Would Leroy Jetta play 100 games today?

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soupofficial

All Australian
Sep 1, 2006
761
126
Atlantis
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Much hyped as a top 10 prospect pre-draft, and entering the league with great confidence in himself, Jetta didn't have the career that he thought he was going to have.

But since he was drafted, an additional two teams have entered the league (= 75 more opportunities to be on a list), and the game style has continued to move away from stumpy players who can't kick. Would today's football have suited Leroy better? He had a good year or two and did make it to 93 games.

Rather than Leroy not being ready for AFL football, was it more the case that AFL football was not ready for Leroy?
 
I prefer to wonder how David Mackay managed to scrounge 200 games.
 

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Played Under 13's with Jetta when he was at Brookton/Pingelly. Kept him to two goals in a semi-final and was happy with myself

Spoiler:
In regards to OP's question its a bit of a shrug. More teams more opportunities maybe but also Essendon post Sheedy haven't exactly been the best team for developing young talent anyway.

I think his career would have gone longer if he stayed in WA closer to family and friends though.
 
Much hyped as a top 10 prospect pre-draft, and entering the league with great confidence in himself, Jetta didn't have the career that he thought he was going to have.

But since he was drafted, an additional two teams have entered the league (= 75 more opportunities to be on a list), and the game style has continued to move away from stumpy players who can't kick. Would today's football have suited Leroy better? He had a good year or two and did make it to 93 games.

Rather than Leroy not being ready for AFL football, was it more the case that AFL football was not ready for Leroy?

Hi Leroy, welcome to BigFooty
 
Much hyped as a top 10 prospect pre-draft, and entering the league with great confidence in himself, Jetta didn't have the career that he thought he was going to have.

But since he was drafted, an additional two teams have entered the league (= 75 more opportunities to be on a list), and the game style has continued to move away from stumpy players who can't kick. Would today's football have suited Leroy better? He had a good year or two and did make it to 93 games.

Rather than Leroy not being ready for AFL football, was it more the case that AFL football was not ready for Leroy?

What sort of career did Leroy have when he played against 2nd tier (WAFL) players ?

He is still having a kick in the bush, after missing a year in the NTFL/WAFL courtesy of the gross mismanagement fiasco at the Bombers.
 
The question is, were you ready for Leroy OP?

Was anyone?

That's an excellent question. I think I was almost ready for Leroy, but not quite. He had the Hollywood hair and Tim Hardaway killer crossover footwork a year or two before they were accepted in this country. If he was born ten years later, he may have played 100 games.
 
7 games really is not much to talk about. Could have easily happened. Just one less injury or one to a teammate. Or a little change in team dynamics concerning form and spots.
 

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I think he had the tools to be a player, just arrived at the wrong club at the wrong time. Poor leadership, he never developed confidence or a real position. Had he landed at a top 8 team I wouldn’t have been surprised if he played 150-200.
 
Probably in the minority, but I actually love these kinds of threads.

Would have been cool to see Leroy develop in a better side. Had a great mix of pace, X-factor and came into the league full of beans and looked like every EPL footballer circa that era.

Was rated really highly in a draft that was seen at the time as the best since '01.

Carved out a handy career, although his ceiling from an outside POV was pretty big.

Edit, yep playing against the Suns (Reimers 10 goal game?) but that 3rd goal was a cracker:

 
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I was a huge believer in his talent. Before the draft he was seen as the next Andrew McLeod. Truly had all the tools just didn't quite have it between the ears. He was a very instinctive player, who looked like he was over thinking things. When he was on, he was being himself.
 

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