Toast Morabito tracking thread

[Arcassius]

He'll probably be back playing - but it remains to be seen where his touch is at, and how confident he is in the knee under full contact conditions. I hope the club allows him to build form in game conditions in the WAFL for a while.

Those people that suggest he's the magic bullet should temper their expectations. He's not going to suddenly be a game changing A-grade mid after this long out (and even then I think people optimistically revise their memories of what he was like on the park back in the day)

 

[salim malik]

Mora was listed as a 2 week proposition from about round 10 onwards last season. I really don't get where these guys are saying he won't make it back until round 18-20 are coming from. Sure, if he gets re-injured and misses pre-season that will be case, but if he stays injury free I expect to see him back in the first month or two.

Yep ,he wasnt given a contract extension to run lap after boundary lap during training for another season
Like I said its play or bust for next season

 

[greatgatsby]

Yep ,he wasnt given a contract extension to run lap after boundary lap during training for another season
Like I said its play or bust for next season

Yes, it's pretty simple really. He has rehabilitated and we can assume he will start the pre-season on the same basis as everyone else. If his knee holds up he will be in the mix for R1 selection (noting he has to break into a GF side) If he's playing WAFL mid-season it will be because he's lost all confidence/ability; in which case AFL retirement is the likely option.

 

[freo84]

He has been out of the game for 3 seasons. He will need to build his tank. He will need to build his confidence in lateral movement, tackling, marking and endurance. You don't get that in a preseason training session. You get that out on the park under stressful conditions. I hope you guys are right and he is back playing AFL mid season or earlier but I don't see it happening.

 

[manpurple]

There are two aspects here.

1 Is he fit enough to play a full game and I'm with the majority here. No problems he's been close to this since sometime in the latter part of the season.

2 Is he good enough to get on the park in the place of one of the other preferred 22 in the eyes of RTB. To be honest I think that this is what will stop him playing first round. In my mind there is no doubt that he has the ability, its a question of convincing RTB. To this end WAFl training is useful only in that helps people get to the place where they can convince RTB. So I'm super keen to hear the training reports.

 

[free at last]

I think you're talking about Tyrell Thomas - a defensive back for the Giants. Only the last two were 'consecutive' if that makes sense. The first was in his college days (I think).

Ok.I just remember the commentators mentioning this NFL player had undergone 3 ACL's which gave me hope regarding Mora.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Ross hasn't actually seen Mora play in a match , has he ?

 

[Outshined]

Ross hasn't actually seen Mora play in a match , has he ?

Way back in round 4 2010 maybe? Although he would have hardly been focusing solely on Morabito.

 

[estibador]

Those people that suggest he's the magic bullet should temper their expectations. He's not going to suddenly be a game changing A-grade mid after this long out (and even then I think people optimistically revise their memories of what he was like on the park back in the day)

A lot of truth in this; the longer he's been out the better he's gotten. I think a lot of people's memories are coloured by his feats in the Hawthorn final and by youtube vids compiling all his best work for the season into a couple of minutes.

In reality he had a promising debut season with flashes of brilliance every now and then, but he was a long way from being a consistent performer.

Not to say he didn't show potential to be a star, but he was still a long way from it and he's a lot further again after all these knees costing him valuable development time.

If he comes back next year I'll be treating him like a rookie and just looking for glimpses that he can build on going forward.

 

[Dormammu]

Those people that suggest he's the magic bullet should temper their expectations. He's not going to suddenly be a game changing A-grade mid after this long out (and even then I think people optimistically revise their memories of what he was like on the park back in the day)

Memories is an optimistic revisionist? What, because he wrote a book?

 

[caterina]

The reason people harp on about the 2010 finals he played is because he looked like he was starting to realise, as a very young 20 odd game player, how good he might be.
Unless you are Jaegar O'Meara it takes at least one season, usually longer, for these guys to work out they belong, and he was just getting it when he was cut down
He never seemed the most naturally uninhibited/confident kind of guy, and there has to be some sort of query as to whether he'll ever mentally belong again even if his legs do hold up.

 

[se17enteen]

Way back in round 4 2010 maybe? Although he would have hardly been focusing solely on Morabito.

Lyon must of seen something in him, I remember saints players roughing him and Hill up every chance they got.

 

[Arcassius]

A lot of truth in this; the longer he's been out the better he's gotten. I think a lot of people's memories are coloured by his feats in the Hawthorn final and by youtube vids compiling all his best work for the season into a couple of minutes.

In reality he had a promising debut season with flashes of brilliance every now and then, but he was a long way from being a consistent performer.

Not to say he didn't show potential to be a star, but he was still a long way from it and he's a lot further again after all these knees costing him valuable development time.

If he comes back next year I'll be treating him like a rookie and just looking for glimpses that he can build on going forward.

I'm quoting just so I can like this again. xx

Really sums it up

Memories is an optimistic revisionist? What, because he wrote a book?

If memories ever wrote his memoirs what would it be called?

 

[estibador]

If memories ever wrote his memoirs what would it be called?

"In the morning if my face is a little puffy I'll put on an ice pack while practising my free throws. I can do 1000 in a row now."

 

[mightydockers]

The reason people harp on about the 2010 finals he played is because he looked like he was starting to realise, as a very young 20 odd game player, how good he might be.
Unless you are Jaegar O'Meara it takes at least one season, usually longer, for these guys to work out they belong, and he was just getting it when he was cut down
He never seemed the most naturally uninhibited/confident kind of guy, and there has to be some sort of query as to whether he'll ever mentally belong again even if his legs do hold up.

He played pretty well in the Hawthorn game but then again so did the whole team. The geelong game, on the other hand, would have been a big eye opener for him as Wojinksi gave Mora a good old fashioned touch up. Ran absolute rings around Mora all day.

 

[Arcassius]

Sounds like we need a 'Morabito: Keeping it real' thread - where we can post videos of his shanks, being run down from behind, and other lowlights to balance out expectations a bit

For what it's worth I truly hope he reaches the potential he started to show - but a long road to reach that yet!

 

[PapaJ]

Sounds like we need a 'Morabito: Keeping it real' thread - where we can post videos of his shanks, being run down from behind, and other lowlights to balance out expectations a bit

For what it's worth I truly hope he reaches the potential he started to show - but a long road to reach that yet!

In effect these threads on Mora should be titled "Fill in your own alternate history on Mora", because that is what they reveal to a large extent.

As estibador said, he was just a very promising 1st year player, that's all we've got to go on. In absence of real history we're just creating the narrative as if "what could have been".

Mine goes that, with repeated pre-seasons etc. he'd be damn good - in the 22 at least. Who knows really though? It seems in many people's minds he's suddenly a Grade A midfielder with multiple AA's.

The reality is he's pretty much starting from the beginning, with the advantage of having a solid base fitness because of all that gym work and a more mature body, but that's countered with a knee that is questionable. The cold hard facts of it are a quite sobering.

 

[Dockernut]

In effect these threads on Mora should be titled "Fill in your own alternate history on Mora", because that is what they reveal to a large extent.

As estibador said, he was just a very promising 1st year player, that's all we've got to go on. In absence of real history we're just creating the narrative as if "what could have been".

Mine goes that, with repeated pre-seasons etc. he'd be damn good - in the 22 at least. Who knows really though? It seems in many people's minds he's suddenly a Grade A midfielder with multiple AA's.

The reality is he's pretty much starting from the beginning, with the advantage of having a solid base fitness because of all that gym work and a more mature body, but that's countered with a knee that is questionable. The cold hard facts of it are a quite sobering.

Fair point. My narrative for him is; can outrun entire Hawthorn team in final and finish with goal.

A limited narrative admittedly, but useful in September.

 

[kp junior]

Fair point. My narrative for him is; can outrun entire Hawthorn team in final and finish with goal.

A limited narrative admittedly, but useful in September.

Was better than Fyfe in 2010, I assume he is still

 

[Arcassius]

Fair point. My narrative for him is; can outrun entire Hawthorn team in final and finish with goal.

A limited narrative admittedly, but useful in September.

Even within that narrative - it overlooks the importance of Sandi's bump to remove the chaser ... it's the equivalent of summing up Hill's entire career as a player through vision of the interchange goal against Geelong

 

[salim malik]

If you match Mora's rookie year with any of the subsequent rookies either first or second years incl Fyfe, Neale,Crosier,Sutcliffe his first year was outstanding
Mora is a serious talent and if we lose him it will be a tragedy

 

[estibador]

If you match Mora's rookie year with any of the subsequent rookies either first or second years incl Fyfe, Neale,Crosier,Sutcliffe his first year was outstanding
Mora is a serious talent and if we lose him it will be a tragedy

Agree on the others but Fyfe's second year was streets ahead of Mora's 2010. For starters he averaged 25 possessions compared to Mora's 13.

And to be fair Mora got to play every game in a side still in something of a rebuild mode, whereas most of those guys were in and out of a very strong team, often getting limited gametime as the sub.

I think someone like Crozier would have had a very good year if he was given the luxury of a guaranteed game every week.

 

[Seppo]

Agree on the others but Fyfe's second year was streets ahead of Mora's 2010. For starters he averaged 25 possessions compared to Mora's 13.

And to be fair Mora got to play every game in a side still in something of a rebuild mode, whereas most of those guys were in and out of a very strong team, often getting limited gametime as the sub.

I think someone like Crozier would have had a very good year if he was given the luxury of a guaranteed game every week.

I re-watched a few games from 2010 and Mora was playing like a grown man from the get go.

If I told you to recollect the last time a Freo player put a strong fend off with the ball in hand against another A grade midfielder could you think of any other than Mora?
I'm sure players like Mundy and co have done it before, but what Mora was doing in his debut year, stands out.

 

[Seppo]

Speaking of 'beast like', who would you all rank as the top 3 "Beast Mode" Players?

1. Silvagni
2. DeBoar
3. Suban
Unlucky/Hypothetical 4th - Morabito

 

[estibador]

I re-watched a few games from 2010 and Mora was playing like a grown man from the get go.

If I told you to recollect the last time a Freo player put a strong fend off with the ball in hand against another A grade midfielder could you think of any other than Mora?
I'm sure players like Mundy and co have done it before, but what Mora was doing in his debut year, stands out.

I'm not denying Mora has (had?) potential to be a special kind of player, I'm just saying he hadn't got to the level of being a consistent contributor every game yet... and I doubt he's developed much running laps for three years.

I'm just tempering my expectations of what he can offer first year back. Mind you, I said the same about Son Son and he exploded from the minute he got back in the side.

Speaking of 'beast like', who would you all rank as the top 3 "Beast Mode" Players?

Fyfe goes into beast mode quite regularly, affecting clearances with three guys hanging off him.

Subes is a good choice though, when he's 'on' he's great at bursting out of packs with the ball when you least expect it.