Who is Playing for their Career in 2018?

[T Rick]

Not happy about Ryan

From what I can gather, Ryan is one of the most highly regarded and respected players at the Lions and I am delighted that he has re-signed for 2019. All good teams have a need for such heart and soul players who have a role to play on and off the field. He is in our leadership group for good reason.

 

[Checkered]

I really like Tom Bell and after reading that I kind of wish we gave him another year.

That 2015 form he showed at Carlton was absolutely ripping and maybe I'm just wishfully thinking he can recapture it. Maybe it was injuries maybe it was the role but he definitely never came close to it here which is a shame. I hope he still has it in him and would like to see him picked up by another club.

 

[marooned]

Not happy he has signed up again? Why not?

As I have said before he may be professional and well liked etc.But he offers very little hurt factor in any part of his game.He has been tried in numerous positions, roles and has been poor in all of these.Played forward early in the year as the third option for zero goals.Played in defence half back flanker role offers little run and let his opponent run off him and follows them around like he has a 5m tow rope attached.In what I think is his natural position midfield he plays well at neafl level but doesnt have the ability to get enough of it in the seniors.If he has been told he is there to help bring on the younger players in the neafl team I can understand the one year extension,but I dont want to see him in our Afl team.

 

[LongLion]

As I have said before he may be professional and well liked etc.But he offers very little hurt factor in any part of his game.He has been tried in numerous positions, roles and has been poor in all of these.Played forward early in the year as the third option for zero goals.Played in defence half back flanker role offers little run and let his opponent run off him and follows them around like he has a 5m tow rope attached.In what I think is his natural position midfield he plays well at neafl level but doesnt have the ability to get enough of it in the seniors.If he has been told he is there to help bring on the younger players in the neafl team I can understand the one year extension,but I dont want to see him in our Afl team.

Oh well, you'll just have to suck it up then when he plays regularly in the seniors.

 

[acuguy]

The more talented your list becomes the tougher it is to keep your spot. Lester, Walker and Robinson only getting 1 year contracts points to where the future lies for them. They'll be the 3 hungriest players on the list.

 

[blynd_freddie]

As I have said before he may be professional and well liked etc.But he offers very little hurt factor in any part of his game.He has been tried in numerous positions, roles and has been poor in all of these.Played forward early in the year as the third option for zero goals.Played in defence half back flanker role offers little run and let his opponent run off him and follows them around like he has a 5m tow rope attached.In what I think is his natural position midfield he plays well at neafl level but doesnt have the ability to get enough of it in the seniors.If he has been told he is there to help bring on the younger players in the neafl team I can understand the one year extension,but I dont want to see him in our Afl team.

There is not/has not been one AFL/VFL team that has been blessed with 100% elite players - a footy club is made up of a varying range of players and yes, Froggy would be the first to admit he is not an elite level player but...

From an article last year.
The 24-year-old is neither an elite athlete nor kick of the footy, although he does possess vice-like hands and is a very good overhead mark.
His true value lies in his footy IQ, the ability and willingness to play any role the team requires, often changing within a game, and his complete selflessness.
“He is the ultimate role player because he is so versatile, with his ability to play midfield, forward and back, often within the one game,’’ Zorko said.
“And he never complains, he puts the team first every single time with everything he does, and that’s why he’s our cult hero.’’

 

[AFLQLD]

There is not/has not been one AFL/VFL team that has been blessed with 100% elite players - a footy club is made up of a varying range of players and yes, Froggy would be the first to admit he is not an elite level player but...

From an article last year.
The 24-year-old is neither an elite athlete nor kick of the footy, although he does possess vice-like hands and is a very good overhead mark.
His true value lies in his footy IQ, the ability and willingness to play any role the team requires, often changing within a game, and his complete selflessness.
“He is the ultimate role player because he is so versatile, with his ability to play midfield, forward and back, often within the one game,’’ Zorko said.
“And he never complains, he puts the team first every single time with everything he does, and that’s why he’s our cult hero.’’

It can’t be stressed enough how true this is. Every club has players that regularly play in the first team and probably offer less than Lester. They are however surrounded by experience and talent and can play their role. I don’t think we can ever underestimate the importance to a team in having three or four role players like Lester. Richmond won a premiership with half a dozen solid but unspectacular players who just did their jobs well. Need I remind everyone that Collingwood nearly won a flag with Aish in the team. Aish! As bog ordinary a player as I have seen at the top level. Lester is better than him in almost every way.

The value of someone like Lester is that he isn’t a critical cog in the machine but you can put him almost anywhere to keep the machine working.

 

[M Malice]

As I have said before he may be professional and well liked etc.But he offers very little hurt factor in any part of his game.He has been tried in numerous positions, roles and has been poor in all of these.Played forward early in the year as the third option for zero goals.Played in defence half back flanker role offers little run and let his opponent run off him and follows them around like he has a 5m tow rope attached.In what I think is his natural position midfield he plays well at neafl level but doesnt have the ability to get enough of it in the seniors.If he has been told he is there to help bring on the younger players in the neafl team I can understand the one year extension,but I dont want to see him in our Afl team.

I agree with some of this, but not that he has been poor in all the roles he has played. He has been handy would be my view and had a few pretty good games and particularly in 2017 where he had a really good stretch of games at one stage during the season. If we have another good run with injury in 2019 I can't see a spot in the team for him though and agree with you that he'd be good as our NEAFL version of Hodgey.

His lack of pace and acceleration is his huge weakness IMO and he gets caught out too often by it.

 

[jackess]

I agree with some of this, but not that he has been poor in all the roles he has played. He has been handy would be my view and had a few pretty good games and particularly in 2017 where he had a really good stretch of games at one stage during the season. If we have another good run with injury in 2019 I can't see a spot in the team for him though and agree with you that he'd be good as our NEAFL version of Hodgey.

His lack of pace and acceleration is his huge weakness IMO and he gets caught out too often by it.

His lack of pace and acceleration is overstated.

He can play a role down back quite well and was solid without being excellent when he played there this season. Excellent depth in that area.

 

[POBT]

Lester will be about 40th on the list next year in terms of long term importance. Hardly worth getting shirty about. He’ll cost us a list spot and a fairly modest salary. In exchange, we get a hugely popular club man, someone who sets the highest professional standards and someone who can play several roles at senior level, even if it isn’t always to the highest standard.

If we’d have delisted Froggy, I’d have been a bit sad but not surprised. Equally though, his re-signing has made me happy in the sense that I like to see good things happen to good people but not particularly excited at what he’s going to deliver on field.

In other words, that was a long winded way of saying “I’m not fussed by him re-signing but can’t see why it would bother anyone.”

 

[M Malice]

His lack of pace and acceleration is overstated.

He can play a role down back quite well and was solid without being excellent when he played there this season. Excellent depth in that area.

I agree with you he is a depth player but I'd replace excellent with adequate and I agree with the posters saying that every great team has role players but every player in any team has to play a role, it's the hurt factor that is on different levels.

 

[jackess]

I agree with you he is a depth player but I'd replace excellent with adequate and I agree with the posters saying that every great team has role players but every player in any team has to play a role, it's the hurt factor that is on different levels.

He can replace leadership though to give the kids a consistent message out on the field of we lose a senior player

 

[Davemonkey]

I see Froggy providing that back up role to slot in when required to cover injury and providing onfield leadership for the NEAFL team, and overall offfield leadership around the Club. I also hope he stars in our West Coast like resurgence and kicks the Dom Sheed like winning goal in the grannie. Against the Pies of course.

 

[dlanod]

In other words, that was a long winded way of saying “I’m not fussed by him re-signing but can’t see why it would bother anyone.”

It's always great to see newbies join BigFooty.

 

[marooned]

Role players are part of any team but they hurt the opposition with some form of their game.i.e pressure acts, tagging a player out,tackles,making the most of their limited touches.Lester dishing up single figure possesion numbers,lacking pace to put pressure on the opposition,not tagging out players is not leadership by actions on the ground.Before another round of he does the little things i.e block, shepard take his opponent to areas where he is not as dangerous.This is expected of all who play in the Afl not a feather in his cap or justification he deserves his place in the team.

 

[BuntonRules]

Role players are part of any team but they hurt the opposition with some form of their game.i.e pressure acts, tagging a player out,tackles,making the most of their limited touches.Lester dishing up single figure possesion numbers,lacking pace to put pressure on the opposition,not tagging out players is not leadership by actions on the ground.Before another round of he does the little things i.e block, shepard take his opponent to areas where he is not as dangerous.This is expected of all who play in the Afl not a feather in his cap or justification he deserves his place in the team.

Allright, allready - you made your point. I guess it just means 95% of us, and the club, are wrong.

 

[LongLion]

Role players are part of any team but they hurt the opposition with some form of their game.i.e pressure acts, tagging a player out,tackles,making the most of their limited touches.Lester dishing up single figure possesion numbers,lacking pace to put pressure on the opposition,not tagging out players is not leadership by actions on the ground.Before another round of he does the little things i.e block, shepard take his opponent to areas where he is not as dangerous.This is expected of all who play in the Afl not a feather in his cap or justification he deserves his place in the team.

Oh.... OK he must be a total spud then. What were the club (& Hawthorn) thinking offering him another contract?

 

[acuguy]

I would think Lester is a better player than Shattock, Shattock got a premiership, N.Reiwoldt didn't. Get the point.

 

[SizeMatters]

Lester needs to be used in the midfield rotations more often.

 

[Full Wingspan]

There was a quirky stat somewhere pertaining to the number of centre bounce starts for Lester and percentage of clearance wins for the Lions this season. Calling on all stat nerds to bring me this figure. We were a significantly better clearance side with him in the middle though.

 

[jackess]

There was a quirky stat somewhere pertaining to the number of centre bounce starts for Lester and percentage of clearance wins for the Lions this season. Calling on all stat nerds to bring me this figure. We were a significantly better clearance side with him in the middle though.

Yeah but he also said on the roar deal he doesn’t like playing on ball.

 

[StevoJenkins]

Yeah but he also said on the roar deal he doesn’t like playing on ball.

Unfortunately it's where he slots his best stats.

There was a quirky stat somewhere pertaining to the number of centre bounce starts for Lester and percentage of clearance wins for the Lions this season. Calling on all stat nerds to bring me this figure. We were a significantly better clearance side with him in the middle though.

It was on an AFL.com article back in June/July. "Your clubs known stats" or something.

 

[JasperBeardly]

There was a quirky stat somewhere pertaining to the number of centre bounce starts for Lester and percentage of clearance wins for the Lions this season. Calling on all stat nerds to bring me this figure. We were a significantly better clearance side with him in the middle though.

http://m.lions.com.au/news/2018-08-16/our-centresquare-stars

"From a very small sample size (38 contests), Ryan Lester has remarkable numbers. With Lester on hand, the Lions win 36 per cent more centre clearances than the opposition"