Opinion Elite Potential on our List

[EnolaGay]

I doubt he has the footy smarts. The penny can drop 100 times but if you lack the actual footy brain then it does not really matter. He has X factor for sure. His skills will always be all over the place and other rucks can work him over as he lacks the footy awareness as far as knowing where to run and position himself. If he can stay on the park he will be exciting and personally I think he could be a guy that kicks 20-25 goals a year .

Just let him run rampant in the FWD50 and do his crazy shit. It'll be a rollercoaster of emotion for fans.

 

[Sporno 4 Pyros]

FWIW Mark McGowan just ranked our kids under 23 as 17th best in an article in The Age and Caddy as the only potential star.

 

[ant555]

FWIW Mark McGowan just ranked our kids under 23 as 17th best in an article in The Age and Caddy as the only potential star.
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8 of them have not played and 7 came from last years draft so Mick would not know a lot about them anyway.

 

[Sporno 4 Pyros]

8 of them have not played and 7 came from last years draft so Mick would not know a lot about them anyway.

Oh it’s definitely a “need to pump out some AFL stories now that the tennis is over” article.

He has Whitlock and Berry from the same draft as Kako as Star Upside players…and most of the Tigers recruits from that draft

 

[Yoda_]

Oh it’s definitely a “need to pump out some AFL stories now that the tennis is over” article.

He has Whitlock and Berry from the same draft as Kako as Star Upside players…and most of the Tigers recruits from that draft

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I dont get the fascination with either Whitlock

 

[jdstorm]

FWIW Mark McGowan just ranked our kids under 23 as 17th best in an article in The Age and Caddy as the only potential star.
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If your a well only watch AFL that’s a pretty fair assessment. (Aside from not rating Kako)

Some of those guys have been in the system up to half a decade and barely been picked in a mediocre to bad team.

There’s also a few late picks who there’s every statistical reason to have low expectations for.

 

[Yoda_]

FWIW Mark McGowan just ranked our kids under 23 as 17th best in an article in The Age and Caddy as the only potential star.
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Elijah Tsatas sounds like he's going to embarrass a few people in 2025

 

[Squeaky]

Elijah Tsatas sounds like he's going to embarrass a few people in 2025

One can only hope!

 

[Yoda_]

Its got nothing to do with 'star' potential, but all about effort and work rate

When blokes like Ben Keays, Mitch Hinge are coming out as superstars then it shows we are lacking..

 

[div12ressie]

Elijah Tsatas sounds like he's going to embarrass a few people in 2025

his family?

 

[SpeckieMcVeigh]

The only player currently on the list that I'm confident will become a superstar is Kako.

There are others (Caldwell and Martin out of established players, Caddy and even Tsatas as far as youngsters go) who've shown even brief flashes, but based on our track record of development I don't expect them to get there.

 

[Yoda_]

his family?

his team mates more like it

 

[SpeckieMcVeigh]

his family?

11 clearances with a pretty low time on ground %. He has a lot of work to do with his ball usage and two way running, but at least he has an elite attribute, which is more than I can say for 95% of our list.

 

[Yoda_]

Tongiht has reminded a few just how quiet and assuming Jordan Ridley

14

Jordan Ridley

Age

27

Ht

195cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

4.5

3star

M

6.4

5star

T

1.7

4star

MG

244.8

4star

D

17.0

4star

K

11.9

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

6.7

5star

T

1.7

3star

MG

265.4

4star

D

13.8

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

4.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.4

4star

MG

208.2

4star

is. Quite easily our best tonight and makes everything look so easy


With so much evidence now after round 17, im bullish on the following;

Zac Johnson. Just looks like a star in the making

Archie Roberts. Should be right in the frame for the rising star

Kako continues to impress the higher up the ground he gets. Maybe just maybe we've found a decent high half forward

Angus Clarke looks like another who is just built for football.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Elijah Tsatas sounds like he's going to embarrass a few people in 2025

maybe not the people you thought...

 

[Yoda_]

maybe not the people you thought...

100%


Its the hope that kills

 

[King Patty]

A top twelve (excluding Zach who is our only elite player);

1/ Caddy - has the all-round game and the look in his eye of a champion. Is he too short? Will expectation hinder him?

2/ Durham - Inside and outside game has everything, and is a professional athlete. Does he himself believe he belongs in elite company to help him take the next step?

3/ Nick Martin - He’s a game-changer in that he gets plenty of the ball, breaks lines, and kicks goals. The upside for him, once he’s filled out his frame and settled into a role, is very high. Like Duz, he just needs to believe that he’s a top 10 AFL player.

4/ Elijah Tsatas - I’m bullish about him getting there. He just has an instinct to win the ball and take the game on. Will he refine his kicking within limitations? He needs to emulate what Robert Harvey did with his kicking.

5/ Harry Jones - I just keep coming back this guy as someone with all the tools to become a star. Does he have enough mongrel? Will he settle into a forward role in tandem with Caddy? Does he want ‘It’ enough.

6/ Sam Draper - I don’t think there is any player capable of doing what he does in our game right now. At his best he is explosive, inspiring, and a match-changer. But his bad is really bad. Will the penny drop? If it does, he still has time to be our most lethal weapon.

7/ Jye Caldwell - He’s an instinctive ball-winner who’s found the self-belief and continuity. Plus, you can see a determined will to be a winner. Will wear and tear cut him down? He will be a better player than most on this list but I wonder if he is too limited to ever be ‘elite’.

8/ Isaac Kako - From the footage Ive seen, he has elite attributes - low centre of gravity, reads the play well, instinctive goal sense, evasiveness. At this stage it’s too early to tell. Will he find enough of the footy. Can he take his game beyond the forward half like Ablett Jr did?

9/ Jordan Ridley - As an intercept marking, rebounding tall defender he has all the attributes and he’s been on the cusp before. Can he have a clear, injury-free run at it? Is it getting too late for him to reach his potential? I’m thinking he’ll never be a superstar.

10/ Archie Perkins - He has composure and goal sense. He oozes class as a small/tall. But has he got the capacity to stay in the game, stay focused, and be fully committed? He seems to drift and you wonder if that’s something that will always be there with him.

11/ Zach Reid - When I think of what level of elite he could be I am thinking of Harris Andrews. You can see it in his game where he reads the play well, is good overhead and a nice kick for his size. Is he too broken? And has he lost too many development years (especially taking into account the COVID-affected lead-in to his draft)?

12/ Saad El Hawli - My outsider or long-shot prediction. Looks to have all the attributes an elite footballer requires and he knows where the goals are. He’s direct and good overhead and has defensive grounding at VFL level. There’s something about him. Will he be found out at the next level? There must be deficiencies in his game to see him overlooked so often so it will be interesting to watch his pre-season unfold.

My top 10 (excluding Merrett) would be

1/ Martin closest thing we have to a star, shame about the ACL. would have been close in B&F with Merrett this year. Still likely finishes top 10.
2/ Zach Reid - was starting to show elite qualities, but cut down by injury
3/ Caddy future star if follows current progression
4/ Caldwell - was starting to show elite qualities, but cut down by injury
5/ Draper - was starting to show elite qualities, but cut down by injury
6/ Durham - has played some games well tagging best opoosition mid, but was smashed by Tom Green last night, has that burst speed from stoppage to break the game open.
7/ Kako - zippy small forward could be in the top few small forwards in league if hits goals more. Feel he will be more of a assist player - has a nice kick inside 50 to leading forwards, so good hes getting more of the ball.
8/ Roberts - had a cracking year as a defender, needs to tidy up disposal a bit, love his attitude, probably needs to move into midfield or more wing/half back to get more plaudits from media, but good to hear them mention he is in the race for rising star last night.
9/ Zach Johnson - elite disposal, we severly lack this, he has size, he has decent speed, hes the kind of player that we need.
10/ Xavier Duursma - has great intent, and defensive running, nice goals, but needs to tidy up disposal, too many poor kicks/ turnovers. When he gets older/stronger can he become one of the better wingers in competition.

Also note, have pretty much written off other first round picks Hobbs, Tsatas (disposal), Perkins (confidence is low).

Ridley, Parish, McGrath, Redman all have elite qualities, but are unable to consistently be on the park or put it together for a full season, will be interesting if Scott moves them on.

 

[Blind Turn]

My top 10 (excluding Merrett) would be

1/ Martin closest thing we have to a star, shame about the ACL. would have been close in B&F with Merrett this year. Still likely finishes top 10.
2/ Zach Reid - was starting to show elite qualities, but cut down by injury
3/ Caddy future star if follows current progression
4/ Caldwell - was starting to show elite qualities, but cut down by injury
5/ Draper - was starting to show elite qualities, but cut down by injury
6/ Durham - has played some games well tagging best opoosition mid, but was smashed by Tom Green last night, has that burst speed from stoppage to break the game open.
7/ Kako - zippy small forward could be in the top few small forwards in league if hits goals more. Feel he will be more of a assist player - has a nice kick inside 50 to leading forwards, so good hes getting more of the ball.
8/ Roberts - had a cracking year as a defender, needs to tidy up disposal a bit, love his attitude, probably needs to move into midfield or more wing/half back to get more plaudits from media, but good to hear them mention he is in the race for rising star last night.
9/ Zach Johnson - elite disposal, we severly lack this, he has size, he has decent speed, hes the kind of player that we need.
10/ Xavier Duursma - has great intent, and defensive running, nice goals, but needs to tidy up disposal, too many poor kicks/ turnovers. When he gets older/stronger can he become one of the better wingers in competition.

Also note, have pretty much written off other first round picks Hobbs, Tsatas (disposal), Perkins (confidence is low).

Ridley, Parish, McGrath, Redman all have elite qualities, but are unable to consistently be on the park or put it together for a full season, will be interesting if Scott moves them on.

I was thinking about this just now and my thoughts are similar to yours although I still put Durham right up there. I’d rather him play instinctively rather than be a stoppage negator though. This is why a player like Setterfield is so important to our midfield mix. Roberts needs to tidy up his disposal but I think he will. The long term injuries will rob us of an elite player or two. Hopefully Martin and Reid will be the two who can defy that prognosis.

 

[Yoda_]

Worth re visiting this after two more drafts, we have bank rolled a plethora of first rounders, time for them to kick on now;

Robey (9), Farrow (10), Sharp (13), Kako (13), Caddy (10) we need some to kick and become stars (not suggesting immediatley but eventually).

Having some of these mid > late picks come good is an added plus, a star from a 3rd rounder a genuine bonus.

How do you rate the talent under 24 on the list?

1. Nate Caddy - Kid could be anything
2. Isaac Kako - another who i feel is going to suprise a few with how well he ends up as a player.
3. Sully Robey - Kid has the highest ceiling imho. Could become one of the best players in the comp if it all works out.
4. Zac Reid - 23 yrs and 10months so sneaks in haha. The ceiling is huge and fingers crosed its clicking with his body staying healthy.
5. Vigo Visentini - Im huge on this kid. His ability to help around the ground for someone so young is impressive for a big guy. The tap work is improving but its all coming together. Think he could become a star.
6. Archie Roberts - Looks to be on an upwards trajectory, should become a 200 game player barring injury of course.
7. Archie May / Kayle Gerryn - lump these two together but if it all clicks. Watch out! the abilty to take a contested mark and kick it well so young is great. Would be awesome if one kicked on.
8. Jacob Farrow - Probably a little low but not having seen much will temper my expectations. Top 10 def/mid, fingers crossed it can work out for him
9. Angus Clarke - Looks bankable, similar to Roberts that he will become a long term player. Unsure on how high his ceiling is but looks a good role player for a long time.
10. Dyson Sharp - Simialr to Clarke, unsure how high his ceiling is but looks a bankable player for a long period of time from all the track watchers.

 

[Gabe251]

Reid and Caddy are our two future hopes. the rest could be great too but we really need those to shine.

 

[ant555]

Problem with saying Reid is injury prone players more often than not do not end up elite. Personally I don’t think Reid will be elite. For me he has the scope to be a good player but that is it.

If Kako’s pre season translates to the same impact in games he will be elite.

 

[Blind Turn]

Problem with saying Reid is injury prone players more often than not do not end up elite. Personally I don’t think Reid will be elite. For me he has the scope to be a good player but that is it.

If Kako’s pre season translates to the same impact in games he will be elite.

I’m warming to the idea of Kako stepping up to the elite level. His movement through traffic, low centre of gravity, and, it would seem, a good work ethic to want to improve, makes it look like there’s something special there if he builds his tank.

 

[jctrout]

I doubt he has the footy smarts. The penny can drop 100 times but if you lack the actual footy brain then it does not really matter. He has X factor for sure. His skills will always be all over the place and other rucks can work him over as he lacks the footy awareness as far as knowing where to run and position himself. If he can stay on the park he will be exciting and personally I think he could be a guy that kicks 20-25 goals a year .

I personally didn’t see enough maturity in him for success. He’s got a lot of manchild about him

 

[MiguelM]

I doubt he has the footy smarts. The penny can drop 100 times but if you lack the actual footy brain then it does not really matter. He has X factor for sure. His skills will always be all over the place and other rucks can work him over as he lacks the footy awareness as far as knowing where to run and position himself. If he can stay on the park he will be exciting and personally I think he could be a guy that kicks 20-25 goals a year .

Yeah, he definitely isn't a Max Gawn but one area where he started to improve before injury was his marking. Was actually starting to clunk them.

Marking around the ground is an area we suck at. Hopefully May, reid, Caddy can improve things. Still need a Ruck that can take more marks though. Such a huge advantage for any team.

Given up on Cox, Jones for marking ability.

 

[Yoda_]

Problem with saying Reid is injury prone players more often than not do not end up elite. Personally I don’t think Reid will be elite. For me he has the scope to be a good player but that is it.

If Kako’s pre season translates to the same impact in games he will be elite.

His early form of 2025 showed he has all the ability in the world, staying fit is the key