Player Watch Sam Berry

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I posit that being a one touch player is something you inherently are or are not. It’s instinctual and not something that can be meaningfully improved over the course of your career, like other areas of your game can be. It should be a big red flag when evaluating junior footballers.

Certainly no fumbly AFL player is going to become a Darren Jarman just with a bit of practice, but we've already seen clubs prioritise ball handling and it have an impact to how they play, how they handle pressure and congestion: Bulldogs with their Handball Club, Geelong with their Kamikaze Handball.

Berry only needs a small amount of improvement to make an enormous difference to him as a player

 

[FR0GGY]

Going to give this a bump, he has copped criticism this year - but I've remained bullish on Berry. He has lifted his standard significantly from last year. He's never going to be an elite player, but **** me he is imporant.

He can be elite at tackling.
You don’t get 19 in a game or lead the league in tackles for a year if you’re not.

 

[MrBarry]

He can be elite at tackling.
You don’t get 19 in a game or lead the league in tackles for a year if you’re not.

Tackles to hurt as well, which I really like.

 

[Redline]

the obvious situation is sign for another 2 years up until he becomes a (likely) RFA in 2028. We can match offers from other clubs. Not sure what sort of dosh he is on but if it takes 550-650k (or a little more) for 2 years just do it

We would do two years on that kind of money today if we could.

I suspect his Manager would be trying to get a longer deal done now, it's easier for star players or key position players to wait until RFA but in his case he is niether and it's a fair role of the dice.

I hope he takes two years as you suggest, the debate is more around if the security is appealing and another club offers him four. We are going to have a price we walk away at especially if we are a chance at Bailey.

 

[Gtowncrow]

We would do two years on that kind of money today if we could.

I suspect his Manager would be trying to get a longer deal done now, it's easier for star players or key position players to wait until RFA but in his case he is niether and it's a fair role of the dice.

I hope he takes two years as you suggest, the debate is more around if the security is appealing and another club offers him four. We are going to have a price we walk away at especially if we are a chance at Bailey.

I think Berry is safe in his role with us. The only competitors for his role are Edwards or Curtin. All the others are not like for like. Bailey will be a Rach or Izak type midfielder IMO.

 

[NSolis]

I think Berry is safe in his role with us. The only competitors for his role are Edwards or Curtin. All the others are not like for like. Bailey will be a Rach or Izak type midfielder IMO.

He's definitely competing with Soligo and Peatling for less than 3 total spots at some stage. And Edwards, but he's further back I think.

The only way we are picking all 3 is if the total midfield time shared by Rankine, Rachele, Dawson and Curtin is around a third of the CBAs. You could maybe include Draper and Bailey in that group too if we are looking at next year. If we want those guys playing more midfield, at least one of Soligo/Berry/Peatling will be out of the side. I can see this happening if Curtin is fully fit and we want him to have some midfield time, plus Ah Chee comes back into the side which might free up Rankine and Rachele to both play midfield at the same time, which they haven't really done so far this year.

Before this year my view was that Soligo and Peatling were clearly #1 and #2 of that group, but it's less clear now with Berry's improvement.

 

[daniel_4tw]

How do Brisbane do their CBA’s? They probably bat the deepest with talent but seem to find a way to rotate all their stars through the middle effectively.

If Brisbane can find a way for Neale, Dunkley, McLuggage, Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Bailey, Raynor, Berry and Zorko (with Annable to come in), I think we can find away to get our guys all involved.

 

[Scorpus]

How do Brisbane do their CBA’s? They probably bat the deepest with talent but seem to find a way to rotate all their stars through the middle effectively.

If Brisbane can find a way for Neale, Dunkley, McLuggage, Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Bailey, Raynor, Berry and Zorko (with Annable to come in), I think we can find away to get our guys all involved.

They don't rotate players. Their three best midfielders are in there as much as possible, with a few pinch hits

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

I posit that being a one touch player is something you inherently are or are not. It’s instinctual and not something that can be meaningfully improved over the course of your career, like other areas of your game can be. It should be a big red flag when evaluating junior footballers.

Tell that to Lachie Neale , who trains on his ground ball gets relentlessly

 

[cleanhands]

I posit that being a one touch player is something you inherently are or are not. It’s instinctual and not something that can be meaningfully improved over the course of your career, like other areas of your game can be. It should be a big red flag when evaluating junior footballers.

This is incorrect

 

[Crowtel]

Tell that to Lachie Neale , who trains on his ground ball gets relentlessly

and his back seat of a car ball gets

 

[Scorpus]

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

That's actually a great result for us

His 2027 contract is likely the level for a handy fringe level player who scrapes into the 23.

If he was negotiating now as our No 1 mid, coming off a Showdown Medal he'd be able to squeeze some dollars and years

Well done Reidy

 

[Golumless]

He can be elite at tackling.
You don’t get 19 in a game or lead the league in tackles for a year if you’re not.

Yup. That's Berry meal ticket to be a 3rd-5th midfielder in a genuine premiership threat. Take that Atkins/Rowbottom kind of role as a high tackler/pressure acts and cooler against a premier midfielder. Especially in a side that doesn't have the gifts given to Brisbane/Gold Coast, seeing we (or any traditional state team) aren't going to out-talent them in the next decade.

And it's something he weirdly lost until the start of this year. Seeing he was good at it, but not at the elite level he was at this year and 2022.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

That's actually a great result for us

His 2027 contract is likely the level for a handy fringe level player who scrapes into the 23.

If he was negotiating now as our No 1 mid, coming off a Showdown Medal he'd be able to squeeze some dollars and years

Well done Reidy

Also means if Collingwood are truly into him then they are trading for a contracted player.

 

[Redline]

That's actually a great result for us

His 2027 contract is likely the level for a handy fringe level player who scrapes into the 23.

If he was negotiating now as our No 1 mid, coming off a Showdown Medal he'd be able to squeeze some dollars and years

Well done Reidy

I agree and 12 months time we will have a better idea where we are at. There was a risk we were going overpay and give too many years just to keep him

 

[Thunderstruck]

Everyone needs a Tom Atkins

30

Tom Atkins

Age

30

Ht

180cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

4.3

5star

CL

1.3

3star

D

6.5

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.5

2star

M

0.8

1star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.5

3star

D

11.6

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

in their side and Berry is ours. Tough as nails, tackles to hurt, has power, and burst and gives repeat efforts and in the case of the showdown, did it for 4 quarters with 705m gained. Offensive and defensive weapon, he is vital to our midfield. Starting to now show the ability he has always had, just needed a good run at it to own that role and he is owning it. I expect him to produce more games like that going forward as that is the potential that he was drafted on. I wish more of our mids and players in general played with such intent and grunt like that.

 

[adelaidecrows]

I dont understand some of the views on here.

We complain about our midfield but then want to trade our best young midfielder currently and for what...he will net us a mid range 1st rounder in the teens at absolute best...that equates to what? If you say well we can on trade that...for who and we have three years of picks we can sell if we desperately want to trade.

We need Berry, probably our most inform and consistent midfielder at the moment.

 

[MrBarry]

I dont understand some of the views on here.

We complain about our midfield but then want to trade our best young midfielder currently and for what...he will net us a mid range 1st rounder in the teens at absolute best...that equates to what? If you say well we can on trade that...for who and we have three years of picks we can sell if we desperately want to trade.

We need Berry, probably our most inform and consistent midfielder at the moment.

It's people who have an axe to grind with him and can't admit they were wrong. There's at least 14 teams who would take him in their midfield.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Jack Riewoldt with an interesting stat On The Couch.

Two players in afl history have had 15+ tackles and 700+ metres gained in an afl game.

One is Sam Berry and the other….

Gary Ablett Jr

Yes sir - we have GAJ#2 on our list!!!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Jack Riewoldt with an interesting stat On The Couch.

Two players in afl history have had 15+ tackles and 700+ metres gained in an afl game.

One is Sam Berry and the other….

Gary Ablett Jr

Yes sir - we have GAJ#2 on our list!!!

Thought it was 15+ contested possessions, but I may have misheard

Either way, he's the next coming of Ablett

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Thought it was 15+ contested possessions, but I may have misheard

Either way, he's the next coming of Ablett

Riewoldt said “contested possessions” then corrected himself to mean tackles.

 

[NSolis]

I dont understand some of the views on here.

We complain about our midfield but then want to trade our best young midfielder currently and for what...he will net us a mid range 1st rounder in the teens at absolute best...that equates to what? If you say well we can on trade that...for who and we have three years of picks we can sell if we desperately want to trade.

We need Berry, probably our most inform and consistent midfielder at the moment.

Berry is playing well and has improved this year. But if you want to improve the midfield you have to be willing to change the players who are currently playing in there, or assume that there's further improvement on the way for the guys you've got. This week our midfield mix was Berry, Peatling, Soligo and Rankine, with Rachele as the 5th option. So if the midfield needs to improve, which of those players need to go - either out of the team or out of the midfield? It can't just be that the midfield sucks but all the players in it are good.

Saying that Berry is doing pretty well but we eventually need to move past him (or Soligo, or Peatling) makes more sense to me than just listing a whole bunch of players you'd like to see in the midfield without ever considering what your core group of 4-5 mids is going to be.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Berry is playing well and has improved this year. But if you want to improve the midfield you have to be willing to change the players who are currently playing in there, or assume that there's further improvement on the way for the guys you've got. This week our midfield mix was Berry, Peatling, Soligo and Rankine, with Rachele as the 5th option. So if the midfield needs to improve, which of those players need to go - either out of the team or out of the midfield? It can't just be that the midfield sucks but all the players in it are good.

Saying that Berry is doing pretty well but we eventually need to move past him (or Soligo, or Peatling) makes more sense to me than just listing a whole bunch of players you'd like to see in the midfield without ever considering what your core group of 4-5 mids is going to be.

We need one more A or A+ grader, if Soligo doesn’t become that (I’m guessing Berry and Peatling won’t get to that level) we’ll need to move past one of those three guys

Who knows if that ends up being Draper, Curtin, Edwards, Bailey, Neale or someone else - but we need someone else at that level

 

[Jars458]

I dont understand some of the views on here.

We complain about our midfield but then want to trade our best young midfielder currently and for what...he will net us a mid range 1st rounder in the teens at absolute best...that equates to what? If you say well we can on trade that...for who and we have three years of picks we can sell if we desperately want to trade.

We need Berry, probably our most inform and consistent midfielder at the moment.

He just needs to be our fourth mid not our first one but that’s not his fault. Has totally surprised me this year.