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Elijah Edwards - Progress ?

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Medhurst Magic

Medhurst Magic

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Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone had any updates on how this young gun was going ?

We signed him under the NSW Scholarship program in 2010 as a 14 year old and has been compared to Cyril Rioli.

For anyone who hasn't seen this, here is his highlights video. Let's not forget he was only 14 here !

Can't wait to see this jet in the Black & White :)

By the way , when would this be, 2014 ?

Cheers !

 
Have seen Edwards play live this year.

Think of him as a shorter Lewis Jetta (and when I say shorter. Think low 160s *cm). But he has every bit that same linebreaking pace.

Still very inconsistent and needs to get his hands on it more but he can absolutely break games open at times with his pace and this is his real asset and with his pace he can go end to end which is pretty exciting.

Draft eligable next year so lets hope he can step his game up, find more consistency, grow some more (unlikely) then maybe we have something.

Interesting player but the early hype in reality was unreasonable. He's not a 1st round quality talent and more a mid-late draft quality type if I had to rate him this early. But as a late/rookie through the NSW/ACT scholarship program he could be a good get adding that pace we are missing.
 
September Action said:
Wow...impressive. Granted its a highlights package but seems to know how to get it.
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Absolutely , can't forget he is just a kid here but some of those sidesteps and blistering pace and not afraid to tackle, looks a Gem !

Think he was only 170cm but you would think he would grow a bit. Blairy is only 172 and Cyril I think 177cm. Not as skinny as a Brad Dick , so should fill out a bit.

Would love to know how he is progressing ..

I think I read somewhere he was at Scotch College, so if there are any Scotch College boys around, fill us in !!
 

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Knightmare said:
Have seen Edwards play live this year.

Think of him as a shorter Lewis Jetta (and when I say shorter. Think low 160s *cm). But he has every bit that same linebreaking pace.

Still very inconsistent and needs to get his hands on it more but he can absolutely break games open at times with his pace and this is his real asset and with his pace he can go end to end which is pretty exciting.

Draft eligable next year so lets hope he can step his game up, find more consistency, grow some more (unlikely) then maybe we have something.

Interesting player but the early hype in reality was unreasonable. He's not a 1st round quality talent and more a mid-late draft quality type if I had to rate him this early. But as a late/rookie through the NSW/ACT scholarship program he could be a good get adding that pace we are missing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update mate, appreciate it. A little disappointed he hasn't really stepped up a great deal but he is only a kid and the consistency hopefully will come in time.

You would expect he would improve in all assets when he is down at Westpac Centre full time.
 
Uncanny, I just read about him in the old school mag rec'd in the mail tonight and saw his name in the thread.

He played in the 1sts and won the B&F - he's in yr11.
 
Beat the likes of Jake Kelly, Billings, Franetic abeit them missing games.

That is a really good, positive sign, considering he is of a small stature and playing against year 12's/18 year olds.
 
I'm assuming this Jake Kelly of whom you speak is not the Jake Kelly who is a son of Craig Kelly?
 
Medhurst Magic said:
Thanks for the update mate, appreciate it. A little disappointed he hasn't really stepped up a great deal but he is only a kid and the consistency hopefully will come in time.

You would expect he would improve in all assets when he is down at Westpac Centre full time.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say Edwards is to blame. It was more his profile with this highlights tape was really overhyped. Additionally he has stayed much the same height as others have grown so there is only so much he can do and as an extreme small who isn't growing it is more difficult to continue to improve his game.

He still does have his special gifts and in the one play that really stood out Edwards ran back pocket at full pace, avoiding players and still continuing on at full pace until he reached the forward flank and lace out (surprising as footskills not a strength) delivered to a leading forward (probably Billings). It was just a gamechanging play and it was really something incredibly special and the type of play that can change the flow of the play. So it's pretty handy that he can go nearly the length of the field at full pace and this is more what he has to continue to do and do more of to be a very good footballer.

In fairness watching him play APS footy (for Scotch) he received limited minutes so perhaps this was deceiving but next year in the TAC we should get a better idea of how much ball he wins against better competition.
 
Hawk0373 said:
Uncanny, I just read about him in the old school mag rec'd in the mail tonight and saw his name in the thread.

He played in the 1sts and won the B&F - he's in yr11.
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Over Billings? That surprises me on the couple of games I saw..
 
Knightmare said:
Over Billings? That surprises me on the couple of games I saw..
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It just says Jake Kelly was 2nd and Tim Allen 3rd. Scotch finished mid table with 5 wins and 5 "narrow" losses.

Normally they have a 2 page spread on the season but only spent a couple of paragraphs on it, strange.

Off topic, was Barry Price's final year as footy director too, was my coach back in 89/90...fantastic coach/bloke.
 
Knightmare said:
Have seen Edwards play live this year.

Think of him as a shorter Lewis Jetta (and when I say shorter. Think low 160s *cm). But he has every bit that same linebreaking pace.
Click to expand...

Just for comparison, Blair is listed at 174cm. :eek:

Still very inconsistent and needs to get his hands on it more but he can absolutely break games open at times with his pace and this is his real asset and with his pace he can go end to end which is pretty exciting.
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Where would he play Knightmare? Strictly forward line?

Would there be a place for him in the same team as Elliott and Mooney?

Does he know where the goals are?
 

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76woodenspooners said:
Just for comparison, Blair is listed at 174cm. :eek:


Where would he play Knightmare? Strictly forward line?

Would there be a place for him in the same team as Elliott and Mooney?

Does he know where the goals are?
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Edwards is mostly suited to playing on a wing. Can also play some on the ball or in the back half.
But in that Lewis Jetta role seems best suited as that outside runner.

Hasn't played all that much as a forward in recent times and I wouldn't think he would be competing with Elliott or Mooney, though it is entirely possible with his pace, evasiveness and tackling game that he could play as a forward.

Kicking very average. Doesn't have great penetration and not yet a natural finisher around goal - but that said it hasn't been his role. Kicking to targets also unreliable and will hopefully improve.

It will more come down to whether he can find and win a role in his own right. Most likely on a wing or down back in some type of role as that linebreaker.
 
Hawk0373 said:
It just says Jake Kelly was 2nd and Tim Allen 3rd. Scotch finished mid table with 5 wins and 5 "narrow" losses.
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Kelly and Allen are both very impressive and a worthy 2nd + 3rd. Both worth looking out for next year and both well in the mix as mid-late draft selections if they continue to improve.
 
I like a bit of pace but seems to me he'd be the shortest bloke in the AFL by a margin and kicks 40m at best. That's what I got from the video and posts. Sight unseen I'm not excited.
 
At his height his main hope would be in a Krakouer role up forward purely as a crumbing specialist' to our talls, regardless if hasn't played this role it will be what they are looking at.

Just like Didak he never played FP till he came to the pies pre that he was a mid.
 
With his height surely that rules out any defensive or midfield roles? players in the mid 170's are seem too short to play midfield by most teams and his over 10cms shorter than that?

Lets hope he has a late growth spurt.. he obviouslly hasnt had one yet and i remember back in year 12 i had a really short friend who in the space of year 12 went from tiny to above average height.

I think edwards would need to crack 170 at least to play AFL
 

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Loved the Pendles like one hand grab in traffic to run off and clear it. I thought he was the messiah or something from reports at the time? ;)
 
MarkT2 said:
I like a bit of pace but seems to me he'd be the shortest bloke in the AFL by a margin and kicks 40m at best. That's what I got from the video and posts. Sight unseen I'm not excited.
Click to expand...

The Video is a Few Years Old
 

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