Taylor Hunt

[numbwombat]

Thought there was a thread for this, but couldn't find it.
What's the prevailing opinion on this bloke? I really liked what we saw last year (still can't forget his first game, maybe first possession, when he basically grabbed the footy from a clearance, ran a few steps and kicked a great goal from about 50-60 out), but this preseason he's seemed a bit less impressive.
I'm definitely not writing him off, I think he's a guaranteed goer - but maybe a solid 100-200 gamer, rather than a future star?
What do others reckon?
Not quite as good as he looked at times last year? Or just still working his way in, and struggling a bit playing (often in the backline or seemingly as a tagger/defensively oriented) surrounded by kids rather than elite AFL guns?
He's got the speed, skills and poise to be good - it's just been a few more unforced errors, and a litle less ball-magnetism than I thought he showed in 2010.
Thoughts?

 

[SJ]

Pretty overrated on this board I reckon.

 

[_Me_]

Pretty overrated on this board I reckon.

agree
he reminds me how good wojo is, given his consistency and how under rated he is

 

[Vdubs]

Pretty overrated on this board I reckon.

Many of our up and comers are, as that's what we've got and we see them all the time. But I really wonder if Menzel, Duncan, Hunt are as good as some of the other teams' young talent. Watching North on the weekend, there is an abundance of really good young talent there- Ziebell, Swallow, Adams, and some of their good ones vwere missing. Anyway, we have to support what we've got, and I recall the early days of Coreys, both had their moments of awkwardness, Rooke, Chappy , none were outstanding, but look how they turned out. T Hunt, Menzel and Duncan may still ditto.

 

[numbwombat]

I'd say not as good as Wojcinski at his best, yet, but I've got hopes he could be better.
But that's a really good comparison, cos I reckon a lot of his problem might be the same - getting caught up in his hype after last season, the same way Wojo overrates his pace sometimes and ends up getting caught.
I reckon Wojo's definitely his prototype, but did he have as much class when he started playing as Hunt has shown?
It's all that goal, really. Can't forget something like that, mid-late 2010 when we were struggling for reliable goalkickers and unsure about the class of the up-and-comers.

 

[numbwombat]

Also the Roos are among the best-rated in the comp for youngsters, so I dunno if that's too damning on our crop. Plus, ours are learning from Chappy, Bartel, Scarlett et al. - if they're close in talent, reckon they're a chance to turn out a lot better with that kind of leadership.

 

[Vdubs]

agree
he reminds me how good wojo is, given his consistency and how under rated he is

Agree totally. Forgot to mention it in the Varcoe thread that I love going to see Wojo as well

 

[Turbocat]

He is under pressure to continue to improve. What he did last years was fine but that was last year. Plenty of players have broken into sides initially but have been swamped by superior talent when their game hasn't continue to grow.

Time stands still for no one. Admittedly , he still has time as there are still plenty of senior guys that will drop off the next 2 or 3 years but there will be 4 to 5 top gun kids that will come into the club in that time as well.

Look at Jesters list , its shows how quickly as player can pushed aside. Each year a fresh bunch of talented kids come in and not all will take 3 to 4 years to be ready. Where's Hogan on that list? Menzel and Duncan , are probably in front of Hunt , Smedts may soon be as well. What if Motlop actually comes good? Guthrie will be vgood imo and there is plenty of talent that we don't even rate yet like Cowan, HS and Christensen.

Hunt has ben compared to Wojo , truth be told , at his age , he should ensure he is picked before him. Come the end of the year if Wojo has played more games than him it will be a fail mark for Hunt this year.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

He's a kid, he's shown some good signs but still has rough edges to work on. Will be a good player in time.

It's amazing how people start bagging so quickly when a kid has a couple of down games, that's the inconsistency you get with kids, some people need to remember back to 02-03 as a reference point before they make judgements.

 

[The rabbi]

He's a kid, he's shown some good signs but still has rough edges to work on. Will be a good player in time.

It's amazing how people start bagging so quickly when a kid has a couple of down games, that's the inconsistency you get with kids, some people need to remember back to 02-03 as a reference point before they make judgments.

Exactly. I can remember some kids who were fairly inconsistent. They also had a habit of getting bumped off the ball and out bodied in contests. They had trouble getting the ball to a team mate when tackled.

At one stage it was suggested by some good judges in the media that two of them were too slow for AFL.

Their names were James Kelly and James Bartel.

 

[Roadie]

He's a kid, he's shown some good signs but still has rough edges to work on. Will be a good player in time.

It's amazing how people start bagging so quickly when a kid has a couple of down games, that's the inconsistency you get with kids, some people need to remember back to 02-03 as a reference point before they make judgements.

At the same time, it's amazing how people saw him play a couple alright games and started throwing him into their best 18 lists. Both sides of the argument are just as guilty as each other.

 

[SJ]

At the same time, it's amazing how people saw him play a couple alright games and started throwing him into their best 18 lists. Both sides of the argument are just as guilty as each other.

Yeah that's where I'm coming from. Wouldn't bag the kid but he did nothing special in a few wins last year and people started raving.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Yeah that's where I'm coming from. Wouldn't bag the kid but he did nothing special in a few wins last year and people started raving.

The numbers don't lie. A significant percentage of kids drafted will not become regular AFL Footballers let alone 100+ gamers or be stars or elite.
Naturally we get excited ( especially when they show promise) about our kids and hope they succeed . We need to reward them with game time if justified and do everything to give them a chance at success , but reality says its a revolving door with a time limit and very few will make it through the opening.

 

[vinum coupe]

I've said it before. He is a headless chook kind of player. You Tube his predraft footage. He has reckless abandon. There is no fear to take the game on.
He currently lacks the correct decision making under pressure.
That will come.

And having not seen any games live this year. Is he being given a tougher defensive job? Maybe he is just trying to come to grips with that and doesn't want to take risks while he learns what Scott wants him to do?

 

[domsy30]

His decision making has improved didn't do much wrong in Saturdays game. I feel people are expecting way too much of the youngsters thinking they will be the next messiah. Aslong as they play the team way do there bit don't make costly mistakes and keep on developing that's all you can hope for.

 

[Hinkley29]

I feel that he could become a player, but at this stage is a talented, but extremely unpolished prospect.

What I don't understand is why people have latched onto him. It seems as though he is regarded as our most promising prospect, whcih I don't understand. In my view, Menzel, Duncan, Brown and Horlin-Smith are better prospects.

At this stage though, who the hell knows? I never saw a multiple-AA career in the future of a 20 year old Corey Enright.

 

[BIGBUDDA]

i watched hunts game on satday against the blues and was playing on quality players the hole day like judd and simpson....did extremely well at the stoppages of blocking judd from running through the pack and kept simpson quiet. there was a passage of play where t.hunt came on for 5 minutes layed a solid 4-5 tackles in a row and managed to force simpson and another rookie of the groun with a limp...he showed scott that he can tackle and play at the same agression as his coach did back in the day which could and should give him the nod over alot of the other kids and imo Josh Hunt and wojo

 

[catswhiskers]

i watched hunts game on satday against the blues and was playing on quality players the hole day like judd and simpson....did extremely well at the stoppages of blocking judd from running through the pack and kept simpson quiet. there was a passage of play where t.hunt came on for 5 minutes layed a solid 4-5 tackles in a row and managed to force simpson and another rookie of the groun with a limp...he showed scott that he can tackle and play at the same agression as his coach did back in the day which could and should give him the nod over alot of the other kids and imo Josh Hunt and wojo

The kid can play and he has been asked to be defensive in the preseason. He has all the attributes BUT he doesn't seem to have the vision or poise others have (IMO). Maybe that's why he has been asked to be defensive.

We need goers in all positions and he is a goer.

 

[David the Cat]

From what I have seen, he is hard, tough and has real pace. He can deliver well by foot. And he gives 100%.

OK..he's not Corey Enright..... not yet...but he has attributes we need. He deserves a run IMO.

I think he will develop into a very good player for us.

 

[Partridge]

From what I have seen, he is hard, tough and has real pace. He can deliver well by foot. And he gives 100%.

OK..he's not Corey Enright..... not yet...but he has attributes we need. He deserves a run IMO.

I think he will develop into a very good player for us.

I do too. Which is why I want him in the side. He needs as much experience as possible. Our established defence is getting slower, we need the injection of youth and pace as soon as possible.

 

[The Casey Cat]

did extremely well at the stoppages of blocking judd from running through the pack and kept simpson quiet. there was a passage of play where t.hunt came on for 5 minutes layed a solid 4-5 tackles in a row and managed to force simpson and another rookie of the groun with a limp...he showed scott that he can tackle and play at the same agression as his coach did back in the day which could and should give him the nod over alot of the other kids and imo Josh Hunt and wojo

This is why I want him in the side. As much as we were all taken by the speed and kicking he displayed last year I think we are more in need of his aggro, enthusiasm for physical contest and defensive play which is what we were lacking in the big games V the Pies and Saints. I don't hold out much hope of Milburn, Mackie or J Hunt showing suddenly showing more of the above either but would love them to prove me wrong.

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

So if he tackles well, has been asked to develop defensivley and has excellent passing but limited vision is he being grooomed to be our next Cameron Ling? Could the Human towel ever be replaced?? First post for the year so go easy..........