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Hugh Dixon version two.

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anchor man

anchor man

Norm Smith Medallist
Veteran
Apr 6, 2001
5,654
7,407
Success WA
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Dockers ∧South Fremantle
Just read on the AFL site that Fremantle have offered Hugh Dixon another shot at playing AFL.
The club have promised him nothing , other than the second chance to have a career.
If he is interested he will be head down and arse up to take this chance.
I was totally disappointed in his attitude preseason, but maybe getting a second chance may wake him up.
Only 22, 195 and 98 Kgs.and a forward.
Thoughts?
 
anchor man said:
Just read on the AFL site that Fremantle have offered Hugh Dixon another shot at playing AFL.
The club have promised him nothing , other than the second chance to have a career.
If he is interested he will be head down and arse up to take this chance.
I was totally disappointed in his attitude preseason, but maybe getting a second chance may wake him up.
Only 22, 195 and 98 Kgs.and a forward.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
We have nothing to lose. Bell said he was AFL quality in ability but not attitude. The ball is in his court now.
 

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anchor man said:
Just read on the AFL site that Fremantle have offered Hugh Dixon another shot at playing AFL.
The club have promised him nothing , other than the second chance to have a career.
If he is interested he will be head down and arse up to take this chance.
I was totally disappointed in his attitude preseason, but maybe getting a second chance may wake him up.
Only 22, 195 and 98 Kgs.and a forward.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Don’t think you quite summarised it correctly, they’ve offered him a chance to train with the club, not a career.

I think it’s a good move, nothing to lose.

Hopefully he shows up in beast mode.
 
E Shed said:
Kid can play. Maybe he's finally ready to have a serious crack. I'm all for it.
Click to expand...

would be good if he does turn it around.

Clancee Pearce turned it around. So has Ryan Crowley and Michael Walters.
One_Wing said:
Should bring back dardy instead.
Click to expand...

Fancy that... Cam McCarthy had the skills. That 30 goal season at GWS showed he could be something. Brandon Matera was another that disappointed me too. Kicked 30 goals in 2019 then struggled in 2020
 

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He’s still in WA, which is good for him. Imagine him going back home would mean he turns up in his usual unfit/lazy self.
Who knows. He needs AFL professionalism like Hughes and Tabs, who both have spent time on the Rookie List.
 
FreoRicci said:
He’s still in WA, which is good for him. Imagine him going back home would mean he turns up in his usual unfit/lazy self.
Who knows. He needs AFL professionalism like Hughes and Tabs, who both have spent time on the Rookie List.
Click to expand...
well if Dixon can work as hard as Tabs, I can see Dixon become a 30-35 goal a season tall forward
 
My impression (from very much a distance and not knowing the exact circumstances) is that he is similar to Sean Darcy; it is not that he doesn't have the work ethic and the drive, it is more just that he likes his food and it is a difficult habit to break (I know that it can be from personal experience! :p). The difference is that Sean has been able to come back after the pre-season fit and in good shape, Hugh has failed twice but I am sure it is something that he potentially has the intelligence and willpower to fix if he want to.
 

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If he can present in good shape for the first time in his career then he might represent the best value key forward in WA. He's 21, he should be able to fill in immediately in 2021 and be pushing Lobb out of the forward line by 2022.

If I were his manager I'd be making it very clear that three years of hard work here could see him as the #1 and only key forward at Fremantle earning $800,000 a year for four years to secure the structure. He'll be set for life. All our tall forwards are in the last half of their career.

Taberner is a free agent next year.
 
Pass for me.

If you’re lazy, you’re lazy. It’s a hard trait to drop.
He’s had opportunities and been kicked up the arse before.
Even if he psyches himself up for a solid couple of months hard training, I can’t see it lasting a full season let alone a career’s length.

It’s only because of our lack of forward options that we’re considering guys that don’t cut the mustard. Would rather go without than settle for someone who isn’t good enough.

By the way has he ever torn up a WAFL level game? People bang on about his talent but his stats were awful when he was playing regularly. So what if he has a nice kick if he never gets the ball?
No appeal for me at all.
 
Fat Nyfe said:
Pass for me.

If you’re lazy, you’re lazy. It’s a hard trait to drop.
He’s had opportunities and been kicked up the arse before.
Even if he psyches himself up for a solid couple of months hard training, I can’t see it lasting a full season let alone a career’s length.

It’s only because of our lack of forward options that we’re considering guys that don’t cut the mustard. Would rather go without than settle for someone who isn’t good enough.

By the way has he ever torn up a WAFL level game? People bang on about his talent but his stats were awful when he was playing regularly. So what if he has a nice kick if he never gets the ball?
No appeal for me at all.
Click to expand...

He kicked 7 in one WAFL game (might have been in 2018 or maybe early 2019) and did absolutely tear it up. He had a slow return to the WAFL in 2019 after injury which has diluted his stats quite a bit. They were also trying to play him as a part time ruck (due to our lack of options in that year) so that reduced his time forward.

The thing is I don't think he is any more lazy than any other player; it is more a case of self discipline with respect to a single aspect of nutrition. As others have said he was in good nick throughout the season this year, and he generally trains hard when training is on; it is what he does when he is away from training.

I think a bigger issue is his position flexibility; he basically only has one position and that is as a forward. He is not really a ruckman and at 194cm he is not going to be competitive even in short term bursts at AFL level. So even if we pick him up, then he is probably only backup if Taberner goes down, not an option to backup or replace what Lobb does.
 
At what point do we question our on going abilities as a club to develop KPFs? Pointing to individual players such as Dixon, McCarthy, Hogan and Apeness is not going to progress is. How much of Taberner developing is his work, and how much is it the end result of the coaching team?

Recruiting has been one dimensional, preferring to trade in ready made talls, and typically they have been available because they have flaws.
 

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Hugh Dixon version two.

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