Luring that Key Forward?
- Thread starter Robin Hood
- Start date
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Just managed to find this write-up on Paul Johnson by draft guru Colin Wisbey. Be best to note this was written couple of years ago as well.
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Paul Johnson
197/96 top-age left-footer (but dual-sided).
Lion-hearted hard-working hard-running large fwd/ruck with special small-man skills but NQR for an AFL tall.
AFL Comparison:
(Forward) style like combination of Molloy (Bris) and Cummings.
(Ruck) style like Primus.
Has small-man skills which a big man has no right to have. Unfortunately, is NQR in some big-man skills which a big man is expected to have.
Will probably go first round but I have serious concerns about whether some attributes and techniques effective for him at U18 level will translating well to AFL level . I do not share the opinion of those who see his future as a versatile ruckman who can also play FF, CHF or CHB. I see any AFL future as primarily a FF (in a role similar to Molloy’s at Brisbane) who can handle forward line ruckwork and can pinch-hit as relief (but not man) ruckman. Against the weight of general opinion, I believe a 2nd round pick is fair and a first round pick is too high a price, given the concerns. Johnson is probably the player who has caused me the greatest grief in assessing AFL potential.
Arguably the standout big man in the U18 Champs series, and certainly in the TAC comp, as both ruck & FF but his competition was generally sub-standard, especially in ruck. At U18 level, Paul is both a delight to watch and an enigma. Has improved quite a lot since last year.
For his size, his straight-line agility is outstanding and his straight-line pace is usually quite good once he has built up momentum. He is exceptionally clean-handed and reliable below the knee even within a pack or through serious traffic. .He is incredibly adept at half-volley pickups at top pace - either takes off the ground or diving marks. He regularly sets up play by charging through traffic, taking the ball amazingly cleanly, then feeding off.
His work ethic is exceptional. He never gives up and he covers a lot of ground. He contests the ruck or marking contest then immediately pushes himself to remain an active participant until the ball is cleared. Even then, he will typically run on, with a sense of purpose, to the next play downfield. His 2nd and 3rd efforts terrific. He will regularly chase hard to try to pressure an opponent. He will regularly throw himself fiercely to smother an opponent’s kick or feed, including smothering the ball off the boot. Stats tell only part of his picture – one-percenters are a big feature. Although Paul is not quick as such, he pushes himself hard to get to, and actively participate in, any contests in which he can play a part. He will run flat out for 40mark just to block for a team-mate. His team ethic is so impressive. He is very unselfish. In particular, he will instinctively block for a team-mate after feeding the ball. He will clear a path & then follow up to present again “just in case”.
And he has terrific evasion skills for a big man.
And he thinks quickly when he has, or is going for, the ball.
And he has great awareness of where team-mates are around him.
…. BUT
… he rarely take contested overhead marks and his current rucking techniques, while regularly successful against most U18 rucks ( who are usually much shorter and/or skinnier) are likely to be exposed at AFL level. It’s not just a technique thing. Paul’s techniques can be worked on and improved to some extent, but the major part of the problem seems to relate to instinct and judgement and that’s why I am not confident he can adequately address my concerns.
And that’s the sticking point, together with the fact that his impressive agility in a straight-line or when he has the ball does not translate to lateral agility when the ball is loose or an opponent has it. In the latter circumstances, Paul has improved a lot since last year but is still cumbersome. It is easy to wrong-foot Paul and his recovery at such times is so slow that the opponent simply runs off him each time.
I see Johno’s best AFL prospect as a leading full-forward who, although not strong overhead, does lead hard and direct, has clean hands in front, and open the forward line up. Not just a Cummings (WCE) but, importantly, also a Molloy (Brisbane) in his ability to create opportunities and protection for other forwards. That, coupled with the ability to manufacture special goals from close in and the danger he presents with any kick for goal within 60mark, are where his real strength lies. That he can at least pinch-hit / relieve in ruck and take the ruckwork deep in the forward line is a plus.
To focus on a few aspects of where he is now:-
Marking:
Is excellent on the lead but rarely take contested overhead marks.
He is officially 197/96. Therefore, if he is playing key forward (typically FF), it might seem logical to man him up with your best big strongman. I believe, however, the best opponent is someone tallish (but not necessarily more than 6’2” even) and disciplined who has the pace, leap, mobility and concentration to wear him like a blanket on the lead, and to run off him at every opportunity.
Paul is a very strong, purposeful, steam-train lead. He hits the ball at top pace and has vice-grab hands if he can take the ball out if front. If you are even a metre behind him on the lead and the ball comes no higher than head height, he will mark it every time. And when he does he will hurt because he is such a reliable thumping kick, especially for goal.
If the ball presents a genuine overhead marking contest, Paul struggles big-time. He will always give you a big chance because he gives you unlimited access to the ball. He instinctively tends to run at the ball in such a way that he gets to a point underneath the ball and then jumps virtually straight up. He doesn’t have a feel for jumping up and INTO the ball. Nor does he steady at the last moment to shield the ball from the opponent’s reach. The bottom line is that Johnson is often not well-balanced at impact and, most importantly, the opponent doesn’t have to reach around Johnson’s body, let alone his arms, him for the ball. To compound things (or possibly connected) Paul often has hard hands overhead and struggles to even get hands to ball if he is coming from behind or mid-pack. Put simply, Paul‘s overhead marking usually consists of him running to the spot and jumping vertically straight up to catch. If he doesn’t have clear access to both those aspects, he is in trouble. Hence, he is usually in trouble overhead.
Ruckwork:
Is dual-handed and very clever with many of his ho's - can do monster punch hitouts to the front, or straight-arm jolt punches sideways, but he does try to direct hitouts & does have good awareness of where his "rover" options are. That’s the good news.
At ruck contests, tends to get to a position underneath where he expects the ball to drop. At ball-ups, as with his overhead marking, this typically means he finishes up having to jump straight up vertically instead of coming at an angle with a run up. This leaves him susceptible to a big-leaping ruckman jumping over the top of him and with greater purchase of the ball. Additionally, at throw-ins, he often tends to lean back excessively (a la J Madden). This allows him to out-body U18 rucks - he holds his arms out to the side to ward off opponent but in doing so he often leans way back leaving himself poorly-balanced to adjust if the throw-in is not tossed to the exact right spot.
At throw-ins, he will try to out-body his opponent almost every time.
He will bully any short ruckman who tries to out-body him. At U18 level they don't come much bigger & stronger than him. Most U18 rucks, including in the U18 Championships, are much shorter than Paul. Many are barely 6’3”. However, Johno is no Primus and nor is he exceptionally tall by AFL standards at barely 197cm and he is unlikely to get away with it at AFL level - opposition rucks will just jump over the top of him.
I believe the key to beating Johnson at ball-ups is oppose him with either a big leaper or someone of greater height and good leap, or similar or greater in both height and strength. At throw-ins, I would either let him do his wrasslin’ thing with the normal opponent but have a leaper (even fairly small) either come over the top late (a la J Cloke) or rush in front to intercept the ball. If you have an athletic huge-leaper, again not necessarily super tall but with a good sense of timing, who can come in late over the top of Johnson or early in front from the side, you don’t even need to have another person physically engaging him.
Agility:
There are two conflicting aspects to his agility. When he has the ball, his evasion skills are disarmingly outstanding – side-stepping or wrong-footing an opponent or selling the dummy. However, when the opponent has the ball or the ball takes a sideways bounce, Paul is easily wrong-footed and, when that happens, his slow reaction to recover, his poor turning circle and his lack of acceleration off the mark are such that he misses the train completely. His turning circle has improved since last year but is still a major weakness for the game he tries to play.
SUMMARY:
- Thumping reliable left foot kick but also get good depth and accuracy with his right. Consistent, even on the run. Excellent goal-sense.
- Always tries to play in front. Always.
- Has amazing clean ball-handling skills below the knee for his size – he is especially clean at picking up the half volley in front of him. (The trouble is, if it veers from his straight line path he is in trouble - even if he only has to veer off 45degrees).
- Very good with both hands (and arguably seems to use his right even more than his left) – both handball and hitouts, both depth and accuracy. Except for overhead marking, his hands are clean, quick and reliable. He is good at feeding the ball out, even under great pressure.
- Amazing on-field work ethic – running, presenting, competing, one-percenters, 2nd efforts, blocking, tackling, pressuring, etc
- Very intense at both man and ball. Fierce & desperate tackler.
- Great awareness of team-mates around him.
- Excellent decision-maker – any thinks quickly in doing so.
- Excellent evasion skills for his size
- Agility is a mixed bag – what he does well he does brilliantly, but his recovery when wrong-footed is poor.
- Pace and acceleration are somewhat of a mixed bag. Is not flash of the mark and can sometimes look lumbering but on other occasions, when he has some momentum up and/or is on his own terms, he can look very mobile for his size. - Never gives up.
- As a hard-leading forward he is terrific if the ball is out in front of him at head height or below - has vice-like grip running flat out taking the ball in front of him when he has even the slightest break on his opponent.
Query:
- Sub-standard contested overhead marking
- Ruck technique which may not succeed at AFL level
- If he is forced (i.e. not by his own choice) to change stride from his straight-line path he is in trouble and is way too slow to recover. It is very easy to wrong-foot him & run off him - either on the run or when he is standing the mark - & that's going to hurt him at AFL level, not just around the ground but even as a key forward they will run off him.
- Will he have weight problems which may impact his strengths (pardon the pun)? 96kg but has an Adonis build at 18yo. Officially added 6gk in the past year.
- stamina? (I don’t have any reason to believe he does or does not have stamina, so it is a query. He doesn’t tend to ruck long stints - his local team has two dedicated rucks + Johnson + R Brown, and Vic Metro had Cloke + part-timers Walsh & Brown. Certainly he runs hard and covers a lot of ground “non-stop”).
Some stats:
* In 2 full TAC seasons, has never got more than 20 possessions and only 3 times has taken more than 6 marks. Hasn't taken more than 5 marks in any game since April.
* TAC Avg disposals 15, up 25% on last year.
* Tac Avg marks 3.8
* 50% improvement in TAC avg handballs in 2nd half of his season
* 33% decrease in TAC avg marks in 2nd half of his season
* 35% decrease in TAC avg tackles in 2nd half of his season
* Has most average frees against in the TAC comp – has reduced from 2.6 mid-year to 2.2 though. (Was 4th last year)
* Morrish Medal votes in 5 games.
* Avg 12 disposals in U18 Championships – but a TOTAL of only 5 marks in 3 games.
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Paul Johnson
197/96 top-age left-footer (but dual-sided).
Lion-hearted hard-working hard-running large fwd/ruck with special small-man skills but NQR for an AFL tall.
AFL Comparison:
(Forward) style like combination of Molloy (Bris) and Cummings.
(Ruck) style like Primus.
Has small-man skills which a big man has no right to have. Unfortunately, is NQR in some big-man skills which a big man is expected to have.
Will probably go first round but I have serious concerns about whether some attributes and techniques effective for him at U18 level will translating well to AFL level . I do not share the opinion of those who see his future as a versatile ruckman who can also play FF, CHF or CHB. I see any AFL future as primarily a FF (in a role similar to Molloy’s at Brisbane) who can handle forward line ruckwork and can pinch-hit as relief (but not man) ruckman. Against the weight of general opinion, I believe a 2nd round pick is fair and a first round pick is too high a price, given the concerns. Johnson is probably the player who has caused me the greatest grief in assessing AFL potential.
Arguably the standout big man in the U18 Champs series, and certainly in the TAC comp, as both ruck & FF but his competition was generally sub-standard, especially in ruck. At U18 level, Paul is both a delight to watch and an enigma. Has improved quite a lot since last year.
For his size, his straight-line agility is outstanding and his straight-line pace is usually quite good once he has built up momentum. He is exceptionally clean-handed and reliable below the knee even within a pack or through serious traffic. .He is incredibly adept at half-volley pickups at top pace - either takes off the ground or diving marks. He regularly sets up play by charging through traffic, taking the ball amazingly cleanly, then feeding off.
His work ethic is exceptional. He never gives up and he covers a lot of ground. He contests the ruck or marking contest then immediately pushes himself to remain an active participant until the ball is cleared. Even then, he will typically run on, with a sense of purpose, to the next play downfield. His 2nd and 3rd efforts terrific. He will regularly chase hard to try to pressure an opponent. He will regularly throw himself fiercely to smother an opponent’s kick or feed, including smothering the ball off the boot. Stats tell only part of his picture – one-percenters are a big feature. Although Paul is not quick as such, he pushes himself hard to get to, and actively participate in, any contests in which he can play a part. He will run flat out for 40mark just to block for a team-mate. His team ethic is so impressive. He is very unselfish. In particular, he will instinctively block for a team-mate after feeding the ball. He will clear a path & then follow up to present again “just in case”.
And he has terrific evasion skills for a big man.
And he thinks quickly when he has, or is going for, the ball.
And he has great awareness of where team-mates are around him.
…. BUT
… he rarely take contested overhead marks and his current rucking techniques, while regularly successful against most U18 rucks ( who are usually much shorter and/or skinnier) are likely to be exposed at AFL level. It’s not just a technique thing. Paul’s techniques can be worked on and improved to some extent, but the major part of the problem seems to relate to instinct and judgement and that’s why I am not confident he can adequately address my concerns.
And that’s the sticking point, together with the fact that his impressive agility in a straight-line or when he has the ball does not translate to lateral agility when the ball is loose or an opponent has it. In the latter circumstances, Paul has improved a lot since last year but is still cumbersome. It is easy to wrong-foot Paul and his recovery at such times is so slow that the opponent simply runs off him each time.
I see Johno’s best AFL prospect as a leading full-forward who, although not strong overhead, does lead hard and direct, has clean hands in front, and open the forward line up. Not just a Cummings (WCE) but, importantly, also a Molloy (Brisbane) in his ability to create opportunities and protection for other forwards. That, coupled with the ability to manufacture special goals from close in and the danger he presents with any kick for goal within 60mark, are where his real strength lies. That he can at least pinch-hit / relieve in ruck and take the ruckwork deep in the forward line is a plus.
To focus on a few aspects of where he is now:-
Marking:
Is excellent on the lead but rarely take contested overhead marks.
He is officially 197/96. Therefore, if he is playing key forward (typically FF), it might seem logical to man him up with your best big strongman. I believe, however, the best opponent is someone tallish (but not necessarily more than 6’2” even) and disciplined who has the pace, leap, mobility and concentration to wear him like a blanket on the lead, and to run off him at every opportunity.
Paul is a very strong, purposeful, steam-train lead. He hits the ball at top pace and has vice-grab hands if he can take the ball out if front. If you are even a metre behind him on the lead and the ball comes no higher than head height, he will mark it every time. And when he does he will hurt because he is such a reliable thumping kick, especially for goal.
If the ball presents a genuine overhead marking contest, Paul struggles big-time. He will always give you a big chance because he gives you unlimited access to the ball. He instinctively tends to run at the ball in such a way that he gets to a point underneath the ball and then jumps virtually straight up. He doesn’t have a feel for jumping up and INTO the ball. Nor does he steady at the last moment to shield the ball from the opponent’s reach. The bottom line is that Johnson is often not well-balanced at impact and, most importantly, the opponent doesn’t have to reach around Johnson’s body, let alone his arms, him for the ball. To compound things (or possibly connected) Paul often has hard hands overhead and struggles to even get hands to ball if he is coming from behind or mid-pack. Put simply, Paul‘s overhead marking usually consists of him running to the spot and jumping vertically straight up to catch. If he doesn’t have clear access to both those aspects, he is in trouble. Hence, he is usually in trouble overhead.
Ruckwork:
Is dual-handed and very clever with many of his ho's - can do monster punch hitouts to the front, or straight-arm jolt punches sideways, but he does try to direct hitouts & does have good awareness of where his "rover" options are. That’s the good news.
At ruck contests, tends to get to a position underneath where he expects the ball to drop. At ball-ups, as with his overhead marking, this typically means he finishes up having to jump straight up vertically instead of coming at an angle with a run up. This leaves him susceptible to a big-leaping ruckman jumping over the top of him and with greater purchase of the ball. Additionally, at throw-ins, he often tends to lean back excessively (a la J Madden). This allows him to out-body U18 rucks - he holds his arms out to the side to ward off opponent but in doing so he often leans way back leaving himself poorly-balanced to adjust if the throw-in is not tossed to the exact right spot.
At throw-ins, he will try to out-body his opponent almost every time.
He will bully any short ruckman who tries to out-body him. At U18 level they don't come much bigger & stronger than him. Most U18 rucks, including in the U18 Championships, are much shorter than Paul. Many are barely 6’3”. However, Johno is no Primus and nor is he exceptionally tall by AFL standards at barely 197cm and he is unlikely to get away with it at AFL level - opposition rucks will just jump over the top of him.
I believe the key to beating Johnson at ball-ups is oppose him with either a big leaper or someone of greater height and good leap, or similar or greater in both height and strength. At throw-ins, I would either let him do his wrasslin’ thing with the normal opponent but have a leaper (even fairly small) either come over the top late (a la J Cloke) or rush in front to intercept the ball. If you have an athletic huge-leaper, again not necessarily super tall but with a good sense of timing, who can come in late over the top of Johnson or early in front from the side, you don’t even need to have another person physically engaging him.
Agility:
There are two conflicting aspects to his agility. When he has the ball, his evasion skills are disarmingly outstanding – side-stepping or wrong-footing an opponent or selling the dummy. However, when the opponent has the ball or the ball takes a sideways bounce, Paul is easily wrong-footed and, when that happens, his slow reaction to recover, his poor turning circle and his lack of acceleration off the mark are such that he misses the train completely. His turning circle has improved since last year but is still a major weakness for the game he tries to play.
SUMMARY:
- Thumping reliable left foot kick but also get good depth and accuracy with his right. Consistent, even on the run. Excellent goal-sense.
- Always tries to play in front. Always.
- Has amazing clean ball-handling skills below the knee for his size – he is especially clean at picking up the half volley in front of him. (The trouble is, if it veers from his straight line path he is in trouble - even if he only has to veer off 45degrees).
- Very good with both hands (and arguably seems to use his right even more than his left) – both handball and hitouts, both depth and accuracy. Except for overhead marking, his hands are clean, quick and reliable. He is good at feeding the ball out, even under great pressure.
- Amazing on-field work ethic – running, presenting, competing, one-percenters, 2nd efforts, blocking, tackling, pressuring, etc
- Very intense at both man and ball. Fierce & desperate tackler.
- Great awareness of team-mates around him.
- Excellent decision-maker – any thinks quickly in doing so.
- Excellent evasion skills for his size
- Agility is a mixed bag – what he does well he does brilliantly, but his recovery when wrong-footed is poor.
- Pace and acceleration are somewhat of a mixed bag. Is not flash of the mark and can sometimes look lumbering but on other occasions, when he has some momentum up and/or is on his own terms, he can look very mobile for his size. - Never gives up.
- As a hard-leading forward he is terrific if the ball is out in front of him at head height or below - has vice-like grip running flat out taking the ball in front of him when he has even the slightest break on his opponent.
Query:
- Sub-standard contested overhead marking
- Ruck technique which may not succeed at AFL level
- If he is forced (i.e. not by his own choice) to change stride from his straight-line path he is in trouble and is way too slow to recover. It is very easy to wrong-foot him & run off him - either on the run or when he is standing the mark - & that's going to hurt him at AFL level, not just around the ground but even as a key forward they will run off him.
- Will he have weight problems which may impact his strengths (pardon the pun)? 96kg but has an Adonis build at 18yo. Officially added 6gk in the past year.
- stamina? (I don’t have any reason to believe he does or does not have stamina, so it is a query. He doesn’t tend to ruck long stints - his local team has two dedicated rucks + Johnson + R Brown, and Vic Metro had Cloke + part-timers Walsh & Brown. Certainly he runs hard and covers a lot of ground “non-stop”).
Some stats:
* In 2 full TAC seasons, has never got more than 20 possessions and only 3 times has taken more than 6 marks. Hasn't taken more than 5 marks in any game since April.
* TAC Avg disposals 15, up 25% on last year.
* Tac Avg marks 3.8
* 50% improvement in TAC avg handballs in 2nd half of his season
* 33% decrease in TAC avg marks in 2nd half of his season
* 35% decrease in TAC avg tackles in 2nd half of his season
* Has most average frees against in the TAC comp – has reduced from 2.6 mid-year to 2.2 though. (Was 4th last year)
* Morrish Medal votes in 5 games.
* Avg 12 disposals in U18 Championships – but a TOTAL of only 5 marks in 3 games.
My as well post some of the other names that have been mentioned on this thread. Interesting to note some of the queries these players had over them that I for one would have not otherwise have guessed.
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Tim Walsh (Northern Knights)
194+/81 bottom-age right-footer (dual-sided). Style like early Chris Grant.
Bottom-age athletic, stylish versatile tall. So much to offer but very seriously lacking in intensity.
U18 CHF and part-time ruck who can run, jump, catch, kick both feet, and pick-up like a rover ..... but is too often a spectator. Has good character, good ability. If he had half-decent intensity he would be worthy, in a draft like this, of a top 10 pick as many suggest. I’ve seen players conquer a host of weaknesses but I can’t recall too many players turning around a distinct lack of instinctive intensity. Tim’s almost complete lack of intensity scares me to the extent that, for that reason ALONE, I rate him worthy of no higher than a 2nd round pick at best. Some will argue that I’m putting too much emphasis on his intensity but its the one problem he has in which I am not confident of him being able to make sufficient improvement to allow him to fully utilise his otherwise impressive attributes.
As with Johnson, I acknowledge that this puts me out of sync with mainstream thinking. He seems a great kid and certainly has a lot of very appealing attributes and I hope he proves me wrong, but to be honest I would not be in a rush to draft him as a potential key position player. He will definitely get drafted and definitely early. I think that is a shame as I suspect another year of U18s would have helped him learn to take more responsibility during a game and stamp his authority on a game.
I first noticed him in a game against Dandenong last year and I instinctively formed the opinion that “this kid could be anything – he has the lot”. I posted the same on the internet at the time. Subsequently, however, I have become more and more uneasy and disappointed in his continuing lack of intensity.
Broke collarbone early in game 1 of the 2002 U18 Champs and ran out of time to be ready for 2002 finals.
Athleticism, Mobility:
Has a huge leap, even from a standing start, but particularly when he has a run-up. He’s a bird.
He does move very stylishly – smooth running style, nicely-balanced.
Generally looks agile.
Sometimes looks to have quite good pace but occasionally looks a bit slow. I have trouble getting a handle on his pace. I am not sure about his stamina either, despite his athletic appearance. Sometimes he appears to run out of puff (and when he does he can look a bit slowish).
Marking:
Can take a very big grab, especially over the top. Can mark from in front also but his best is possibly on a lead (his leads are good and tend to be quick, direct and purposeful) or coming from behind. Generally has good hands overhead. Can rise high enough to take a chest mark where others might have to mark it overhead.
Hands:
Very clean hands generally but exceptional off the carpet for one so tall.
Disposal:
Is dual-sided.
Is excellent with the hands – quick spotting, quick reaction, sharp decision-making, excellent accurate powerful feeds short or long, clear air or through traffic. As soon as he hears the call, he usually spits it out straight to the caller – even if the caller is not in his line of vision. (Is primarily a right footer but seems to handball mainly with his left?) In general, I would describe his kicking as a mixed bag. I definitely believe it does need work but I am confident it can be improved and that ultimately he can become a reliable kick.
Has nice style kicking on the run. His kicking often looks quite good off the boot but his kicks too often drop short – especially attempted passes less than 30m.
For set kicks, sometimes tends to get too close to man-on-mark or try a too-cute dinky pass off virtually just one step. With some of his set shots for goal, he tends to have a stuttering run-up – almost like a medium-pacer in cricket who runs 20m to the wicket then virtually stops before bowling the ball off virtually one step. (He can look on such occasions almost as if he is kicking off the wrong foot, although he isn’t).
He is also capable of fairly regular pin-point passes and some long kicks. Some of his short passes that drop too short tend to be stabbed.
Intensity:
Woeful. Often he just doesn't seem to really want to make the ball his own or even go for it – all too often he seems to adopt a wait and see attitude.
If he contests a mark and the ball spills free, he too often just stands there and spectates.
If he is bumped off a contest, he too often just stands there and spectates.
He too often stands back leaving a small team-mate to go in for the ball while he spectates..
If he doesn’t think he will be able to mark the ball he too often just stands there and spectates while an opponent takes the uncontested mark under no pressure.
If he is forced to the ground he too often just stays there and spectates instead of quickly getting back to his feet and involving himself.
He very often fails to commit his body to an awkward marking contest or oncoming pressure.
He will feed to a team-mate but then spectate when he should instead move on to lay a block for the team-mate.
He often doesn’t chase.
In fairness, every so often I get a pleasant surprise. Eg in a trial game, I had been noting (for not the first time that day even) his lack of intensity. Shortly after, he put in a big effort to keep chasing Brennan and throw himself at him and effect the spoil. (However, soon after, he was easily bumped off the ball and he then just stood there).
Work ethic:
Other than the above, he actually has quite good on-field work ethic in some ways. He always presents as a target for his team-mates. As a CHF, he straightens the team up as they go forward.
Covers a lot of ground.
Poise under pressure:
When he happens to find himself in traffic or under great pressure or even outnumbered or any combinations of these, he typically shows good poise, evasion skills and traffic management skills generally – he doesn’t panic, he does look for options. He moves very well through traffic. Ironic, and frustratingly so, given his general lack of intensity.
Occasionally he lacks a bit of awareness and seems to think he has more time than he actually does. On these occasions he can be inclined to not know what to do – but he is probably smart enough to get on top of that in time with more experience in games at a predictable tempo.
Ruckwork:
Can do some part-time ruck work. Some of his hitouts are very well targeted. A fair few are Stynes-like though i.e. where he gets clear purchase but just taps it to his feet thus not giving a team-mate an advantage. Has genuine potential as a 6’5” -ish part-time ruck though.
Versatility, build:
Handy height (nudging 6’5” and possibly still growing). Only 81kg but is bottom-age and has a frame which should furnish into a really nice footy build.
Has the height for a key and at least adequate enough pace and agility for a wing/flank. Frankly, the latter is where I suspect his AFL future may lie – as a tall, hard-to-match up “HFF” (although most would presumably argue that he is suited to CHF instead). Technically he even has a lot to offer as a “ruckrover” but, unless he can completely turn around his lack of intensity, his traffic management attributes are likely to be more than offset by failure to pressure the opposition when he doesn’t have the ball.
Query:
- Intensity (!!!!!)
- Hard to gauge his physical strength because of the way he currently plays. I’ve no reason to be overly concerned. I just don’t have a handle on it.
- Doesn’t yet take a game by the scruff of the neck. Sometimes threatens to but can then go missing.
- Stamina? Occasionally looks like he is unduly puffed-out. In such circumstances he can look surprisingly slow. I don’t have a handle on whether this is even a pattern or whether I just noticed a couple of random occurrences that don’t mean much. Regardless he is naturally athletic so, at worst, he probably just needs some conditioning.
Some TAC stats:
8 games 2001, 4 2002, so not statistically a great sample for this season. FWIW though, double-digit disposals in only 4 of those 12 games, and nothing over 16. Max marks 6.
Other stuff:
- Son of Geoff Walsh (Kangaroos Football Mgr).
- I think he was also a basketballer until recently when he decided to concentrate on footy.
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Tim Walsh (Northern Knights)
194+/81 bottom-age right-footer (dual-sided). Style like early Chris Grant.
Bottom-age athletic, stylish versatile tall. So much to offer but very seriously lacking in intensity.
U18 CHF and part-time ruck who can run, jump, catch, kick both feet, and pick-up like a rover ..... but is too often a spectator. Has good character, good ability. If he had half-decent intensity he would be worthy, in a draft like this, of a top 10 pick as many suggest. I’ve seen players conquer a host of weaknesses but I can’t recall too many players turning around a distinct lack of instinctive intensity. Tim’s almost complete lack of intensity scares me to the extent that, for that reason ALONE, I rate him worthy of no higher than a 2nd round pick at best. Some will argue that I’m putting too much emphasis on his intensity but its the one problem he has in which I am not confident of him being able to make sufficient improvement to allow him to fully utilise his otherwise impressive attributes.
As with Johnson, I acknowledge that this puts me out of sync with mainstream thinking. He seems a great kid and certainly has a lot of very appealing attributes and I hope he proves me wrong, but to be honest I would not be in a rush to draft him as a potential key position player. He will definitely get drafted and definitely early. I think that is a shame as I suspect another year of U18s would have helped him learn to take more responsibility during a game and stamp his authority on a game.
I first noticed him in a game against Dandenong last year and I instinctively formed the opinion that “this kid could be anything – he has the lot”. I posted the same on the internet at the time. Subsequently, however, I have become more and more uneasy and disappointed in his continuing lack of intensity.
Broke collarbone early in game 1 of the 2002 U18 Champs and ran out of time to be ready for 2002 finals.
Athleticism, Mobility:
Has a huge leap, even from a standing start, but particularly when he has a run-up. He’s a bird.
He does move very stylishly – smooth running style, nicely-balanced.
Generally looks agile.
Sometimes looks to have quite good pace but occasionally looks a bit slow. I have trouble getting a handle on his pace. I am not sure about his stamina either, despite his athletic appearance. Sometimes he appears to run out of puff (and when he does he can look a bit slowish).
Marking:
Can take a very big grab, especially over the top. Can mark from in front also but his best is possibly on a lead (his leads are good and tend to be quick, direct and purposeful) or coming from behind. Generally has good hands overhead. Can rise high enough to take a chest mark where others might have to mark it overhead.
Hands:
Very clean hands generally but exceptional off the carpet for one so tall.
Disposal:
Is dual-sided.
Is excellent with the hands – quick spotting, quick reaction, sharp decision-making, excellent accurate powerful feeds short or long, clear air or through traffic. As soon as he hears the call, he usually spits it out straight to the caller – even if the caller is not in his line of vision. (Is primarily a right footer but seems to handball mainly with his left?) In general, I would describe his kicking as a mixed bag. I definitely believe it does need work but I am confident it can be improved and that ultimately he can become a reliable kick.
Has nice style kicking on the run. His kicking often looks quite good off the boot but his kicks too often drop short – especially attempted passes less than 30m.
For set kicks, sometimes tends to get too close to man-on-mark or try a too-cute dinky pass off virtually just one step. With some of his set shots for goal, he tends to have a stuttering run-up – almost like a medium-pacer in cricket who runs 20m to the wicket then virtually stops before bowling the ball off virtually one step. (He can look on such occasions almost as if he is kicking off the wrong foot, although he isn’t).
He is also capable of fairly regular pin-point passes and some long kicks. Some of his short passes that drop too short tend to be stabbed.
Intensity:
Woeful. Often he just doesn't seem to really want to make the ball his own or even go for it – all too often he seems to adopt a wait and see attitude.
If he contests a mark and the ball spills free, he too often just stands there and spectates.
If he is bumped off a contest, he too often just stands there and spectates.
He too often stands back leaving a small team-mate to go in for the ball while he spectates..
If he doesn’t think he will be able to mark the ball he too often just stands there and spectates while an opponent takes the uncontested mark under no pressure.
If he is forced to the ground he too often just stays there and spectates instead of quickly getting back to his feet and involving himself.
He very often fails to commit his body to an awkward marking contest or oncoming pressure.
He will feed to a team-mate but then spectate when he should instead move on to lay a block for the team-mate.
He often doesn’t chase.
In fairness, every so often I get a pleasant surprise. Eg in a trial game, I had been noting (for not the first time that day even) his lack of intensity. Shortly after, he put in a big effort to keep chasing Brennan and throw himself at him and effect the spoil. (However, soon after, he was easily bumped off the ball and he then just stood there).
Work ethic:
Other than the above, he actually has quite good on-field work ethic in some ways. He always presents as a target for his team-mates. As a CHF, he straightens the team up as they go forward.
Covers a lot of ground.
Poise under pressure:
When he happens to find himself in traffic or under great pressure or even outnumbered or any combinations of these, he typically shows good poise, evasion skills and traffic management skills generally – he doesn’t panic, he does look for options. He moves very well through traffic. Ironic, and frustratingly so, given his general lack of intensity.
Occasionally he lacks a bit of awareness and seems to think he has more time than he actually does. On these occasions he can be inclined to not know what to do – but he is probably smart enough to get on top of that in time with more experience in games at a predictable tempo.
Ruckwork:
Can do some part-time ruck work. Some of his hitouts are very well targeted. A fair few are Stynes-like though i.e. where he gets clear purchase but just taps it to his feet thus not giving a team-mate an advantage. Has genuine potential as a 6’5” -ish part-time ruck though.
Versatility, build:
Handy height (nudging 6’5” and possibly still growing). Only 81kg but is bottom-age and has a frame which should furnish into a really nice footy build.
Has the height for a key and at least adequate enough pace and agility for a wing/flank. Frankly, the latter is where I suspect his AFL future may lie – as a tall, hard-to-match up “HFF” (although most would presumably argue that he is suited to CHF instead). Technically he even has a lot to offer as a “ruckrover” but, unless he can completely turn around his lack of intensity, his traffic management attributes are likely to be more than offset by failure to pressure the opposition when he doesn’t have the ball.
Query:
- Intensity (!!!!!)
- Hard to gauge his physical strength because of the way he currently plays. I’ve no reason to be overly concerned. I just don’t have a handle on it.
- Doesn’t yet take a game by the scruff of the neck. Sometimes threatens to but can then go missing.
- Stamina? Occasionally looks like he is unduly puffed-out. In such circumstances he can look surprisingly slow. I don’t have a handle on whether this is even a pattern or whether I just noticed a couple of random occurrences that don’t mean much. Regardless he is naturally athletic so, at worst, he probably just needs some conditioning.
Some TAC stats:
8 games 2001, 4 2002, so not statistically a great sample for this season. FWIW though, double-digit disposals in only 4 of those 12 games, and nothing over 16. Max marks 6.
Other stuff:
- Son of Geoff Walsh (Kangaroos Football Mgr).
- I think he was also a basketballer until recently when he decided to concentrate on footy.
Stephen Gilham
190/ 76 mid-age right-footer (but dual-sided).
Talented skinny 6’3” dual-sided smart athletic half-back would-be Paul Roos.
Genuine AFL potential even though I've a few concerns. Has an attractive enough combination of height, athleticism, smarts, courage, confidence, overhead and kicking capability, leadership, and clean hands to make him worth a 1st round pick. In a draft of not quite ready's I would have thought about pick #10 to #15, although many would rate him earlier.
My major concern is that he needs heaps more weight, although is deceptively strong. Most likely role at AFL level could be tall running HBF. Likes to play off his man and track off the play (a la Paul Roos) and is a back-your-own-judgement dasher with good but not great speed and OK but not great acceleration off the mark. Is courage personified (eg regularly backs into packs) and takes a nice grab but is not consistent overhead. Is fairly consistent – is still a contributor even when he has a quiet one.
When I think of Gilly, “courage” is the 1st word that comes to mind. It’s also the 2nd.. And the 3rd. After that, it’s “athleticism”, then “leadership”, then “self-confidence”, then “evasion”.
Decision-making / Judgement / Smarts / Accountability:
Probably good / good / very good / fair.
Is a dasher who loves to run off his man.
Is generally a good decision-maker. Is a fairly quick thinker in traffic. Spots options fairly well although is a bit inclined at full pace to just kick generally downfield, often to a contest.
Has a natural tendency to play on, and loves to back himself, but generally exercises good judgement re when and how to do so. Occasionally he does bite off more than he can chew and gets into trouble, sometimes resulting in a rushed hospital handball.
Even though he played a bit at FB last season, he has a lack of respect for the opposition goalsquare and sweet spot which makes him a risk on the last line of defence – he has no hesitation moving the ball from back-pocket to the goal-square (by hand, foot, or carry), even when sound judgement would dictate otherwise. This is not a weekly occurrence but happens (and has cost goals) often enough to be a concern and something he needs to (and can) remedy.
Prefers to zone off instead of playing one-on-one. Backs his judgement. And his judgement is generally good. He seems to be able to take quite a few risks - you often see him going for the ball when his man is nowhere to be seen – yet his judgement is good enough that he seldom gets burnt.
He does sometimes play one-on-one but on a big, strong, smart forward it generally finds him out for body strength at this stage, both on the ground and aerially. Is sometimes not tight enough and sometimes loses track of his man.
He tends to be reasonably selective depending on the opponent eg Johns (WA) is a big strong athletic jumping jack – but raw. Gilham was very clever, playing two styles in one. He sometimes didn't give Johns an inch even when ball was miles away, but occasionally played 2m or more off Johns. Johns definitely seemed distracted trying to ascertain where Gilham was or wasn’t.
Gilham likes to take them on. His excellent evasion skills and quite good speed over the ground make him very successful at this – you don’t usually have your heart in your mouth when he takes off. Is happy to zone off his man to attack the ball.
Reads the play well. Reads the ball well. It is not uncommon for him to let his opponent charge to contest while Gilham waits back – and very often the ball does find its way out to him.
Likes to play on quickly whenever possible and open up the play and usually does it without getting caught.
Picks up a lot of his kicks virtually loose across half back.
When a team-mate has the ball, Gilham likes to peel off & create an option. He makes good position.
Is good at punch-spoils at marking contests.
He does think laterally. Eg 1. At the back of the pack at a marking contest, swiping or tapping the ball over the back like a ruckman towards his own goals. Eg 2. If he sees no ruck at a throw-in or even a ball-up he will come in and go for a punch ho himself.
Generally displays poise under pressure. (Sometimes the pressure is self-created).
Traffic management mainly consists of rushing through it, rather than much science being involved.
Blocks for a team-mate (and will run hard to do so) – including “dummy marking” blocks.
Very good at mopping up off (typically at the back of) the contest.
Speed, agility:
Definitely good, but not great, speed and is not as quick off the mark as you might expect for someone as otherwise athletic as he is. I think many people overrate his quickness but he doesn’t often get caught. Has the speed to run the lines but not to chase down a runaway genuine quick (although he will try). A good fitness adviser may be able to give him the extra yard and improve his recovery agility and acceleration off the mark Is very nimble and quick-reflexed when he has the ball but when he over-runs the ball or is wrong-footed his recovery is not as nimble as you might expect.
Athleticism:
Huge natural leap, even from a standing start.
Good at coming over the top at throw-ins – big leap, big punch.
Evasion skills:
Excellent. And in various perfectly-times ways - deft sidestep to avoid a bump & find space, stopping in his tracks just as an opponent comes at him, selling the dummy, swivel turn, etc. He has excellent instincts, evasion techniques, reflexes, poise. Knows how to find space to give himself time.
Intensity:
Very good. Attacking the ball at full speed, chasing, tackling, punch-spoiling at marking contests or throw-ins, smothers, running hard to present an option or block for a team-mate, running hard generally. Typically charges hard to get to the ball, even through traffic, then runs hard across or down field.
Hands:
Clean hands below the shoulder. Fairly clean hands overhead. Very clean off the ground.
Strength, body use, balance:
Keeps his feet well.
Is possibly still growing into his body. Definitely way underweight but is deceptively strong and uses his paper-weight body very cleverly body-on-body. Eg in the U18 Championships he out-bodied the much heavier Wade Champion (SA) in a one-on-one marking contest and a clever nudge sent the much-heavier Courtney Johns (WA) flying past the ball on another occasion. Nevertheless he just doesn’t have the weight at this stage to consistently win body-on-body duels against strong tall opponents who know how to use their strength – even against U18s. Champion and McIntosh both convincingly won the marking duels against him, and Paul Johnson (Dandenong) was arguably too physically strong for him both on the ground and on the lead in a recent local game (although Gilham did injure his foot).
Courage:
He will miss whole seasons through suspension if they ever legislate against “reckless behaviour endangering oneself.
He regularly goes for overhead marks backing back either deliberately into a pack or not knowing what is coming. He is also inclined to throw himself at a marking contest or opponent from any angle or direction.
Always keeps eyes on ball and doesn’t flinch – even when waiting under a hospital pass or attacking the ball when trouble is running head-on at him.
Disposal:
Disposals are predominantly by foot and he is a good kick..
A right footer but his short passing and depth with his non-preferred left foot is quite good even under pressure and on the run..
Is usually a reliable pass, although is prone to occasional “nothing” dinky too-cute kicks and these are the ones which usually fail him. Tends to just kick to a contest too often. When he does spot a target, though, he is usually accurate and weights the ball well.
Gets good depth and reasonable power and can do a thumping torp on the run.
Quick & fairly reliable hands in feeding off.
Overhead marking:
Can regularly take a pack mark at U18 level – not just an occasional speccy but a genuine one-grab pack mark. Can take a screamer. Can take a mark coming from “nowhere” – front, back, side, even running into the face of the pack. His great leap, especially without the need for a “running fly”, coupled with good ability to read the flight and reasonably clean hands overhead, allow him to be classed as a “reasonably good mark”. With more body strength he is likely to become a very good mark. However, he is no Paul Roos overhead. At this stage the big opponent in a marking contest who knows how to position himself and has good balance and timing troubles Gilham. In particular, at AFL level, lack of weight will impair Gilham’s overhead capability, at least in his early years
Leadership:
Is a genuine leader. He encourages his players individually and addresses them collectively in a huddle (and when he does he is animated and all players concentrate on him).
Directs traffic a lot.
Query:
- Needs heaps of weight. His TAC coach is confident he will fill out and be a “fair lump” but I’m not sure he has the frame. It is my major concern in two aspects – He needs much more bulk if he is to contest with AFL key forwards (or even many flankers for that matter), but athleticism is one of his greatest assets and he needs to bulk up without significantly impacting his leap, agility or speed.
- Unless and until he adds a lot more weight, he is not strong enough to play key position so will typically take a “HBF” role. His pace is quite good but is he quick enough, especially off the mark, to handle enough of his potential opponents?
- Although “190cm dasher” sounds like it equates to versatility, his options other than pinch-hitting actually seem fairly limited until and unless he adds enough weight ( about15kg minimum) to be competitive in a key position. Is primarily a straight-ahead player ideally suited to HBF. However, he could play “wing” on the right opponent and be hard to match up on. Can pinch-hit up forward and nail an occasional goal but does not seem a genuine forward. Can pinch hit as a “ruck-rover”. Backs himself a bit too much at this stage to be confident about him consistently playing deep in defence. He really does seem born to run off the half-back line.
Some stats:
Average 13 kicks, 5 handballs, 5.3 marks in 14 TAC games. Handballs up, kicks & marks down in 2nd half of his season
Other stuff:
2nd 2001 Oakleigh B&F as 16yo, despite stress fractures of foot mid 2001.
Missed most of the last few games 2002 with foot(?) injury.
2002 All Australian, Vic Metro U18 Captain.
Is a natural sportsman. Represented Vic in junior cricket.
190/ 76 mid-age right-footer (but dual-sided).
Talented skinny 6’3” dual-sided smart athletic half-back would-be Paul Roos.
Genuine AFL potential even though I've a few concerns. Has an attractive enough combination of height, athleticism, smarts, courage, confidence, overhead and kicking capability, leadership, and clean hands to make him worth a 1st round pick. In a draft of not quite ready's I would have thought about pick #10 to #15, although many would rate him earlier.
My major concern is that he needs heaps more weight, although is deceptively strong. Most likely role at AFL level could be tall running HBF. Likes to play off his man and track off the play (a la Paul Roos) and is a back-your-own-judgement dasher with good but not great speed and OK but not great acceleration off the mark. Is courage personified (eg regularly backs into packs) and takes a nice grab but is not consistent overhead. Is fairly consistent – is still a contributor even when he has a quiet one.
When I think of Gilly, “courage” is the 1st word that comes to mind. It’s also the 2nd.. And the 3rd. After that, it’s “athleticism”, then “leadership”, then “self-confidence”, then “evasion”.
Decision-making / Judgement / Smarts / Accountability:
Probably good / good / very good / fair.
Is a dasher who loves to run off his man.
Is generally a good decision-maker. Is a fairly quick thinker in traffic. Spots options fairly well although is a bit inclined at full pace to just kick generally downfield, often to a contest.
Has a natural tendency to play on, and loves to back himself, but generally exercises good judgement re when and how to do so. Occasionally he does bite off more than he can chew and gets into trouble, sometimes resulting in a rushed hospital handball.
Even though he played a bit at FB last season, he has a lack of respect for the opposition goalsquare and sweet spot which makes him a risk on the last line of defence – he has no hesitation moving the ball from back-pocket to the goal-square (by hand, foot, or carry), even when sound judgement would dictate otherwise. This is not a weekly occurrence but happens (and has cost goals) often enough to be a concern and something he needs to (and can) remedy.
Prefers to zone off instead of playing one-on-one. Backs his judgement. And his judgement is generally good. He seems to be able to take quite a few risks - you often see him going for the ball when his man is nowhere to be seen – yet his judgement is good enough that he seldom gets burnt.
He does sometimes play one-on-one but on a big, strong, smart forward it generally finds him out for body strength at this stage, both on the ground and aerially. Is sometimes not tight enough and sometimes loses track of his man.
He tends to be reasonably selective depending on the opponent eg Johns (WA) is a big strong athletic jumping jack – but raw. Gilham was very clever, playing two styles in one. He sometimes didn't give Johns an inch even when ball was miles away, but occasionally played 2m or more off Johns. Johns definitely seemed distracted trying to ascertain where Gilham was or wasn’t.
Gilham likes to take them on. His excellent evasion skills and quite good speed over the ground make him very successful at this – you don’t usually have your heart in your mouth when he takes off. Is happy to zone off his man to attack the ball.
Reads the play well. Reads the ball well. It is not uncommon for him to let his opponent charge to contest while Gilham waits back – and very often the ball does find its way out to him.
Likes to play on quickly whenever possible and open up the play and usually does it without getting caught.
Picks up a lot of his kicks virtually loose across half back.
When a team-mate has the ball, Gilham likes to peel off & create an option. He makes good position.
Is good at punch-spoils at marking contests.
He does think laterally. Eg 1. At the back of the pack at a marking contest, swiping or tapping the ball over the back like a ruckman towards his own goals. Eg 2. If he sees no ruck at a throw-in or even a ball-up he will come in and go for a punch ho himself.
Generally displays poise under pressure. (Sometimes the pressure is self-created).
Traffic management mainly consists of rushing through it, rather than much science being involved.
Blocks for a team-mate (and will run hard to do so) – including “dummy marking” blocks.
Very good at mopping up off (typically at the back of) the contest.
Speed, agility:
Definitely good, but not great, speed and is not as quick off the mark as you might expect for someone as otherwise athletic as he is. I think many people overrate his quickness but he doesn’t often get caught. Has the speed to run the lines but not to chase down a runaway genuine quick (although he will try). A good fitness adviser may be able to give him the extra yard and improve his recovery agility and acceleration off the mark Is very nimble and quick-reflexed when he has the ball but when he over-runs the ball or is wrong-footed his recovery is not as nimble as you might expect.
Athleticism:
Huge natural leap, even from a standing start.
Good at coming over the top at throw-ins – big leap, big punch.
Evasion skills:
Excellent. And in various perfectly-times ways - deft sidestep to avoid a bump & find space, stopping in his tracks just as an opponent comes at him, selling the dummy, swivel turn, etc. He has excellent instincts, evasion techniques, reflexes, poise. Knows how to find space to give himself time.
Intensity:
Very good. Attacking the ball at full speed, chasing, tackling, punch-spoiling at marking contests or throw-ins, smothers, running hard to present an option or block for a team-mate, running hard generally. Typically charges hard to get to the ball, even through traffic, then runs hard across or down field.
Hands:
Clean hands below the shoulder. Fairly clean hands overhead. Very clean off the ground.
Strength, body use, balance:
Keeps his feet well.
Is possibly still growing into his body. Definitely way underweight but is deceptively strong and uses his paper-weight body very cleverly body-on-body. Eg in the U18 Championships he out-bodied the much heavier Wade Champion (SA) in a one-on-one marking contest and a clever nudge sent the much-heavier Courtney Johns (WA) flying past the ball on another occasion. Nevertheless he just doesn’t have the weight at this stage to consistently win body-on-body duels against strong tall opponents who know how to use their strength – even against U18s. Champion and McIntosh both convincingly won the marking duels against him, and Paul Johnson (Dandenong) was arguably too physically strong for him both on the ground and on the lead in a recent local game (although Gilham did injure his foot).
Courage:
He will miss whole seasons through suspension if they ever legislate against “reckless behaviour endangering oneself.
He regularly goes for overhead marks backing back either deliberately into a pack or not knowing what is coming. He is also inclined to throw himself at a marking contest or opponent from any angle or direction.
Always keeps eyes on ball and doesn’t flinch – even when waiting under a hospital pass or attacking the ball when trouble is running head-on at him.
Disposal:
Disposals are predominantly by foot and he is a good kick..
A right footer but his short passing and depth with his non-preferred left foot is quite good even under pressure and on the run..
Is usually a reliable pass, although is prone to occasional “nothing” dinky too-cute kicks and these are the ones which usually fail him. Tends to just kick to a contest too often. When he does spot a target, though, he is usually accurate and weights the ball well.
Gets good depth and reasonable power and can do a thumping torp on the run.
Quick & fairly reliable hands in feeding off.
Overhead marking:
Can regularly take a pack mark at U18 level – not just an occasional speccy but a genuine one-grab pack mark. Can take a screamer. Can take a mark coming from “nowhere” – front, back, side, even running into the face of the pack. His great leap, especially without the need for a “running fly”, coupled with good ability to read the flight and reasonably clean hands overhead, allow him to be classed as a “reasonably good mark”. With more body strength he is likely to become a very good mark. However, he is no Paul Roos overhead. At this stage the big opponent in a marking contest who knows how to position himself and has good balance and timing troubles Gilham. In particular, at AFL level, lack of weight will impair Gilham’s overhead capability, at least in his early years
Leadership:
Is a genuine leader. He encourages his players individually and addresses them collectively in a huddle (and when he does he is animated and all players concentrate on him).
Directs traffic a lot.
Query:
- Needs heaps of weight. His TAC coach is confident he will fill out and be a “fair lump” but I’m not sure he has the frame. It is my major concern in two aspects – He needs much more bulk if he is to contest with AFL key forwards (or even many flankers for that matter), but athleticism is one of his greatest assets and he needs to bulk up without significantly impacting his leap, agility or speed.
- Unless and until he adds a lot more weight, he is not strong enough to play key position so will typically take a “HBF” role. His pace is quite good but is he quick enough, especially off the mark, to handle enough of his potential opponents?
- Although “190cm dasher” sounds like it equates to versatility, his options other than pinch-hitting actually seem fairly limited until and unless he adds enough weight ( about15kg minimum) to be competitive in a key position. Is primarily a straight-ahead player ideally suited to HBF. However, he could play “wing” on the right opponent and be hard to match up on. Can pinch-hit up forward and nail an occasional goal but does not seem a genuine forward. Can pinch hit as a “ruck-rover”. Backs himself a bit too much at this stage to be confident about him consistently playing deep in defence. He really does seem born to run off the half-back line.
Some stats:
Average 13 kicks, 5 handballs, 5.3 marks in 14 TAC games. Handballs up, kicks & marks down in 2nd half of his season
Other stuff:
2nd 2001 Oakleigh B&F as 16yo, despite stress fractures of foot mid 2001.
Missed most of the last few games 2002 with foot(?) injury.
2002 All Australian, Vic Metro U18 Captain.
Is a natural sportsman. Represented Vic in junior cricket.
Obviously these boys have now had 2 years in the system, but would be interesting to see if things like Walsh's supposed lack of intensity has been worked on and improved.
Also, young Gilham sounds like another Milburn.
Also, young Gilham sounds like another Milburn.
Tweak Talent
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At least if paul johnson got the ball he would be a good shot at goal unlike kent kingsley by the sounds of it
This sounds a lot like Fraser Gherig. And Kant Kicksley. Do you need to be a pack mark type of player to play out of FF? I'm not sure if Alistair Lynch takes too many pack marks these days either. He'll lead and go one on one to outbody his opponent. I think Johnson may be worth a try if we can get him.
