Ryan Clarke 2021

[Auntie.Gerald]

Ryan Clarke is a fascinating player to try and predict his future pathway at the Swans.

Will he be a best 22 tagger and or become our next in and under inside mid?

Total AFL games now 64 which has surprised me for a 23yr old that struggles a bit with skills and decision making.

2019 14 games for us and in 2020 played 10 of the 18 games.

I remember when Josh Kennedy was traded to us (11yrs ago)...... i saw a player with minimal skills and minimal dexterity but a big bodied, hard to move inside mid, project player for the Swans. Same age as Clarke when Kennedy arrived at the Swans ie 21yrs of age and has gone onto play 260 games and kick 150 goals which blows my mind. Who would have predicted Kennedys rise and rise and our Captain......not me !.......a big surprise.

Hewett and Parker i love winning the ball, but the team is better off for their decision making as second receiver from a contest / ruck because they use the ball so well and our players know where to spread to. We keep possession and can control field position.

Kennedy turning 33 in 2021 also makes for interesting theatre at the back end of a career and only one position on the field for Josh.

Draft Trumps: Ryan Clarke

Ryan Clarke | AFL

[Jimitron5000]

A good role player that excels when given a defensive task. His kicking is a worry and given our recent focus on recruiting players with good skills, it doesn't bode well for him. That said, I think there is a decent footballer there, and with an extended run in the team he might surprise us.

[Scottee]

He is the highest rated endurance player in the AFL. Perfect for a tagger.

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[TheBloods]

I quite like young Clarke, but as a third ball-winner he would be behind a few others, and as a tagger, he would be behind Hewett.

Very handy depth player to have on the list though going forward.

[Odysseus]

Ryan Clarke is a fascinating player to try and predict his future pathway at the Swans.

Will he be a best 22 tagger and or become our next in and under inside mid?

{snip}

Really interesting question, A.G. I was thinking about him just this morning before I saw your post, wondering what skills he'd concentrate on working on over the break. There'd be a few he could choose, I'd think, but I rather like Ryan because it seems to me he tries his best. Whether he can improve his best to make himself a regular in the firsts, I wouldn't be confident to predict. I hope so, but then I don't want that to mean we'd accept anything less than substantial progress in his skills. That probably ends up as a non-answer. How do you think he'll go?

[Nico]

A very good depth player who is far more versatile than Gray or Taylor.

[bloodspirit]

Nice post and thread, AG. Do I sense a series coming on? I hope so!

[sprite]

A very good depth player who is far more versatile than Gray or Taylor.

I don't think you can compare him to Gray or Taylor as they play different roles, small forwards and I can't remember Clarke playing that role.

I believe Gray has more pressure on him, as Taylor, who shown us he can become a solid contributor, he just needs to get his body right.

I would compare him to Hewett and Cunningham as run with, shutdown players to see where he fits in.

If Hewett becomes more of a mid and Cunningham becomes a permanent small defender, then Clarke has an important role to play and will be more than a depth player.

Just a thought.

[111431]

Really interesting question, A.G. I was thinking about him just this morning before I saw your post, wondering what skills he'd concentrate on working on over the break. There'd be a few he could choose, I'd think, but I rather like Ryan because it seems to me he tries his best. Whether he can improve his best to make himself a regular in the firsts, I wouldn't be confident to predict. I hope so, but then I don't want that to mean we'd accept anything less than substantial progress in his skills. That probably ends up as a non-answer. How do you think he'll go?

it would be handy if he learned to kick long and flat instead of short and loopy

[sharp9]

Surely one can learn to kick a football 50 metres if you have six months to practice. That would be a good start. Maybe like, you know, get a kicking coach

[SwanSand]

When not under pressure I think he does better than when he is under pressure. But the position he plays he is always under pressure. But he has very good endurance and with Heeney would probably be one of our very good two way player. We certainly have many of them - Stephens, Parker, Kennedy, Hewett which is why we are so competitive despite lacking class.
But we need players who can play two way game and create turnovers. Ryan is good but can definitely get better. I am sure the team tracks his disposal efficiency through the quarters and checks when and how it gets affected. I thought his disposal efficiency and his kicks and handballs actually looked better than 2019. But maybe I am just making it up.

[mcs]

No questions asked about the ???? with his disposal. But I actually think he may come in to his own if our midfield can develop well over the next couple of years and become increasingly competitive. Playing the right role (tagger or in the guts getting the ball out to others to deal with) where he can play to his strengths, he can be a really useful element in our midfield group I think. Never going to be a superstar, but can definitely play a good role for us going forward, and I think his effectiveness will increase as our midfield more broadly develops, and he can focus more on the best elements of his game, in a midfield group that hopefully will increasingly be breaking even as a cohort and winning the overall contest.