So's Bonti. Look I totally get the age thing but it's concerning that we have a number 1 draft pick who was clearly all the rage going through multiple games without scoring or looking like scoring goals. I get the arguments, I see the comparatives but he isn't delivering anywhere near his potential suggested. Sorry - he just isn't.
A bloke I totally respect who coaches in the VFL at a high level and played us twice last year with Boyd in both games got a very close look at him then and described him as "miles away from where I expected him to be and I'm unconvinced he can make the transition at VFL let alone the big time". Clearly he is somewhat better than that but taking last weekend as a random snapshot:
Daniher (shit game) - 1 mark, 0.1
McCartin - 5 marks, 2.1 goals
Schache - 5 marks, 1.1 goals
Tom Boyd - 1 mark, 0.1 goals
Rory Lobb - 4 marks, 4.1 goals
J Patton - 9 marks, 1.1 goals
Moore - 7 marks, 1.1 goals
Hogan - 9 marks, 2.2 goals
The problem is, he can have bad games, I also get he had a sore shoulder but this is a consistent picture.
At the moment, and I'm happy to put it on the line, he is tracking to be a 5 out of 10. And that would make him the one big failure I've seen our unbelievable recruitment machine make. I'm ok with that - we have to have a stab at this stuff and sometimes it won't pan out perfectly.
His comparative development to every one of his "equivalent" young developing talls is slow. I hope he turns it around. But it's not his age.
I hate this post. But it is what it is at the moment unfortunately.