Delisted James Sellar

[ThePuppetMaster]

Sellar has a long term AFL future in defense IMO, he's done great jobs on big-bodied players - he's reliable by foot as well, without being game-breaking.

 

[RandB]

MFC: Pre-season update: McDonald to Sellar

30. James Sellar

James has been as consistent as there has been, I believe, pre-Christmas. He hasn’t missed a session and his attention to detail is great. He’s improved in the areas we’ve asked him to and he’s very driven to establish a consistent spot in our starting 18.

– Jade Rawlings

 

[AllenJakovich13]

 

[RandB]

2013 Season Preview

There was a time last year when most of us would have agreed that it was down back or bust for James Sellar. On the odd occasion he had some semblance of a forward role he just didn't get amongst it in the early days.

As the year went on he started playing serviceable roles down back and looked more purposeful in the clinches even if his dynamics limited his effect at ground level. There were some decent one-on-one defensive efforts though which would have boosted both his confidence as well as that of the FD in playing him. He subsequently played the last 8 games of the season and ironically chipped in with goals in the last 5 of them when either being given licence or taking initiative to roam up the ground.

He's behind a fair few in the ruck stakes but 12 hitouts against the Saints in round 20 showed at least he's not afraid to have a crack when Neeld turns to him for a spell.
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During the pre-season Rawlings praised Sellar's consistency and attention to detail and how he has responded to feedback given to him. By that I assume he "trained the house down" as most players seem to do. It might be my imagination but he did look a little more agile in some of the pre-season games so hopefully pre-season training has taken him up a notch, which would be at the very least, an interesting prospect given his heigh and reading of the play.

Of the pre-season games, needles to say, 1 game stood out over the rest and that was the 5 goal haul against Port at Renmark. They didn't have great defensive stocks that day (apparently) but Sellar's mindset, kicking and positioning was all good and enough to ask the question again, how will he be played in 2013? At this point in time there is no answer to that question - voila my first cop-out for the season!

He is listed at CHF in lieu of Dawes for round 1 (and why not) and I expect him to start there. Beyond that though he could easily be thrown down back the following week in lieu of a McDonald if Gillies doesn't perform or for any other reason Neeld entertains. A first 18 gig in round 1 though is good enough for him I suspect and he'll attack any role given to him.

Sellar will be a genuine weekly proposition for this reviewer (from a positional pov) early on but watch this space.