Why no love for Lachy Keeffe?

[Anzacday]

Lachy has been playing football for the proverbial 5 minutes and only played 34 games.
I know the man makes some mistakes and has poor games however, I think we need to cut him some slack and be patient.
As much as I don't like Zach Dawson he's crucial to Freo structure, Hawks supporters, (not fans) were calling for Schoenmakers to be dropped - he's a key part of their structure too.
I think after the game on Sunday we might need big Lachy as a part of our structure too.

 

[Kirby]

I think he's been a bit harshly done by myself. He's won most of his battles this year and seems to have paid the price for a couple that he lost.

He struggles on the really big guys, the gorilla types, he he wouldn't usually have to play on if Brown wasn't injured. His body positioning obviously needs work, but as you say, he's a football baby in terms of experience so you would hope that this improves.

 

[Shaneprice97]

He would be killing it if all he had to do was play on the resting Ruckman in the forward pocket.

I find it most annoying when he doesnt offer rebound with the talent and skill set he has, he should be finding the pill 15-20 times on a regular bases. Hes stagnated this year and actually has gone down in his perfromances.

Shouldnt have been dropped last week though.

 

[DAWESOME!!]

I'm a fan of Keeffe-y. Think he offers plenty. There are certainly aspects he can improve on, and ideally I think he could be the third tall back, in the style of Dustin Fletcher. Improved midfield pressure and someone like Maxy back there helping out our key defenders would also help.

Great agility and kicking for a guy his size. And he should have plenty of improvement left in him.

 

[Winston_Smith]

The kid needs more senior games to rebuild his confidence, but instead he gets dropped every time he has an average game, which in turn makes him nervous and twitchy upon his return. Rinse. Repeat. I have no idea WTF the match committee were thinking dropping him, and I hope they were asking themselves the same question halfway through the game. Will be a solid KPD, just needs more faith from the men upstairs.

 

[Chilli Con Incarnate]

I am a Lachie Keeffe believer and was amazed at his first few seasons (or 20 odd games) in defence. His composure was outstanding. This season he seems to have lost all that. I am hoping he is just having a down season equivalent to the '2nd year blues' sort of thing.

I am backing him to become a permanent fixture next season, but it seems like he is in a rut at the moment and it might take another preseason before he breaks out of it.

 

[mattys123]

It's a little bit of a shock that Frost has gone past him so quickly, but then you have to remember that Frost has probably been playing footy since he was 9-10 years old, while Lachie didn't start playing it until he was 15-16.

Similar to Witts it will take him a year or two longer than most to reach his potential but how many 204cm players out there can baulk their opponent then use the ball accurately?

He's a huge part of our future but I don't mind seeing him go in and out of the team at the moment, although it was a mistake not to play him on Sunday with no one to replace him.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Just from the "eyeball test", I feel he is a limited defender. I think he is a decent defender who will always be around the fringes of the 22, but I dont think he will ever be great. I think he will be part of the rotation with Frosty and Nate Brown (both of whom are ahead of him) but will still get games depending on opposition - and actually would do better if not relied to be our key CHB or FB.

 

[doodles98]

I am a Lachie Keeffe believer and was amazed at his first few seasons (or 20 odd games) in defence. His composure was outstanding. This season he seems to have lost all that. I am hoping he is just having a down season equivalent to the '2nd year blues' sort of thing.

I am backing him to become a permanent fixture next season, but it seems like he is in a rut at the moment and it might take another preseason before he breaks out of it.

I agree with the exception that I don't think he's had a bad season so far at all.. He has been very solid and dependable most games. As you would expect from an inexperienced player like him (which he still is) .. he has had some down games. I think he's had a few bad patches/moments in games where he has lost it and looked awful but these have only been "moments" and everyone seems to have judged him on them. He is a player who is very much still developing after all.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Frost is not really comparable to Keeffe.

Frost is playing the "gorilla" stopping role in Browns absence, so admirably handled by Presti for many years. Keeffe is the more creative Clement/Reid type...one with reasonable defensive skills especially in the air and with a good ball usage when clearing it out.

I'm a fan of Keeffe for his aerial abilities and ball usage skills but he will from time to time get exposed at ground level in the one on ones. Hes been dropped twice this year and probably unfairly in both cases. Bottom line is that with Reid/Brown/Maxwell/Lynch/Gault/Oxley missing, we need him.

Hes coming from a long way back in terms of football background so you can probably deduct 3-4 years from his age before comapring him with his peers, especially after taking into account that he lost a year with a knee reco.

 

[Chilli Con Incarnate]

I agree with the exception that I don't think he's had a bad season so far at all.. He has been very solid and dependable most games. As you would expect from an inexperienced player like him (which he still is) .. he has had some down games. I think he's had a few bad patches/moments in games where he has lost it and looked awful but these have only been "moments" and everyone seems to have judged him on them. He is a player who is very much still developing after all.

I would argue he looked more consistent, composed and capable in his previous seasons. Before this season, I hadn't seen him have a bad moment in defence.

I do sort of agree though his season hasn't been as bad as others are making out.

 

[Swooop]

There's things I like and don't like about Lachy.

Overall, he's got lots of promise and despite still being a work in progress due to his late arrival into the game of AFL, he has aleady had lots of excellent games.

Things I don't like - he visibly gets self doubt after losing two consecutive one on ones -if he then loses another, head drops, body language terrible and he's a cot case for the backline to have to try and work around the rest of the afternoon. I reckon that's the reason the coaches get so pissed off with him and he gets dropped, where others would be retained. Not good enough and especially for someone in the leadership group.
Also, I get the impression rightly or wrongly, that he's not fully adapted yet to the real physical nature of AFL footy.
Finally, he's gifted with great pace for a big guy but I don't have clear memories of him using this asset to his and the team's advantage.

Things I like - great height and pace. Reliable disposal though most over short distance, but still, that's fine if we retain possession.
Is still learning and had some great games already. Looks a good guy and fits in with his team mates and must be hugely well regarded to be in the leadership group at such an early time in his development.
Has a huge upside I think, but really they need to work on building his confidence because when he drops his head, it kills us.

With Maxy out, he should be a regular now ( including in his own mind) and really should develop into the leader of the backline.

 

[bucksisbest]

He has been on the list for 6 years and is 24.
Pretty good footskills and agility. Poor physicality and ability to impact the contest as a key back. Goes into 'loser' body language mode too easily when beaten.
I'm still staggered by a moment in the GC game where his direct opponent was able to take an uncontested Mark inside 50 while he stood ten yards behind in the last quarter in the last 5 minutes with less than a goal in it.

 

[legendstatus]

The more injuries to the back line to more some of the young guys will be exposed unitl they get size, experince and AFL smart simple, ideally Keefe may not end up being a backmen at all & potentially a roving HF / Ruck etc

 

[PepperFace]

I thought he was a real bright light for us. Before his knee injury he was building into a beauty.....then when he came back after the knee injury he hasnt seemed to progress. I know confidence in your body is a big factor when you have a serious injury but that was 2 years ago now so I dont think it can be used as an excuse. Ever since his game against Adelaide earlier this year his confidence has just been non-existant.

 

[Quicky]

I love Lachy Keeffe when he is on. He has the lot. But he drops his head too easily. And that is close to a terminal character trait in a defender, particularly a key defender. He is 24/5 years old now and I wonder if this is something that will be ironed at his age.

 

[ClokesShankedIt]

He hasn't had the best year but there is plenty of man-love for him here

 

[ThisIsJake]

Dawson and Shoenmakers are different, they cop it unfairly because they just look uncoordinated at times and have had to play undersized(a bit like Maxy) but are actually good defenders.

Keefe is different, he loses his opponent far too often. He will become a good player but he's a fair way off it at the moment which makes sense because he's inexperienced, but he is 24 it's time for him to step up and hold his spot. Rate his kicking out of the 50 head and shoulders above Frosts though.

 

[rand corp]

He's obviously got great height, and moves very well for his size, has a good shimmy in him to get past opposition, his ball handling is very neat and tidy for his size and his kicking is surprisingly very good. Just gets monstered and out maneuvered by some of the bigger, more experienced guys in the contest and has to really work hard on that area of his game.

 

[dansa]

For such a tall guy he is actually one of the best field kicks at the club - and boy do we need more of that.

On a side note. He always makes me smile when he mans the mark. Never fails to jump around waving his hands in the air, desperate to touch the kick or distract his opponent - he looks like he's playing under 10's. But at least he shows that he's always looking for that 1% advantage.

 

[Old Spice]

That mental toughness is the theme here, not getting distracted by a lost contest, umpiring decision, being chastised by team-mates. But for me he is very agile, a very good kick and his positioning and reading at times has been excellent.

I definitely see a future for him, especially at that height.

 

[Shaneprice97]

I want to see him play as the loose man to build up his confidense down back, similar to Lachie Hansen and Fletch. I remember him playing some great games on Tippet and Lance Franklin in the past. Idealy, you want him as that 3rd tall playing on the resting 200cm+ ruckman.

 

[BoxMatrix]

Keefe is real quick. Just he acts slow at times. Annoys the hell out of me. He has the potential to be a top defender, just gets beaten at the worst possible times.

Frost is a better defender than Keefe, but Keefe can get a whole lot more of the ball. Two different players, do their role differently.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I don't think too many disagree with the idea that he should have played against Essendon.

I myself posted that up until the Adelaide game, he had been a really reliable defender. But it's nto hard to see he's turned downward REALLY sharply since that Adelaide game. I mean, in the end - at a basic level, a defender needs to stick to their man like glue. Not give him 10-20 metres of space. Keefe (and even Frost) aren't even performing that basic function of their role.

Earlier in the year they were. Go watch the Sydney game again and tell me Frost isn't wearing Franklin like a glove 95% of the time.

 

[Winston_Smith]

...how many 204cm players out there can baulk their opponent then use the ball accurately?

I love that tricky little baulk he does. Looks goofy as a giraffe on roller skates and makes me lol every time, but it works as no one expects such a big lanky dude to move like that.