Traded Blake Acres

[Barrels]

So... He's great off both feet, a good tackler, agile and seriously quick over 20mtrs with a massive leap and superb tank....

He ran a 2.94 second 20 metre sprint (would’ve been top 10% at the Draft Combine), top 8% in agility, top 13% in the standing vertical, top 2% in running vertical and he ran a 15.2 beep test.

 

[CHBench]

 

[Hayes4PM]

Shave off the porno moustache and get him a few games next year

 

[aussierulesrules]

It's worked out so well not picking Scharenberg now that we've gotten Acres, who can pretty much play in the same positions and could be just as talented, IMO.

 

[Hayes4PM]

It's worked out so well not picking Scharenberg now that we've gotten Acres, who can pretty much play in the same positions and could be just as talented, IMO.

Ditto. Skilled, athletic utility up until now, Acres is the highlight of the draft for mine, just that he slid to 19.

 

[Training Mad]

Just watched his Video on club website loved the end of his interview (and all the other crap) haha awesome


Longer taps Savage Goal. Centimetre perfect by the Saints from the boundary 50m out!

 

[MightySaint]

All that crap!

 

[NarklesHelmet]

Love the way his skills are described as being great in the way he hits targets. God knows we need it. Reading about him and considering where we got him (with pick 19) this pick was the best of the lot I reckon.

 

[CHBench]

Profiles:

16. BLAKE ACRES
(West Perth, 190cm, 86kg)
Acres is an intriguing prospect: his exposed form is good but there wasn't a lot of it this year, thanks to a shoulder injury that he played through for a while, then had surgery on. He's a tall, versatile midfielder whose height and anticipation helps him disrupt play by taking marks through the midfield. Looks good on the half-back and half-forward lines too. Plays at a quick pace, but can pause, sum things up and finish off.


http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-lads-most-likely-20131116-2xo46.html#ixzz2lHRyEgj1

Blake captained our Colts in 2013 and was part of the national championships. He was averaging 27 disposals a game and did well in the best and fairest and also the league best and fairest. Unfortunately he injured his shoulder at the start of May and didn't play until just before the national championships. Played a few games then injured the shoulder again and underwent surgery after the carnival. A versatile player who at 190cm can play as an inside or outside midfielder, across half forward or key back.

Power Rankings for 2013:
*Potential A-graders*
1. Jack Martin (WA - Mid) – Gold Coast via minidraft.
2. Thomas Boyd (VIC - KPF)
3. Jesse Hogan (WA - KPF) – Melbourne via minidraft.
4. Blake Acres (WA – Mid/Util)


Blake Acres (WA – Mid/Util) Height: 188cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 07/10/1995
Recruited from: West Perth
Style: David Mundy
Player comparison:
Range: 7-30
Profile: Acres is tall, high production, classy user of the footy with extra time and space than the next guy with that evasive sidestep of his as well as versatility with his ability to play through the midfield or on a forward or back flank. He has the ability to win his own footy inside the contest, tackle strongly and take a strong mark overhead. At the next level despite his versatility I see him as someone who will become a midfielder going by what he showed through the midfield this year even while carrying a shoulder injury. Acres is all class and is not only excellent by foot on both sides hitting his targets consistently but he also has more time and space than the next guy and combine that with his sidestep and he’s hard to catch. He’s got a complete game as someone who is very capable of winning his own ball inside the contest but then can also find the footy outside. He can hit the scoreboard as a midfielder. He can push forward and take a mark or play on a back flank and be an effective rebounder. He’s also an effective tackler. Acres is one of the rare few taller types with a relatively immediate game as well as a complete game. Add that to his strong sporting pedigree with his parents both strong athletes and his continued rapid improvement and the combination of ability to win his own footy and skill level at his size and he’ll be one of the best players to come out of this draft and one of the few I feel has the ability to develop into a star talent from this draft. Many will sleep on Acres because we haven’t seen the best of him this year but I’m exceedingly confident he’ll deliver the goods and deliver it quicker than many predict.

1. Blake Acres

Blake Acres managed 9 matches for West Perth this season, averaging 25 possessions, and a little over a goal a game. What's all the fuss about? It's the quality of the touches. I'd be struggling to recall more than 10 poor disposal from the tally of 222 at colts level.

Acres is clean, crisp and any other adjective you want to use to describe an elite ball user and here's the big one, an elite decision maker, there are no hail marys, no long bombs, no kicking for touch. Acres hates to waste the ball, think of a Pendlebury or a Mundy, these players wait that extra half second to identify a more advantageous target and have the required skill, by both hand and foot to hit these targets 9 times out of 10. It opens up the play, it's an intangible that will never show up on any stat metric, the ability to weight a foot bass, or a handball so a teammate doesn't have to break stride is gold, absolute gold.

Acres also jumps to the top of the pile on the back of his ability to play just about anywhere and impact the contest. Acres was pulling in 20+ possessions each week, despite averaging less than 70% game time. Toward the end of his 9 matches Acres pushed forward and provided West Perth with a marking target through half forward, I cannot describe how poor this side was in 2013, his last 4 games netted 9 goals. Acres also played a sweeping role across half back and simply read the play better than any who went to him to quell his influence.

The fact that he has grown a further 2 cms since testing at Arena earlier this year only heightens his standing, he is now a genuine tall midfielder, the type that clubs are happy to push forward rather than rolling off the bench, this allows the other less flexible players to rest on the bench, an important factor to consider when thinking of the upcoming cap. His aerial capabilities make him a genuine threat forward of the play, whilst definitely not in the Fyfe bracker, he is more than capable of dragging in genuine contested marks and his set shot is smooth, with an uncomplicated kicking action to match.

Now we turn to his frame, his scope for growth and the stock he has come from. There are no holes. Both parents were both very athletic, home life has been stable and he has had a sibling of a similar age to build a competitive edge. If any had noticed his brother Dan Acres and his ferocity at the man, it's fair to say Blake knows how to compete, how to take a tackle and how to shake a tag. This is crucial for me, it develops and competitive drive which holds players in great stead down the track. Look at the Selwood brothers, now look at Jack Watts, it can't be taught, the willingness and want to compete, regardless of whether there is impact.

Acres for me, is the complete package from WA, he's won the gene lottery, he has had a brother to torment and compete against, honing his skills from an early age on the field and at home, his ball winning ability is unquestionable. Decision making is elite, a capable overhead mark with an instinct for goal.

He has scope to grow into his size, is fit as a fiddle and comes from a very stable environment, the only downside to Acres is an inability to grow facial hair, he really needs to get rid of the mo.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/wa-draft-standing.1036736/

#6 – BLAKE ACRES
Height: 190cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 7/10/1995
Recruited from: West Perth

Just like I feel the South Australian boys are getting underrated, I reckon two boys from Western Australia aren’t getting the accolades they deserve either. Dom Sheed is one of them, but then you’ve got Blake Acres. I’ll go on record and say that Acres could be the pick of the lot (apart from Boyd) when you look back in ten years time.

Like Dom Sheed, Acres’ exposure has been limited due to injury, but what he’s done simply can’t be ignored. He did his shoulder in May and could’ve had surgery straight away, but he decided to wait until the end of the season because he desperately wanted to play in the Championships. Acres is at his best when he’s flying for his marks and cracking in and getting hard ball. He just couldn’t do that but it was a massive tick in my opinion because it shows the kid has guts.

Most guys I know from WA cannot speak highly enough of Acres and some proclaim him to the best of their current group. He’s a very tall and big midfielder who is just class all around the ground and is very versatile.

Acres has played all of his U/18 footy at Colts level for West Perth. He played 20 games in 2012, but only hit his straps in the last six weeks where he averaged 22 disposals. He showed it was a sign of things to come, and his form in the Colts this year was nothing short of outstanding. He averaged 27 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles and a goal a game from his nine matches. He missed about five weeks when he did his shoulder but then came back and played two more games before the Champs started and got 31 disposals and 2 goals in his first game back and 28 disposals and 3 goals in his second game back. It looked like he’d be able to get through the Champs but in the first few minutes of his first game his shoulder came out again (he kicked a goal from the boundary in the first 20 seconds). He played on and still got 15 disposals but in game two he just couldn’t go on and he had surgery straight after that. I have no doubt we’d be talking about a potential top five pick if Acres was injury free because he was in rare form. Regardless, I had seen enough there for him to be this high for me and probably a bit unlucky to be a little higher.

Athletically Acres excels, but at the Combine his results were way out compared to the results that were given to clubs when all the WA players did their Combine at the start of the WAFL season. This was to be expected given his shoulder surgery but he still rocked up and tested. His results at the WA Combine were quite remarkable. He ran a 2.94 second 20 metre sprint (would’ve been top 10% at the Draft Combine), top 8% in agility, top 13% in the standing vertical, top 2% in running vertical and he ran a 15.2 beep test.

Acres is a very good user of the football. His kicking ranks right up there and he makes good decisions as well. He has been used off the backline because of this and he’s capable of cutting teams open with his run and precision. His overhead marking is also feature and I hope it won’t be hampered by the shoulder injury. Acres flies for his marks and one-on-one he’s rarely beaten but in a pack he’s a delight to watch when he goes for them. His hands are vice-like.

Long-term I see Acres playing in the midfield. With his aerobic capacity and ball-winning ability, I can’t see him being anywhere else. His ability to go forward will make him an incredibly hard match-up. He loves the contest and we didn’t get to see that during the Champs because he was conscious about his shoulder. Acres is an incredible talent who will probably go in the late first round on draft night, but I really believe whoever gets him will have gotten themselves an absolute steal. I can see him being the guy in a few years that we all look back on and think ‘how did he slip all the way there’.

13 Carlton

Carlton are in win now mode and I see them taking someone who is going to be able to step in and play right away. I think Dunstan and Dumont are both big chances here given both have stood up in senior company and both offering an inside game which would assist Judd and Murphy. But with Dunstan gone and Dumont not being at the top of my list I am going with Acres instead. Acres should be right to do a full preseason and to play round 1. He is a bit more outside than Carlton would ideally want but he could come in in round 1 and play in the roles that Scotland and Simpson have been playing. If Carlton were planning for the future McCarthy should be a big show here and Cripps maybe an outside chance.

Blake Acres
DOB 7/10/95 Ht 190 Wt 87

Okay on what I have seen of Acres he does not deserve to be this high but I am slotting him in here in deference to the near universal acclaim he receives from our WA brethren. He is very highly thought of by the WAFL watchers on here (see clipboardsbinocs write up) as well as the WA coaches from my understanding as well as a few other watchers that I know from WA. Given that he went into the Champs having just returned after a shoulder injury I am willing to concede that he might not have been at his best. He did his shoulder in May and had one or two games back before playing his two Champs games. After those two below par games he decided to go in for surgery which put him out for the rest of the year. He did test at Combine but the results were significantly below what he tested earlier in the year although I have a few queries about the veracity of those results.

There is a comparison of his results on his player thread on this board and given there were a couple of results that had me raise my eyebrow I asked someone at a club whether the results were true. He confirmed that those were the results that were provided to the clubs. Call me sceptical but when the repeat sprint time is almost 2 seconds better than the best ever Combine time I am thinking that maybe they are not as reliable as they could be. He managed to run only a 13.08 at Combine in the beep and earlier in the year he had a 15.2. His ran a 3.05 in the 20m at Combine and is down for a 2.94 earlier in the year. There were also very big differences in his results in the jumps which were borderline elite when tested earlier and similarly in the agility. From watching him play I take his playing athleticism somewhere in the middle.

He gets around the park very well and I think he certainly has decent endurance. At the Champs he did not do particularly well but his best quarter did come in the last quarter of the SA game where he ran out the game very well running hard to provide an option. His speed I would not put in the elite category and he is occasionally run down but generally I think his functional speed is good. I do not think he is particularly elusive and when he tries to shimmy or step he does not really sell it and is often collared or at least forced to shrug off the tackler.

He has good height for a midfielder and probably plays even taller than he measures. Even at the Champs where he had his shoulder issue he was a strong mark and before that in the WAFL Colts he got high and clunked quite a lot of nice marks in traffic. He judges the ball well in the air and is not distracted by what others are doing. He is strong going up for the ball and is not easily moved off it. He only played 9 games in the WAFL Colts this year in a variety of roles. He got forward toward the end of this stint and finished with 9 goals in his last 4 games. It will be interesting to see where he ends up playing at AFL level. Personally I think he will start as a HBF as that is probably likely to be easier on his shoulder than up forward.

He reminds me a bit of Heppell and like him he should start at the back before moving into the midfield as he develops. He has nice height and is a good mark and has the athleticism to do a job when required. It is possible that he could start as an outside mid but that would depend on the team who selects him. He is a smart footballer and should do well wherever he starts. His inside game needs some work but he is a fair chance to get up to speed as he plays more there. He has good strength and balance in the contest but his hands are not particularly quick. He can on occasion be a little slow getting the ball away and can miss his targets a bit when under pressure.

By foot some people think he is elite and some think he is fairly poor. At the Champs he was probably somewhere in the middle. He certainly missed his fair share of targets and had he lacked a bit of punch in his kicking. His penetration was somewhat inconsistent with sometimes it being very good and at others coming up short. He is a right footer and fairly dominantly so. With the shoulder injury he seemed to go on his left more at the Champs and the results were fairly erratic with a few targets missed badly. It was not all negative with his kicking however. He also hit some very good targets and when in space seems to evaluate things well. Around goal he balances up quickly and is a good shot.

Acres only played 9 WAFL Colts games this year and none in the seniors. In the Colts he averaged 27 disposals per game but only 11 disposals in the games in the Champs. So we had two very different players in the competitions. Which one is the true player will be the important question that teams will need to decide.

Pick 17: Fremantle – Blake Acres
Height: 190cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 07/10/1995
Club: West Perth (WA)

At this stage Fremantle could use a tall, and McCarthy would definitely come into play, but I rate a few players quite highly and Acres the highest. He projects well as a versatile type capable of playing through the midfield, off a wing or as a half-back. He has a good defensive game, but is a great ball winner, has good athletic ability and a ton of potential. I like him best as a tall midfielder/winger who uses his height and footy smarts to his advantage. He missed a fair bit of this year and struggled in general with his shoulders, yet he played through it and managed it. He had a solid U18 champs but did nothing special or poor, yet he was one of the better players at WAFL colts level and showed a propensity to find the ball, averaged 26 disposals a game, and use it effectively. I think he may take a year or so and there are potential issues with injury, yet he could turn out to be a real steal imo.

Strengths

• Athleticism – I don’t think Blake is an elite athlete but he is definitely above average imo. His pace is pretty decent, and he looks to have a good top speed and runs with long loping strides, which means he should have no problem running and carrying the footy. He is also pretty agile, and has a good vertical leap which is evident in his marking. Endurance wise I would say he is probably above average and spreads well and gets round the ground with ease.
• Outside Ability – Blake is a very damaging outside player as he runs well with the ball, kicks it long and racks up the disposals. Acres is great at finding the ball and is a high possession winner. He has averaged just under 27 disposals in the Colts this year and shown how damaging he is once he has it. He runs with the ball very well and finds space easily in the back-half as well.
• Defensive Game –Blake has a good defensive game and is capable of shutting an opponent down when playing off half-back. He is strong overhead and is rarely out marked, and has shown that he can even play tall at a pinch with his leap. He does tackle well and is strong in contact, which isn’t surprising given he has a strongish body.
• Marking – He is very strong overhead and is particularly good when allowed to leap at the ball and extend his arms. He has clean hands over his head and he absorbs contact pretty well. He also looks to have pretty good core strength already.
• Versatility – Acres is capable of playing multiple positions at a high level, he is very good as a half-back, capable as a forward or inside mid, but best used imo as an outside winger where is running ball winning ability makes him so dangerous.
• Footy Smarts – Blake Acres reads the game very well and gets himself to the right positions to win the ball. In defence he comes off his man well to intercept the ball and also provides options as a player who rebounds the ball well. He also plays pretty smart and seems to have time when in contested situations.

Weaknesses/Areas of Improvement

• Disposal – Whilst Blake is not a poor kick and he has plenty of potential to be a very good kick it is one area that he does need to tighten up. He has a long straight penetrating and he does prefers to kick long, often to contests. He could do with lowering his eyes on occasions and improve his ability to hit targets. Still he has a decent technique and looks to have room to grow as well.
• Inside/Clearance game – Blake is solid in the clearances but this is one area that could definitely use some improvement, and probably will considering he hasn’t played much as an inside mid.
• Shoulder – Blake has had an ongoing shoulder problem this year, and missed the opening 3 rounds of the U18 champs before being clearly hampered. I am not sure what the medical reports are

7. Blake Acres (188cm, 84kg midfielder - West Perth)

The fact that Blake Acres missed the majority of the U18 Championships with a shoulder injury was arguably the most disappointing thing to happen to the tournament. He was probably the one player that I really wanted to see, and he would have made the WA side so much more competitive as he adds something that little bit different to the rest of the WA midfielders - in fact, something different to most of the midfielders in the whole draft. For starters, he is a genuinely big midfielder - will still get a bit stronger, I saw someone describe him as 'rangy' and thats fairly accurate. Think his body and strength will develop as it has with Nat Fyfe. He is one of those players who just makes the game look easy, he is an absolute ball magnet, strong in the air and reads the play very well. And like Fyfe, he can play pretty much anywhere on the ground. Although, I think he'll go the opposite route and play as a half back/midfielder as opposed to going forward. He could be just as good as Birchall as a rebounding defender, with possibly a greater ability to play through the midfield. A top 10 talent, I originally had him slightly lower down due to somewhat limited viewings but his ceiling is too high to overlook for me.

Blake Acres – West Perth / 188cm / 83kg / ‘95
Had his problems with injuries this year but he looms as a really nice sized midfielder who is comparable to Mitch Duncan in so many ways. Looks very composed out there almost as if knows what’s going to happen and hence seemingly has more time to make decisions than others. Very athletic and a good running type who can play anywhere but his best is fwd and middle. Ball use is very good and he has super hands. He is a perfect size to. I think he comes in a bit unheralded and could be a bolter for a spot around 10 as Collingwood are after his type. In many ways he is a taller version of Broomhead from last year. Just a very smooth player.

Why and who else. This and #7 are the two I have mulled over the most. They need ruck prospect and I think they could and should take Lobb but it may just end up being a reach. Acres would be a really nice mid for them who might end up being that Kennedy replacement. I have had Acres as high as #9.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Ditto. Skilled, athletic utility up until now, Acres is the highlight of the draft for mine, just that he slid to 19.

Yep, pumped to get him. I think he's every bit as talented as those that started going around pick 9 or so, in not higher.

This is what I posted back on Nov 4, just to continue what I was saying re. Acres v Scharenberg:

Really impressed with his marking and the way he moves. I reckon he ought to be able to play the sort of role Scharenberg plays and possibly just as well, so I think Acres at say 13 or 14 could easily be better value than Scharenberg in say the top 4.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Good stuff Benchy.

Worth noting that KM rates him the 2nd best player available in the draft.

 

[Jezzarayman]

"We were very surprised he got through. We anticipated one of the West Australian clubs would select Blake. He has had an injured shoulder this year and didn't play all the games in the championships but we think he's the prototype of the modern-day AFL footballer. Blake is 190cm, he's got both speed and endurance and so for us to have a player who can come in and play a number of positions – in a similar mould to Brendon Goddard – I think complemented our three selections nicely. Ideally, we'll have him play between half-back and half-forward, through the midfield." - Chris Pelchen

 

[CHBench]

Pre shoulder surgery combine results from WA testing at ECU Cowan University

20m sprint 2.94 sec (Compared with combine, Equal 9th)
Agility 8.28 sec (8th)
Standing vertical 69 cm (1cm out of top 10)
Running vertical jump ® 80cm (equal 10th)
Running vertical jump (l) 92cm (2nd)
Repeat sprint 21.51 sec (2 secs quicker than 1st place, typo?)
Beep test 15.2 (equal 5th)
No 3 km was tested
188cm
83.7 kg


AFL combine. 4 weeks post surgery/rehab.
20m sprint 3.05 sec
Agility test. Didn't test
Standing jump : ?
running vertical jump (r): ?
Running vertical jump (l) :?
Repeat sprint 25.16 sec
Beep test 13.1
3 km 11.15
190.2 cm

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/blake-acres.1014359/

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

 

[lewigie]

Will be special.. Can't believe he slipped as far as he did!

 

[CHBench]

Versatility the Key for WA Mystery Draft Prospect Blake Acres
...
Eight weeks since surgery and another eight to go before he is back to full fitness, Acres understands why some see him as a bit of a mystery in this year's crop, and sort of agrees.

"I think that," Acres said. "Some recruiters probably saw me for the first time playing against Vic Country or South Australia. They probably think that's all I am. I think I'm more than that."

Watching games from the sidelines has given Acres a new insight into footy, and what the life of a professional athlete can be like. He was approached at West Perth to help with the opposition analysis in the second half of the year and has enjoyed thinking more about the game, how it's played, and how to devise strategies.

He has got to know the younger players at the club better, and once a week goes to the gym with one of them, each pushing the other to get fitter, stronger and better.

Acres has genes on his side for that, though.

While his marking comes from growing up alongside state basketballers at school – before the surgery he was still playing three or four days a week – his endurance is from his dad, who was an 800m runner.

His dad's brother, Barry Acres, was a champion runner over that distance too, while his mum's sister, Nicole Redford, won a swimming bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1990.
...
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-10-06/acres-a-draft-mystery

 

[Plugger35]

The West Coast guys were tossing up between taking either of the star WA players Sheed or Acres with pick 11.

They took Sheed but there's not much between them, Acres will be a gun, only worry is the WA homesick factor.

 

[hayes]

We've drafted two WA kids recently. Cripps looked like he was settling in well before whatever the reason it was that made him leave, and there was never really any talk about Ledger being homesick so we should be right.

 

[Kawalsky]

Shave off the porno moustache and get him a few games next year

Moustache gone in his latest footage from channel 7. Thank god for that

 

[Defacto]

The West Coast guys were tossing up between taking either of the star WA players Sheed or Acres with pick 11.

They took Sheed but there's not much between them, Acres will be a gun, only worry is the WA homesick factor.

how many of our WA boys want to return home. black and cripps are the only ones i can think. black was a drop kick so ditto. cripps had his own personal reasons as well apparently, not to mention the dodginess the eagles pulled back then

he'll be fine i reckon

 

[Radius]

how many of our WA boys want to return home. black and cripps are the only ones i can think. black was a drop kick so ditto. cripps had his own personal reasons as well apparently, not to mention the dodginess the eagles pulled back then

he'll be fine i reckon

So to rephrase, we've drafted two WA boys in recent times and they're both gone...

 

[Jack Stevens]

So to rephrase, we've drafted two WA boys in recent times and they're both gone...

We had 6 Western Australians on our list this year, only one left and it wasn't about home sickness. I really don't see why it should be an issue.

 

[Radius]

We had 6 Western Australians on our list this year, only one left and it wasn't about home sickness. I really don't see why it should be an issue.

Yeah, I was just being a dick. Cripps was dealing with extenuating circumstances and Ledger wasn't getting anywhere on our list.

 

[popin]

Just me again saints fans so i hope you like this post as well, being a footy fan and half a wa boy i think Acres is your new modern day Fisher but could be a star as i could see him going fwd snagging goals smashing teams like geelong in the future giving other teams coaches a sore head who to play on him.

 

[Ed_Gein]

Well done on Acres. A lot of Swans fans were hoping he slid to 15 so we could nab him (really pleased with Jones though!), i reckon he'll be a star.