2022 Player Reviews: #9 Charlie Spargo

[Demonland 72,071]

Spargo is a lively small forward with football smarts and an accurate kicking foot. His pressure game continued to be important to the team strategy but he was not as effective later in the season than he was in the premiership year.

"Signed a three-year contract extension in May, tying him to the club until 2025. The forward played every game for the Demons in 2022, kicking 10 goals – down on his 18 from the Dees’ premiership season." - Herald Sun

Date of Birth: 25 November 1999
Height: 173cm
Weight: 76kg
 
Games MFC 2022: 23
Career Total: 85
 
Goals MFC 2022: 10
Career Total: 52

[poita 3,902]

The fundamental problem with Spargo is that he doesn't win his own football. If he's not taking a mark in acres of space, or getting a handball receive, he doesn't get his hands on the football.

Averaged 0.4 goals a game and 0.6 goal assists a game this season per Footywire. That's just woeful for a permanent forward who barely tackles and is rarely accountable for an opponent. 

If he is anything other than depth next season, we are going nowhere. 

 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,815]

His low possession count/low goal kicking output might be explained by the fact that he's only playing mid 60'% - low 70% game time. Compare that to another small-medium forward in ANB who averages high 70's - low 80's game time.

Any reason why he spends so much time on the bench?

He should be aiming at a 20 goal season next year. Up from a disappointing 10.12 this year from a so called sharp shooter.

On the flip side, his ball use inside 50 is definitely his point of difference as an AFL player.

[ucanchoose 1,816]

Leaving him on the wing for centre bounces did my head in at the end of the season

[FlashInThePan 1,893]

This is probably one of the hard calls that the coaches need to make. He makes great decisions with the ball and he tackles really well, in 2022 he just didn’t do enough of either. I can’t work out whether it was injury, form or whether something else was asked of him. Either way, it can’t just be left like this. We need more from his position.

[DeeZone 9,808]

I also thought Charlie had a disappointing 2nd half to the season not sure if he was injured, he was covering for injuries or playing out of position but the number of times that we failed to have smalls at the foot of packs really stood out.

We need Charlie back to his 2021 scintillating  form kicking goals or setting them up, laying tackles and creating pressure, pressure, pressure. No games based on reputation in 2023.!!

[Sir Why You Little 37,016]

Here’s hoping Young Charles has an absolute cracking 2023

[deanox 9,910]

I think Charlie suffered from our lack of tall forwards this year.

With our forward line performing poorly, Charlie (and ANB) were up the ground much more often, and therefore delivering into the 50 not kicking as many goals.

On paper he actually had a "better year" statistically. More disposals, pressure acts, meters gained. More "shots at goal plus inside 50s" in 2022 than 2021.

 

2022:

11.8 disposals, 2.8 i50, 1.1 shots at goal, 4.2 score involvements, 2.4 tackles (1.0 i50), 4.0 marks (0.4 i50), 11.5 PAs, 195 m gained

 

2021

11.5 disposals, 2.2 i50, 1.6 shots at goal, 4.4 score involvements, 2.4 tackles (1.0 i50), 3.4 marks (0.7 i50), 10.8 PAs, 187 m gained

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2022 by deanox

[Diamond_Jim 12,567]

A barometer player

Not sure however if we are heading for storms in 2023 though

[Red and Blue realist 2,051]

10 hours ago, deanox said:

I think Charlie suffered from our lack of tall forwards this year.

With our forward line performing poorly, Charlie (and ANB) were up the ground much more often, and therefore delivering into the 50 not kicking as many goals.

On paper he actually had a "better year" statistically. More disposals, pressure acts, meters gained. More "shots at goal plus inside 50s" in 2022 than 2021.

This is spot on, with TMac down for the majority of the year and BBB clearly hobbled both ANB and Spargo both had to provide more pressure up the ground, limiting their effectiveness to lock the ball in, which they did so well in 2021. I think that they might have delayed bringing in JVR to ensure he has the tank to do the running TMac and BBB were doing and will also be a big reason we went and got Hunter. Hunter is the exact player to perform the role Spargo and ANB were doing in 2022 out of necessity, so it should make them both much more effective next year. 

I still think he's got a far bit of growth and if he can increase a few of his stat lines - disposals, tackles and score involvements by around 10%, and doing that in the 2021 role, that'll make for a huge improvement to the team.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Red and Blue realist

[monoccular 17,418]

On 10/25/2022 at 10:29 AM, poita said:

The fundamental problem with Spargo is that he doesn't win his own football. If he's not taking a mark in acres of space, or getting a handball receive, he doesn't get his hands on the football.

Averaged 0.4 goals a game and 0.6 goal assists a game this season per Footywire. That's just woeful for a permanent forward who barely tackles and is rarely accountable for an opponent. 

If he is anything other than depth next season, we are going nowhere. 

 

 

On 10/25/2022 at 1:43 PM, FlashInThePan said:

This is probably one of the hard calls that the coaches need to make. He makes great decisions with the ball and he tackles really well, in 2022 he just didn’t do enough of either. I can’t work out whether it was injury, form or whether something else was asked of him. Either way, it can’t just be left like this. We need more from his position.

Presumably Chandler will be one vying for CS’s position: Charlie’s biggest attributes are his calm decision making and his smart delivery, which seem to be way ahead of Chandler, but either / both need to get a lot more regularly involved. 

[Demonsterative 3,020]

Not so sure Spargo makes great decisions. Making decisions to get the ball ain’t his forte…. Ball In hand he is above average in his decision making. 

[mo64 5,874]

Spargo's "football smarts" are overrated. Sure, he can hit up a target from 30m, but his lack of football smarts means he can't find his own ball. 

In a team where our key forwards are instructed to bring the ball to ground if they can't mark it, Spargo's return of 10 goals is poor for a player that should be a crumbing forward. 

It would be disappointing if the likes of Chandler, Laurie and AMW weren't given the same opportunities that Spargo has had. Whilst I wasn't a huge Bedford fan, I could see that he had upside, but he's left for more opportunities. I fear that the other 3 could do the same if Spargo continues to get gifted games despite mediocre performances.

[The heart beats true 18,123]

He’s the best deliverer of the ball inside 50 we have, and he’s almost the only player who looks for a hit up lead and not a bomb. You can’t be complaining about our forward delivery but then getting rid of guys who actually do something different with it. He only needs 4 kicks inside 50 for a game to make a massive difference.

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,233]

Not sure if anyone has already made this comment, but Spargs needs to get more of the ball ....

[Bystander 903]

Needs to do more of a lot of things.

[Demon Jack 6,905]

He's still only 22 so there's still plenty of scope for improvement. 

I still think there's a spot for him in the side in '23 even with Hunter coming in and players like Chandler pushing for selection. His game against GWS from early in the season was probably the best match I've seen him play (22 touches, 3 goal assists, 8 inside 50's, and a goal.)