Autopsy Dwyer calling

[Old Spice]

There is always a reason a player misses the cut when it comes to the National Draft.

Some players are too short, don't kick long enough, have poor speed, average endurance, bad decision making, poor disposal.

It's also true to say some recruitment fashions pass and when the tide passes, few reconsider in the light of new trends or player development.

Dwyer certainly is on the short side (177cms) and doesn't appear to be a long kick. They are shortcomings of sorts, but from my viewing, as a fringe player, he ticks so many boxes.

I've by some psychological fashion and inertia reset my football clock on him each week with an expectation of ordinariness. But each week he makes moves that are fantastic. His sense of space, his lateral movement, his sage tackling, his disposal to advantage have all been first class this season.

He can't kick it from the 50 metre line, but his limitations, known well to him, has meant he's found other ways to goal, namely by deft set ups. I love this bloke. Underrated in his role.

 

[maace]

He's also beginning to have more of a defensive run (which he's been working on) .. I'm very impressed that someone at his age (27) can still improve his game.

The game against North was a selling point as well, had 5 tackles.

He's now a very important part of our forward structure

 

[Vicky Park]

I like the way Sammy escapes from congestion with the ball, the way he wriggles free of opponents, or slips and recovers and takes off. This is a great skill, and makes him very dangerous.

 

[RuFiO]

I like that he looks like Beams.

 

[Old Spice]

Everything he does within his range is clean and good.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

He is really polished. He earned the rookie upgrade and contract extension. Well done to the bloke for sticking it out and working hard all those years.

 

[Williamc99]

I love him. Everything he seems to do seems to be good. I've not seen him stuff it up too often. He just keeps impressing me and with a pre season under his belt, he will be huge for us next season as he seems to just keep improving. Great pick up by us this season.

 

[jmac70]

I don't understand why people want to drop him.

 

[Williamc99]

There are people who want him dropped? Jesus....

 

[Manic Shadow]

So clean in congestion, one grab player and some of the contested possies he wins are unbelievable...

 

[Pera]

Just watch him keep his feet at every contest, every game.

Has fantastic core strength.

 

[76woodenspooners]

IIRC he was picked behind Martin? And Martin himself is ahead of par for a first year rookie. It's remarkable what Dwyer has achieved.

IIRC he's only missed a couple of games, and that was through injury?

And there wouldn't be many players ahead of him in our B&F - Swan, Pendles, Cloke, Harry, Reid, maybe Williams, maybe Sidebottom, maybe Blair, maybe Shaw, ...? I'd reckon he's top 10 - remarkable for a 2nd picked rookie in a team that finished 6th.

 

[Williamc99]

It's remarkable how well he has slotted into our team as well. A mature age recruit can sometimes be risky, especially when they haven't played AFL footy before but it's like he's always been at the top level.

 

[Old Spice]

IIRC he was picked behind Martin? And Martin himself is ahead of par for a first year rookie. It's remarkable what Dwyer has achieved.

IIRC he's only missed a couple of games, and that was through injury?

And there wouldn't be many players ahead of him in our B&F - Swan, Pendles, Cloke, Harry, Reid, maybe Williams, maybe Sidebottom, maybe Blair, maybe Shaw, ...? I'd reckon he's top 10 - remarkable for a 2nd picked rookie in a team that finished 6th.

I reckon Martin was unlucky not to stay in the team. In fact a lack of communication from another young player may have cost him as he was run down on a stretch down the centre where he got caught.

In any case, Dwyer offers poise and vision offensively and smarts in defence.

 

[Pie eyed]

I like the way Sammy escapes from congestion with the ball, the way he wriggles free of opponents, or slips and recovers and takes off. This is a great skill, and makes him very dangerous.

Dwyer has more than a bit of Pendlebury about him. The two have featured in many one, two maneuvers this season and I'm willing to bet Dwyer has been the number one Pies player to handle to Pendlebury out of a pack or congested area than any other.
They play in the same regions and he looks to get the ball to Pendles as much as Pendles looks to receive from him.
A bit of a Synergy no doubt and from body language I reckon Pendles, and Buckley, rates Dwyer highly.

 

[Number 10]

He's a one take player. Should have been playing afl since 18.

 

[vjknight]

IIRC he was picked behind Martin? And Martin himself is ahead of par for a first year rookie. It's remarkable what Dwyer has achieved.

IIRC he's only missed a couple of games, and that was through injury?

And there wouldn't be many players ahead of him in our B&F - Swan, Pendles, Cloke, Harry, Reid, maybe Williams, maybe Sidebottom, maybe Blair, maybe Shaw, ...? I'd reckon he's top 10 - remarkable for a 2nd picked rookie in a team that finished 6th.

will be very interesting to see the new guys and how the club rated them on copeland night.
not necessarily overall total but what votes they secured in particular games.

 

[76woodenspooners]

There is always a reason a player misses the cut when it comes to the National Draft.

Some players are too short, don't kick long enough, have poor speed, average endurance, bad decision making, poor disposal.

It's also true to say some recruitment fashions pass and when the tide passes, few reconsider in the light of new trends or player development.

But does this mean that draft camps don't measure some key aspect of a player's capability or potential?

Or does it mean that recruiters have been looking at player attributes a bit too simplistically?

Or could it be possible that recruiters made the right call on Dwyer all these years - he simply wasn't ready for AFL ...

Consider Luke Ball - Ball doesn't have any remarkable physical attributes - he can't kick it far, he's not fast, he's not tall. In his early days Ball would have had some of those attributes, which got him into AFL footy in the first place - but over the years as he's slowed and the kicking range has shortened he's developed footy smarts. Ditto Krakouer. Young players don't have it. And not every player develops good footy smarts as they age - look at Simon Buckley.

Maybe Dwyer wasn't up to AFL standard as a young player - he didn't have the tools. But his ability to learn the game and become a wise presence on the field means he can crack it as a mature ager?

 

[jonbe54]

But does this mean that draft camps don't measure some key aspect of a player's capability or potential?

Or does it mean that recruiters have been looking at player attributes a bit too simplistically?

Or could it be possible that recruiters made the right call on Dwyer all these years - he simply wasn't ready for AFL ...

Consider Luke Ball - Ball doesn't have any remarkable physical attributes - he can't kick it far, he's not fast, he's not tall. In his early days Ball would have had some of those attributes, which got him into AFL footy in the first place - but over the years as he's slowed and the kicking range has shortened he's developed footy smarts. Ditto Krakouer. Young players don't have it. And not every player develops good footy smarts as they age - look at Simon Buckley.

Maybe Dwyer wasn't up to AFL standard as a young player - he didn't have the tools. But his ability to learn the game and become a wise presence on the field means he can crack it as a mature ager?

My take on the recruiters is they play the percentages - and percentages are ruled by stats. We know from long experience that Hinesey insn't a slave to stats so hence he took a closer look.

 

[Vicky Park]

I reckon players like Tony Shaw might have missed out on being drafted in the modern era. Many have said he couldn't kick, run or jump, but he had what was needed to lead us out of the wilderness in 1990.

 

[jathanas]

I think it's just self preservation on the recruiters behalf. Their instinct would clearly have told them that Spud could play.

Firstly he would've been a "harder sell" to a coach, and secondly if things went pear shaped the recruiter would not have been able to point to Spud's obvious physical attributes. So it's a risk unless the recruiter has "balls".

In IT in the 90s they'd say that nobody ever got fired for buying IBM or Microsoft even though a number of alternatives always existed.

But does this mean that draft camps don't measure some key aspect of a player's capability or potential?

Or does it mean that recruiters have been looking at player attributes a bit too simplistically?

Or could it be possible that recruiters made the right call on Dwyer all these years - he simply wasn't ready for AFL ...

Consider Luke Ball - Ball doesn't have any remarkable physical attributes - he can't kick it far, he's not fast, he's not tall. In his early days Ball would have had some of those attributes, which got him into AFL footy in the first place - but over the years as he's slowed and the kicking range has shortened he's developed footy smarts. Ditto Krakouer. Young players don't have it. And not every player develops good footy smarts as they age - look at Simon Buckley.

Maybe Dwyer wasn't up to AFL standard as a young player - he didn't have the tools. But his ability to learn the game and become a wise presence on the field means he can crack it as a mature ager?

 

[Old Spice]

But does this mean that draft camps don't measure some key aspect of a player's capability or potential?

Or does it mean that recruiters have been looking at player attributes a bit too simplistically?

Or could it be possible that recruiters made the right call on Dwyer all these years - he simply wasn't ready for AFL ...

Consider Luke Ball - Ball doesn't have any remarkable physical attributes - he can't kick it far, he's not fast, he's not tall. In his early days Ball would have had some of those attributes, which got him into AFL footy in the first place - but over the years as he's slowed and the kicking range has shortened he's developed footy smarts. Ditto Krakouer. Young players don't have it. And not every player develops good footy smarts as they age - look at Simon Buckley.

Maybe Dwyer wasn't up to AFL standard as a young player - he didn't have the tools. But his ability to learn the game and become a wise presence on the field means he can crack it as a mature ager?

Ball had OP issues which affected his kicking and speed. Not saying they were enormous but they were certainly diminished.

I can understand why Dwyer may have been overlooked in whatever draft year he appeared on the basis probably of height, speed and kicking penetration. For similar reasons Sam Mitchell was overlooked (although he looked also a bit of an endomorph and his kicking is longer). But after several years in the state leagues, you can see the other qualities which comes to the fore. The ability to side-step and evade and to set up team-mates with vision and poise is a better rookie option possibly than taking a punt on an unproven, athletic beanpole project player.

I'm always pleasantly surprised by him as a player at the fringe of our 22, and I think best 22 this year.

 

[Lord Wilberforce]

I reckon players like Tony Shaw might have missed out on being drafted in the modern era. Many have said he couldn't kick, run or jump, but he had what was needed to lead us out of the wilderness in 1990.

True, but look at Blair and Puopolo. Both are not the archetype modern player but still got places on the senior list. Their desire out weights their lack of height.

 

[doodles98]

I don't understand why people want to drop him.

I rate him too and for a first season at AFL level he has been sensational really. His defensive work was not great at the start but has improved... still needs improving though. He drifts in and out of games too much and needs to get more of it / do more / have greater impact.... this is why he is being touted by people (including me) as a fringe player who may be dropped when we have Seedsman, Ball, Elliot, Didak, Krak, Sinclair, Young all pushing for selection. In my opinion our team is too average at the moment to push deep into finals.. we need more impact players.

 

[doodles98]

I reckon players like Tony Shaw might have missed out on being drafted in the modern era. Many have said he couldn't kick, run or jump, but he had what was needed to lead us out of the wilderness in 1990.

Yep Diesel Williams and Libba would have probably been overlooked too because they didn't measure up to the sports scientists definition of athletic footballers.