest in development as the younger players grow into their careers - pretty hard for the Parish generation to suddenly turn around all their ingrained habits in their mid-late 20s. Hopefully that means while Tstatas has some of the same weaknesses we see in Parish he'll actually have the opportunity (and be expected) to turn those around and become a more well-rounded player.

I do agree with a few of the other posters on here that it's difficult for players to change their natural instinct. Cotchin one of the few who's done it successfully.

If you look at Hobbs, he has a natural physicality to him, he seeks the contact and contests the ball without any real hesitation at being hit. Joel Selwood was this kind of player.

Tsatas is similar to Parish; they're smart players, excellent readers of the ball in motion, but not naturally contact-seeking the way a Hobbs is. Parish being bigger and better overhead, but otherwise exactly the same player would be extremely damaging. That could be what Tsatas can become, he's taller and a naturally heavier build so will carry more weight to allow him to move through contact better, he's got a bit more leg speed than Parish too. Highly unlikely either of them would have ever developed in to a Selwood-type though, regardless of what club they were developed at.

 

[DERO]

I prefer the LDU comparison.

 

[P Money]

I do agree with a few of the other posters on here that it's difficult for players to change their natural instinct. Cotchin one of the few who's done it successfully.

If you look at Hobbs, he has a natural physicality to him, he seeks the contact and contests the ball without any real hesitation at being hit. Joel Selwood was this kind of player.

Tsatas is similar to Parish; they're smart players, excellent readers of the ball in motion, but not naturally contact-seeking the way a Hobbs is. Parish being bigger and better overhead, but otherwise exactly the same player would be extremely damaging. That could be what Tsatas can become, he's taller and a naturally heavier build so will carry more weight to allow him to move through contact better, he's got a bit more leg speed than Parish too. Highly unlikely either of them would have ever developed in to a Selwood-type though, regardless of what club they were developed at.

Yep agree with this. 'Natural' strengths will always be there, as will weaknesses, for the most part. But I think a player can significantly improve in any area of the game, including physicality without it being an out-and-out 'strength'.

 

[Happyskeret]

It’s not personal Happy, it’s strictly business.

All good.

 

[Chief Hopper]

One glaring difference is tsatas isn’t afraid to be hit with the ball and fight to get his hands free. Parish releases the ball before the contact comes. This was one of the reason Merrett Shiel and parish didn’t work as a combo, all 3 would play hot potato with the footy.

It's why I think when we had Merrett, Shiel and Parish in our midfield, having Setters playing a blocker role made a whole lot of sense. Way less hot potato, less panic passes, more time and space for accuracy by our smaller mids. Also more contested marks. Just that Setters gets injured.

Tsatas is the first step from the Merrett, Shiel and Parish era. He should get stronger from here. If its handballing over kicking, that can work too.

 

[gillon]

Three and a half quarters in and he’s sitting at 55% TOG.

Really don’t understand this from Scott unless there’s a conditioning issue I’m unaware of

 

[andleanback]

Three and a half quarters in and he’s sitting at 55% TOG.

Really don’t understand this from Scott unless there’s a conditioning issue I’m unaware of

He wasn’t touching the ball and when he was out there he was a liability

 

[Zach Package]

If only there was an opportunity to get 5 solid games into him to get some of these cobwebs blown out last year.

 

[yodellinhank]

At will

 

[jannissary]

If only there was an opportunity to get 5 solid games into him to get some of these cobwebs blown out last year.

those dead rubbers were important!!!

i’m torn, there were times he was free & they refused to go to him, at the same time, why pick him if he doesn’t play the match out