News Xavier Duursma departs for Essendon

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Looking back at my notes and on my posts here and my first opinion of Duursma was very positive. I liked his size, liked his pace and explosiveness and liked his courage. I originally had him inside my top 15 and had us picking him with 11 when we had that. I cooled on him after that as the more I watched him the more I saw his flaws and the flaws stood out more than the positives. He does remind me a lot of Brad Ebert. Good size, good endurance, good pace but a tentative kick. You watch Brad Ebert and he can often hold onto the ball for too long after a mark, work through 2 or 3 options before choosing the wrong one and I feel Xavier does similar.

Regardless of whether I like him or not has zero impact on anything and shouldnt be guiding others opinions. As I said on the pod tonight, lots of other scribes rate him very highly. I'm in the minority. I'm hoping my first impressions of him are the right ones and that he obviously becomes a gun. He could become a very interesting midfielder in a couple of years time and has similar traits to Willem Drew.

I think he'll play the most games next year out of all the draftees.
 
XAVIER DUURSMA

184 / 70 / RF

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Clubs: Gippsland / Vic Country

Positions: In/Out Midfield

Stats:

Xavier has played TAC Cup football for the last three seasons, culminating in an excellent year in 2018 averaging 23 disposals, 5 tackles and a goal a game for Gippsland. He was a little underwhelming at the Champs in comparison to that form, averaging 14 disposals and 2 inside 50s a game.

Gamestyle:

Xavier is a general midfielder with some explosive traits to go with good inside instincts. He is a hard runner, has a lot of pace off the mark, but is still quite raw in terms of skills.

Physically he looks the package. He plays bigger and taller than he is, has a good frame and could become a super powerful midfielder in a few years time. He has a lot of burst speed to breakaway from stoppages, has good agility to evade tackles and will in time have the core strength to break through tackles.

The football side has promise, but still needs some work. He is a long right foot kick, but he is by no means a clean user of the ball. His kicking can be a real mixed bag. His kicking can range from perfect long kicks to the lead to short floaters that miss the target. He can get caught in blind kicking forward at times. His handballing skills are a highlight. He has quick hands and has a handball like a bullet. He has shown to be a ball magnet and is decent in front of goals as well.

There is a lot of development left in Xavier. He can be cleaner with the ball and with some more physical development, he has the potential to provide some genuine x-factor and power to an AFL midfield unit.

Draft Range: 10-30

Xavier could easily turn into a physical beast at AFL level. He has the frame to become a really big body in a midfield group. He has form at TAC Cup level but is he damaging enough? He can find plenty of the ball but his kicking really lets him down. It’s that which may see him fall into a potential late second round pick. Port might look at him with 10 or 15, the Crows at 13 and 16 will be keen and Geelong with 12 will consider him too. If he falls beyond those, then Melbourne at 23, Gold Coast at 24 and and 29 will look to him.
 

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Powerade 08 said:
Hes not as bad as some think, will be a Broadbent type player off half back and maybe get some mid time. Not a great pick. I would have preferred others but.
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0eiw, Broad ent is a ******* de anfastis player, easily jn our tipo 49 of all time, and to borkir he is a bloody champion person too, id trust him with my first born by a fire, se need more broadbenfs arojf the club
 
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