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Nakia cockatoo
- Thread starter nath8855
- Start date
Harry said:
To be fair for a while there we had so few footballers that could be relied upon to produce solid performances that vanilla was exactly what we needed.
Last year however Frank took a guy named Ben Lennon who didn't fit that category.
I don't buy that he won't take the flashy player if it presents itself but 'best available' is the term I favour when it comes to our first pick. X Factor or otherwise.
SCOOP said:
Spot on Scoop.
Connors another who had some party tricks but questionable character.
Such an emphasis on solid citizens now especially with that all important 1st pick. The AFL environment so professional now that X Factor and pure footballing talent is only part of the equation. It's what we don't see on these clip highlights which can make all the difference in the eyes of recruiters.
In the last decade when we have taken an indeginous player with great character they haven't been up to playing standard I.e Tambling Jon an when they have had questionable character but could play they have flopped.....Yep no doubt poor characters have been bad for us...Connors an McDonald are two othersBaloo said:
Cockatoo has outstanding character traits, you don't come back from a serious foot injury and then put in a blinding performance after a year off. His combine data reveals a true professional, this is backed up by the AIS coaches who were super impressed with his off-field contributions whilst on tour, Chris Scott has also given Nakia his seal of approval.
I have been in contact with one of Cockatoo's former team mates and he fully endorses what many have been saying. He basically stated that Nakia is a very team orientated player who will play to instruction and is happy to fulfill any role that the coach gives him. He described him as a freak on the football field and the best player he's played with, being a ruckman he also marveled at Nakia's ability to provide the chop out when he was being beaten, Nakia would often use his leap and strength to jump all over the guys 20cm taller.
We have the opportunity to grab an immensely talented footballer who has the professionalism to match. We can either opt for the safe options and get a serviceable 150 games, or we can throw caution to the wind and grab a player who's ceiling would place him in the top half dozen in the draft. I think the time has come to do the latter. We rarely get the opportunity to pick powerful & skillful footballers like Nakia, Nathan Freeman went at pick 10 last year, Cocky has him covered for footballing ability. The Duggans & Ellis' are a dime a dozen, Cockatoos are rare birds indeed, the choice couldn't be simpler in my opinion.
I have been in contact with one of Cockatoo's former team mates and he fully endorses what many have been saying. He basically stated that Nakia is a very team orientated player who will play to instruction and is happy to fulfill any role that the coach gives him. He described him as a freak on the football field and the best player he's played with, being a ruckman he also marveled at Nakia's ability to provide the chop out when he was being beaten, Nakia would often use his leap and strength to jump all over the guys 20cm taller.
We have the opportunity to grab an immensely talented footballer who has the professionalism to match. We can either opt for the safe options and get a serviceable 150 games, or we can throw caution to the wind and grab a player who's ceiling would place him in the top half dozen in the draft. I think the time has come to do the latter. We rarely get the opportunity to pick powerful & skillful footballers like Nakia, Nathan Freeman went at pick 10 last year, Cocky has him covered for footballing ability. The Duggans & Ellis' are a dime a dozen, Cockatoos are rare birds indeed, the choice couldn't be simpler in my opinion.
Baloo said:
My great fear is he lands at the Druggies, the thought of 'Cocky wanna peptide' makes me sick to the core.
Cocky was also playing through the pain barrier in 2013, the stress fracture was only diagnosed after the tournament. Despite this he still managed to play to a very high standard, that to me shows true character. This year he had one shot to put his name up in neon lights and he grabbed it with both hands. Big game player with a heart to match. I really hope the club has done it's due diligence here and has traveled to the NT and watched the boy in action, there's still time to make the right call.
bullus_hit said:
Personally even if we had #5/#6 I would still take Cockatoo, Very high Chance he could become the best player in this draft in 3/4 years time
his cieling is probably the highest of all players in the draft and - Powerfull inside outside midfielder with great speed and a massive leap and hunger to succeed is Exactly what we are looking for
Stylo said:
I just can't see Wright drifting out of the top 10 but if he does then I suspect we'll take him. As Emma succinctly put it, he has the greatest upside of the entire crop, he comes with some risk but he showed enough at the carnival to suggest he has all the tools. There won't be the instant bang for your buck but as an eventual replacement for Maric he would solve a lot of problems. Athletically his scope is significant, he hasn't had a preseason yet but already has a big tank and speed to match. We take him if available.
As for Weller vs Cockatoo, I'm swinging back to Cocky, namely for his better inside credentials. Ultimately I think his learning curve will be steeper as he learns some outside running patterns, whereas Weller still has a way to go with the weight differential and will need a couple of seasons in the gym. I can see Cockatoo playing in 2015 and perhaps from round one. He will provide grunt in the middle, he will win clearances and will deliver some much needed tackling pressure. The tank does need some work but I'm confident he'll be fine after a solid preseason.
By picking him over Weller we get the best of both worlds, Dan Jackson's departure means we have an immediate replacement who can do some heavy lifting, we also get a genuine line breaker. Both these elements make him the most suitable alternative, and it also gives us some more flexibility with our choices at pick 33.
