Pfeiffer

[Staaar_Blue]

Unfortunately I have not heard much about this bloke yet. As I am in Adelaide I haven't been to a training yet. What are peoples thoughts? Those who may have seen him training recently?

 

[Donstuie]

Wait, you live in Adelaide and you haven't heard of this bloke?

 

[gandaal]

He suffered an ankle injury in Richmonds unoffical practice match before the preseason draft (Who here doubts that Carlton would've recieved a massive fine for doing the same thing btw? Richmond get nothing ) so he hasn't been able to get involved in full training since arriving at the club.

 

[Will.B.Worth.Da.Waite]

^ wat you mean get a fine? all richmond did was include him in their training? i don't get what you mean? why is what they did bad?

 

[Staaar_Blue]

Wait, you live in Adelaide and you haven't heard of this bloke?

I am interested because I have not heard much about him since his move to carlton. Know alot about him and have seen him train at the crows. Any training reports mention anything?

 

[Staaar_Blue]

He suffered an ankle injury in Richmonds unoffical practice match before the preseason draft (Who here doubts that Carlton would've recieved a massive fine for doing the same thing btw? Richmond get nothing ) so he hasn't been able to get involved in full training since arriving at the club.

Thanks. Will be in melbourne for in a couple of weeks. gandaal do you know if he will be on the track by then?

 

[gandaal]

^ wat you mean get a fine? all richmond did was include him in their training? i don't get what you mean? why is what they did bad?

They played an unofficial practice match which is strictly prohibited by the AFL in accordance with the players agreement between the AFL and the AFLPA, with massive fines supposed to be imposed on those who break the regulation. The idea behind it is to protect those players like Pfeiffer who wasn't on any AFL list from being forced to do something where their was a serious risk of injury. If Pfeiffer had done an ACL instead of just twisting an ankle do you think we would've drafted him, or anyone else for that matter?

 

[Kaladin Stormblessed]

^ wat you mean get a fine? all richmond did was include him in their training? i don't get what you mean? why is what they did bad?

Like gandaal said, AFL clubs are prohibited from playing any competitive practice matches before all lists have been finalised including national, pre-season and rookie drafts. This is because if any player who is trying out his luck in any of the drafts gets a serious injury, it could mean curtains for his career even before it begins, which is seriously unjust.

 

[Will.B.Worth.Da.Waite]

Lol wtf, so the Tiges full cheated and nothing happened? If that was us Demetriou would be all over us

BTW though, couldn't a practice match also provide BENEFITS for a guy hoping to get drafted? like what happens if he was a nobody, then he may hope for a practice match to get the chance to have the game of his life and give people a reason to draft him. like isn't it hte players choice whehter or not they wanan participate?

 

[jj1978]

The question is did Pfeiffer do his ankle because of the practice match... or because his subconscious was telling him that if he did alright he'd be playing for Richmond

 

[truebluenavyblues]

Has Pfeiffer been involved in any training session yet? If not, any idea when he may start training with the team?

 

[Bluebear]

Has Pfeiffer been involved in any training session yet? If not, any idea when he may start training with the team?

Was in the injury group on the Family day, can't comment on anything since.

 

[W. Smithers]

Here's a Wiseby profile for you guys.

Darren Pfeiffer (Norwood)

183/79 mid-age right foot (has other foot if necessary) HBF/utility.

*STYLE LIKE: Paul Kelly.

*MY RANKING (not meant to reflect appropriate draft pick to use): 19

*PROBABILITY OF AFL CAREER: Likely. Ready Year 1.

- Within an AFL team list, could prove capable of SUSTAINING a ranking of 10-15.

*HURT FACTORS (Offensive/Defensive/Negative): M / M / M

*TRADEMARK:

- Fearless, and probably successful, fly for a big mark, then tear off downfield but show tunnel-vision and maybe not get value from his kick.
- Just about anything else involving courage.

*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:

- Courageous/fearless and ferocious 6ft take-them-on terrier dasher and high-flyer but kicking, decision-making and accountability a worry. At times, looks serious AFL potential and moves like a good aggressively intense, hard-running AFL type.

Not necessarily a hard-nut, as in "natural insider onballer" type like Paul Kelly was, but he does get his own ball and he plays a very similar style and his attributes and deficiencies are very similar to a HBF version of Kelly's - especially in the areas of courage, ferocious desire for the ball, hard running without being lightning, ability to play tall, ability to withstand physical pressure despite not having a tank build, fierce attack on the man, and NQR kicking efficiency. Pfeiffer will never reach the heights Kelly reached and Kelly was ahead in reliability of decision-making but I do see a lot of Kelly in Pfeiffer and Kelly was one of my most admired players.

- There is plenty to like, and some things to love, about Darren. In addition to the above, he links well and runs hard to do so, he gives a lot of run off half-back

However, his kicking and vision / decision-making on the run let him down too often, he is not nearly accountable enough for someone whose natural AFL role would seem to be HBF, and he is a run-the-lines dasher but not especially quick. I rate him but not with quite the same degree of enthusiasm many others do. If he wasn't inclined to have tunnel vision on the run (which he very often is) and if he hit more targets by foot and if he exercised more judicious accountability, or if I was really confident he could fully address that, I'd rank him as a first rounder and be really excited about him as a great package. But he is, he doesn't, he doesn't, I'm not, so I can't. Hence I wouldn't consider paying more than an early 2nd round pick (but I would quite happily take him with that) and there is a degree of good faith even in accepting that price. I expect him to go mid-late first round.

I have no doubt he will play plenty of AFL games and he will probably hit the ground running. At the moment though, his hurt factors are out of sync (and I've been a bit generous in how I've labelled them). He has to improve his 3 hurt factors (especially DHF and NHF) if he is to become a quality AFL long-termer.

- Originally from rural SA. Has shown he can mix it with the men (not that there should have been any doubt). Had a very good year of SANFL Reserves footy this year and some useful exposure to Seniors (not a lot of game time until an impressive 21 disposals game in Rnd 23).

*DISPOSAL:
(see above)

- Overall, good by hand (but doesn't do enough handballs) and very dicey by foot. Too many turnovers, let alone other inaccurate kicks.

- Dual-sided. Almost equally comfortable right or left but he has days where his non-preferred left gets him into serious trouble. At times his left foot delivers very well but it also has a frustrating turnover record. I would like him to use his left only when using his right is inconvenient. He too often chooses to use his left when he could just as easily, or almost as easily, use his right.

- Kicking when not on the run: Often quite good but not reliably so, and sometimes downright poor. Can get good depth but is not a thumping kick.

- Kicking on the run: Very mixed bag indeed. Sub-standard reliability. He regularly loses form (kicking technique), hunching over and hurriedly banging the ball onto the boot, even when not under any great pressure. He seems to have poor awareness of the pressure he is or isn't under. Too often kicks on the run as if he is about to get nailed. His frequent failure to steady and maintain technique means his kicks on the run often lack depth and power. Too many of his kicks on the run are mongrels/wobblers,

- Good by hand - quick hands, good hurt factor.

*DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:
(see above)

- In general, vision / looking for options, and decision-making are mixed bag, sometimes exceptional, sometimes showing poor judgement. He is very often very good at traffic in terms of instinctive quick thinking, vision etc. However, in a tactical sense, he needs to play more footy-smart.

- He is somewhat of a ball magnet in the reverse sense. i.e. he is drawn to the ball like a moth to a flame. His fierce appetite for the ball is both a strength and a weakness. Strength in that he runs hard and far for it and won't accept "No" for answer once he has an opportunity to get it (ground, receive, or overhead). Weakness in that he is not always judicious in working out when to go and when to stay (assuming his thought processes actually do accommodate the prospect of a "stay" option). He is not drawn to the ball in the sense of a 12yo chasing it all over the park. He is smarter than that. It's just that his natural instinct is to almost always try to either run at the ball or run to a position in which he anticipates the ball will eventually come to or through. (see "Accountability" comments below). To put it another way, he puts more emphasis on making the play than on minimising the opportunities for the opposition to make the play. He is ultra competitive in his passion for the ball but needs a better grasp of the other side of competitiveness (i.e. adopting a miserly distaste for his opponent getting easy possessions elsewhere).

- Excellent reader of both play and ball when the play is unfolding in front of him. Excellent at roving the spill, especially good at front and square - a speciality of his. In that context, he knows where to run and when, and is very efficient in gathering and often in disposing when he does.

- When under pressure, even little-medium pressure, he needs to focus on slipping into space to buy time. Needs to improve his ability to do same.

- Capable of displaying good vision but, on the run, too often has tunnel vision instead of steadying and sorting out best option.

- Dubious awareness (see above).

- He needs to mix his game up more. At the moment he would offer an opposition AFL coach little challenge in planning a range of tactics to handle and exploit him. There is currently too much of an "Ignore opponent, run to ball or space, gather or receive or fly to mark ball, carry ball downfield, kick in direction of goals" predictability about his game.

Ratio of kicks to feeds is too high. Doesn't feed off nearly often enough (especially given his handballing ability). Too often has tunnel vision and just kicks straight and as far as he can instead of looking for best option. Needs to be more attuned to opportunities to feed off, especially to other runners in space and/or to switch direction.

- Inclined to too often fly for the mark when he has little or no chance of taking it, instead of waiting down.

*HANDS:

- Usually clean all levels. Not routinely special but does often collect the pill off the ground very cleanly at pace.

*OVERHEAD MARKING:

- Very strong overhead for his size. Plays tall. Attacks his marks very aggressively with reckless abandon, including launching himself into the face of the pack. Maintains balance, usually judges flight well and has good hands.

- As stated above, could be more judicious in selecting which aerial contests are worth flying for though, and on which occasions it is better to stay down and sweat of the spill or cover a dangerous free opponent.

- No DC reach figures were published but I suspect he might have a bit of a reach advantage (unconfirmed).

*ATHLETICISM:

- Quite good pace, a bit above average for his size, but he can often look quicker than he actually is because he often already has momentum when getting the ball so steals an initial break once he gets it. He is certainly not super quick but he does often seem to be able to find another gear on the run.

- Excellent leap.

- Will finish up with a very good build for AFL and it won't take long.

- Even allowing for the hard running he does, he does appear to tire at times, and his body shape doesn't appear to be all that rock-hard at this stage so I suspect his endurance is not quite there yet but that he has plenty of scope to lift it.

*INTENSITY, ETHIC:
(see above)

- Accountability is a concern. He is certainly not a downhill skier. He runs hard both ways and is super competitive and regularly desperate and ferocious in trying to nail both ball and man. It's just that he routinely backs his judgement. It's not "just" that he zones off his man at the last minute. He is too inclined to free-wheel and without being necessarily discerning. His opponents made him pay on various occasions this year and a clever AFL forward will make him pay dearly. He is very accountable and intensely physical once an opponent already has the ball or looks a chance to get it. However, in other cases, Pfeiffer's implicit "If I manage to get the ball, the opposition will have to worry about me because they won't have the ball" policy can get in the road of what is sometimes a more important need to make sure his opponent doesn't or is not left in a position where he could be damaging..

- Other than accountability, he usually displays excellent intensity and ethic.

- Fiercely competitive. Ferocious. "Never" gives up. Chases hard, tackles well. Attacks both man and ball with purpose. Always plays as if he really wants the ball. Attacks a marking spoil with the same enthusiasm as when competing for the mark.

- Virtually all the 1%ers covered.

- Ultra courageous.

- An almost relentless runner. Runs hard, covers ground, works hard when he gets to the ball/contest.

*CONSISTENCY:

- Rarely plays a poor game. What you see is what you get.

*AFL VERSATILITY:

- Running HBF seems ideal but he must lift his accountability to his own opponent. "Wing" also suits. In time, when he builds up endurance and if (!) he decides to become much more accountable, might even be a chance of a run-with role.

- I don't see him as a HFF as I think he is better when he can see the play unfold more in front of him and run direct with the ball. Hasn't played a lot as a forward but doesn't seem to read the play and run to the right spots and at with the right timing like a natural forward would. There are some elements of the same on display when he plays onball (as compared to a "wing" role. For that reason I am dubious of his prospects of becoming a smart inside onballer.

*CSI (COMPARATIVE SCOPE for IMPROVEMENT):

- No special factors.

*QUERY:

- Kicking accuracy, especially on the run.
- Tunnel vision on the run.
- Evasion, creating space.
- Accountability.

*SOME STATS:

- Stats summary '05 U18 Champs:
Averaged 17 disposals and 5.0 marks in his 3 games. (Best TD 21).
Kicks per 20 disp: 17.
Kicks long vs short: 21-15 (6 long per 10 kicks).
Ineffective kicks: 7/43 (1.6 per 10 kicks), incl 3 clangers (0.7 per 10 kicks).
Ineffective handballs: 1/7 (1.4 per 10 handballs), incl 1 clangers (1.4 per 10 handballs).
Ineffective disposals: 8/50 (3.2 per 20 disp), incl 4 clangers (1.6 per 20 disp).
HandBall Receives: 16/50 (6 per 20 disp).
Hardball gets: 6/50 (2 per 20 disp).
S.P. clearances: 3/50 (1 per 20 disp), incl 2 BU (1 per 20 disp), incl 0 CBC (0 per 20 disp).
Tackles: 6 (Avg 2.0 per game).
Marks: 15 (6 per 20 disp), incl 3 contested (2.0 per 10 marks).

*OTHER STUFF:

- Good Reserves form '05. Played a few Seniors games (21d R23).

 

[Donstuie]

I am interested because I have not heard much about him since his move to carlton. Know alot about him and have seen him train at the crows. Any training reports mention anything?

Ah, that makes more sense

 

[HBF]

Was in the injury group on the Family day, can't comment on anything since.

Still in the rehab group the 1st training session after the Christmas break. I'm thinking about going out to Carlton on Saturday morning, so i'll be able to give you an update then.

 

[MattyJay]

Still in the rehab group the 1st training session after the Christmas break. I'm thinking about going out to Carlton on Saturday morning, so i'll be able to give you an update then.

Its a closed session on Saturday according to the CFC website


Training Times

Skills Sessions
Thursday January 10
9.00am, Princes Park

Saturday January 12
Closed Session*

Monday January 14
8.30am, Princes Park

Thursday January 17
Closed Session*

Saturday January 19
9.00am, Princes Park

Monday January 21
Closed Session*


*Please be aware that some sessions listed are closed sessions.

 

[CFC_4LYF_TRUE BLUE]

Will he still be a bad boy?

 

[Blue Dawn]

Will he still be a bad boy?

Hopefully only on the field.