I'm worried about Garcia.

[mjp]

OK - none of the caveats from the Sanders thread...he's not a young player and if he's going to step forward, surely a day like yesterday was the day.

1/. He's 'HARD'...but he makes terrible decisions.
2/. He's 'HARD'...but he makes terrible skill errors.
3/. He's 'HARD'...but his running outside of the contest just gives us NOTHING.

I know there is a lot of positive sentiment towards Garcia on the board and I get it - he puts his head over it and drives with his legs...but his willingness to just give it up by hand or miss simple kicking targets just kills his team-mates. It's exhausting watching him play - he's all guts and grind...and well, nothing else. I'm sure he's a devastating force in small sided handball games at training...but that isn't AFL footy. He's lost right now...I have no idea what he is and what positions he could even play.

I don't get it. If he's convinced himself that he needs to be 'harder' than anyone to play, well - that's just one part of the game. Showing composure with ball in hand (forget defensively...FORGET IT) is part of it. Big turnaround required from here if he's going to play meaningful minutes in 2025.

[Rocco Jones]

I think what he is able to do at AFL level outside of inside mid is going to be absolutely massive, at least in the short term. Whatever the read, he isn't good enough and/or there won't be enough CBA minutes short term (unless we are in real trouble).

What else can he do outside of inside mid? I don't think I see his inside mid as bleak as mjp does but I definitely don't see him as simply opportunity away from being a good inside mid at AFL level.

[soupman]

I think he is Toby McLean. Clearly talented, and able to win the ball, but at his size and his sloppiness with the ball he needs to be elite at everything else, and unless we are a bottom 8 side he isn't going to be good enough to be in the main midfield rotation. He really needs to be able to contribute in a non inside mid role, and he has so far proven unable to do that. I like him, love his intensity, but the only way he gets the mid minutes to contribute is by taking them away from better guys.

Think he is a really good depth mid though, and worthy of a spot on the list. Basically he is what we are talking about Dom Brew being.

[Go_Dogs]

For me, the best example for him to follow is West. He’s going to be ok at giving a different look at times in the middle, but he’s probably not going to be a high production midfielder.

With his wheels, tackling ability and that playing more forward of the ball can limit some of his real or perceived weaknesses, not to mention how deep we are in the middle, I still think he should be a 80/20 F/M and we collectively work hard to make that work.

[GVGjr]

The challenge is the same is the same as when we drafted him and it's still his kicking skills and the depth of this kicks.
He's shown improvement in a few other areas and he has had an uninterrupted preseason.
His fitness and attack on the footy have improved but the kicking especially in tricky conditions can be found wanting

[mighty_west]

Big fan of Garcia however i share similar concerns, just love the way he get's in there, brings the ball out but it's the next bit that is the huge concern and i guess what get's him dropped on the regular basis, and likewise with Arty just fumbles far too often.

[SonofScray]

Garcia won’t make it.

The coaching staff haven’t got a role for him that works to his strengths, he hasn’t been able to find additional aspects of his game to help them get him up and running.

Would be someone who could benefit from a fresh set of eyes and message. Or a change of clubs.

[mighty_west]

Garcia won’t make it.

The coaching staff haven’t got a role for him that works to his strengths, he hasn’t been able to find additional aspects of his game to help them get him up and running.

Would be someone who could benefit from a fresh set of eyes and message. Or a change of clubs.

What about as a small hard nut (Scott brother's type) of back pocket? Does he have the required defensive skills for that type of role? He certainty doesn't take a backwards step and seems to have a bit of nastiness in him to get under the skin of the small forward.

[josie]

What about as a small hard nut (Scott brother's type) of back pocket? Does he have the required defensive skills for that type of role? He certainty doesn't take a backwards step and seems to have a bit of nastiness in him to get under the skin of the small forward.

Like your thinking. Worth a try, especially with his tenacity, & he is quicker than quite a few on our list.

[mjp]

What about as a small hard nut (Scott brother's type) of back pocket? Does he have the required defensive skills for that type of role? He certainty doesn't take a backwards step and seems to have a bit of nastiness in him to get under the skin of the small forward.

You want him kicking out of D50?

no thanks.

[mighty_west]

You want him kicking out of D50?

no thanks.

I'm looking at it from what he can do or could provide, apart from TD playing on those small dangerous forwards who do we have that we can REALLY trust? I had two positional change options of VDM and have thought about Garcia, as a hard nut dour small defender you don't need Bailey Dale skills (although it would be nice) just someone to annoy the crap out of and stop Charlie Cameron and co, heck even Bailey Dale fluffs it from time to time and he's our best! But if a Garcia or VDM can be decent enough with the foot skills the no.1 priority for me is to heavily tag the forwards and nullify their impact on the game, a skill error here or there is not going to impact the team as much as some of the dangerous oppo small forwards running amok.

[Scott2016]

Like your thinking. Worth a try, especially with his tenacity, & he is quicker than quite a few on our list.

Agree worth a try. Duryea gets beaten quite a few times in the season we have no plan B for Elliot, Walters, Greene, Papley Cripps(WCE) and the Wizard kicked a bag in the final.

[Bornadog]

I am not a big fan of Garcia, he is an almost. I think his skills are lacking and with his size he needs to be elite at something and he is not.

[Rusty12]

I am not a big fan of Garcia, he is an almost. I think his skills are lacking and with his size he needs to be elite at something and he is not.

Agree with this.
What you see is what it is at this point.
Inside Mid, who is almost for many reasons and not close in other roles.
24-30 on the list pecking order of a prelim team.

[soupman]

Agree worth a try. Duryea gets beaten quite a few times in the season we have no plan B for Elliot, Walters, Greene, Papley Cripps(WCE) and the Wizard kicked a bag in the final.

I am happy to try it, but have no faith that it will work. He would get slaughtered on Greene.

Pretty established facts are:
-He has zero aerial game
-His disposal is typically sloppy and lacks depth. Slightly more time in defence may help this but even if he just long binbs it out he isnt great at that.
-No real defensive side to his game.
-Frequently gives away free kicks, whether form being over zealous in a contest or caught with the ball.

These are all pretty glaring weaknesses for a small general defender.

i think he has to perform better as a forward, and become that Harmes type who is a handy second rotation mid who can still impact the game as a forward or through the flanks.

[Scott2016]

Small defender and small genuine forward (not a midfielder being housed there because we cannot fit them in) are our greatest issues for this year as they were last year. Harmes could do the small forward purely because his goal kicking is accurate and might only need 3 shots to kick 3. Bailey Williams is the only one on the list who I could trust down back as a defensive small. Even that going to take time to develop.