One of the guys who is in a Tigers e-mail loop with me at work is putting together a one-a-day player critique starting at #1 and working through the player list. It's a pretty good read so I thought I would share it with you.
Part 21 in the series….
23 - Daniel Sipthorp
Position: Wing / Half Back (my long-term guess)
Age: 18, turns 19 just before round 22
Height: 187cm
Weight: 80kg
Career Games: 0
Career Goals: 0
Draft History: Selected 62 in 2002 National Draft.
2002 Averages (TAC CUP): 18 games, 8.2 Kicks, 4.2 Marks, 5.7 Handballs, 1.3
Goals, 2.5 Tackles
2002 Summary: "Interesting" year for Sipthorp at U18's level. Played primarily
as a key position player and so was very hard to judge from the point of view
of AFL potential. If you judged him on face value, he was good, even very good
but probably overall not AFL level potential, as a key position player. Played for
Calder who were a very good side (7 drafted) and managed to play State level
U18's as well as being named in the TAC Side of the year which is a noticeable
guide. Probably played his best football at CHB/FB though was regularly thrown
into the key forward positions as well. His marking was probably the most
noticeable thing about him, not necessarily the amount of marks, but the way he
took them. Was good in the final which Calder lost by a point and played well in
the prelim as well. Calder were probably a couple light on in the key positions
and overdosed on mid-sized utility types. Definitely a stand-out player in a very
good team.
Ratings: Won't try and rate him until end of this year.
Overall: Richmond have tried this previously with Mills, Geelong did it well with
Ling. Take a undersized key position player from Junior footy who has the
attributes to be a very good player and hope to turn him into something else.
We're really hoping he was forced to play a year out of position. He really is
more a "Utility" than anything else. The reason I say it's hard to judge him is
there is no way he will play key positions at AFL level unless he grows about
two inches and changes the way he plays. He basically looked to me like he
was a quality type who didn't play a traditional key position role, just attacked
the footy as if he was anywhere on the ground and tried to beat his man when
in defence. What would have caught the eye was a couple of midfield stints in
the State Champs where he showed good stuff in a position he didn't get to play
at club level. Hence why he was rated very highly, made state sides & made
TAC team of the year but lasted till very late in the draft. Everyone thinks he's a
good player, but no one thinks he'll play as a key position and no one's really
sure he'll make a midfielder. We should get a good bead on him through 2003 as
the thing to watch will be running ability, if he can do that we've got a player.
I'm a bit concerned he'll end up filling key positions at an undersized Coburg, but
hopefully he'll end up on a back-flank (which I think is his entry position into
AFL) and possibly end up as a larger sized midfielder. He's definitely a gamble,
but anyone taken with that pick was and while there were some others I would
have preferred (actually I would have preferred to take the others instead of
Fleming & Nichols and then taken Sipthorp) I think it was a reasonable pick.
What he needs to do?
1) Will need to bulk up, would be unlikely to play AFL in 2003 and probably
needs two pre-seasons of work to be ready.
2) Running - Long term he will be a running player, this will have to become a
strength.
Part 21 in the series….
23 - Daniel Sipthorp
Position: Wing / Half Back (my long-term guess)
Age: 18, turns 19 just before round 22
Height: 187cm
Weight: 80kg
Career Games: 0
Career Goals: 0
Draft History: Selected 62 in 2002 National Draft.
2002 Averages (TAC CUP): 18 games, 8.2 Kicks, 4.2 Marks, 5.7 Handballs, 1.3
Goals, 2.5 Tackles
2002 Summary: "Interesting" year for Sipthorp at U18's level. Played primarily
as a key position player and so was very hard to judge from the point of view
of AFL potential. If you judged him on face value, he was good, even very good
but probably overall not AFL level potential, as a key position player. Played for
Calder who were a very good side (7 drafted) and managed to play State level
U18's as well as being named in the TAC Side of the year which is a noticeable
guide. Probably played his best football at CHB/FB though was regularly thrown
into the key forward positions as well. His marking was probably the most
noticeable thing about him, not necessarily the amount of marks, but the way he
took them. Was good in the final which Calder lost by a point and played well in
the prelim as well. Calder were probably a couple light on in the key positions
and overdosed on mid-sized utility types. Definitely a stand-out player in a very
good team.
Ratings: Won't try and rate him until end of this year.
Overall: Richmond have tried this previously with Mills, Geelong did it well with
Ling. Take a undersized key position player from Junior footy who has the
attributes to be a very good player and hope to turn him into something else.
We're really hoping he was forced to play a year out of position. He really is
more a "Utility" than anything else. The reason I say it's hard to judge him is
there is no way he will play key positions at AFL level unless he grows about
two inches and changes the way he plays. He basically looked to me like he
was a quality type who didn't play a traditional key position role, just attacked
the footy as if he was anywhere on the ground and tried to beat his man when
in defence. What would have caught the eye was a couple of midfield stints in
the State Champs where he showed good stuff in a position he didn't get to play
at club level. Hence why he was rated very highly, made state sides & made
TAC team of the year but lasted till very late in the draft. Everyone thinks he's a
good player, but no one thinks he'll play as a key position and no one's really
sure he'll make a midfielder. We should get a good bead on him through 2003 as
the thing to watch will be running ability, if he can do that we've got a player.
I'm a bit concerned he'll end up filling key positions at an undersized Coburg, but
hopefully he'll end up on a back-flank (which I think is his entry position into
AFL) and possibly end up as a larger sized midfielder. He's definitely a gamble,
but anyone taken with that pick was and while there were some others I would
have preferred (actually I would have preferred to take the others instead of
Fleming & Nichols and then taken Sipthorp) I think it was a reasonable pick.
What he needs to do?
1) Will need to bulk up, would be unlikely to play AFL in 2003 and probably
needs two pre-seasons of work to be ready.
2) Running - Long term he will be a running player, this will have to become a
strength.
