- Joined
- Jul 9, 2003
- Posts
- 9,606
- Likes
- 179
- Location
- Bannockburn
- AFL Club
- Essendon
- Other Teams
- Dallas Cowboys,Notre Dame
Thread starter
#1
Colin Wisby on Chaplin
Thought you guys would be intersted in Wisby's thoughts on Chaplin
Troy Chaplin (North Ballarat Rebels)
194/89 bottom age left foot (dual-sided) CHB.
Well built perfect size CHB who can also play CHF at U18 level. Looked the most promising underage Vic tall in '02 & was BOG in Ireland early this year but his share price went down as the year wore on. Basketball background & plays somewhat outside. Based on last year I was probably his biggest fan and thought he would be right in the mix for a top this year but, despite good U18 Champs form, I have been disappointed with his intensity and pace. Accordingly I have slipped him down to being worth a early 2nd round pick, although I haven't written off his chances of addressing my main concerns. Ready year 2, maybe year 1. Will probably go a bit earlier than I have him.
*STYLE LIKE: Jakovich
*TRADEMARK:
- Pickup or gather inside or around traffic then spot an option and do a long accurate threaded feed.
- Pack mark from behind, or body-on-body one-on-one overhead mark.
*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:
194cm, nice build. Looks a genuine AFL prospect the way he carries himself and the amount of time he seems to have but has yet to stamp himself as an AFL gimme. He visually looks a real foootballer - moves well, well-balanced, smarts, very clean hands at all levels, nice kicking style, good decision-maker and feeder by hand, poise under pressure.
Form this year has been handy but less than what I expected from last year. However I still believe he has the potential to be a very good AFL player. Physically, is arguably the most ready Vic KPP.
He is not as desperate as you want a defender to be but reads the play and the ball extremely well and often gets around 20 possessions (although there is not much in the way of quality opponents this year to measure him against).
It is his lack of intensity which worries me a lot and I am trying to reassure myself by significantly factoring in his being bottom-age. However, he's a bit of a contradiction. He fights hard on the ground when in traffic (and he is very good in traffic) but doesn't choose to enter traffic much, preferring to wait just outside. Can get his own ball but is not an intense hardball get type per se. Is quite a good tackler technique-wise but in 14 of his 21 games in 2 years has failed to register more than one tackle. None whatsoever in 7 of those games. On the other hand, 5 tackles in one U18 Champs game vs SA (but following a combined total of only 2 in the other two games).
There are other contradictions. Sometimes looks almost treacle slow but other times pace seems almost reasonable. Often appears to have an ordinary leap but every so often will surprise eg coming over the top at a throw-in. Has a very useful non-preferred right foot but seldom uses it.
Many of my comments on Chaplin and David Mundy re poise, reading, and lack of intensity and accountability are interchangeable. Like Mundy, Chaplin doesn't usually show his opponent much respect and plays a Paul Roos style - backs his ability to read the game and the ball as a higher priority than manning up on his opponent. Is often good at this - when he is wrong his opponent is often free in space or Chaplin has had to rely on a team mate going to his opponent. Shows snippets of serious quality but interspersed with low-intensity soso stuff. Definite promise but he is no certainty or finished product.
Plays a bit too reactionary and introverted for my liking. Likes to play off his opponent instead of going for first dibs enough.
Is only bottom age, has come from a basketball background, and has grown and filled out a lot since '02 so he deserves to be cut some slack re learning the game, honing his style and adjusting to his much bigger body shape. It may partly account for some of the apparent contradictions and concerns (but definitely not fully). That's why I still rate him as early as a mid 2nd rounder (and he could go earlier) and why I still have serious hopes for him.
However, the bottom line for Troy is simple - you have the potential to have a long term AFL career ... but only if you improve your intensity, hardness and pace (and lateral agility for that matter).
*DISPOSAL, DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
- Regularly displays smarts, creates play, brings team mates into the game. Does some clever stuff - tap ons, palm outs etc.
- Very good getter, spotter and feeder inside traffic. Makes the right decisions. Excellent at mopping up and hbg inside traffic.
- Great feeder. Feeding is his speciality. Spots with very good vision and is reliable by hand, including lookaway feeds. Weights well.
- Kicking is a mixed bag though. Style is relaxed but loose - low take, early release, bent leg follow-through, his body sometimes finishing 45d rhs. He can often get good depth but his kicks tend to have long hang time (caused by the early release and lack of punch on impact) and he misses too many targets at this stage. Some of kicks are mongrels/shockers, regardless of whether under pressure or not.
- A left footer who has a very acceptable right foot and is comfortable using it but doesn't do so very often.
- Regularly manages to get his feed off during a tackle and doesn't rush it.
- (other aspects - see above)
*HANDS:
- Clean hands all levels. Very clean in traffic.
*OVERHEAD MARKING:
- Reliable and clean overhead - good judge of a mark and holds his ground well. Takes plenty of contested marks, including pack. Lacks intensity though. Those two statements probably sound incongruous. However he is a basketballer who sometimes waits at the fall of a marking contest in which he should actually be involved. At some other times he doesn't commit himself completely, doesn't attack his marks. That's the major concern of mine, not that he lacks marking ability because he is reliable overhead - when he decides to have a serious crack.
- Doesn't show a great leap. Most of his marks are through holding his ground and using his reach, or virtually plucking from behind. His big plus in offsetting what appears to be soso leaping ability is a 6cm reach advantage (see below).
- Known for his marking but he is susceptible to a spoil from behind as he is inclined to let his opponent see a fair bit of it because he doesn't always protect the ball in the air that well.
- Excellent judge of flight.
- Excellent timing.
- Nice soft hands. Is routinely one-grab.
*ATHLETICISM, INTENSITY, ETHIC, CONSISTENCY:
- Great build. Has grown and filled out a lot since '02. Should finish up 95-100kg within 2 years.
- Lacks pace in games and can look very slow. Got badly exposed late season in particular, including his worst game where he was murdered on the lead by a part time full forward. Played as if he had flu or something but I've heard no suggestion that such was the case. Surprisingly, beat half the 168 attendees at DC/SS over 5m and 20m. Ditto for Beep test. That all offers some hope but begs the question of why he doesn't display that ability in matches. He sometimes has fairly good running style yet at other times he loses that form eg his arms flap. I didn't think to ask and I'm probably wrong but I wonder if he is getting coaching (he should be) and the new running technique is not yet automatic. Was MVP in the Ireland hybrid game and that code requires athleticism so it is not as if he some sort of a slug by any means.
- Lacks intensity, particularly hardness in a marking contest. Although he can take good marks he too often zones off like a basketballer instead of putting himself at the centre of the contest. Waits for the spill or feed instead of creating it. Often fails to pressure an opponent (eg spectates instead of chasing).
- Leap doesn't seem great but he has a healthy 6cm reach advantage compared to the average player of his height and this is a great "attribute" in spoiling or marking and in offsetting any lack of leap per se.
- Tends to park 2m defensive side of stop plays or traffic then spectate, not make first move. That's great for allowing him to mop up when the smalls get it out to him or it spills but I'd prefer to see him inside much more often (feeding it out to the smalls). when he does go into traffic he is excellent ... and that's what is so frustrating. He just doesn't get enough HBGs.
- Straight line agility is fairly reasonable but his lateral agility is not eg 1) he is easily wrong footed. 2) can have difficulty trying to bend a kick back 3) recovery. .DC/SS result for agility had him ahead of 68%. Was best for Aust in Ireland series so much have shown agility etc to be good in that code. That code is non-physical though, which would have suited him.
- Not bad at 1%ers eg blocks.
- Good evasion. Sells the dummy well.
- (other aspects - see above)
*SCI (SCOPE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT):
- Good.
- Has grown and filled out a lot since '02 so perhaps is still growing into his body. His pace may well improve automatically once he becomes more attuned to working with the different body shape than he had, say, early last year.
- Intensity may improve as he gets further away from thinking like a basketballer.
*AFL VERSATILITY:
- Plays mainly CHB. At AFL he may become FB if he can lift his intensity , pace and acceleration. At the moment a leading forward would carve him up. The extra freedom of CHB suits his cruising quarterback tendency. Perhaps he would start out as the 3rd tall defender. He is reasonably versatile in that he can pinch hit at CHF. Fundamentally, he is ideally suited to LMID / 3rd tall defender.
- He is mainly straight-line, which limits his role options.
*QUERY:
- Intensity.
- Pace.
*SOME STATS:
- TAC: Averaged 15 disposals in 14 TAC games 4.9 marks (27th in comp, 10th of the talls). 1.6 tackles, total 6 goals-6. 67% of disposals are kicks. 33% of his possessions are marks. At least 20 disposals in 4 games. (Got a 32 in '02 also). Last 3 games were terrible, av 9d, even allowing for being tired after a long season which included Ireland. If there was any excuse, it wasn't given to me when I inquired.
Mid-way trend .. % change in disposals was -24%. % change in marks was -37%. % change in tackles was 29% but from a very low base.
- Stats summary '03 U18 Champs:
Averaged 16 disposals and 6.0 marks in 3 U18 Rep games.
Kicks vs feeds: favoured kicks 32-14, similar to TAC pattern.
Tackles: 7
S.P. clearances: 4 incl 1 cbc
Gets own ball?: 9/46 TD were HR. 6 HBG
Kicks long vs short: 13-6.
Kicking accuracy: poor. 11/32 were ineff/clang incl 5 clang
Handball accuracy: 2/14 were ineff
Marking: 18 (incl 6 contested)
*OTHER STUFF:
- All Aust TY.
- AIS
- Voted best for Australia vs Ireland early '03.
- 1 Morrish Medal vote, 1 Coaches Award vote.
Thought you guys would be intersted in Wisby's thoughts on Chaplin
Troy Chaplin (North Ballarat Rebels)
194/89 bottom age left foot (dual-sided) CHB.
Well built perfect size CHB who can also play CHF at U18 level. Looked the most promising underage Vic tall in '02 & was BOG in Ireland early this year but his share price went down as the year wore on. Basketball background & plays somewhat outside. Based on last year I was probably his biggest fan and thought he would be right in the mix for a top this year but, despite good U18 Champs form, I have been disappointed with his intensity and pace. Accordingly I have slipped him down to being worth a early 2nd round pick, although I haven't written off his chances of addressing my main concerns. Ready year 2, maybe year 1. Will probably go a bit earlier than I have him.
*STYLE LIKE: Jakovich
*TRADEMARK:
- Pickup or gather inside or around traffic then spot an option and do a long accurate threaded feed.
- Pack mark from behind, or body-on-body one-on-one overhead mark.
*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:
194cm, nice build. Looks a genuine AFL prospect the way he carries himself and the amount of time he seems to have but has yet to stamp himself as an AFL gimme. He visually looks a real foootballer - moves well, well-balanced, smarts, very clean hands at all levels, nice kicking style, good decision-maker and feeder by hand, poise under pressure.
Form this year has been handy but less than what I expected from last year. However I still believe he has the potential to be a very good AFL player. Physically, is arguably the most ready Vic KPP.
He is not as desperate as you want a defender to be but reads the play and the ball extremely well and often gets around 20 possessions (although there is not much in the way of quality opponents this year to measure him against).
It is his lack of intensity which worries me a lot and I am trying to reassure myself by significantly factoring in his being bottom-age. However, he's a bit of a contradiction. He fights hard on the ground when in traffic (and he is very good in traffic) but doesn't choose to enter traffic much, preferring to wait just outside. Can get his own ball but is not an intense hardball get type per se. Is quite a good tackler technique-wise but in 14 of his 21 games in 2 years has failed to register more than one tackle. None whatsoever in 7 of those games. On the other hand, 5 tackles in one U18 Champs game vs SA (but following a combined total of only 2 in the other two games).
There are other contradictions. Sometimes looks almost treacle slow but other times pace seems almost reasonable. Often appears to have an ordinary leap but every so often will surprise eg coming over the top at a throw-in. Has a very useful non-preferred right foot but seldom uses it.
Many of my comments on Chaplin and David Mundy re poise, reading, and lack of intensity and accountability are interchangeable. Like Mundy, Chaplin doesn't usually show his opponent much respect and plays a Paul Roos style - backs his ability to read the game and the ball as a higher priority than manning up on his opponent. Is often good at this - when he is wrong his opponent is often free in space or Chaplin has had to rely on a team mate going to his opponent. Shows snippets of serious quality but interspersed with low-intensity soso stuff. Definite promise but he is no certainty or finished product.
Plays a bit too reactionary and introverted for my liking. Likes to play off his opponent instead of going for first dibs enough.
Is only bottom age, has come from a basketball background, and has grown and filled out a lot since '02 so he deserves to be cut some slack re learning the game, honing his style and adjusting to his much bigger body shape. It may partly account for some of the apparent contradictions and concerns (but definitely not fully). That's why I still rate him as early as a mid 2nd rounder (and he could go earlier) and why I still have serious hopes for him.
However, the bottom line for Troy is simple - you have the potential to have a long term AFL career ... but only if you improve your intensity, hardness and pace (and lateral agility for that matter).
*DISPOSAL, DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
- Regularly displays smarts, creates play, brings team mates into the game. Does some clever stuff - tap ons, palm outs etc.
- Very good getter, spotter and feeder inside traffic. Makes the right decisions. Excellent at mopping up and hbg inside traffic.
- Great feeder. Feeding is his speciality. Spots with very good vision and is reliable by hand, including lookaway feeds. Weights well.
- Kicking is a mixed bag though. Style is relaxed but loose - low take, early release, bent leg follow-through, his body sometimes finishing 45d rhs. He can often get good depth but his kicks tend to have long hang time (caused by the early release and lack of punch on impact) and he misses too many targets at this stage. Some of kicks are mongrels/shockers, regardless of whether under pressure or not.
- A left footer who has a very acceptable right foot and is comfortable using it but doesn't do so very often.
- Regularly manages to get his feed off during a tackle and doesn't rush it.
- (other aspects - see above)
*HANDS:
- Clean hands all levels. Very clean in traffic.
*OVERHEAD MARKING:
- Reliable and clean overhead - good judge of a mark and holds his ground well. Takes plenty of contested marks, including pack. Lacks intensity though. Those two statements probably sound incongruous. However he is a basketballer who sometimes waits at the fall of a marking contest in which he should actually be involved. At some other times he doesn't commit himself completely, doesn't attack his marks. That's the major concern of mine, not that he lacks marking ability because he is reliable overhead - when he decides to have a serious crack.
- Doesn't show a great leap. Most of his marks are through holding his ground and using his reach, or virtually plucking from behind. His big plus in offsetting what appears to be soso leaping ability is a 6cm reach advantage (see below).
- Known for his marking but he is susceptible to a spoil from behind as he is inclined to let his opponent see a fair bit of it because he doesn't always protect the ball in the air that well.
- Excellent judge of flight.
- Excellent timing.
- Nice soft hands. Is routinely one-grab.
*ATHLETICISM, INTENSITY, ETHIC, CONSISTENCY:
- Great build. Has grown and filled out a lot since '02. Should finish up 95-100kg within 2 years.
- Lacks pace in games and can look very slow. Got badly exposed late season in particular, including his worst game where he was murdered on the lead by a part time full forward. Played as if he had flu or something but I've heard no suggestion that such was the case. Surprisingly, beat half the 168 attendees at DC/SS over 5m and 20m. Ditto for Beep test. That all offers some hope but begs the question of why he doesn't display that ability in matches. He sometimes has fairly good running style yet at other times he loses that form eg his arms flap. I didn't think to ask and I'm probably wrong but I wonder if he is getting coaching (he should be) and the new running technique is not yet automatic. Was MVP in the Ireland hybrid game and that code requires athleticism so it is not as if he some sort of a slug by any means.
- Lacks intensity, particularly hardness in a marking contest. Although he can take good marks he too often zones off like a basketballer instead of putting himself at the centre of the contest. Waits for the spill or feed instead of creating it. Often fails to pressure an opponent (eg spectates instead of chasing).
- Leap doesn't seem great but he has a healthy 6cm reach advantage compared to the average player of his height and this is a great "attribute" in spoiling or marking and in offsetting any lack of leap per se.
- Tends to park 2m defensive side of stop plays or traffic then spectate, not make first move. That's great for allowing him to mop up when the smalls get it out to him or it spills but I'd prefer to see him inside much more often (feeding it out to the smalls). when he does go into traffic he is excellent ... and that's what is so frustrating. He just doesn't get enough HBGs.
- Straight line agility is fairly reasonable but his lateral agility is not eg 1) he is easily wrong footed. 2) can have difficulty trying to bend a kick back 3) recovery. .DC/SS result for agility had him ahead of 68%. Was best for Aust in Ireland series so much have shown agility etc to be good in that code. That code is non-physical though, which would have suited him.
- Not bad at 1%ers eg blocks.
- Good evasion. Sells the dummy well.
- (other aspects - see above)
*SCI (SCOPE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT):
- Good.
- Has grown and filled out a lot since '02 so perhaps is still growing into his body. His pace may well improve automatically once he becomes more attuned to working with the different body shape than he had, say, early last year.
- Intensity may improve as he gets further away from thinking like a basketballer.
*AFL VERSATILITY:
- Plays mainly CHB. At AFL he may become FB if he can lift his intensity , pace and acceleration. At the moment a leading forward would carve him up. The extra freedom of CHB suits his cruising quarterback tendency. Perhaps he would start out as the 3rd tall defender. He is reasonably versatile in that he can pinch hit at CHF. Fundamentally, he is ideally suited to LMID / 3rd tall defender.
- He is mainly straight-line, which limits his role options.
*QUERY:
- Intensity.
- Pace.
*SOME STATS:
- TAC: Averaged 15 disposals in 14 TAC games 4.9 marks (27th in comp, 10th of the talls). 1.6 tackles, total 6 goals-6. 67% of disposals are kicks. 33% of his possessions are marks. At least 20 disposals in 4 games. (Got a 32 in '02 also). Last 3 games were terrible, av 9d, even allowing for being tired after a long season which included Ireland. If there was any excuse, it wasn't given to me when I inquired.
Mid-way trend .. % change in disposals was -24%. % change in marks was -37%. % change in tackles was 29% but from a very low base.
- Stats summary '03 U18 Champs:
Averaged 16 disposals and 6.0 marks in 3 U18 Rep games.
Kicks vs feeds: favoured kicks 32-14, similar to TAC pattern.
Tackles: 7
S.P. clearances: 4 incl 1 cbc
Gets own ball?: 9/46 TD were HR. 6 HBG
Kicks long vs short: 13-6.
Kicking accuracy: poor. 11/32 were ineff/clang incl 5 clang
Handball accuracy: 2/14 were ineff
Marking: 18 (incl 6 contested)
*OTHER STUFF:
- All Aust TY.
- AIS
- Voted best for Australia vs Ireland early '03.
- 1 Morrish Medal vote, 1 Coaches Award vote.

