Will Gould (Drafted by Sydney)

[Males 578]

Anyone know how this kid has been going?

JEREMY SHARP

Club: East Fremantle, Western Australia

Position: Midfielder

Size: 185cm, 72kg

Champion Data player comparison: Andrew Gaff

Foxfooty.com.au says: The WA wingman was one of the shining lights in the Under 18 Championships. Sharp runs hard on the outside and played his best game of the carnival against Vic Metro, where he had a team-high 26 disposals. The blonde haired midfielder was named in the All-Australian, with his ability to collect the ball around the flanks and hit up a target being a strength. He is clearly one of the best prospects in the west.

[Smokey 4,389]

6 hours ago, olisik said:

Which player in top 20 would fit that? Most are inside mids or medium sized flankers. We already have plenty of those. 

Fair enough, I’ll be honest I’m not up to date on the current batch so I’ll take your word for it. Was hoping there were options 

[Dr.D 1,771]

everyone saying 'oh, we don't need this type etc.' frustrates me. Okay, let's ignore picking up a shannon hurn for Nick Hind because we need outside speed?! crazy talk. take best available. 

- Serong doesn't impress me. Strongly built inside mid, good skills, short, avg pace but low ceiling. Jason Taylor will like him because he is hard.
- Hayden Young. He'd be my pick. Quick, breaks the lines, accurate kick, brave in the air. 
- Lachie Ash: Offers the most run of anyone in the top 10 but his decision making isn't great and his skills are questionable. Definitely a Sam Frost type so will be a polarising player wherever he goes.
 

 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

IF we end up splitting a pick and getting three bites...Gould does show mighty potential as an intercepting general across HB.

At 98kg and 191cm the bloke is an imposing beast for an 18yo.

Currently playing seniors for Glenelg, Back to back All Australian.    Ranked 17 (down two places) in Twomey's latest phantom update.

Subject to a big pre-season / trimming down a tad he could just about walk in to an AFL side from day dot.  While not wishing that upon him, let's say with no Frosty, we lost a May, Lever or Hore at some point in 2020.  Gets a few games and a sniff of what AFL is like.  Back to develop at Casey for a while in prep for 2021 etc.  Placing pressure on others to hold their spot never hurts as well!

Forgetting an early call up is he a generational player that might help us to some long awaited silverware along the lines of a Shannon Hurn as some are pitching?

Was considered close to BOG in SA's under 18 Rnd 4 one point loss to Vic Metro (courtesy of a last kick goal to Kemp) back in July (some of his highlights below are from that match).

Some are putting up Ash as an option early.  I'm thinking this guy could match him plus some...and hit the ground running a tad earlier into his career also with his size and intercept marking, offering early value for the pick and potentially a great long term one as well with May not getting any younger.

Getting him with the 3rd pick also allows us to use the two early ones, say a 6 & 8 to snag some higher end talent as already well covered here eg; from a Young, Kemp, Stephens and Weightman.

And don't be deceived by Weightman's relatively lowish ranking guys.  The guy will be on everyone's radar (needing small forward talent) and will get taken a tad earlier than 12ish imv.  Need to grab earlier if we are going for it.

Thoughts?

Highlights & some article extracts / links below FYI...

Courtesy ESPN Doerre...

Player Focus

In his best performance of the Under-18 Championships, South Australian captain Will Gould was a force in defence. An Under-18 All-Australian in 2018, Gould's vision and precise 60m kick means he has been utilised as South Australia's playmaker from defence, often taking his side's kickouts.

Drawing comparisons to Shannon Hurn due to his leadership traits, Gould is a unique defender at 191cm, 98kg in that he can play tall or small with the strength to match anyone one-on-one in combination with an explosive burst of speed that allows him to play smaller and generate run from defence. These attributes are rounded out with Gould's intercept marking capabilities as a strong overhead mark and early reader of the ball off the opponent's boot.

full article here....

https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/27109039/afl-draft-wrap-unique-defender-booming-boot-looms-first-round-force

[Demon Dude 425]

yeah I've been a fan of Gould for a while. there's some good footage of him playing for Glenelg around as well. i think he'd be an ideal replacement for Frost, as he would be the type to work in well with Lever and May as the '3rd tall type' who can body up on a key forward or also play smaller if needed. he also looks leadership material, was captain of u18 team. reckon he'd be a good fit for us. 

[Adam The God 30,166]

He looks a beautiful kick going by those highlights. Little bit of pace too. Looks like he could lose 5kgs comfortably and gain a little more speed from that.

I think we'll only be looking at him if we split our picks again, as you say, Rusty. 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

29 minutes ago, A F said:

He looks a beautiful kick going by those highlights. Little bit of pace too. Looks like he could lose 5kgs comfortably and gain a little more speed from that.

I think we'll only be looking at him if we split our picks again, as you say, Rusty. 

Taking the game on, decent finish and on the move to receive AF while also thinking about the state of play with a short kick from the run out of the square and the switch kick from the boundary.

A fair jump to AFL level of course but a few things i really like as well....

Hitting in hard at the contest on the wing...ie; not afraid to throw his weight around; and

Drifting across the front of packs to take courageous well read marks a la this little grab from a while back (ok might be a bit of a stretch here but you get my drift!)...

Edited October 18, 2019 by Rusty Nails

[Little Goffy 14,504]

The description sounds very suitable and the highlights support it.  Would have the advantage also of letting Casey play with a similar set-up to Melbourne. Although it seems like he might actually be the most flexible and all-round effective of our defenders.

I'm still keen on splitting three, especially now we have 8 to keep in the early wave of talent, so count me for the affirmatives.

[Davos 864]

Yes please. Absolute jet. Get the feeling he'll make some teams regret passing on him, especially if he slips out of the top 10.

[Mach5 4,767]

Looks the goods, but I’ve had a query on whether he’s just a brute beating up on kids who won’t be as effective at AFL level.

I’ve been gunshy on his type ever since Tapscott.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

4 hours ago, Mach5 said:

Looks the goods, but I’ve had a query on whether he’s just a brute beating up on kids who won’t be as effective at AFL level.

I’ve been gunshy on his type ever since Tapscott.

He was certainly hard at the ball and carrier but not a line breaker Mach and not a very good kick from memory either.  Mostly bombing (an all too common on baller trait at the MFC).

Edited October 18, 2019 by Rusty Nails

[spirit of norm smith 16,364]

Gould is a gun like a Shannon Hurn type.  Runs. Strong. Great kick.  I have him about pick 9-10 in the draft. Probably may drop to Power at 12 (Carlton likely pick Ash at 9 and Freo pick Luke Jackson at 10. Hawks likely to pick Deven Robertson at 11. 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

Some of these extracts already embedded in earlier highlights but a few extras here.  Continues to impress and makes me wonder how he could drop 3 places to 20 on Twomey's Oct draft rankings (from Sept).  CD has him at 15 in his latest rankings which is more realistic imv.  Gonna be a general across HB for someone and might make a solid leader as well at some stage.  Reads the play and ball so well for someone so young and the kicking/decision making damn good...

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Rusty Nails

[Demon Dude 425]

41 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Some of these extracts already embedded in earlier highlights but a few extras here.  Continues to impress and makes me wonder how he could drop 3 places to 20 on Twomey's Oct draft rankings (from Sept).  CD has him at 15 in his latest rankings which is more realistic imv.  Gonna be a general across HB for someone and might make a solid leader as well at some stage.  Reads the play and ball so well for someone so young and the kicking/decision making damn good...

 

I think he dropped in some peoples calculations because he may have celebrated his Glenelg premiership a tad too much before the draft combine testing where his weight had blown out a fair bit.

[Lord Travis 10,708]

Gould said that he gets blasted by the coaches for ignoring team gameplan or ignoring easy options and turning it over. Doesn’t seem like a very smart or coachable player. I’m guessing after combine interviews and further character checks he’s dropped further down club rankings. The last thing clubs want these days is players who don’t follow game plan and just charge off in a straight line (see Sam Frost).

[ben russell 764]

He’s a mix of Hurn and McGovern and will be a gun. Bookmark it.

Prefer Young though.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

33 minutes ago, Demon Dude said:

I think he dropped in some peoples calculations because he may have celebrated his Glenelg premiership a tad too much before the draft combine testing where his weight had blown out a fair bit.

Seems fair.  Any chance he was under instructions from a very interested Crow FD?

24 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Gould said that he gets blasted by the coaches for ignoring team gameplan or ignoring easy options and turning it over. Doesn’t seem like a very smart or coachable player. I’m guessing after combine interviews and further character checks he’s dropped further down club rankings. The last thing clubs want these days is players who don’t follow game plan and just charge off in a straight line (see Sam Frost).

Fair enough.

Although if he's mostly hitting targets and kicking the odd goal i reckon the game plan will adjust more willingly!

[Lord Travis 10,708]

8 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Seems fair.  Any chance he was under instructions from a very interested Crow FD?

Although if he's mostly hitting targets and kicking the odd goal i reckon the game plan will adjust more willingly!

Doubt a footy club would instruct a youngster to go party hard so he slips to them! He may well wind up at the Crows with pick 23 or 28 though. Won't be anywhere near their pick 4.

Gould rarely hits the scoreboard. He kicked 7-8 goals less than each of Young and Ash, the other players who play a similar position and will go in the first 10 picks. Teams and coaches would never restructure a gameplan around one player who they can't predict. Gould is a good kick, but he's not that good. 

I'm not against taking him if we split a pick and get something in the late teens or twenties, but he's nowhere near the best talent available at our top 10 picks. 

[Demon Dude 425]

45 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Gould said that he gets blasted by the coaches for ignoring team gameplan or ignoring easy options and turning it over. Doesn’t seem like a very smart or coachable player. I’m guessing after combine interviews and further character checks he’s dropped further down club rankings. The last thing clubs want these days is players who don’t follow game plan and just charge off in a straight line (see Sam Frost).

yet he was made captain of the AA u18s and is regularly trusted with the kick outs for Glenelg and SA. I doubt his character, or the ability to coach him, is a problem myself. its not like he has dropped right out of draft calculations. 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

1 hour ago, Lord Travis said:

Doubt a footy club would instruct a youngster to go party hard so he slips to them! He may well wind up at the Crows with pick 23 or 28 though. Won't be anywhere near their pick 4.

Gould rarely hits the scoreboard. He kicked 7-8 goals less than each of Young and Ash, the other players who play a similar position and will go in the first 10 picks. Teams and coaches would never restructure a gameplan around one player who they can't predict. Gould is a good kick, but he's not that good. 

I'm not against taking him if we split a pick and get something in the late teens or twenties, but he's nowhere near the best talent available at our top 10 picks. 

Certainly not putting him in the top 10 LT.  Not sure where that's coming from.

Nor suggesting he had to go on a bender to blow up a little either.  Just a little lax on the diet here & there if you get my drift.  Bit of tongue in cheek but has probably gone on in the past on occasions with the Hawks/Eagles etc attempting to hide their man a little lower down the order.  Something the Crows would need to do given their 2nd.

Wouldn't be the first player to come into the system a tad chunky either and needing to pick things up.  Can be done ?

And who mentioned restructuring an entire game plan?  The game plan doesn't change...the strict governing of it might lax a little however, IF he's turning / saving matches occasionaly.  And who's to say he can't adapt at 18?  Astounds me that some compare an 18 yo to a 26 yo with ingrained habits at such an early stage of their career before they've even kicked one ball at AFL level.  They can still change/learn at 18 surely.

And agreed re Young & Ash.  Different types off HBs.  Young at 3 is a lock for mine.

Edited October 31, 2019 by Rusty Nails

[Adam The God 30,166]

I'd still seriously look at Gould for pick 8. Particularly, if Kemp is off the board by then.

With Jetta and Hibberd slowing down and Salem not being the greatest defender, this guy could be a gun at AFL level. 

I read with interest the alleged/implied attitude issues, but he's a beautiful kick, got a bit of toe and is more naturally suited to defence than Salem IMO. 

Be interesting to see where he goes. Would be surprised if he lasted past 15.

[ben russell 764]

2 minutes ago, A F said:

I'd still seriously look at Gould for pick 8. Particularly, if Kemp is off the board by then.

With Jetta and Hibberd slowing down and Salem not being the greatest defender, this guy could be a gun at AFL level. 

I read with interest the alleged/implied attitude issues, but he's a beautiful kick, got a bit of toe and is more naturally suited to defence than Salem IMO. 

Be interesting to see where he goes. Would be surprised if he lasted past 15.

I wouldn’t mind Gould with pick 8 either provided that for some reason we don’t pick Young with pick 3.

I think it’s one or the other.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

If we stuck Young and Gould in our backline ....wow....

B:     Hore  May  Lever

HB:  Young/Jetta  Gould  Hibb/Salem

That's a potential All Australian backline at some point.

Would still only think about grabbing Gould if splitting 8 though.

Say we miss our target (Kemp/Robertson?) then go for a split for say 10 and whatever... we are then in the mix for say Stephens, Weightman or Gould.

Pickett with the 3rd!!

Edited October 31, 2019 by Rusty Nails

[WERRIDEE 5,459]

Gould isn't big enough for CHB. He's a half back like Young, was BOG against Vic Country so I'm not sure why he is so low in the draft.  

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

1 hour ago, WERRIDEE said:

Gould isn't big enough for CHB. He's a half back like Young, was BOG against Vic Country so I'm not sure why he is so low in the draft.  

Still growing!  (But agreed....a few centimeters shy)