Christian Salem 2017

[Dwight Schrute 16,749]

Interested to hear thoughts on the position Salem will play in 2017, will he continue off half back? considering Hibberd is likely coming in and we already have Hunt dominating from half back and some other competition for spots there, with Vince likely playing more of a role there again next year, 

I personally think he's going to play most of his footy as a Wing/Half forward, we're in a really fortunate position where a lot of our flank players who have been quite young and developing are reaching a point in terms of their fitness where they can have really damaging bursts through the middle, an example of this is Dean Kent who i genuinely think could be an A grade on baller eventually.

 

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,154]

Would love to see him get some midfield time; he's hard, poised and and has excellent skills by hand and foot.  

Failing that, would like to see him in a bit of space on the wing. The breakaway pace of Hunt on one, with the laser foot of Salem on the other- forwards will be climbing over themselves.

Much will depend on getting his treatment right so he can hopefully get a proper run at the full preseason.

[Ethan Tremblay 28,347]

Wing/Midfield. The prospect of a fit/healthy Salem on the wing is quite exciting.

[Chook 14,457]

I want him to play whatever position will make him the guy delivering the ball inside fifty. The only player I'd want to do this more is Jack Watts, and Jack's unavailable as he'll be busy receiving the ball from Salem inside fifty.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,636]

I thought he was going to be a big factor in us stepping up this year. That we have shown the improvement we have without him bodes well IMO, as I think he will be a gun midfielder. The Weed and Hulk will love having Salem delivering the ball to them.

[Ethan Tremblay 28,347]

9 minutes ago, Chook said:

I want him to play whatever position will make him the guy delivering the ball inside fifty. The only player I'd want to do this more is Jack Watts, and Jack's unavailable as he'll be busy receiving the ball from Salem inside fifty.

Petracca delivers the ball inside 50 very nicely as well.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Ethan Tremblay

[McQueen 17,862]

Illness aside, I personally still have a question mark beside his name.

I can't really put my finger on it but there's something lacking in the way he plays the game. Maybe the HBF role isn't for him and time on ball might aid his development.

Seems to be a lot of praise for a bloke who has neat skills but not much of a body of evidence to suggest he'll be an integral cog in next years machine.

[olisik 4,060]

17 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Illness aside, I personally still have a question mark beside his name.

I can't really put my finger on it but there's something lacking in the way he plays the game. Maybe the HBF role isn't for him and time on ball might aid his development.

Seems to be a lot of praise for a bloke who has neat skills but not much of a body of evidence to suggest he'll be an integral cog in next years machine.

He is developing very slowly due to constant injuries and his illness. 

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

27 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Illness aside, I personally still have a question mark beside his name.

I can't really put my finger on it but there's something lacking in the way he plays the game. Maybe the HBF role isn't for him and time on ball might aid his development.

Seems to be a lot of praise for a bloke who has neat skills but not much of a body of evidence to suggest he'll be an integral cog in next years machine.

He's not quick and he's not tall.  That gives him a pretty big handicap to start off with in the AFL.  He compensates for the speed issue with great awareness and lateral movement, but it's still an issue.  Also, normally for a player to make it at his height they have good pace and often a good leap (think Fasolo or that dude from Hawthorn).  He's hard at it, but he'll never take a mark like those guys. 

[MadAsHell 4,088]

Think he could be a bit of a utility. HBF/HFF/Wing/Mid; wherever he's needed from one week to the next.

Same could occur for Hunt also actually given he's shown his ability to play forward with Casey last year.

[jackaub 1,402]

I want to see much more of him before I comment

Shame he has missed a development year

I am not as impressed as some on here so far

Lets see how he preseasons before making him a star

[Members' Wing 1,106]

8 hours ago, RalphiusMaximus said:

He's not quick and he's not tall.  That gives him a pretty big handicap to start off with in the AFL.  He compensates for the speed issue with great awareness and lateral movement, but it's still an issue.  Also, normally for a player to make it at his height they have good pace and often a good leap (think Fasolo or that dude from Hawthorn).  He's hard at it, but he'll never take a mark like those guys. 

He's 185cm, only 1cm shorter than Tyson and Petracca. Hardly a midget.

[juzzk1d 1,354]

He will get a massive pre-season under his belt and develop a huge tank. Salem is a classy player we need to run out games and deliver for us in the 4th quarter when the game is on the line. Similar to Jack Watts, he will help win the games that are on the line. 

[Lucifers Hero 36,991]

Had a look at his 29 games and

• 2014 - 12 games, 5 of which were as a sub
• 2015 - 10 games as a defender, 3 of which were the last of the season coming back from hamstring injuries.
• 2016 - 7 games the last few of which he played under duress from illness.

So he has played about 20 full games, fully fit.  So if would be fair to say he hasn't had much of run at it to show what he can do.  But there is a lot to get excited about.  In addition to his silky skills the things that have stood out for me:

• Coolness under pressure eg the winning goal vs Ess in 2014.  Roos said he was the guy he would always love to have the ball in those circumstances.  So come to the crunch he is the guy who will deliver a goal when we most need it eg after the siren in a GF.
• He is equal to Jack Watts with his footy IQ.  We don't have many of those.
• He can certainly find space which enables him to make the right decision nearly every time.  Nearly always hits targets.
• Brings others into the game.
• Plays the role he is given and follows instructions. 
• Can kick goals.

He may not look fast as all his games have in a game plan that was defence focused and we had a shutdown/limit the scoreboard damage style.  I think he will relish the 'take the game on' offensive game we now play and his speed of foot, hand and brain will make him a real asset.

This is an edited version of Plapp's review 2 weeks ago:   '...He played an inside mid role and spent some time forward...but the one thing that I was really pleased about his game on the weekend was his ability to fulfill and play his role. But when he got the ball in his hand, he really hurt the opposition and always seemed to manufacture an inside 50 or help set up a goal. Every time he touched the ball was huge for us on the weekend.'

Sorry to be a bit long-winded, just wanted to put his 3 years in context. 

Understand why people have doubts but for mine he has shown enough brilliance to predict he will be a key factor in getting us into the finals in 2017.

 

[whatwhat say what 18,881]

Has missed so much development time it's super hard to gauge his potential or what role he can play.

 

I always saw him as a bit of a Hodge - capable of playing the sweeper role, capable of playing as a hit up half forward, capable of moving thru the midfield.

 

But he's missed so much footy it's very very hard to judge what he is going to be.

[Gorgoroth 12,308]

Go back and watch some of his early games. I think this could will be a very solid player at worst. 

[Scipio 5,868]

A fit Salem and Hunt on the wings makes me McAvaney-excited.

[praha 10,270]

I'm sure he will be a great player but I don't like him in a one-on-one defending role. He is unaccountable as a defender and has been since one. I don't mind him as a loose defender but that's because he's better as a sweeper. Of his 29 games, imo his best ones have come when he played midfield/forward roles. As a defender he always just seemed to be making up the numbers.

I'd love to see him as a utility that plays in the middle and goes forward. He's no defender.

[Red and Blue realist 2,026]

Agree he's no pure defender but not many players are (in a the smaller defender role). Realistically he would have played all his junior footy in the middle, then gets to an AFL club and is asked to play different roles. Similar situation to ANB and Avdb at the moment, I think Roos and the other coaches would be hoping that by playing him in defense it will help long term with his accountability when he he gets more game time in the middle. I too see him as the Hodge type player, he reads the play well, has a great kick, makes the right decisions and over time will be able to inject himself in the right places at the right time (not saying he will be as good as Hodge, but playing that type of role). 

[Ouch! 2,034]

I see Salem as a smaller version of Jack Watts, excellent skills, evasive, good footy brain. However on the flip side, development has been a bit stunted (for different reasons) and I'm not clear where his best position is. So my primary concern is that he won't be afforded the same amount of time in terms of development as Jack's because as a midfielder you don't get the same luxury. We pulled the pin quickly... and correctly on Toumpas and he was a top five pick.

Salem also doesn't seem to be a big accumulator of possessions, so what he does with those possessions will be the key. 

I like Salem, and would not like to lose him, but if I am to be honest players like him, ANB, AVB, Trengove, Harmes, White, JKH etc are going to be a considered as tradeable at the end of the year if we are looking to be a part of any of the trades surrounding Prestia, O'Meara, Mitchell etc. These players are not going for picks, and lets face it even those players are not going to cut it. We won't be trading Petracca, Brayshaw, Oliver, Viney, Weid or Hogan to secure them ... 

My gut feel is that we are going to be a fringe player in trade week, and not in the market for those guys we have our sights on one or two players, and backing in the players on the list to grow together, we might be part of a couple of three way trades where other clubs need us. A lot of people commenting that we are a destination club, and whilst things are turning in that direction, we have to focus on securing Hogan first. We haven't achieved anything yet... 

[Dwight Schrute 16,749]

On 8/26/2016 at 8:43 AM, DemonAndrew said:

Has missed so much development time it's super hard to gauge his potential or what role he can play.

 

I always saw him as a bit of a Hodge - capable of playing the sweeper role, capable of playing as a hit up half forward, capable of moving thru the midfield.

 

But he's missed so much footy it's very very hard to judge what he is going to be.

I'm not sure the development totally stops just because guys aren't playing, which there is no substitute for playing games no doubt he's been watching and learning and hopefully a full pre season and he'll be up and firign next year

i definitely see the Hodge comparison, but i don't think he's a good enough defender to play back long term, regardless of how good his offensive weapons are, he loses his opponent quite regularly 

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Get him up to AFL standard running fitness and he will be a star.

[poita 3,573]

He has decent skills, but what is he? He is clearly not a defender, and he doesn't win enough football to play in the midfield at this stage (and I'm not sure that his endurance is good enough anyway). I had high hopes for him this year, but he was disappointing in the games he played and others have gone past him.

I hope he can have a big pre season and get himself fit enough to play midfield  / half forward in the practice matches, because he should be well ahead of guys like Bugg and Vandenberg.

[stuie 7,374]

Vince needs to go back to the middle, it baffles me that his move to HB has been talked up so much when he's clearly had an underwhelming year.

 

[McQueen 17,862]

10 minutes ago, stuie said:

Vince needs to go back to the middle, it baffles me that his move to HB has been talked up so much when he's clearly had an underwhelming year.

 

Wtf has this got to do with discussion about Salem?