James Aish

[GVGjr]

James Aish is another potentially selection tonight at the draft.

184cm tall, a great mover who reads the play well. He comes from a successful football background and has already had 2 years of playing senior football at the SANFL. It's rare for any club to pick up someone with his experience given his age

How do you rate his chances of becoming a Western Bulldog tonight?
Are you excited of his potential selection? Do you have any concerns?

I'd be very interested in your thoughts.

[LostDoggy]

My slight concerns over Aishy are the amount of time he's likely to take to have a regular impact at AFL level.

Currently he's all outside. His slender build will ensure that he continues to be an outside player for a number of years until his body bulks up more to withstand the rigors of weekly AFL.

He's done everything right up until now. Multiple All Australian, played SANFL GF's against men for a few years, so there's little else in terms of best preparation that he could have done, but this is another level.

My concern is is he another small in a long list of smalls that we already have?

I think there's others who suit our needs better. TBH, I can see him slipping to Brisbane, as the Pies have multiple smalls like us.

[LostDoggy]

I don't think we will draft any predominately outside players under our current coach/recruitment management group. My read is Macca believes you draft hard, strong willed kids who thrive on in/under physicality and then teach them to spread. You don't try to make a spreader hard as its innate and can't be as easily taught.

Anyone waiting on when we draft a speedy pure outside mid to complement our team will probably also be waiting for hell to freeze as I think the two timelines are similar.

Having said that I don't see Aish as purely outside - just think he's likely too outside for our management group. They might surprise.

[Bulldog Revolution]

In some ways if we get Aish at 4, then it may be the best thing for both parties.

We need some elite ball users, and he will have the opportunity to push his way into the team, and will have had a bit of a kick in the teeth, with some of the negativity that has surrounded him over the draft process.

He's obviously had some feedback about playing one way football.

He'll never get away with playing that type of footy at the Dogs. It wont be tolerated

He does look classy but I havent seen enough - again, even with Boyd, Kelly and Billings gone, he wouldnt be my selection.

[Go_Dogs]

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Aish and I really hope we land him.

Whilst there have been some knocks on his defensive and contested game, and he does have some improvements to make there, his contested game isn't really a weakness - just he has been played more to his strengths. Having watched quite a bit of him at SANFL level, he's prepared to go and get his hands dirty even though he is lacking in size against most of his opponents.

He's a good user, very composed and makes good decisions. He's quick enough to be able to play at AFL level. He'll compliment the likes of Libba, Smith, Wallis, Hrovat and Prudden nicely in the longer term through the middle and adds that class and smooth moving quality we need.

I'm not convinced he isn't a type we'd want as we do need some class and have got plenty of grunt whilst Aish is a player who can and will become better in the contested aspects of the game, but I guess we'll know more tonight.

[Mofra]

I don't think we will draft any predominately outside players under our current coach/recruitment management group. My read is Macca believes you draft hard, strong willed kids who thrive on in/under physicality and then teach them to spread. You don't try to make a spreader hard as its innate and can't be as easily taught..
Is he outside because that's the way he plays or has he played an outside game due to necessity?

If you had a 16-17 year old playing against men with a high skill level, playing him in a more inside role makes no sense, and by all accounts at the champs SA had some very capable inside mids who were obviously less skilled than Aish so playign him outside again made sense.

I'm only guessing as much as the next person, but we can't rule a line through a kid based on junior postioning - if someone said a 17 year old full forward named Cameron Ling would be the AFL's best tagger a few years later nobody would have believed it (ditto that "high leaping junior forward" Presti).

[bornadog]

I think Aish is a true top 4 pick, he is classy and moves well. He has been criticised for not laying tackles or being outside. I think this side can be developed over time.

I wouldn't mind if we picked him and it surely is a safe bet.

DyWN30pKqBU

[Greystache]

Aish is my preference for pick 4 (barring any surprises in the first 3 picks). He has class, good skills, and hasn't just stood out amongst kids who are average. I think he's the safest bet and fills a need.

[KT31]

Not having seen any of the draft prospects play, Woof, friends and the media are the only insight I get into them.
From what I have gathered Aish would be a safe selection at 4, whilst being very skilful I do have some concerns that we would need to change his game around alot.
From reports that he is an outside player and is not a high possession gatherer.
Marcus Bontempelli on the other hand does gather possessions but does not have Aishes execution and poise.
I am sure either will be quality footballers and under Macca's coaching he will get the best out of either of them.
Club made some great selections last year and got it right, with our list at the stage it is at selections this year seem to be more important than previously.
Lets hope we hit the nail on the head this year and get it right.

[bulldogsman]

A lot of talk over Aish's inside game. While it does need work and the stats look really bad, it's not that bad if that makes sense. I watched last year's finals series when he was playing for Norwood and he won quite a lot of is own ball. He stepped up when it was needed. I'm not sure what happened this year as I haven't been following it a lot. Put it this way, I think Aish's inside game was more advanced then Toumpas' was back then. I did note that he needed to work on his handballing game though. It hits the mark, however it's not overly effective.

If Billings is off the table and Aish is available he's my choice. Has the skill, composure, class we need.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

A lot of talk over Aish's inside game. While it does need work and the stats look really bad, it's not that bad if that makes sense. I watched last year's finals series when he was playing for Norwood and he won quite a lot of is own ball. He stepped up when it was needed. I'm not sure what happened this year as I haven't been following it a lot. Put it this way, I think Aish's inside game was more advanced then Toumpas' was back then. I did note that he needed to work on his handballing game though. It hits the mark, however it's not overly effective.

If Billings is off the table and Aish is available he's my choice. Has the skill, composure, class we need.

I'm glad you think so too.

[kruder]

There is no guarantee Aish becomes a very good player at the top level.

Why:
- Lack of size/strength. Strength will improve once he's in the system, but he'll always be pretty lean
- Lack of pace for an outside mid. He isn't slow, but he isn't as quick as many other outside mids in the comp
- His kicking lacks depth/penetration, even though it is very accurate
- His contested ball numbers rival Cale Morton's.
- Defensive game needs work (but surely can be improved in the system)

Although it is nice he played SANFL seniors, I think people place far too much 'weight' on this. Didn't Melbourne's Trengove do the same and star? He's average at best.

Having said all that, you can't teach genuine footy smarts/talent, which Aish has in spades.


Agree 100% with this. Happy to pass. Billings, Berg, then Bontempelli.

[Throughandthrough]

Aish is the one I hope we pick. This guy oozes class. Slick skills, great football brain, level headed.


He won't disappoint whichever club is lucky enough to get him

[Remi Moses]

I'd like to see the club go with Aish.
I think just like With MB they can improve any perceived weaknessess he has.
Find it nonsense that an 18 y/o is pidgeon holed as an " outside" player.
Pick the more proven type

[Dry Rot]

If James Aish falls well past pick 4, it will be interesting to know why.

GWS have a slightly odd draft track record. Will be interesting for us and the Saints if GWS went for the Berg or Aish at pick 2 (or even someone else other than Kelly or Billings)

[LostDoggy]

GWS have a slightly odd draft track record. Will be interesting for us and the Saints if GWS went for the Berg or Aish at pick 2 (or even someone else other than Kelly or Billings)

From memory we were heavily linked with Jono O'Rourke before GWS picked him up at number 2 or 3 which was higher than expected. Can't wait for it to kick off, whatever happens we're gonna end up with a bloody good young player.

[Eastdog]

James Aish at Pick 7 to Brisbane.

[Mantis]

He will be one player that we will all watch (including the recruiters) over the next 10+ years to see how he develops.

Obviously we ended up going with Bontempelli, but I reckon we were close to selecting Aish.. Hopefully we picked the right one.

[always right]

He will be one player that we will all watch (including the recruiters) over the next 10+ years to see how he develops.

Obviously we ended up going with Bontempelli, but I reckon we were close to selecting Aish.. Hopefully we picked the right one.

Must have been difficult to choose between such different types of players. I can fully understand why they went with Bontempelli when you watch the interview with McCartney.

Reckon we have had a ripper off-season so far....on face value anyway.

[bornadog]

He will be one player that we will all watch (including the recruiters) over the next 10+ years to see how he develops.

Obviously we ended up going with Bontempelli, but I reckon we were close to selecting Aish.. Hopefully we picked the right one.

In the end did we come down to looking at the size of body versus the players we already have and decided that way, or did we go with best available at pick 4?

[westdog54]

In the end did we come down to looking at the size of body versus the players we already have and decided that way, or did we go with best available at pick 4?

When you consider that we went with Honeychurch at 60 I'm happy enough to give the benefit of the doubt that Bonts was best available.

[always right]

When you consider that we went with Honeychurch at 60 I'm happy enough to give the benefit of the doubt that Bonts was best available.

Going by the interview with Macca and Dalrymple it was obviously a close call between Aish and Bonts but they considered Bonts had a point of difference that was deemed more beneficial to our future midfield mix. Aish may therefore have been slightly ahead when it comes to best available....but Bonts was seen to have characteristics that would benefit us more.

[Remi Moses]

Kevin Sheehan ( yes I know every players a star in his eyes)
Reckons it's the best top 10 he's seen.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Kevin Sheehan ( yes I know every players a star in his eyes)
Reckons it's the best top 10 he's seen.

It's got to be better than 2009 at least. That was a crap year of talent, not just for us.

[Scorlibo]

Kevin Sheehan ( yes I know every players a star in his eyes)
Reckons it's the best top 10 he's seen.

It seems like last year was a pretty good top ten, usually it doesn't happen two years in a row.

[always right]

It seems like last year was a pretty good top ten, usually it doesn't happen two years in a row.

Although surely there is no logical reason for this to be the case.

[ledge]

Top tens would have dropped away because GWS were getting them as 17yo therefore robbing the next year of 18 yo

[LostDoggy]

Top tens would have dropped away because GWS were getting them as 17yo therefore robbing the next year of 18 yo

That would depend on the draft depth though. If there were 20 good players in the draft, and GWS nab 4 of them as youngsters, the Top Ten would still stand up, right?

By Aish's face on draft day, perhaps we might end up with both one day…