2020 Player Reviews: #9 Charlie Spargo

The little forward line battler was in and out of the side but showed some glimpses of the form he showed in his debut season. Proved how dangerous he can be with three goals in a quarter against Collingwood and needs to produce that sort of game throughout games and on a weekly basis.

Date of Birth: 25 November, 1999

Height: 173cm

Weight: 71kg

Games MFC 2020: 8

Career Total: 34

Goals MFC 2020: 8

Career Total: 24

Votes 2020 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 80

I hope that Charlie can play that dangerous lock down forward that can kick a goal when you really need it, he will benefit from having Brown, Weed and Jackson playing together along with Ftitzzy band Kozzi but he needs to stay in the game a hell of a lot more than he has in the past.

 

Go get em Spargs.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charlie has the potential to be damaging on the forward line now that  big Ben has been bought into the makeup he will be looking for the opportunistic goal coming his way. As well as LJ and the Weid he could be in his element.

In 2020 he showed that he can be of value to the team with a couple of good above average games however has the tendency to go missing for long periods. When he is on song he makes everything look easy with his kicking to position as he gives the the ball off at the right times. Still young and has upside that is on his side he has football sense just needs to apply himself more.

Groan! 

In a successful team Charlie has the ability to be a really damaging forward link player who can score a goal.

In our mediocre performances which are far too often he has little impact.

Hoping Spartacus has a good year in 2021.

His kicking distance seemed to improve in 2020. I can recall earlier years where he couldn't make the distance from 40 metres out.

Plays well when we have an easy win but is usually missing 

at other times

10 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Plays well when we have an easy win but is usually missing 

at other times

if this is true,  then hope he wins the "bluey"     I think he gets involved in score opportunities more often than those that think he is NBG do.   He gets to where the ball gets !   And usually gives it to a better position or scores,   Go Dees

i think with a more predictable forward line structure, which BB will hopefully provide, we may see a more consistent and valuable player. He does show glimpses of good roving traits (ie Vs the Pies and in 2018) and usually uses it well (more so in the forward 50, than further up the ground as his turnovers on the wing/centre in the Round 1 game in 2020 vs the Eagles still  haunt me!). I would like more work with him and Kozzi as a duet, where Kozzi uses his pace to get the ball and then gives it to Spargs to use it inside 50.

As I've said on numerous occasions I'm a fan. Spargo's got one of the best footy IQ's and positional awareness of his teammates of anyone at the club. Agreed, he needs to execute this talent more regularly but he's a young kid who's had to play in a dysfunctional forward line with poor delivery. He creates opportunities and doesn't mind snagging a goal and letting everyone know. That I like too. If he has a strong pre-season I expect to see him in the starting 22 with our new forward set-up.

Charlie has a place. Would play him ahead of Jones, VDB, ANB's of the world.

no idea how this guy got another contract. he is probably the most uninspiring players on the list. He tries hard but is too timid and afraid of contact, and is way too short to have any meaningful impact on the game.

35 minutes ago, Elegt said:

no idea how this guy got another contract. he is probably the most uninspiring players on the list. He tries hard but is too timid and afraid of contact, and is way too short to have any meaningful impact on the game.

I can see your point but watching him this year I started to change my former opinion of Charlie as an undersized forward option with poor tackle pressure, no explosive pace and not many other tricks. He does have a good footy brain, he knows where to position himself for the fall of the ball,  he can kick a goal and I think he will develop the ability to stick tackles. He also seems to have a good attitude.  I am a convert that the Spargo experiment could work. 

Spargo's issues continue to be the same: he's small but not quick, disposal is suspect, and doesn't have a lot of tricks. That said he played some good games at the back end of the season and did more than the likes of AvB, ANB, and Jones, he also is at least a little creative when he gets the ball on the edge of 50 to look for options rather than just blasting to the top of the square.

I think a two year extension was fair for a player who had a solid place in the team during our 2018 surge,  like a few others 2021 could be an important year for him.

2 hours ago, Earl Hood said:

I can see your point but watching him this year I started to change my former opinion of Charlie as an undersized forward option with poor tackle pressure, no explosive pace and not many other tricks. He does have a good footy brain, he knows where to position himself for the fall of the ball,  he can kick a goal and I think he will develop the ability to stick tackles. He also seems to have a good attitude.  I am a convert that the Spargo experiment could work. 

Welcome to the club, Earl. Go Spargs!!

Undersized and lacking in elite characteristics. I've said it before, when you are that size, you've got have something special and he doesn't.

An average of 8 disposals, 1 goal and 1.5 tackles a game in 2020 is well below AFL level, particularly on the tackle count.