Pitt

[estibador]

I'm usually a pretty optimistic guy but I can't see much to get excited about with this kid.

An outside finisher with nice skills isn't much good when they're the slowest player on the field and can't read the play to get on the end of a handpass. He's ineffectual in the air and isn't going to be winning contested ball any time soon based on what we've seen so far.

What really worries me is his intent. Crozier weighs 40kgs and throws himself at the contest like a madman so size is no excuse. I was watching Pitt pretty closely at times tonight and he's either lazy or a daydreamer, or both, because he kept letting his man get space on him at the worst possible time, followed by a 'chase' that was infuriatingly halfhearted coming from a fresh sub. He just doesn't look like a competitor to me.

Mundy was criticised a lot early on for being similarly lackadaisical but you could always see the quality in him - that awareness and composure in traffic that all the good players have. Pitt did a nice baulk in his second game in Adelaide but since then I've seen nothing to suggest he has the composure and class to make up for his deficiencies.

When you lack composure and intent it doesn't really leave much to work with at AFL level. If I had to make a call now I know which way I'd go.

 

[E Shed]

Funny, I loved him in his first outing in Purple down in Bunbury (you were there Esti). Perhaps I had purple glasses on but thought I saw a young thoroughbred. Lately in the WAFL I've watched him kind of trot around a kick behind not looking to me like he wants the ball much. Still these things can be deceptive without TV and replays & he got a good write up for his game last week.
Dunno what to think, nothing to get excited about, could blossom in time, not going to say the D word.
2010 is looking like a real bust of a draft though. Fasolo, how did we miss him? Under our noses.

 

[tacopavlich]

Suban also wouldn't be out of place in this thread. Both seem to offer nothing...

 

[caterina]

I find it impossible to tell on the basis of one quarter for the year, I'm not as pessimistic
He's young and totally unsuited to the role of sub. We must be the worst "use of the sub" team in the afl
His form at East Perth has been pretty average though I must admit.

 

[Electric]

I see where you're coming from but remember he is only 19yo. Has some development ahead of him.

 

[estibador]

Funny, I loved him in his first outing in Purple down in Bunbury (you were there Esti).

Haha yeah I remember you calling it after one kick.

I think I was a bit more reserved, but that might be my memory being a hindsight warrior.

 

[estibador]

Suban also wouldn't be out of place in this thread. Both seem to offer nothing...

At least Suban is hard at it. Showed real guts when he went back with the flight of the ball and got crunched in the 1st qtr (think it was him anyway, was on the other side of the ground to me).

He's a real competitor, even if his skill set lets him down at times.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

Pitt isn't the sort of impact player you bring on late in the game that is instantly all over the place, he's just not that sort of player.

Bad selection to pick Pitt as the sub.

 

[Righteo]

Suffice to say Walters would have been a more useful selection, Ballantyne's loss was felt big time out there.

 

[Righteo]

Pitt isn't the sort of impact player you bring on late in the game that is instantly all over the place, he's just not that sort of player.

Bad selection to pick Pitt as the sub.

We've selected Roberton as a sub this year ffs, we are absolutely woeful at utilising the sub effectively.

 

[estibador]

Pitt isn't the sort of impact player you bring on late in the game that is instantly all over the place, he's just not that sort of player.

Bad selection to pick Pitt as the sub.

If you can't come on and have an impact when everyone else is tired how are you going to have an impact in the 1st quarter when everyone is fresh?

Not a great excuse for a 'running' player.

 

[Righteo]

If you can't come on and have an impact when everyone else is tired how are you going to have an impact in the 1st quarter when everyone is fresh?

Not a great excuse for a 'running' player.

He isn't even an accumulator, if he started the game he'd still end up with under 20 touches most likely. He's a "neat" player at best IMO.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

If you can't come on and have an impact when everyone else is tired how are you going to have an impact in the 1st quarter when everyone is fresh?

Not a great excuse for a 'running' player.

Like I said, that's the the reason impact players are used as the sub, which Pitt isn't.

Pitt hasn't and never will be in our side for his ball getting ability, or his ability to impact a contest, he's there to distribute the ball. If you want to go into why he isn't getting it in his hands enough to do that, then none of us will be able to give an answer one way or another, because of team structures, allocated roles and such.

 

[Jezzitizle]

What a joke of a thread. Just to remind you, some of those same complaints were being levelled against Hill this year. Why would you pick on the 19 yo sub?
Pathetic.

 

[PapaJ]

At least Suban is hard at it. Showed real guts when he went back with the flight of the ball and got crunched in the 1st qtr (think it was him anyway, was on the other side of the ground to me).

He's a real competitor, even if his skill set lets him down at times.

You're right, but his sort of player needs to be a creative attacking player too and he just doesn't quite cut it in that regard. He showed sings he could in his early games, but hasn't really gone anywhere since and probably gone backwards. He lacks polish and top quality decision making which a flanking back defender needs to have these days to really cut it as a first 22 member. My buddy Duffield has the offensive/creative/run and carry ball use side down, but lacks the hardness and 'effort' that Suban gives you. What we need is some sort of genetic mutation of both of them together - then we've got a HBF that would tear it up.

On topic, I still reckon Pitt looks really good with the ball in hand and with a bit of space. He's got nice skills, AFL level no doubt for mine - but I agree with OP in most other respects. His work-rate and everything else is just miles away from what it's going to take to stay on an AFL list. In his defence, he was always going to struggle to pick up the pace of this level of game - and with the team as a whole falling apart around him, I'm not sure many players on our list would have had a real impact off the bench in that circumstance. Anyway, time is well and truly on his side though, so I'm willing to wait it out a bit more.

 

[tacopavlich]

What a joke of a thread. Just to remind you, some of those same complaints were being levelled against Hill this year. Why would you pick on the 19 yo sub?
Pathetic.

Complaints people have had over Hill is his ability to break tags. Don't see the comparison?

Kind of embarrassing that the age card gets played for Pitt when younger players are coming through and showing alot more than he is.

 

[Nickos66]

Where would you even use Pitt? He can't defend or stay on his opponent, he can't accumulate and he's not hungry enough to tackle the ball outa someone elses hands and snap a goal. Where the heck is he supposed to fit in?

 

[estibador]

What a joke of a thread. Just to remind you, some of those same complaints were being levelled against Hill this year. Why would you pick on the 19 yo sub?
Pathetic.

Nothing to do with tonight's result, just my observations on Pitt based on his career to date. I just can't see the makings of a good AFL player in him, I hope I'm wrong.

So what if some of these complaints have been leveled at Hill? Some of them have been leveled at nearly all our players.

 

[believe_it]

Nothing to do with tonight's result, just my observations on Pitt based on his career to date. I just can't see the makings of a good AFL player in him, I hope I'm wrong.

So what if some of these complaints have been leveled at Hill? Some of them have been leveled at nearly all our players.

People probably link the timing and a thread devoted to him as a perceived criticism specifically to his performance tonight. Did anybody expect him to come out wearing a superman cape and take to task one of the best teams in the competition. All on the back of zero AFL game time this year. Lyon picks the team.

I reality his performance wasn't bad when he came on the ground tonight was comparable to both Neale and Crozier for the time he was on. The team pretty much fell in a heap in the last quarter which makes it that much harder to make an impact.

I am really happy with what I have seen with Crozier so far but we can't expect everybody to have such kamikaze spirit. Lets be grateful for Crozier. Neale despite his youth is pretty solid physically and self assured.

Remember these guys are still kids and some develop quicker than others much to our impatience. We want them mature now! Hill was lambasted last year mercilessly because at 21 he hadn't yet become a seasoned mid. Player X from team Y was better at his age therefore he has failed - exterminate! Even this year there were rabbit in the headlight moments early on. Pitt is another Hill - we wont know for a while longer.

 

[go_the_dockers]

I was trying to find his 20m sprint times, but couldnt find them.

Assuming they arent great, perhaps we need to do what Malthouse did to pendlebury and turned him from an outside player to an inside player.

His reasoning was that he didnt have the speed to play as an outside receiver (which he had done so during his younger days) so he had to play inside or a bit of both.

I know he isnt ready now, but perhaps that is something we should be aiming for?

Pendlebury when draft 189.8cm, 81.4kg now 192cm and 90kg.

Pitt is 189cma and only 71kg (may be a few more kg, I saw a reference to 76kg) needs to put on some weight.

Jobe Watson took 3-4 years to show what he can do, tall midfielders normally do so give them some time.

 

[Kram]

Suban also wouldn't be out of place in this thread. Both seem to offer nothing...

One thing I really noticed about him last night is that he is very slow.

 

[Clay Davis]

What a joke of a thread. Just to remind you, some of those same complaints were being levelled against Hill this year. Why would you pick on the 19 yo sub?
Pathetic.

Err, Hill had shown by about his fourth game that he could play.

I don't know why people think it's too early to make the call. I can't see him getting faster. I can't see the character in his attack on ball changing.

 

[sabre_ac]

Surely deserves more time, specially when you consider how long some of the other guys have been given (And are continued to be given).

Doesn't help when the likes of Fyfe, Hill and Mora killed it in their first season or two.

 

[E Shed]

Err, Hill had shown by about his fourth game that he could play.

I don't know why people think it's too early to make the call. I can't see him getting faster. I can't see the character in his attack on ball changing.

Exactly there is no comparison with Pitt.
We aren't crucifying the kid, just saying he doesn't look like he has some of the attributes you want in your first round draft pick. He has some (skills, poise, class) but so far hasn't displayed much in the way of desire or attack on the contest. Crozier and Neale have both gone past him already in their first year in those terms.
Doesn't men he won't make some sort of player but it's hard to see a role for him at this stage.

 

[Jezzitizle]

Err, Hill had shown by about his fourth game that he could play.

I don't know why people think it's too early to make the call. I can't see him getting faster. I can't see the character in his attack on ball changing.

And Pitt didnt have some good games in his first season? I saw him dive head first with oncoming traffic into at least one contest last night.

One of the knocks on Hill was that he wouldn't go 100% into contests. As he's put on weight he's been more willing to get in there. Same will happen with Pitt. He clearly hasn't got the strength to stay over the ball at the moment, but when it comes he will seem a harder footballer.

He's a good kick off either side, makes pretty good decisions, and has clean hands. And will be a goal kicker. For me, he will eventually run through the middle. Probably in about 3 years.

As for it being embarrassing having other players go past him, well no, it happens all the time, at every club. Some kids are just ready to go. Vultures.