I love Harbrow

[Dry Rot]

One of the few shining lights for us tonight IMO - hasn't put a foot wrong. Has better vision and option taking than many of his senior team mates, IMO.

[dog town]

Re: I love Harbrow

I couldn't believe people were not saying this after his first couple of games. Had an extremely impressive start to his career. I thought one of his early contests was telling in terms of how switched on the group was. The ball came in from the kick in and looked liek it would get swept down field but Harbrow closed 5 metres on his opponent while the ball was in the air knocked his opponent to ground and ran away with the ball.

Just love the way he finds space out of traffic. Put on plenty of defensive pressure as well with 5 tackles.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: I love Harbrow

Wish I'd been able to see it, certainly I'd been one who although impressed with Harbrow, not completely blown away like some have been. What does everyone think his best position will be long term?

[dog town]

Re: I love Harbrow

Wish I'd been able to see it, certainly I'd been one who although impressed with Harbrow, not completely blown away like some have been. What does everyone think his best position will be long term?

Not a case of being blown away but I guess I dont think he has been given enough credit possibly because he is older than most debutants.If a kid came out of the tac cup and played the way he did then everyone would be all over him and I guess I would like to judge him that way. Didn't do anything jaw dropping last night just did everything asked of him with his chance. Played mainly across half forward and lead up at the ball well. Showed that he is stronger in the air than most would have thought and also used the ball cleverly. He had one pretty awful clanger but generally made good decisions and had good vision. His chasing and tackling was probably the most pleasing part.

I actually think he may find it tough playing at the dome sometimes. He has an amazingly small turning circle but could find it hard to keep his feet at the dome when he changes direction that quickly. I am also interested to see where he ends up in terms of a position. Could play genuine midfield in the future I reckon and give us a bit of spark around the packs that we probably lack.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: I love Harbrow

Pleasing to see your comments about his overhead ability. That was one area that I would've had question marks over him. His disposal and vision has been good in matches that I've seen, and his willingness to take players on reminds me of how we played in 05 and 06, a bit more dash and confidence.

Didn't he come through the Murray Bushrangers last year? I could be way off.

One aspect I would like to see him work on is his goal kicking, scoreboard pressure. Goal kicking midfielders who can rest forward are very important.

[dog town]

Re: I love Harbrow

Pleasing to see your comments about his overhead ability. That was one area that I would've had question marks over him. His disposal and vision has been good in matches that I've seen, and his willingness to take players on reminds me of how we played in 05 and 06, a bit more dash and confidence.

.

Didn't take any pack marks but took some marks on the lead with pressure from behind that were pleasing for a guy playing his role. I have really liked the way he takes them on. Rocket would encourage him to take them on I reckon. Griffen was back doing that stuff last night. Just ran at guys all night until he was injured.

.

Didn't he come through the Murray Bushrangers last year? I could be way off.

.

I think your right actually. Not sure why but I as thinking he was a year or two older. Good effort to be having an impact first year either way.

One aspect I would like to see him work on is his goal kicking, scoreboard pressure. Goal kicking midfielders who can rest forward are very important.

Agree. Hasn't really looked like kicking a heap of goals but has played outside 50 mainly.Crumbers dont tend to do very well for us but he still needs to get back towards goal and get on the end of a few handpasses.

[Twodogs]

Re: I love Harbrow

First time I saw him at trining I thought "This kids got some partry tricks", the second time I saw him I thought "This kid can seriously play the game" and by the third time I saw him I wanted him on the senior list.



He is one out of the box.

[Dry Rot]

Re: I love Harbrow

I like the way he does some hard/tough things too, unlike some.

Kind of ironic that the rookie is now getting serious game time while the three drafted black players are well off playing this season.

[dog town]

Re: I love Harbrow

Lead the side for 1%ers last night as well.

[Dry Rot]

Re: I love Harbrow

Lead the side for 1%ers last night as well.

Really? Thought he was doing some tough things.

Seems to have it all, except some meat on his bones - most of his decision making and disposals were first class too.

Thought Addison did pretty well too.

[Bornadog]

Re: I love Harbrow

I actually think he may find it tough playing at the dome sometimes. He has an amazingly small turning circle but could find it hard to keep his feet at the dome when he changes direction that quickly. .

Actually your right, last game he played at the Dome against Collingwood, I noticed he slipped alot.

Great game last night and 20 disposals could almost earn him a rising star. Turns 19 years old mid July and yes surprising he has come up through the Rookie list.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: I love Harbrow

First time I saw him at trining I thought "This kids got some partry tricks", the second time I saw him I thought "This kid can seriously play the game" and by the third time I saw him I wanted him on the senior list.

He is one out of the box.

He was very impressive Two Dogs - I think I've gone through a similar process:

When I saw him against North Bullants in the VFL I was impressed with his tricks, the next time I saw him in the VFL I thought 'wait a minute this kid is a difficult guy to matchup because he works so hard both with and without the footy'.

Obviously I saw him against Collingwood but he didn't get the ground time or role to find space in that one, but last night I was really impressed with his general toughness.

He looks a beauty to me

[Twodogs]

Re: I love Harbrow

He was very impressive Two Dogs - I think I've gone through a similar process:

When I saw him against North Bullants in the VFL I was impressed with his tricks, the next time I saw him in the VFL I thought 'wait a minute this kid is a difficult guy to matchup because he works so hard both with and without the footy'.

Obviously I saw him against Collingwood but he didn't get the ground time or role to find space in that one, but last night I was really impressed with his general toughness.

He looks a beauty to me

First few times for me was at training. He just had so time and space to do things that kids normally dont then I noticed the tackling and the fact that blokes just dont run any from him. After a bit his willingness to try things stood out-Eade played Harbrow on Hill for a lot of the preseason games and the two of them just went for it-it was brilliant to watch the two of them. By the time the season started I was on the bandwagon.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: I love Harbrow

First few times for me was at training. He just had so time and space to do things that kids normally dont then I noticed the tackling and the fact that blokes just dont run any from him. After a bit his willingness to try things stood out-Eade played Harbrow on Hill for a lot of the preseason games and the two of them just went for it-it was brilliant to watch the two of them. By the time the season started I was on the bandwagon.

He seems to have terrific concentration

thought it might be nice to revisit this:

Rookie put brother's life first
By Damien Stannard
December 17, 2006 12:00am

IF Jarrod Harbrow's devotion to his new club matches that shown to his family, the Western Bulldogs are on to a winner.

Harbrow is one of eight Queenslanders to be given their first shot at AFL stardom after being plucked from this week's rookie draft.

Five years ago, his only thoughts were dedicated to his brother Marc, who was battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Without the bone marrow donated by his little brother, Marc would almost certainly have died.

The Harbrow brothers are thriving now, Marc working as a development officer for AFL Cape York and Jarrod set to begin training with the Bulldogs tomorrow.

"I think Marc was pretty happy for me," Harbrow said of his arrival at the Kennel.

Harbrow, 18, played his junior football with South Cairns before moving to Victoria two years ago to link with Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup.

He represented Victoria Country in this year's under-18 national championships so was understandably gutted when overlooked in last month's national draft.

"It started me thinking about my year, that maybe I could have trained harder or done more," he said.

"I was shattered but my family helped me through."

But he had shown enough athleticism for the Bulldogs to see the 178cm forward as a goalkicking livewire in the mould of Melbourne's Aaron Davey. A record 19 Queenslanders have now been drafted or promoted to rookie lists for next season.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: I love Harbrow

Harbrow ready to burn
23 February 2007 Herald-Sun
Scott Gullan

WHEN quizzed about the best story of the pre-season, Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade has no hesitation in naming Jarrod Harbrow. Who?



Ripping it up: mullet devotee Jarrod Harbrow on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin yesterday. Picture: Michael Klein


another article:

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21272142%255E19742,00.html

Harbrow ready to burn
23 February 2007 Herald-Sun
Scott Gullan

"He's burning on the track, he looks like Kostya Tszyu and he's a good story," Eade said.

And once again it turns out the Bulldogs coach is on the money. Harbrow came to the Bulldogs via the second round of the rookie draft and has made such an impact that he will make his debut against Sydney in tomorrow's NAB Cup match in Canberra.

The "Kostya" nickname is obvious once you lay eyes on the 18-year-old Aboriginal who has the bleached rat's tail at the back to complete the picture.

"I was at a footy clinic and a guy came up for an autograph and said, 'Gee, you look like Kostya Tszyu'," Harbrow said. "It started there and now they're all onto it."

But Harbrow doesn't care what they call him given what he has been through to finally get a chance to live out his dream, which started running around the backblocks of Cairns.

In a way he is also living his older brother Mark's dream, given he had also wanted to play AFL before being diagnosed with leukemia at 16.

Mark just fell ill one day at home with a high temperature and the next thing he was in intensive care fighting for his life.

Jarrod, who is two years younger, was the first in the family to have a blood test to see if he had the bone marrow which would help save his brother.

"I was the first up to get a blood test to see if our bloods matched and they did perfectly," he said. "Straight away they wanted to do the transplant so they drained my blood, got the stem cells, and put it straight into his body.

"It is very rare to find someone with the same blood type as you and it was strange that we were a match straight away. I was saving his life but I don't like to look at it like that."

Mark made a full recovery, although he wasn't allowed to play contact sport for two years, and now works for the AFL as a development officer in Cairns. While he was recovering, Jarrod was forced to make another life-changing decision, and at 16 he left home and moved to Shepparton, where his father had originally been from, to play for the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup.

"I knew I had to get out of Cairns to further my footy," he said. "My mate Courtney Dempsey, who plays for Essendon -- and I am actually living with him now -- he moved from Cairns to Brisbane and got a scholarship. I was a year after him and I could have done the same thing but my dad was from down Shepparton and he knew about the TAC Cup so I decided I'd rather go down there."

After representing Vic Country in the national championships, the skilful, quick left-footer suffered an untimely injury late in the season which he reckons cost him his chance of being drafted.

"The TAC Cup had a bye so I went back and played for my home club Mooroopna and hurt myself there in the seniors," he said. "I sprained the lateral ligament in my ankle and was out for three weeks. I came back and played the last game but I wasn't right."

He was invited down to Richmond to train following the national draft but after the season had finished he'd let his fitness drop away and knew he hadn't been impressive at the try-out.

When the rookie draft was on in December, Harbrow was at the tattooist getting an Aboriginal flag etched on to his chest. He found out he'd been taken by the Bulldogs via text message from a mate.

"I know as rookies you only get one chance so I have a message written on the front of my diary about making the most of it," he said. "I want to do everything right and get everything out of it."