T-Shirt Tommy said:
Purebred, just knows where the ball's going and isn't afraid to go the instinctive route. Best is yet to come, can't wait for his elevation to the centre square.
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Bye Bye Jack Higgins!
- Thread starter Maxwell
- Start date
Purebred, just knows where the ball's going and isn't afraid to go the instinctive route. Best is yet to come, can't wait for his elevation to the centre square.
Tony Braxton-Hicks
There are no stupid ideas, just stupid people
bullus_hit said:
How does his pace compare with Miles, LLoyd etc? I thought he looked a bit slow in open space.
Tony Braxton-Hicks said:
Has average pace but that can be misleading because he's always on the move, his footy smarts usually entail hitting packs at pace. His agility is also top notch. Biggest knock on him is he's sometimes wasteful in front of goal.
OVERVIEW
Much was made over Jack Higgins’ decision to quit school and focus fully on football in his draft year early in the season. However – it did not affect Higgins and he went about his job for the Oakleigh Chargers, supported by family friend Anthony Phillips (Father of Collingwood’s Tom and St Kilda’s Ed). Higgins was the 2017 TAC Cup Morrish Medalist after a superb season in the midfield and up forward for the Oakleigh Chargers. In Round 17, Higgins booted a bag of seven goals against Bendigo Pioneers and was destined for double figures before a shoulder injury saw him head for the bench just before three-quarter time. Higgins begun the season in the midfield, but after the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships – he transformed his game to become a full-time small forward. His full on football approach may mean that he possesses a smaller upside than others in the draft pool, but he could be one of the few ready to go by round 1 in 2018. His speed is an area that could be improved but expect him to fall in the latter half of the first round.
STRENGTHS
Goal sense
Footy IQ
Quick hands
Contested marking
Inside 50, Jack Higgins is one of the craftiest players and if you only give him a inch – he will make the most of the opportunity. He can convert set shots for goal and has worked hard on perfecting a “Stevie J” style ’round the corner kick on his right foot. Higgins booted 31 goals in the TAC Cup and six in the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, showing at the next level – he can play the role of a small forward.
Not only is Higgins smart around goal, but through traffic and in the midfield, his footy IQ is through the roof. Higgins is a smart footballer and gets to the right spots to win the ball and is able to flick the ball out to a teammate from even the tightest of situations by hand and foot. He is able to find teammates using his good vision and in the contested situations – he uses his quick hands to effectiveness and there aren’t too many other players in a similar vein that can hit the target by hand like him. His quick and clean hands make him a valuable player in the midfield and up forward, helping get the ball moving forward and to a teammate.
Higgins is the best contested marking small forward in the 2017 draft pool and he is able to clunk the contested grabs when isolated inside 50. Higgins averaged just over five marks per game throughout the TAC Cup and showed he was able to be a target up forward, despite his size.
IMPROVEMENTS
Speed
Hurt factor with disposal
Unlike some of the other small forwards on offer in the AFL, Higgins doesn’t possesses elite speed. With the Richmond’s forward structure in the 2017 Grand Final including Jason Castagna, Daniel Butler & Daniel Rioli – all players who possess elite speed, it could count against Higgins. At the 2017 National AFL Draft Combine, Higgins’ time in the 20 metre sprint was 3.10s – right on the average speed for the entire group of testers. It might be an area that clubs look to improve for the small forward at the next level.
Another potential improvement for Higgins is his hurt factor with ball in hand when playing in the midfield. Whilst he possesses some of the quickest and clean hands in the 2017 draft crop, Higgins’ kicks can often lack hurt factor – going sideways or being short passes to his teammates. In the TAC Cup this year, Higgins opted to pass it short effectively on average three more times per game than kicking it long to a teammate. Higgins’ kicking efficiency of 60 per cent in the TAC Cup and 69 per cent in the National Under 18 Championships was helped at times, by Higgins picking an easy option short or sideways rather than kicking long to a teammate or a contest.
DRAFT PROJECTION: 10-20
SUMMARY
Jack Higgins is a strong prospect who knows where the goals are and has the capabilities to move into the midfield. His marking up forward makes him a tough match up, where he possesses a very high ‘Footy IQ’ to win the ball and get to the right positions. He is a player who could easily slot into an AFL team in the early part of 2018.
Much was made over Jack Higgins’ decision to quit school and focus fully on football in his draft year early in the season. However – it did not affect Higgins and he went about his job for the Oakleigh Chargers, supported by family friend Anthony Phillips (Father of Collingwood’s Tom and St Kilda’s Ed). Higgins was the 2017 TAC Cup Morrish Medalist after a superb season in the midfield and up forward for the Oakleigh Chargers. In Round 17, Higgins booted a bag of seven goals against Bendigo Pioneers and was destined for double figures before a shoulder injury saw him head for the bench just before three-quarter time. Higgins begun the season in the midfield, but after the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships – he transformed his game to become a full-time small forward. His full on football approach may mean that he possesses a smaller upside than others in the draft pool, but he could be one of the few ready to go by round 1 in 2018. His speed is an area that could be improved but expect him to fall in the latter half of the first round.
STRENGTHS
Goal sense
Footy IQ
Quick hands
Contested marking
Inside 50, Jack Higgins is one of the craftiest players and if you only give him a inch – he will make the most of the opportunity. He can convert set shots for goal and has worked hard on perfecting a “Stevie J” style ’round the corner kick on his right foot. Higgins booted 31 goals in the TAC Cup and six in the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, showing at the next level – he can play the role of a small forward.
Not only is Higgins smart around goal, but through traffic and in the midfield, his footy IQ is through the roof. Higgins is a smart footballer and gets to the right spots to win the ball and is able to flick the ball out to a teammate from even the tightest of situations by hand and foot. He is able to find teammates using his good vision and in the contested situations – he uses his quick hands to effectiveness and there aren’t too many other players in a similar vein that can hit the target by hand like him. His quick and clean hands make him a valuable player in the midfield and up forward, helping get the ball moving forward and to a teammate.
Higgins is the best contested marking small forward in the 2017 draft pool and he is able to clunk the contested grabs when isolated inside 50. Higgins averaged just over five marks per game throughout the TAC Cup and showed he was able to be a target up forward, despite his size.
IMPROVEMENTS
Speed
Hurt factor with disposal
Unlike some of the other small forwards on offer in the AFL, Higgins doesn’t possesses elite speed. With the Richmond’s forward structure in the 2017 Grand Final including Jason Castagna, Daniel Butler & Daniel Rioli – all players who possess elite speed, it could count against Higgins. At the 2017 National AFL Draft Combine, Higgins’ time in the 20 metre sprint was 3.10s – right on the average speed for the entire group of testers. It might be an area that clubs look to improve for the small forward at the next level.
Another potential improvement for Higgins is his hurt factor with ball in hand when playing in the midfield. Whilst he possesses some of the quickest and clean hands in the 2017 draft crop, Higgins’ kicks can often lack hurt factor – going sideways or being short passes to his teammates. In the TAC Cup this year, Higgins opted to pass it short effectively on average three more times per game than kicking it long to a teammate. Higgins’ kicking efficiency of 60 per cent in the TAC Cup and 69 per cent in the National Under 18 Championships was helped at times, by Higgins picking an easy option short or sideways rather than kicking long to a teammate or a contest.
DRAFT PROJECTION: 10-20
SUMMARY
Jack Higgins is a strong prospect who knows where the goals are and has the capabilities to move into the midfield. His marking up forward makes him a tough match up, where he possesses a very high ‘Footy IQ’ to win the ball and get to the right positions. He is a player who could easily slot into an AFL team in the early part of 2018.
I heard Buckley talking to Whately while driving and they were discussing the round , and the subject got onto higgins debut ,
Buckley said they had him down to collingwood for training , he looks like he is going to be a very good player , but there was a concern he may have trouble concentrating ( or words to that effect )
Buckley said they had him down to collingwood for training , he looks like he is going to be a very good player , but there was a concern he may have trouble concentrating ( or words to that effect )
kiwitiger said:
I'd have trouble concentrating on Buckley too.
But he probably has a point. Kid's a ball of energy who dropped out of school. That doesn't mean he won't mature.
kiwitiger said:
He's hyperactive no doubt. He's a gamer too.. At the risk of generalization many of this generation of kids have a pretty low attention span & often move quickly between things to do. That said they're also very fast twitch with their reflexes & can do amazing things that previous generations can only dream of. Higgins' 2 goals were based on quick thinking. He might not be able to sit through one of Buckley's lecturez but there seems nothing wrong with his footy smarts!
Tigers of Old said:
On game plans and reviews etc, someone at Richmond Football Club has said that Higgins does not respond well or pick up things quickly from lectures and meetings but responds brilliantly when they download it onto an iPad for him. Great that we are progressively looking for solutions for our players. Higgo is a different cat, (or should I say Tiger), that's for sure.
E
easy_tiger
Guest
caesar said:
so he might have to write 'run and chase and kick goals' on a Fit-bit, instead of strapping tape?
Ive been meeting-intolerant my entire working life too, so I can relate.
Shine on Higlet
Tony Braxton-Hicks
There are no stupid ideas, just stupid people
caesar said:
He may be a visual learner. Hyperactive kid, not a scholar, could be a bit ADHD, and could have auditory processing issues.
Or maybe that's just TBH Jr.
I remember listening to one of the coaching staff speaking a year or two ago about tailoring the messages to different learning styles. Some of the players actually have to walk through the plays on the ground for them to learn it because reading or hearing it won’t work.
