Oi. Who's the buddy here hey? Haha
Eddie is good as long as the two teams facing off against each other are from the same state.
The "Good." signature seems a bit rough in this context.
Sorry but McGuire is one of my top most disliked people
Schultz v Emmett | Lachie Schultz 2023 (23 games) | Tom Emmett 2023 (two games) |
Goals | 1.4 – above average | 2 – elite |
Disposals | 15.9 – above average | 15 – above average |
Tackles | 4.1 – elite | 3 – above average |
Marks | 4.3 – above average | 3.5 – above average |
Goal assists | 0.7 – above average | 1 – elite |
Score involvements | 5.5 – above average | 7 – elite |
Pressure acts | 20.1 – above average | 10 – below average |
Bodes well for us that the replacement for a top 5 player at the club is a guy who's played two games and has a fractured legEmerging Fremantle small forward Tom Emmett set to vie for Lachie Schultz’s spot up forward despite stress fracture
Freo’s top contender to replace Lachie Schultz has contended with more than his share of hardship, including a cancer diagnosis, writes ELIZA REILLY.
3 min read
December 4, 2023 - 4:45PM
Tom Emmett is ready to fill the hole left by Lachie Schultz at the Dockers. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Tom Emmett is more than just an on-field replacement for departed small forward Lachie Schultz.
The pair also share an unbridled, and sometimes taxing, passion for football.
Emmett, a mature age draft pick for Fremantle who kicked four goals in two games after debuting late in the season, is viewed as the most natural replacement for Schultz after the latter joined Collingwood in the trade period.
The ability to hit the scoreboard is where the similarities start.
Emmett played two games last season. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images
“We’re both very emotional players,” Emmett said. “We’re similar in terms of our passion but there’s times you just need to control that and relax.
“It’s helped in a lot of ways in wanting to train hard and always thinking about football but there’s other times you need to step away from football and that’s something I’ve been working on this off-season and last season.
“Lachie was a big help for me last year and there’s other players in the forward line like Sonny Walters, Sam Switkowski and Michael Frederick I’m really close with as well.
“There’s heaps of leaders and people to learn off in the forward line.”
Albeit based on a small sample size, the pair’s styles of play are similar.
Comparing Emmett’s stats from his two games to Schultz’s career-best season reveals both are natural goal kickers, connect well with teammates and their games are built on pressure and intensity.
Yet there is one snag in Emmett’s planned ascension to regular AFL footballer: he is battling a stress fracture in his right leg. The injury was discovered after Emmett experienced consistent pain across the off-season. There is no timeline in place for when he will rejoin the main group at training.
But Emmett is no stranger to hardship. He was diagnosed with cancer as a 16-year-old and it could have cost him his AFL dream. He also overcame a serious Achilles injury, a broken collarbone and a broken hand on his long road to the Dockers.
Emmett believes there’s a silver lining to his latest setback.
“Injuries happen. It’s all part of it,” he said. “It’s probably the best time of the year to get injured, the off-season.
“There’s so much you can do. There’s touch, there’s so many other cardio machines that you can use and still keep your skills going and everything.
“There’s so much learning I can do as well during this injury period.”
One of the key areas Emmett intends to refine is his skills and touch, an area the Dockers identified as a weakness.
“That’s exactly what the coaches have been saying,” he said. “That’s a weakness in my game and that’s what I was told last year so I’ll use this period to hone in and refine my skills for next year.”
Achieve that and the Schultz dilemma may not be as catastrophic as first thought for Fremantle.
“I’ll do the work and if I can poise myself well during this injury period and maintain fitness, I’ll be able to come back strong and fit, however long it takes,” Emmett said. “If I just listen to the strength and conditioning coaches and do my rehab correctly, I’ll be in a good position for next year.
“I just want to play more footy at AFL level and prove myself with more games next year.”
Stress fractures?Emerging Fremantle small forward Tom Emmett set to vie for Lachie Schultz’s spot up forward despite stress fracture
Freo’s top contender to replace Lachie Schultz has contended with more than his share of hardship, including a cancer diagnosis, writes ELIZA REILLY.
3 min read
December 4, 2023 - 4:45PM
Tom Emmett is ready to fill the hole left by Lachie Schultz at the Dockers. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Tom Emmett is more than just an on-field replacement for departed small forward Lachie Schultz.
The pair also share an unbridled, and sometimes taxing, passion for football.
Emmett, a mature age draft pick for Fremantle who kicked four goals in two games after debuting late in the season, is viewed as the most natural replacement for Schultz after the latter joined Collingwood in the trade period.
The ability to hit the scoreboard is where the similarities start.
Emmett played two games last season. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images
“We’re both very emotional players,” Emmett said. “We’re similar in terms of our passion but there’s times you just need to control that and relax.
“It’s helped in a lot of ways in wanting to train hard and always thinking about football but there’s other times you need to step away from football and that’s something I’ve been working on this off-season and last season.
“Lachie was a big help for me last year and there’s other players in the forward line like Sonny Walters, Sam Switkowski and Michael Frederick I’m really close with as well.
“There’s heaps of leaders and people to learn off in the forward line.”
Albeit based on a small sample size, the pair’s styles of play are similar.
Comparing Emmett’s stats from his two games to Schultz’s career-best season reveals both are natural goal kickers, connect well with teammates and their games are built on pressure and intensity.
Yet there is one snag in Emmett’s planned ascension to regular AFL footballer: he is battling a stress fracture in his right leg. The injury was discovered after Emmett experienced consistent pain across the off-season. There is no timeline in place for when he will rejoin the main group at training.
But Emmett is no stranger to hardship. He was diagnosed with cancer as a 16-year-old and it could have cost him his AFL dream. He also overcame a serious Achilles injury, a broken collarbone and a broken hand on his long road to the Dockers.
Emmett believes there’s a silver lining to his latest setback.
“Injuries happen. It’s all part of it,” he said. “It’s probably the best time of the year to get injured, the off-season.
“There’s so much you can do. There’s touch, there’s so many other cardio machines that you can use and still keep your skills going and everything.
“There’s so much learning I can do as well during this injury period.”
One of the key areas Emmett intends to refine is his skills and touch, an area the Dockers identified as a weakness.
“That’s exactly what the coaches have been saying,” he said. “That’s a weakness in my game and that’s what I was told last year so I’ll use this period to hone in and refine my skills for next year.”
Achieve that and the Schultz dilemma may not be as catastrophic as first thought for Fremantle.
“I’ll do the work and if I can poise myself well during this injury period and maintain fitness, I’ll be able to come back strong and fit, however long it takes,” Emmett said. “If I just listen to the strength and conditioning coaches and do my rehab correctly, I’ll be in a good position for next year.
“I just want to play more footy at AFL level and prove myself with more games next year.”
Wow. And to think Eliza thought she'd written an upbeat piece.
lol
Not ideal. He’s pretty slow and lacks smarts up forward.
Switowski playing more forward minutes would be the first option if Emmett doesn’t get fit for round 1.
Thanks pK75 I was going to say that the first 7 forwards at this stage was most likely to be Amiss, Jackson, Treacy, Walters, Frederick, Switkowski and Sturt with some forward rotation from any of JOM, Johnson, Fyfe, Erasmus (if in the 22) or even Brayshaw or Serong. I think Johnson is a strong option for them as he racks up lots of tackles and would allow Frederick and Switkowski to play deeper.
We’ve been playing 4 small forwards most weeks. Not many teams do that, we can re-structure if necessary and play three. Shultz will be a loss but he’s the end link / role player in the chain not the important structural player or contest winner. He’s replaceable in a team of 25 regulars and might allow Sturt or Treacy to really shine.
