"I think this year is a real stepping stone for me."

Sam Weideman is looking to use the pre-season to become a more consistent player in 2020. ?

?: Weideman eyeing a consistent 2020 season

 

Oh there are a lot of lines in this but I am supporting the Weid to play well this year so I will have to keep them to myself but hell it is hard.

Edited January 22, 20205 yr by old dee

11 minutes ago, old dee said:

Oh there are a lot of lines in this but I am supporting the Weid to play well this year so I will have to keep them to myself but hell it is hard.

don't read too much into this stuff, old dee. at least it opens a discussion point on what we need to see from him in 2020. But I've long ignored player, coach and management interviews/press conferences because they're mostly PR fluff and newspeak. I recommend you do the same. I mean it's not like the kid is going to get in front of a camera and tell us he's no good and isn't up for it: of course he's going to say he needs to be consistent/hard at it/committed etc etc. 

He was consistent in 2019. 

24 minutes ago, praha said:

don't read too much into this stuff, old dee. at least it opens a discussion point on what we need to see from him in 2020. But I've long ignored player, coach and management interviews/press conferences because they're mostly PR fluff and newspeak. I recommend you do the same. I mean it's not like the kid is going to get in front of a camera and tell us he's no good and isn't up for it: of course he's going to say he needs to be consistent/hard at it/committed etc etc. 

I don't praha I was just thinking of the lines that flow from this story.

I am praying he can play a lot of good games this year because we desperately need a KPF to play twell this season.

 

Edited January 22, 20205 yr by old dee

2 hours ago, old dee said:

Oh there are a lot of lines in this but I am supporting the Weid to play well this year so I will have to keep them to myself but hell it is hard.

No mate, by making this comment you've potted him again and tried to show what a good bloke you are by dressing it up as restraint.

And you've done it twice so you've got double your money.  Why don't you show some real restraint and shut up about him this season.  If he fails then you were right and you can remind us again of your great wisdom. 

Not that we'll need reminding.

1 hour ago, Baghdad Bob said:

No mate, by making this comment you've potted him again and tried to show what a good bloke you are by dressing it up as restraint.

And you've done it twice so you've got double your money.  Why don't you show some real restraint and shut up about him this season.  If he fails then you were right and you can remind us again of your great wisdom. 

Not that we'll need reminding.

Think whatever you like BB. 

I reckon he's going to be a key for us this year.

... The key to us getting back into the first round of this years draft that is! (In combination with some other picks)

Sorry for the cheap shot, but i just don't think he has the ability to succeed with us.

Edited January 22, 20205 yr by John Demonic

Body Language - Fail

3 hours ago, John Demonic said:

I reckon he's going to be a key for us this year.

... The key to us getting back into the first round of this years draft that is! (In combination with some other picks)

Sorry for the cheap shot, but i just don't think he has the ability to succeed with us.

So if you don't think he has the ability to succeed why would any full time recruiting/list manager at another club part with picks that will get us back into the first round of this years draft...

...not a cheap shot, it just doesn't add up.

Edited January 22, 20205 yr by rjay

1 hour ago, rjay said:

So if you don't think he has the ability to succeed why would any full time recruiting/list manager at another club part with picks that will get us back into the first round of this years draft...

...not a cheap shot, it just doesn't add up.

Schache was 25 & 40. Weideman + 28 & 46 for a pick between 14-20 & a 4th or 5th round, perhaps a stretch - but won't be too far off the mark. I don't think he will have the ability to hold down the 1 or 2 spot this year ie succeed with us, but who knows, maybe he will show glimpses throughout the year that will entice another club to feel he might be an investment worth gambling on.

Whereas with us after 5 years, it might be an investment we'd prefer to not continue with other players developing or wanting to be traded to us. Weid could slot into a 3rd tall spot with another club that views him as someone that will be able to become a key forward at the age of 25-26. Do we really have more than 2 years to give? We need an immediate impactful tall next to TMac to relieve the pressure on him. The one saving grace might be Mitch Brown giving Weid a little more time to develop and show he has a future with us by the end of 2021, when he's out of contract.

Edited January 22, 20205 yr by John Demonic

Every year we hope he takes the next step and every year we are disappointed.  He's taken over Jack Watts' role.

Edited January 23, 20205 yr by one_demon

11 minutes ago, one_demon said:

Every year we hope he takes the next step and every year we are disappointed.

Granted he was terribly disappointing last year (with mitigating factors), but that's revisionist to say the least. If getting BOG in a final doesn't count as a step forward, what does? 

He's shown signs. Make or break this year, but I hold hope. 

6 hours ago, John Demonic said:

Schache was 25 & 40. Weideman + 28 & 46 for a pick between 14-20 & a 4th or 5th round, perhaps a stretch - but won't be too far off the mark. I don't think he will have the ability to hold down the 1 or 2 spot this year ie succeed with us, but who knows, maybe he will show glimpses throughout the year that will entice another club to feel he might be an investment worth gambling on.

Whereas with us after 5 years, it might be an investment we'd prefer to not continue with other players developing or wanting to be traded to us. Weid could slot into a 3rd tall spot with another club that views him as someone that will be able to become a key forward at the age of 25-26. Do we really have more than 2 years to give? We need an immediate impactful tall next to TMac to relieve the pressure on him. The one saving grace might be Mitch Brown giving Weid a little more time to develop and show he has a future with us by the end of 2021, when he's out of contract.

Apart from Naughton who looks like an absolute gun, other 22yo KPFs are in the Weideman ball-park: McKay, Curnow, Hipwood, McCartin, Ratugolea, Lewis.  Call me when they are instrumental in winning a big final.

36 minutes ago, Accepting Mediocrity said:

Granted he was terribly disappointing last year (with mitigating factors), but that's revisionist to say the least. If getting BOG in a final doesn't count as a step forward, what does? 

He's shown signs. Make or break this year, but I hold hope. 

BOG in one game

Honey moon period is over. Time to perform Weeds.

I find his comment that he is ‘looking to cement a place in the side’ as interesting.  Perhaps with the additional depth and advancement of players, the forward line might be up for some serious competition.  In the ‘talls’ there is Weid, TMAc, Preuss and Jackson.  In the mid range there is AVB, Hannan, Fritter, Melksham and even Petracca.  In the small s there is Pickett, Bedford, Chandler, Spargo.  That’s a lot of guys driving down the Monash each weekend to play at Casey.  If he now has his hips freed up and he can get his confidence up, perhaps the finals of 18 can be the new benchmark for him?

1 hour ago, Fifty-5 said:

Apart from Naughton who looks like an absolute gun, other 22yo KPFs are in the Weideman ball-park: McKay, Curnow, Hipwood, McCartin, Ratugolea, Lewis.  Call me when they are instrumental in winning a big final.

I can see with more games under his belt and a bit of consistency with his body there is no reason why he wont show more games than what he showed in the final.

Id take Hipwood from any of those bolded names above and if you compare Sam to him  the only thing lacking is goals per game which I believe will come with playing more games and a bit of confidence. Currently 40 games behind Hipwood for the same draft.

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=12&playerStatus2=A&tid2=20&type=A&pid1=4171&pid2=4174&fid1=C&fid2=C

and if all else fails up forward he will make a great CHB.

48 minutes ago, one_demon said:

BOG in one game

And very solid the following week against the hawks - 5 marks (2 contested); 2 goals; 4 tackles. 

Yes he has weaknesses, but he's got some nice traits as well. He tackles to hurt, has a great set of hands and is a beautiful kick of the footy. Until last year, he'd shown about as much as you could realistically hope for from a 21 YO key forward. 

He may or may not make it. But aside from a horror (and injury affected) 2019, he's shown enough for me to maintain hope. 

 

He doesn't have a particular athletic advantage - stamina, size, strength, speed are all average or below. But he's certainly moving more freely and looking more confident and involved on the training track. How was he meant to beat a man if everyone he played on had more strength and healthy hips? After this summer he should be on par for fitness and strength with his opponent and moving better.

He has the kicking (goal kicking a bit up and down but generally good, field kicking can be very good) and handballing skills (one of the best in the side at using both hands) to be a talent. Plus on the days where he lays a tackle he can get on a roll there. But it's a matter of whether he'll consistently find the ball and consistently hold his marks. He flies bravely at the ball but sometimes I think he's doing more to make a contest than to hold the marks.

Half a season more up forward to see if he finally can hold his marks and get involved more and if it fails then time to try him down back where his opponent will take him to contests.

1 hour ago, Accepting Mediocrity said:

And very solid the following week against the hawks - 5 marks (2 contested); 2 goals; 4 tackles. 

Yes he has weaknesses, but he's got some nice traits as well. He tackles to hurt, has a great set of hands and is a beautiful kick of the footy. Until last year, he'd shown about as much as you could realistically hope for from a 21 YO key forward. 

He may or may not make it. But aside from a horror (and injury affected) 2019, he's shown enough for me to maintain hope. 

 

I agree. But he does need to show serious form this year. 
we need him. 

33 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

He doesn't have a particular athletic advantage - stamina, size, strength, speed are all average or below.

In a nutshell, that's why I still have faith - the first 3 points you've listed are all things that should improve with fitness & development (speed perhaps less so).

The things he already does well are the hardest traits to teach.

35 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I agree. But he does need to show serious form this year. 
we need him. 

Injury aside, I reckon we'll know by mid year if he's up to it as a forward. If he stagnates, it's hard to see how our forwardline will be much of a threat against good sides. If we can get 35 goals a year out of the Weid (alongside a fit TMac), suddenly we look a lot more dangerous.

 

If we were all so concerned about his form last year would it have been fair to say, if you were our Coach at the beginning of training for this coming Season, after last season's debacle, you would have been ready and primed to declare that all players names were on the table for the right price, not just his............

Correct me if I'm wrong, but at this stage he is the third best key position forward we've drafted in the last 25 years. ?

I actually feel like he can be something really valuable.  Not a Hogan replacement, not a beast of the goal square, not an All-australian contender. I just have this feeling like he'll put together a long 'effective' career that will do wonders for our team structure and salary cap balance.

1 hour ago, Accepting Mediocrity said:

 

Injury aside, I reckon we'll know by mid year if he's up to it as a forward. If he stagnates, it's hard to see how our forwardline will be much of a threat against good sides. If we can get 35 goals a year out of the Weid (alongside a fit TMac), suddenly we look a lot more dangerous.

 

Yes, but it is a big if. 
he showed absolutely no improvement last year as the season progressed, that is a very big worry to me