Elliott Dixon
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I don't see any reason why Akira needs to be in the ABs right now. I quite like the loose forward options we've been using and would like to see a bit more of them.
Reiko on the other hand might be worth an EOYT spot if we still have midfielders/wings still broken
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Akira may have issues with the "better people" element - he quite often comes across as a bit of a dick on the field. Just needs to channel that competitive spirit a little better IMO.
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@ACT-Crusader Because Akira is a stud and has more potential than Squire, Dixon and Todd. You can't teach the size, speed, skill and mongrel of this guy. If he is not on the EOYT I would be surprised.
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@MajorRage said in Elliott Dixon:
@mimic Kaino also got in the AB's too young, and needed to do some growing up before he became the player that he still is today.
I don't know enough about the Akira Ioane situation, but from the above it does seem like there are parallels.
My impression is he is a physical beast, power , pace and ball skills , looks to have everything physically you could ask for in a 6/8
But no idea about the person or what is between the ears ,
the good thing is , in our current situation , there is no rush to bring him on too quickly , time is on our side ,
I have a feeling he may be the long term replacement for Read at 8 , in 3 or 4 years time he will be 24/25 , perfect
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Akira may have more potential than those currently in the AB squad, but from what I've seen he doesn't appear to have the physical stamina for an AB loose forward. He has that dynamic ability in attack and can run and take defenders with him, but I don't see those abilities as the highest priority for the way the ABs use their loose forwards. It's all the other little things about ruck accuracy, realignment quickly etc that the coaches/trainers seem to look at.
No doubt with all the testing and numbers that the ABs do and working with players throughout the year (not just when they are in camp), they will have seen Akira's numbers and if they stacked up he probably would've been selected.
So in this current cycle there's no need to rush him in there. He's just turned 21 so plenty of time for him to get more top level footy under his belt.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Elliott Dixon:
Akira may have more potential than those currently in the AB squad, but from what I've seen he doesn't appear to have the physical stamina for an AB loose forward. He has that dynamic ability in attack and can run and take defenders with him, but I don't see those abilities as the highest priority for the way the ABs use their loose forwards. It's all the other little things about ruck accuracy, realignment quickly etc that the coaches/trainers seem to look at.
No doubt with all the testing and numbers that the ABs do and working with players throughout the year (not just when they are in camp), they will have seen Akira's numbers and if they stacked up he probably would've been selected.
So in this current cycle there's no need to rush him in there. He's just turned 21 so plenty of time for him to get more top level footy under his belt.
Andrew Blowers did all of the wonderful things that Ioane does but Kronfeld and Randell were always in the pecking order above him despite him being the best athlete of them to a casual observer......
In terms of this "dickish" behaviour is this referring to him having a bit of tete a tete with Jimmy Cowan ? ( I caught highlights of that game )
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@MN5 said in Elliott Dixon:
Andrew Blowers did all of the wonderful things that Ioane does but Kronfeld and Randell were always in the pecking order above him despite him being the best athlete of them to a casual observer......
Yeah, whole host of guys who were superb atheletes but the ABs went with people with better focus & accuracy long term instead, Blowers, Vito, Lauaki, Cribb, Schueler, Thompson, Tiatia, even Kaino in his early days.
Half of those guys probably lost out (rightly) to Rueben Thorne.
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I don't think any of the guys mentioned were as talented as Akira, nor as far ahead in development at the same age.
I can sort of see why people mention Lauaki next to Akira, but they're not close to the same player though. Akira has better decision making, workrate, defense, hands/ball security, consistency, and brother.
@broughie said in Elliott Dixon:
@ACT-Crusader Because Akira is a stud and has more potential than Squire, Dixon and Todd. You can't teach the size, speed, skill and mongrel of this guy. If he is not on the EOYT I would be surprised.
I think he can provide whatever Squire provides to the team. He's like a souped up version of Squire actually.
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@gollum said in Elliott Dixon:
@MN5 said in Elliott Dixon:
Andrew Blowers did all of the wonderful things that Ioane does but Kronfeld and Randell were always in the pecking order above him despite him being the best athlete of them to a casual observer......
Yeah, whole host of guys who were superb atheletes but the ABs went with people with better focus & accuracy long term instead, Blowers, Vito, Lauaki, Cribb, Schueler, Thompson, Tiatia, even Kaino in his early days.
Half of those guys probably lost out (rightly) to Rueben Thorne.
Most of those guys weren't in direct competition with Thorne. The guys who lost out to Thorne were guys like Randell, Flavell, Gibbs etc.
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@Rocky-Rockbottom said in Elliott Dixon:
@Nepia said in Elliott Dixon:
Reading the Wynn Gray article is like talking to the old drunk guy in the pub who just sits down next to you and starts jabbering away.
Goddamn, exactly. The querying title leads you to think some insightful journalism is about to take place, to answer the fucking question posed in the story title, but it immediately just trails off, sorry guys I got nothing, the contrails of a rumination lost to the ether, then the drunken old git just abruptly wanders off.
Exactly my thoughts. Perfect demonstration of how to write "about" something without actually writing about it. Dixon will probably start vs Arg now.
