2016 Player Review - # 17 Sam Frost

[Demonland 65,749]

The experiment of playing Frost up forward was short lived but when he returned to the back line, he grew in confidence and became a very reliable part of an emerging defensive structure.

Games MFC 2016 16

Career Total 40 (19 MFC)

Goals MFC 2016 5

Career Total 7 (5 MFC)

Games CSFC 2016

Goals CSFC 2016

Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 110 votes

[Diamond_Jim 11,903]

An example of a player that has improved and needs to take "another step" in 2017 if we are going to move on as a team.

Showed class in some games and as mentioned could be an important part of a good defensive line.

[The Backyard Charizard 1,178]

Will be another huge improver again next year...

Beast mode will be reached by Round 1

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,178]

I really rate him.

Love his attack on the ball and the contest and his dashes out of defense will be a feature of MFC football for the better part of the next decade.

[Cranky Franky 1,514]

Like him a lot - love the dash he provides but needs to play to his limitations as he is not the most skilful player going round ie don't try & centre the ball in the corridor to players who are surrounded & don't try & deliver millimetre perfect passes across the back line.

[bandicoot 1,395]

1 hour ago, Cranky Franky said:

Like him a lot - love the dash he provides but needs to play to his limitations as he is not the most skilful player going round ie don't try & centre the ball in the corridor to players who are surrounded & don't try & deliver millimetre perfect passes across the back line.

Foot skills will determine frosts future. No point in dashing out of defense only to give it back to the opposition. The whole team need to get better by foot for significant improvement 

[Roger Mellie 3,536]

His kicks have rocket like trajectory, but unfortunately without the guidance system.

Should be a good player if he can fix this or limit himself to short kicks. 

[Adzman 2,085]

Frost has to be one of the quickest players on the list.

 A beanpole grease lighting!

[whatwhat say what 19,177]

his pace and strength in the contest are his best weapons. his disposal and decision-making will hopefully get better as he gets more match awareness.

 

i think the thing with both he and the two mcdonald boys is that they all appear to be reasonably flexible in terms of offering a player who is both defensively-minded but also wants to attack.

 

why he was experimented with as a forward i don't really understand given that he's clearly most comfortable behind the ball.

[Deeoldfart 7,788]

Frosty's speed for a bloke of his size is a great asset .......... both in getting to and creating contests and breaking away from them.  This attribute suits our game style to a tee.  He still has work to do on his skills (marking and kicking in particular), but he's only played a handfull of games, so has a bit of time on his side. He improved quickly after finding his 'home' in defense, and I'm very bullish about his future.

[jnrmac 19,116]

The fact they were trying him up forward shows the coaches were worried about our speed and height in the forward line.

He is clearly not a fwd and most of the comments above are spot on. Fix his kicking and he will be a great asset.

 

[Demon Jack 6,334]

Was never meant to be played as a forward, despite this awesome effort.

Although he's a big hulking and imposing figure, he never looked much of a threat inside the forward 50. Couldn't quite get a mark to stick and didn't hit the scoreboard often enough. He's much better suited in defence. Loved watching him take the game on from the back half inthe second half of the season.

There was a terrific moment in the Hawthorn game which summed up our attitude for the day where he played on from the wing and pulled the 'don't argue' out on Luke Hodge. He then proceeded to run along the wing and bomb the ball inside 50 where Max Gawn plucked a beauty and goaled.

Like many of our other players, the fact he's still only 22/23 shows how much improvement he still has in him. I think he'll prove to be a fantastic investment.

And boy can he run!

Edited October 9, 2016 by Demon Jack

[General Malaise 208]

I’m putting my umbrella up before posting to ward off the pelted fruit and abuse.

One of the constants we all repeat and hear is our need for a forward/ruck, and my question isn’t exclusively around Frost, though to me he is probably the most likely candidate in the team at the moment:

Is it feasible the we reinvent, and consider a candidate for a back/ruck? 

In a team with strict match-ups that may be a terrible idea, but given the running zone defence we are implementing, surely this could be just another flexible component. We already have examples of Jetta being left to take on the likes of Buddy (not necessarily successfully) so Frost being ‘out of position’ wouldn’t be an added dilemma, and it appears we’ll have a surplus of HBF options to switch through there and cover. We wouldn’t then need to try to elbow another big body into the forward line on anything but merit.

The other question, of course, is whether Frosty can learn the craft. I suspect he might.

Pelt.

[stinga 475]

I agree with you General in priciple.  I would rather have a key forward there all the time rather than filling in for Max, and I think there was a time 2 years ago when Pederson was playing the spare in defence and he filled the role.  Not sure he's a good enough ruckman, but probably no worse than Watts.  And I'd rather Watts forward kicking goals.

[jnrmac 19,116]

2 hours ago, General Malaise said:

I’m putting my umbrella up before posting to ward off the pelted fruit and abuse.

One of the constants we all repeat and hear is our need for a forward/ruck, and my question isn’t exclusively around Frost, though to me he is probably the most likely candidate in the team at the moment:

Is it feasible the we reinvent, and consider a candidate for a back/ruck? 

In a team with strict match-ups that may be a terrible idea, but given the running zone defence we are implementing, surely this could be just another flexible component. We already have examples of Jetta being left to take on the likes of Buddy (not necessarily successfully) so Frost being ‘out of position’ wouldn’t be an added dilemma, and it appears we’ll have a surplus of HBF options to switch through there and cover. We wouldn’t then need to try to elbow another big body into the forward line on anything but merit.

The other question, of course, is whether Frosty can learn the craft. I suspect he might.

Pelt.

Don't get much rest down back.......that's where the fwd/ruck resting player came from originally. As well as being able to take a mark and kick a goal.....

Edited October 10, 2016 by jnrmac

[General Malaise 208]

8 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Don't get much rest down back.......that's where the fwd/ruck resting player came from originally. As well as being able to take a mark and kick a goal.....

I know that's the traditional wisdom, but does Watts get more rest up forward that Frost does down back? Maybe. 

These days perhaps it depends on how effective your mids are. And how hard your forwards work.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,586]

11 hours ago, Demon Jack said:

Was never meant to be played as a forward, despite this awesome effort.

Although he's a big hulking and imposing figure, he never looked much of a threat inside the forward 50. Couldn't quite get a mark to stick and didn't hit the scoreboard often enough. He's much better suited in defence. Loved watching him take the game on from the back half inthe second half of the season.

There was a terrific moment in the Hawthorn game which summed up our attitude for the day where he played on from the wing and pulled the 'don't argue' out on Luke Hodge. He then proceeded to run along the wing and bomb the ball inside 50 where Max Gawn plucked a beauty and goaled.

Like many of our other players, the fact he's still only 22/23 shows how much improvement he still has in him. I think he'll prove to be a fantastic investment.

And boy can he run!

Agree with almost all of the above and think that don't argue with Hodge would be on the 2016 highlights real of many a demons supporter (a long with quite a few other moments from that particular game).

However, whilst I also identified that he would likely play better footy as a backman for the most part after struggling for more than few weeks as a forward, I think your video and several other instances in 2016 show that Frosty is also a more capable forward than your average backman.  In this regard, I think the games that he played forward could be a good development investment, as I think Frost could be quite an effective game breaker as a swing man to break deadlocks in match-up on days when the forward line can't break through.  He could be quite a dangerous player in this role on occasions, due to his fairly unique combination of both speed and height.  Could also allow us to play a very tall forward line without sacrificing pace.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,586]

3 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Agree with almost all of the above and think that don't argue with Hodge would be on the 2016 highlights real of many a demons supporter (a long with quite a few other moments from that particular game).

However, whilst I also identified that he would likely play better footy as a backman for the most part after struggling for more than few weeks as a forward, I think your video and several other instances in 2016 show that Frosty is also a more capable forward than your average backman.  In this regard, I think the games that he played forward could be a good development investment, as I think Frost could be quite an effective game breaker as a swing man to break deadlocks in match-up on days when the forward line can't break through.  He could be quite a dangerous player in this role on occasions, due to his fairly unique combination of both speed and height.  Could also allow us to play a very tall forward line without sacrificing pace.

Speaking as one who was a better forward than your average backman.

[jnrmac 19,116]

11 hours ago, General Malaise said:

I know that's the traditional wisdom, but does Watts get more rest up forward that Frost does down back? Maybe. 

These days perhaps it depends on how effective your mids are. And how hard your forwards work.

Yes I see where you are coming from. it sure has changed over recent years. Fwds are expected to maintain pressure. 

[BLWNBA 360]

I rate him, he has all the attributes. The only knock on him for mine, apart from his kicking, is that he needs to understand his limitations. Far too often is he caught holding the ball when he tries to take on the tackler coming out of the D50. Don't get me wrong, his endeavour is there, but a man's got to know his limitations. 

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,586]

12 hours ago, BLWNBA said:

I rate him, he has all the attributes. The only knock on him for mine, apart from his kicking, is that he needs to understand his limitations. Far too often is he caught holding the ball when he tries to take on the tackler coming out of the D50. Don't get me wrong, his endeavour is there, but a man's got to know his limitations. 

Guess that is one of the attributes about youthful, developing players is that they are still trying to establish and understand what those limits are.  Sometimes it frustrates when it doesn't come off, but also has the potential to produce brilliant and unexpected results.  Many experienced players probably wouldn't have taken on Luke Hodge with that brilliant 'don't argue', but Frosty did and it paid divided ends.  I guess this is where much of the side is presently at and as they mature, we will no doubt see less erratic, more measured risk taking, less mistakes and hopefully more consistent results.

[poita 3,639]

Like Tom McDonald he is capable of doing some incredibly dumb things, but there was a lot to like about his second half of the season. He will hopefully be a feature of our defence for a long time to come, and the fact that he some ability to play different roles is a bonus.

[Bossdog 2,002]

I hear it all the time....."Take the game on"    When someone like Frosty does and some times mucks up posters get into him for "brain fades"

Which one do you want????

[Satyriconhome 9,986]

5 hours ago, Bossdog said:

I hear it all the time....."Take the game on"    When someone like Frosty does and some times mucks up posters get into him for "brain fades"

Which one do you want????

I am surprised that we can actually move the ball down the field at all, according to Demonland we  hardly have a player who can hit a target by foot consistently

[steve_f 40]

Hopeless forward but blossomed down back as noted above.

Like most of the team, he must be forbidden to pass by foot more than 35m until he earns his boot-licence.  This would only issued to Watts at moment. I can't think of anyone else.