2024 Player Reviews: #38 Oliver Sestan

[Demonland 72,103]

Date of Birth:  15 April 2004
Height: 188cm

Games CDFC 2024: 15
Goals CDFC 2024:  15

Sestan is coming from a long way back in terms of AFL level fitness and this year, he had the benefit of his first full preseason. It definitely showed as he shed weight and gained more running strength to the extent that he was given midfield moments at Casey and finished equal fourth in its best & fairest. He will put himself into the frame for AFL game time with further development in this area.

[Flag 2021 143]

Ollie Sestan - how does he developing, anyone know?

[Older demon 2,741]

Ollie is coming along nicely. Spoke with him at the B&F. On Insta you can see a group photo with Kolt, Howes, Windsor, Woey & Brown, the young Brigade. He is as tall as Howes.

He had a monster pre-season this year and shredded all the puppy fat. He is doing all the right things and, after a European holiday, will be back into it. He certainly has the passion and desire to make the grade. The team manager at Casey speaks highly of him and agrees that Ollie is a natural footballer who needs to improve his tank. He ran 4th in the Casey B&F and when in the midfield at Casey was great at clearances. He is one of WCW's favourite young players

[Flag 2021 143]

Cheers OD.

[Matt Demon 1,418]

I like him, he has some really good attributes to his game but people have to remember just how far back he was coming from. He never played U18 Coates league or any Vic metro. He's clearly done a mountain of work to get his body up to the standard and I reckon after another pre season he'll push for a debut next season. 

[Bang Na Demon 167]

Watching him this year I was seriously impressed with some of his tools. Excellent kick at all distances. Very strong thru the core, a good overhead mark and makes good decisions with ball in hand

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,816]

With the lack of appetite and application we brought into the round 24 game against Collingwood (compared to the prior week) hindsight says we could’ve debuted Sestan and Jefferson for that game to give them a taste of AFL footy against a high quality club.

[Left Foot Snap 2,397]

6 hours ago, Older demon said:

Ollie is coming along nicely. Spoke with him at the B&F. On Insta you can see a group photo with Kolt, Howes, Windsor, Woey & Brown, the young Brigade. He is as tall as Howes.

He had a monster pre-season this year and shredded all the puppy fat. He is doing all the right things and, after a European holiday, will be back into it. He certainly has the passion and desire to make the grade. The team manager at Casey speaks highly of him and agrees that Ollie is a natural footballer who needs to improve his tank. He ran 4th in the Casey B&F and when in the midfield at Casey was great at clearances. He is one of WCW's favourite young players

As tall as Howes, wasn't expecting that. Hold great hopes for him.

[DeeSpencer 25,667]

2 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

With the lack of appetite and application we brought into the round 24 game against Collingwood (compared to the prior week) hindsight says we could’ve debuted Sestan and Jefferson for that game to give them a taste of AFL footy against a high quality club.

Nothing says serious football club like handing out token debuts to kids who haven't earnt them.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,816]

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Nothing says serious football club like handing out token debuts to kids who haven't earnt them.

Which wouldn't have been the case in this instance by the sounds of it.

Honestly, I think we've actually over corrected in this respect and there are a number of worthy debutants that have been burnt by the club via the sub rule in recent years.  Main culprits in my mind are Toby Bedford, Taj Woewodin and Kynan Brown.  Kynan Brown in particular out of this group got like 2mins of a game against North three quarters of the way through the season, when I actually think he looked quite ready from watching him in the preseson game against Richmond.

Getting back to the Collingwood game - we looked putrid, lathargic and flat for that game and an injection of youth could have been something great to booster some energy and enthusiasm, but I guess hindsight is a beautiful thing isn't it.

Edited October 11 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

[Wrecker46 2,964]

4 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Kynan Brown in particular out of this group got like 2mins of a game against North three quarters of the way through the season, when I actually think he looked quite ready

You left out the bit where he won us the game in the 2 minutes he was on

 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,816]

10 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Nothing says serious football club like handing out token debuts to kids who haven't earnt them.

I don’t see the issue of a token debut in a token game of footy that was round 24.

The game was absolute bush league level. We were clearly shooting for a higher draft pick given the high probability that St Kilda and Suns were winning. If we were fair dinkum we wouldn’t have warehoused May and got Lever out of his sick bed.

Compare the effort we put in against the Suns compared to the Pies.

Therefore what harm would’ve it done giving Sestan or Jeffo a taste?

Edited October 12 by Bring-Back-Powell

[Adam The God 30,216]

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I don’t see the issue of a token debut in a token game of footy that was round 24.

The game was absolute bush league level. We were clearly shooting for a higher draft pick given the high probability that St Kilda and Suns were winning. If we were fair dinkum we wouldn’t have warehoused May and got Lever out of his sick bed.

Compare the effort we put in against the Suns compared to the Pies.

Therefore what harm would’ve it done giving Sestan or Jeffo a taste?

I do. Keep them hungry.

[JJJ 1,260]

8 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

I do. Keep them hungry.

I don’t think playing a meaningless round 24 game would dilute their hunger and appetite for putting in the hard yards.

If it did we’d have other problems.

[Adam The God 30,216]

Neither player was ready. That was clear in how they would fade in and out of games at VFL level. A recipe for disaster at AFL level...

Edited October 12 by Adam The God

[Return to Glory 8,434]

Watched him v Port Melbourne. Not a high accumulator of possessions but skillset means he can make things happen, bring players into the game. Build his tank and he's someone I'd like to see forward of the centre delivering it to a key forward.

[Return to Glory 8,434]

2 hours ago, FreedFromDesire said:

Sestan was a bit of a microcosm of our game style failures this year in my view.

He had that real purple patch around about the middle of the season, fantastic form for a good 4-6 weeks from memory, and thoroughly deserved a shot. However, my gut feel was Goodwin and co didn't select him due to their obsession with defence. Now I understand that pressure is a hugely important part of the game, we saw that magnified in the finals this year, but small forwards are the go to weapon for the good teams as it stands. We had players struggling to get a touch, let alone impact the scoreboard, but due to them apparently putting in a good defensive effort they were given chances no end. Sestan absolutely should have been selected at this stage, but the outdated defensive game style of the coaches made them too stubborn to try it.

We have such an opportunity next year in this regard if the selection and strategy mentalities can be changed. With Pickett, Chandler, Sestan, McAdam (pending preseason), Mentha, Fritsch, Tholstrup and the possibilities of Sharp, maybe even Owies, we absolutely could have the fire power to be a far more damaging team. Things need to change in a big way though in terms of game style and selection. I'm not sure, even after a review, that will happen, and we may get left further behind, but the whole 'forward line challenges' narrative could be flipped on it's head if the coaches are willing and able.

You don't need gun full forwards as it stands. You need tall forwards who will compete and, dare I say, 'bring the ball to ground' for the dangerous smalls. We have some, and could even have more. In my opinion, that's a big part of making us a successful team again 2025.

Genuinely FFD, this is an interesting take. I'm inclined to agree.

[Palace Dees 2,311]

21 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

With the lack of appetite and application we brought into the round 24 game against Collingwood (compared to the prior week) hindsight says we could’ve debuted Sestan and Jefferson for that game to give them a taste of AFL footy against a high quality club.

The only part of your post I disagree with. 😖

[monoccular 17,418]

4 hours ago, FreedFromDesire said:

Mentha

??

[stinga 566]

On 11/10/2024 at 22:49, Bang Na Demon said:

Watching him this year I was seriously impressed with some of his tools. Excellent kick at all distances. Very strong thru the core, a good overhead mark and makes good decisions with ball in hand

I'd like to see him going for more overhead marking options.  At his height it would add a lot to his game

[layzie 33,793]

Hopefully next year is his year