Jake Batchelor

[Tigers of Old]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Agree. Reckon guys like enright, milburn, shaw have proven you can make a career of being a gun half back. Let him cement a role in the side before handing him others less suitable

You don't think Corey Enright (most like) has ever rolled through the middle for the Cats? Absolutely he has.

We're not talking here about turning Batch purely into a midfielder, it's about developing his game so as he becomes a more valuable player and can swing into the midfield if required. He struggled a little tonight but he'll be a better for the experience, not worse.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Its easy to forget with him, but Leysy thinks we need to remember he's a 19 y.o kid that is still finding his feet. Lets not chop them off.

plays like a man but gee he's still only 19....me thinks come RD 1 he'll be playing half back which i believe thats where he should play, last season though he was terrific, reads the play well and gave good rebound plus he hit targets at will....think he made more mistakes 2nite than most of last year....in saying all that i dont mind the experimenting as it will show he's quite not ready for midfield but at the same time gives him some valuable experience, who knows maybe 2, 3 or 4 yrs down the track but for now keep him at half back....

 

[pmac21]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Looked lazy and not all that interested last night which is completely the opposite of last week.

 

[johnson2richo2003]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Have to agree.Batch had a shocker.Needs to lift.

 

[Big Cat Lover]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

You don't think Corey Enright (most like) has ever rolled through the middle for the Cats? Absolutely he has.

We're not talking here about turning Batch purely into a midfielder, it's about developing his game so as he becomes a more valuable player and can swing into the midfield if required. He struggled a little tonight but he'll be a better for the experience, not worse.

You may be right. Reckon Enright would have spent 90% of his career in defence, probably the best HBF of the last 5 years. I want Batch to become our version.

I think it's more about playing a guy where he is best suited and where his best value to the side is.

Batch has shown he has the right combination of size/skills suited to being a very good HBF. He reads the play well so can peel off to help teammates, competes well one on one, has composure and neat skills and has the ability to play on various types of opponents. Can easily see him playing the Milburn role for the next decade.

evo says we have lots of HBF but who are they? Other than Deledio I see him as our best option.

Deledio - gun, but we can use him to equal or better effect in the midfield
Houli - great disposal but still question marks on his defensive ability and cannot play on all types.
Newman - similar to Houli although better defensively. Want him and Houli to have the ball leaving defence.
Grimes - similar to Batch, maybe a more defensive player at this point. Want to ease him into it and build his confidence.
??

Has Batch ever played midfield throughout his junior career? Is he going to be used as an inside or outside mid?

As Leysy noted, his lack of pace is more easily exposed in the middle.

Batch really developed into his role last year and I'm sure he gained a lot of confidence that he could be a very good AFL footballer. Let's not erode that.



I'm note sure how these

 

[Scoop]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Not sure we are doing the best for Jakes development ATM.

Here we have a kid who's played defence all his life, is starting just his 2nd year (& first full pre-season) on an AFL list after a promising first year & yet we are trying to turn him into a wingman/on-baller.

He's already clearly struggling with it, he's making errors we didnt see for all of last year.

His confidence is waining ATM. Lets get him back playing a role we need & that suits his characteristics ASAP ILO before we really damage a talented defender.

Agree. Thought last night he looked lost and unsure. Happy to let him roam from the back half.

 

[TigerForce]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Batch lacks pace??

 

[mad_tiggy911]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Leave him at HB ffs. Having Batchelor in the back half can still release Deledio into the midfield. Batch will still be used to push up the ground regardless. One of the better accountable players in the team and we are moving him up to the wing. Let him develop into a good AFL player in the position he has played most of his junior footy in. Seesh!

This would be an ok looking backline:

Newman/Houli, Rance, Grimes
Ellis, Post/Astbury/Griffiths, Batchelor

Ellis and Batchelor are still close checking and can still launch attacks from the back half.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

You may be right. Reckon Enright would have spent 90% of his career in defence, probably the best HBF of the last 5 years. I want Batch to become our version.

Good post Cat and don't disagree with much of it vehemently however I have no issue whatsoever with playing him in the middle at times and his second year is just the time to do it to expand his football education. We get a few injuries to key mids and you want to have guys who can step up to play a role just as Enright can when the Cats are struggling.

Personally I don't see his pace as an issue at all.

BTW Houli is potentially our Shaw & Grimes is our Milburn.
I agree Batchelor is our most likely Enright type.

As for other HBF's notably I think Ellis can play the same role Batchelor did last year. Are we going to pigeon hole him as a HB too?

 

[Baloo]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Beavis must be doing a lot right if the only thing people can debate is whether Batch should have played a NAB match in the midfield.

 

[TOT70]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Batchelor is a second year player. He still has the challenge of cementing a regular spot in the team ahead of him.

As a player coming off a solid first season he now has to deal with increased attention from the other team and spiralling expectation. Despite looking like a seasoned 25 year old 100-gamer and displaying composure beyond his years, he is still a young player making his way in a very strong competition.

Its pretty likely that he will take a step backwards, at least in the early part of this season. As long as it is followed by two steps forward he will be fine.

He will spend most of his career in defence but will step into a midfield role at some stage. He is a natural successor to the likes of Duncan Kellaway and Chris Newman, players who patrol the back half of the field, either as defenders or as defensive midfielders, as the situation dictates.

 

[nikolasmia]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

The problem with batchelor is that he lacks speed

Nice big body and tough enough it seems, and a very versatile height,

not sure his kicking is as good as its advertised either,

Smart player, hopefully smart enough to compensate for his deficiencies.

 

[Big Cat Lover]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

As for other HBF's notably I think Ellis can play the same role Batchelor did last year. Are we going to pigeon hole him as a HB too?

I didn't include Ellis given his inexperience but I think he has played some midfield in his junior days and has an ability to win contested ball. Also a noted good user. A lot of pre-draft talk was of him being a guy with a future as both a mid and defender. At 181 Ellis is definitely too short to play the Enright/Milburn role. Shaw probably a better example but I'd think Ellis was drafted to be part of the midfield rotation in the future.

 

[Leysy Days]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Yeah not sure Ellis is a good comparison to play the same role either.

At 181 he doesnt have the height to play on the talls nor impose himself on aerial contests like Batch can as your 3rd tall.

Heath Shaw is a great comparison for someone Ellis should try & emulate.

 

[Streak]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

I'd think Ellis was drafted to be part of the midfield rotation in the future.

Going by last night's game, I'd think you are correct.

I have the impression that Dimma wants Ellis to find his feet at AFL level quickly, but then will get him to push into the middle. Ellis was getting a lot of instruction last night via the runner and was moving into a more defensive midfield role when the opportunity arose. It looked to me like the coaching staff were putting a lot of time into him.

 

[Big Cat Lover]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Batchelor is a second year player. He still has the challenge of cementing a regular spot in the team ahead of him.

As a player coming off a solid first season he now has to deal with increased attention from the other team and spiralling expectation. Despite looking like a seasoned 25 year old 100-gamer and displaying composure beyond his years, he is still a young player making his way in a very strong competition.

Its pretty likely that he will take a step backwards, at least in the early part of this season. As long as it is followed by two steps forward he will be fine.

He will spend most of his career in defence but will step into a midfield role at some stage. He is a natural successor to the likes of Duncan Kellaway and Chris Newman, players who patrol the back half of the field, either as defenders or as defensive midfielders, as the situation dictates.

Disagree. Reckon Batchelor had the spot to lose given the desire to get Lids in the middle more. Would love us to settle on a back 7 or 8 group of players and get them playing together for a couple of seasons.

Didn't think Kellaway & Newman were that simialr. And Batch not really like either of them. Andrew Kellaway is a better example IMO. D Kellaway was mainly a mid/tagger. Newman has rarely ventured into the middle. Newman is 2 inches shorter than Batch and incapable of playing on the taller types.

 

[LachlanGrant]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

Don't think the blokes calling him lazy is fair? Had a few good smothers and as always attacked the man with the ball with intensity. That's not lazy in my book. I do agree the kicking was a bit of a let down, but he wasn't alone.

 

[GEDS1]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

When Batch did make an error you will notice he attacked the next contest with an intent to hurt as well as win back possession. Did cost a few frees with his endeavour.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

I didn't include Ellis given his inexperience but I think he has played some midfield in his junior days and has an ability to win contested ball. Also a noted good user. A lot of pre-draft talk was of him being a guy with a future as both a mid and defender. At 181 Ellis is definitely too short to play the Enright/Milburn role. Shaw probably a better example but I'd think Ellis was drafted to be part of the midfield rotation in the future.

Fair enough, I guess we'll see in time.
Hardwick obviously sees something in Batchelor that you and some others don't.
I'm certainly not writing him off as a midfield option after a couple of shaky NAB Cup games though. That would be folly.

Don't think the blokes calling him lazy is fair? Had a few good smothers and as always attacked the man with the ball with intensity. That's not lazy in my book. I do agree the kicking was a bit of a let down, but he wasn't alone.

Absolutely. He didn't play to his usual lofty standards but he had far from the shocker many are suggesting.
In one of his recent interviews he suggested he'd really only started training since Christmas.
It's quite possible he's just down on a bit of form and fitness.

 

[Rocklea Tiger]

Re: Pick 30 - Jake Batchelor

What he lacks in a bit of speed he more than makes up for in smart positioning and ball use. Like Dal Santo, Batch's first step with the ball will determine his success.