AFL Player 5: Elijah Tsatas

[Nuggs Bunny]

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Is he the class player you want in the midfield in the future ? That is the question.
Sure Perkins or Parish are not that either but that does not change the fact that Tsatas will never be the class we need either.
As for his disposal efficiency. Handball efficiency high and would have been elite rating last night. Kicking efficiency was around average range.

Problem with his kicking efficiency is it would straight up be skewed by semantics. He would do horrible kicks that drop 5-10 metres shorter than they should that ends up in a contest, which counts as effective, when you could easily have hit loose targets.

 

[MiguelM]

Is he the class player you want in the midfield in the future ? That is the question.
Sure Perkins or Parish are not that either but that does not change the fact that Tsatas will never be the class we need either.
As for his disposal efficiency. Handball efficiency high and would have been elite rating last night. Kicking efficiency was around average range.

Not if we can get Butters and Reid!

 

[ghostdog]

Not too sure about getting a decent pick for him if he goes okay in 20 to 40 games. He will either play to a level we can live with or he will end up being given away as someone someone else may take a punt on.

I just don't see him playing any better than Parish and I don't think either should be in the team beyond 2026. Might as well get what we can for them. With Tsatas, that means putting games into him. Parish is Parish. Move him on.

 

[ant555]

I am aware that Tsatas has some aspects of his game that he is working on. Not that I'm an expert, but he looks like he needs to do what Shiel has done, and take a few steadying steps when on the run to improve that style of kick. None of that young group (currently/recently in AFL side) is the finished product. The class we need isn't there anyway; Parish and McGrath (among others) are not going to be part of an AFL showcase video on precision kicking. At AFL level, Tsatas kicking is acceptable. I remember Patrick Voss playing VFL in the first few years - there is hope for improvement.

Well even using the Voss argument and yes he has improved to be an average AFL player , it is till the same question. Are we accepting that average should be the future ? People say we need to move on from Parish and McGrath etc. Personally I am not sure we should be replacing them with another version of them.

 

[ant555]

I just don't see him playing any better than Parish and I don't think either should be in the team beyond 2026. Might as well get what we can for them. With Tsatas, that means putting games into him. Parish is Parish. Move him on.

I would say he has no value and if he is not in the plans past next year then move him now and work on the next guy via draft or trade.

 

[ghostdog]

I would say he has no value and if he is not in the plans past next year then move him now and work on the next guy via draft or trade.

Who? Tsatas or Parish, or both?

 

[Duckworth]

Well even using the Voss argument and yes he has improved to be an average AFL player , it is till the same question. Are we accepting that average should be the future ? People say we need to move on from Parish and McGrath etc. Personally I am not sure we should be replacing them with another version of them.

Average for kicking - with standouts in other areas... I could live with that. What does moving on look like, though? He has already been drafted and is on the list. Trade him for Harley Reid?

 

[ant555]

Average for kicking - with standouts in other areas... I could live with that. What does moving on look like, though? He has already been drafted and is on the list. Trade him for Harley Reid?

You are describing Darcy Parish or Dylan Shiel. If you want to live with mediocracy then that is your boat.
I have watched him closely live more than pretty much anyone here in the last 4 years from under 18 footy to training to match sim to VFL and AFL. Sure he can play AFL footy and get 25-30 touches. That is a given but he is not going to the class in the midfield we need. He has too many limitations and one trick. A trick that I have seen nullified at VFL level a few times as well.
What does it look like trading him out ? well you move on. The list spot becomes someone else to try and we are trading Ricky Dyson for Harley Reid

 

[ant555]

Who? Tsatas or Parish, or both?

Both. It is like a trash and treasure sale. Clubs know we are moving on and some may pay a cheap price and take a punt.
I would say most would see move value in Parish as someone to take a punt on.

 

[ghostdog]

Both. It is like a trash and treasure sale. Clubs know we are moving on and some may pay a cheap price and take a punt.
I would say most would see move value in Parish as someone to take a punt on.

Carlton might consider a similar sale. Maybe there's something to be found there.

 

[gillon]

Well even using the Voss argument and yes he has improved to be an average AFL player , it is till the same question. Are we accepting that average should be the future ? People say we need to move on from Parish and McGrath etc. Personally I am not sure we should be replacing them with another version of them.

I think the chances of Tsatas succeeding in this league is low, but the downside to giving him a chance at AFL level is almost zero (not as sub or 50% TOG)

 

[ant555]

I think the chances of Tsatas succeeding in this league is low, but the downside to giving him a chance at AFL level is almost zero (not as sub or 50% TOG)

I have said several times I want to see him play a couple of full games for a final look. Right or wrong it seems that they consider Parish has more of a future and obviously he is not in front of Caldwell / Durham / Setterfield. Maybe I am not too annoyed because the spot in the midfield we need filled is someone with a bit of class and quality.

 

[Zach Package]

Problem with his kicking efficiency is it would straight up be skewed by semantics. He would do horrible kicks that drop 5-10 metres shorter than they should that ends up in a contest, which counts as effective, when you could easily have hit loose targets.

Think what would also be good is if we accept that he seems to make pretty good, common sense decisions with ball in hand and play within limitations.

That’s another thing that makes him better value than Parish, Parish believed he can pull of left foot weighted passes that are 2 in 100 jobs. I’ve seen no evidence Elijah is nearly that delusional.

We could also just decide that we regard him as a good ball users despite all the evidence to the contrary like every other supporter base does with players that consistent hack it around.

 

[Booplaz]

Play him or don’t play him, it doesn’t really matter. Too many critical flaws to be effective on a successful team.

 

[Snake Charmer]

Should I be picked ahead of Hobbs for the rest of the season. Hobbs seems to play fair bit on the ball Thursdays.. give Tsatas the rest of the year in the deep end. It’s a development season and Hobbs is done imo

 

[crackers65]

I only watched bits of last nights game and I know he had a lot of possessions, but he just does nothing with the ball when he wins it. Too many hot potato hand balls, and can’t kick over a jam tin. I can’t see him offering much going forward with no physicality, no pace and can’t kick. He can win the ball but that’s about it.

 

[half time raffle]

Just give him a go, he needs AFL football. All players have limitations in their game. Buddy Franklin couldn't mark above his head, Scott Lucas

Scott Lucas

Age

48

Ht

192cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.5

4star

K

12.4

5star

HB

3.1

3star

M

6.0

5star

T

1.9

4star

G

1.9

5star

No current season stats available

D

17.2

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

4.8

4star

M

6.6

5star

T

0.6

3star

G

4.4

5star

couldn't kick on his opposite foot... Tsatas is bloody good at getting the ball, it's his one wood, let's celebrate it. He now needs to learn to get it and distribute it under AFL level heat.

 

[cobra land]

Just give him a go, he needs AFL football. All players have limitations in their game. Buddy Franklin couldn't mark above his head, Scott Lucas couldn't kick on his opposite foot... Tsatas is bloody good at getting the ball, it's his one wood, let's celebrate it. He now needs to learn to get it and distribute it under AFL level heat.

Can’t do it at VFL level yet so don’t gift him games till he’s doing at that level.

Watched the full game and he was very underwhelming, has to be better than that if he’s to get a game.

 

[dondolla]

I'm serious when I say this;
When Parish had his best season in 21 we could have traded him anywhere. Now we can't, but we can still trade him.

That creates space to play Tsatas. If we gave Tsatas 20-40 games gathering his 30+ touches every week, we could get a decent pick back for him from Tassie next year.

We are rebuilding. We won't play finals next year. Games into Tsatas is an investment.

If he works out to be the player we wanted, great. If he doesn't, some club would take him on his numbers and potential.

= picks for Parish + we know whether we keep or trade picks for Tsatas, but we will have maximised his value first.

Why on earth would you trade someone who’s done what Parish did in 2021, for a third round pick all so a decent/good VFL player can play AFL games? Parish has had injury issues but in 2022 and 2023 when he wasn’t injured he was completely fine.

The coaches aren’t blind, the reason Hobbs/Perkins keep playing is probably because what they do at training is better than what Tsatas does. If VFL form was the most important thing then why would they keep putting Perkins as the sub? Wouldn’t it just be easier to put him in the VFL so he can have 25 and kick goals? It’s obviously more than that. When the players compete at training, how could they not take into account who is more successful (at whatever their measure is).

 

[Agronomus]

Just give him a go, he needs AFL football. All players have limitations in their game. Buddy Franklin couldn't mark above his head, Scott Lucas couldn't kick on his opposite foot... Tsatas is bloody good at getting the ball, it's his one wood, let's celebrate it. He now needs to learn to get it and distribute it under AFL level heat.

Why does it have to be on our time though? Who would he replace in the midfield anyway?

 

[ghostdog]

Why on earth would you trade someone who’s done what Parish did in 2021, for a third round pick all so a decent/good VFL player can play AFL games? Parish has had injury issues but in 2022 and 2023 when he wasn’t injured he was completely fine.

The coaches aren’t blind, the reason Hobbs/Perkins keep playing is probably because what they do at training is better than what Tsatas does. If VFL form was the most important thing then why would they keep putting Perkins as the sub? Wouldn’t it just be easier to put him in the VFL so he can have 25 and kick goals? It’s obviously more than that. When the players compete at training, how could they not take into account who is more successful (at whatever their measure is).

Because I've lost patience with both of them.
One of them reached his lofty stat gathering heights 4 years ago - couldn't play as part of a defensive system then and still can't. And hasn't been able to stay on the park or play that well again since.
The other one has no trade value, but could if he gets some games under his belt.

 

[Westlo]

Carlton might consider a similar sale. Maybe there's something to be found there.

Will probably move on Walsh for value... in addition to being out of contract the season after next.

They've moved Walsh to the wing a lot this year and they have Jagga Smith coming back next year who will be inside only and has to play considering the currency used on him. (and from some opinions I've read he would be clear standout pick 1 if he was drafted this year)

 

[Keystone agony]

Just has to be picked with 70% cbas every wk for the rest of the year now and in the last 4 wks i would be utilising him as a negator if hes not improving

Whats to lose

 

[andleanback]

Just give him a go, he needs AFL football. All players have limitations in their game. Buddy Franklin couldn't mark above his head, Scott Lucas couldn't kick on his opposite foot... Tsatas is bloody good at getting the ball, it's his one wood, let's celebrate it. He now needs to learn to get it and distribute it under AFL level heat.

So he’s good at getting the
Football and doing nothing with it. That’s hardly a strength. If he was good at getting the footy and setting another guy into space or hitting a target by foot he’d be in the team already.

 

[andleanback]

Just has to be picked with 70% cbas every wk for the rest of the year now and in the last 4 wks i would be utilising him as a negator if hes not improving

Whats to lose

He has no physicality, how on earth is he meant to negate.