Conca Vs Heppell

[TeamHurley]

We have now seen a bit of these players. Too early to say for sure who will be the better player but if you would take a punt on one or the other which one would you take. Expecting this to be pretty close.

 

[Hodgepodge]

Conca pretty easily. Heppell will only ever be a fringe outside running player, Conca looks like he will be an elite midfielder.

 

[TeamHurley]

Conca pretty easily. Heppell will only ever be a fringe outside running player, Conca looks like he will be an elite midfielder.

Yeh yeh HP and Hurley is a halfback flanker

 

[Hodgepodge]

Yeh yeh HP and Hurley is a halfback flanker

Hurley has been out of form, lucky you have Brisbane this week.

 

[bignick]

A Bigfooty classic.

One eyed bombers supporter comes and starts a poll that his player should win easily.

In steps a bomber hater to derail the argument.

This could get interesting.

 

[TeamHurley]

A Bigfooty classic.

One eyed bombers supporter comes and starts a poll that his player should win easily.
In steps a bomber hater to derail the argument.

This could get interesting.

I don't know about that. Conca has been very impressive.

 

[TigerTime88]

Conca since moving into the middle has been awesome....averaged 23 touches at a high efficency as well. At draft time I was pissed we didn't take Heppell but now I am very happy with Conca.

 

[anti_]

both great players, probably the 2 best running-type debutants this year.

i'd take conca for my team, seems to have a slightly higher ceiling.

i think he'll be a great midfielder.

heppell will be a great flanker.

conca reminds me a bit of ryan griffen, he'll be breaking many a tackle in a few years.

 

[Rustof]

Much like the Scull/Treng v Martin debate. No team will be disappointed IMO with their picks. I've only seen about 3-4 of Heppell's games and he does like very settled down back, would be leading the Rising Star ATM.

Since moving into the mid Conca has been very good, averaging 20+ a game and boy does he know how not to waste a possession. I swear time slows when has possession of the ball, can't wait til he builds his tank up and gains some extra strength to break those tackles. Loving his work so far.

 

[juss]

I reckon Conca suits us more, was exactly what we needed. A midfielder who can run with good skills. Heppell can play that role too, but is more of a running half back flanker, a position we have pretty well covered right now. In a few years when Conca plays midfield full time he probably won't cop much notice from the opposition as you would suspect Martin/Cotchin will be the ones tagged for years to come giving Conca more freedom. Would not be dissapointed at all with Heppell, will be a gun.

 

[Bazzar]

I would be happy either way the draft went. Both will be great 150+ gamers for their clubs. Different players, and Richmond targeted Conca to fill future needs.

 

[thegenius]

both great players, probably the 2 best running-type debutants this year.

i'd take conca for my team, seems to have a slightly higher ceiling.

i think he'll be a great midfielder.

heppell will be a great flanker.

conca reminds me a bit of ryan griffen, he'll be breaking many a tackle in a few years.

spot on

 

[Azzleberry]

Typical BigFooty Poll IMO and one that has no relevance.
- Both players are completely different types.

Heppell -Solid rebounding HBFer who will push into the middle in stints and has good decision making out of the backline.

Conca - Mid/Wing type who is good in traffic, links up and highly efficient user of the pill.

This is a comparison, for BF users to say; Richmond shouldn't of passed on Heppell, yet another blunder etc...

Facts are: We didn't need Heppell's type at Tigers, as we had Newman, Deledio, Connors who can all rebound on a back flank. We also knew that we were getting Houli and had our sights on Batchelor. Our more pressing need was for a quality decision maker and disposer of the ball, who can link up through the middle (Outside Mid / Winger). Hence, we 'reached' for Conca at #6, as we rated him highly. In the long term, we will see if the right decision was made, however, at the current time, I am very happy with Conca at this pick (as the bombers should be with Heppell who also looks a nice pickup).

 

[The Bomb]

I am very impressed with Conca, at 1st I thought Richmond have made another mistake, but Conca is going to be a very good player.
Win Win for both clubs.

 

[blitzer]

Wow amazing that Heppell has already been pegged as being 'just a half back flanker'. I would suggest that he is going to be something really, really special. Heppell not only has brilliant rebounding ability from the back half but he can genuinely win the one on one contests as well and has done consistently so far already in his short career. Racks up the pill and has hardly had any goals kicked on him. I've never been more certain of a first year player. Hell Heppell was probably our best player on ANZAC day.

Conca's been fine but on performance Heppell is ahead clearly, its only been over the last few weeks that Conca's started to put in decent performances. Conca was absolutely towelled up by Milne earlier in the year and started off with relatively quiet performances. It may be bias but I wouldn't even consider swapping them.

 

[MightyTiger]

Wow amazing that Heppell has already been pegged as being 'just a half back flanker'. I would suggest that he is going to be something really, really special. Heppell not only has brilliant rebounding ability from the back half but he can genuinely win the one on one contests as well and has done consistently so far already in his short career. Racks up the pill and has hardly had any goals kicked on him. I've never been more certain of a first year player. Hell Heppell was probably our best player on ANZAC day.

Conca's been fine but on performance Heppell is ahead clearly, its only been over the last few weeks that Conca's started to put in decent performances. Conca was absolutely towelled up by Milne earlier in the year and started off with relatively quiet performances. It may be bias but I wouldn't even consider swapping them.

Reading that bit it's obvious you don't know much about his situation at all.

Conca started his first few games playing in the backline, Round 1 he played on Garlett and beat him, kept him to 2 goals (1 of which was kicked by a Deledio mistake) and Conca had 15 disposals himself.

Milne towelled him up for sure but it's a learning experience for the young kid, most draftees only know how to run one way and have no defensive side to there game at all, he was given the challenge of playing on the best teams small forwards to learn how to defend.

He was moved into the Midfield/Wing against Collingwood and ever since then he has averaged about 23+ disposals a game at a very very elite efficiency rarely wasting a disposal and cutting up opposition sides with his composure, awareness and disposal, in traffic he is sublime to watch, he may not look fast in traffic but he picks the right option every single time and doesn't panic.

We were more in need of outside running players with good disposal, hence the pick up of Houli in the PSD, Conca is one of those pure midfielders who can play inside/outside and does both exceptionally well, I don't really care for people who say Heppell > Conca as both are very different type of players and we needed a Conca type more then a Heppell type.

 

[brett15]

Win/win for both clubs, both players have played every senior game this year.

Heppell probably has more x-factor ability, a silky and classy user of the ball. Conca reminds me of Matty Knights, good at creating space and seems to have infinite time to dispose of the ball.

@ blitzer: Conca was started down back early to help fast track his defensive game, most kids don't have this developed from only playing under 18's/TAC. It was also probably to help him adjust to the pace of the game at AFL level before moving to the midfield. I had no problems with him being toweled up by Milne, good lessons and invaluable experience for when he's needed to play a tight run-with role in the mid.

 

[Bazzar]

Milne towelled him up for sure but it's a learning experience for the young kid,

And the call from all the commentators and most posters here, was to move him of Milne late in the first qtr, but Hardwick surprised and kept him on him for the entire game.

Last year Hardwick played ALL our new kids one-on-one footy for the majority of the year, saying that was the best way to learn.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

The sooner Heppell gets moved out of the backline the better, as he's given up a fair few goals this year.

That said, it's a good learning experience for him, but I certainly think that he's not a natural defender, and his best footy will be played up the field.

I'll back him in to have the better career long term, not because I don't rate Conca, but because I think Heppell will be something special.

 

[Bojangles17]

both very good players with bright futures, I'd say conca looks to win more of his own ball than heppell which is a good quality when building a midfield unit...i don't think either club would at all be dissapointed

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

What a ridiculous thread when the players are 7 games in.

 

[Slattery_20]

The sooner Heppell gets moved out of the backline the better, as he's given up a fair few goals this year.

Hang on, who's got hold of him?

 

[Slattery_20]

Reading that bit it's obvious you don't know much about his situation at all.

Conca started his first few games playing in the backline, Round 1 he played on Garlett and beat him, kept him to 2 goals (1 of which was kicked by a Deledio mistake) and Conca had 15 disposals himself.

Milne towelled him up for sure but it's a learning experience for the young kid, most draftees only know how to run one way and have no defensive side to there game at all, he was given the challenge of playing on the best teams small forwards to learn how to defend.

He was moved into the Midfield/Wing against Collingwood and ever since then he has averaged about 23+ disposals a game at a very very elite efficiency rarely wasting a disposal and cutting up opposition sides with his composure, awareness and disposal, in traffic he is sublime to watch, he may not look fast in traffic but he picks the right option every single time and doesn't panic.

And... drum roll lease... Heppell's still played better footy.
Pretty hard to avoid "knowing about his situation" since 4 or 5 Tigs have been posting the exact same thing by rote in every thread mentioning either.

They're not even half a season in - it really won't matter at all long term... no need to get defensive.
Heppell's started better than most kids I've seen. Conca has performed very, very well too. No need to make excuses or exaggerate.
ps 1 goal contributed in 7 weeks, half of those from a wing, isn't "cutting sides up". No need to exaggerate.

 

[TeamHurley]

What a ridiculous thread when the players are 7 games in.

Read the first post again.. Its not about who is better because its way to early to judge, it's about who you would take a punt on based on what you have seen so far.

Wish I include Polek in the poll so all the paranoid tigers supporters with Richard Tambling syndrome wern't drawn in here.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Hang on, who's got hold of him?

I know that there were three goals kicked on Anzac Day either by his direct opponent, or because someone beat him - Didak kicked one on him, Blair set up Pendlebury for a goal because Heppell let him get around him at the 50, and there's another one I can't remember off the top of my head.

It's not necessarily the number of goals that have been kicked against him, but the clear mistakes he's made to allow the ones that he has let through. I have observed it this year before and since the Anzac Day game though - I think he let Nicoski past him for one of those snaps on Sunday as well.

It's not an insult - Clearly he's a young player learning the caper defensively, but I don't think he's a natural at it, and I don't think his future lies in defense.