Aiden BONAR (NTH) MID/FWD, $202,800, BE: 37.35
Age: 21yrs
Games: 6
2020 Season: 3rd
Draft Pick: Rd1 Pick 11
SC history (2019-18): 41.5, 57.5
SC % ownership: 25.6%
Midfield bull Aiden Bonar was drafted by the Giants at Pick 11, despite having two ACL recos before he was 18; he was that highly rated. Starved of opportunities at the Giants and pushed to half-forward in the NEAFL, he sought a trade from the middle of last year. While ESS and HAW both showed interest, it was Rhyce Shaw and NTH who snaffled him up at the last minute. He now lives with LDU, best mates since they were 13 and is much closer to other friends and family. This is something he feels has had a hugely positive impact on his footy prospects going into season 2020. He’s happy.
Having a full pre-season and impressing leaders Goldie, Cunners and Ziebell, it now seems Bonar is destined for a pure inside role at NTH come Round1; we have been told as much.
While historically his SuperCoach numbers are by no means impressive, we don’t need them to be. He will likely play a spoiling role in the guts, getting his head over the footy and stopping opponents getting clean, quick ball. Not necessarily conducive to scoring big SC points but any upside on his numbers to date will ensure he’s a decent money-maker in our FWD lines, hopefully giving us valuable on-field points too.
188cm, 89kg muscle man.
What do we need?
We only need Aiden to average a shade under 64 to be a decent pick. Any more than that will be a bonus.
Positives
He’s a mature-aged premium-priced rookie who has three pre-seasons under his belt. He has FWD status and will be playing in the guts. NTH are a decent SC-scoring team and under Shaw last year produced form that would see them finish 5th or 6th on the ladder if they can produce similar results in 2020.
Negatives
Athletically brilliant, but does he have the footy skills to produce the SC numbers we need? He hasn’t yet. There may be cheaper and better FWD rookie options in 2020. But we don’t know yet.
VERDICT:
Two ACL recos could put us off but looking a little further into that, it was actually only one; the first op didn’t take and so was quickly redone and there have been no issues in the three years since. I prefer mature-aged rookies if I have the choice and that is essentially what he is, given his price. DPP status is just a bonus. I’ll be monitoring his role and SC output during the Marsh Series but he is currently in my side at F6 and he’ll have to do a lot wrong to convince me otherwise.
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Allsaints, must be a stacked forward line to have him at F6. I don’t recall seeing another team with him that deep in the forwards.
Not really Michael. I currently have SHill at D5 and between Lachie at F1 and him at F6 they are all speculative picks at this point. I like them all to be honest but I will likely drop the weakest two if decent rookies show up between now and Rd1. That way he’ll probably end up at F4/5.
Wouldn’t that make Hill f6?
Spudded it up in the NEAFL not going anywhere near him
His NEAFL stats make really ugly reading.
I didn’t realise he’d had so much trouble with his knee. He is built like Tarzan, the question is can he hold it all together for long enough to be a viable cash cow?
His Marsh series will be interesting. Speaking of which, can that hurry up and start already????
Q. Why was Bonar pushed to HFF in the Neafl?
A. Because he wasn’t up to the job as a midfielder.
Don’t believe ANYTHING that comes out of North during pre-season 99% is written by their marketing dept to try and attract disgruntled members back.
LMHO at ‘athletically brilliant” line, he was slow and indecisive in NEAFL and I’ve seen nought to suggest he wont show the same attributes in the VFL, and I do mean VFL not AFL. He’d struggle for a game at the suns
Sounds like they wanted to trade him/push him out. Who wouldn’t with their list, and Caldwell and others in the wings?!
Highest standing jump and 20m in 2.9 at draft combine AFTER knee reco sounds athletically good to me, but anyways.
I did think he looked pedestrian at best the one of his two AFL games I did see last year, but who knows. New club, new start and back home could all be positive.
18 disposals and 6+ tackles a game doesn’t seem too bad for someone playing HFF even at NEAFL level.
Will reserve judgment until we see what he presents in the Marsh and if he’s named Rd1. If he looks like a spud, so be it. We can look elsewhere.
For me, it just comes down to whether he’s playing pure MID as reported and is fit during the Marsh Series.
If he ticks those boxes, he’ll be useful for making that first upgrade. Should be able to get to 300k by R8.
GD, I think I would be wanting more than $100k price rise from a rookie type over 8 weeks….thats a rise of only $20k for each of the five weeks of price rises (assuming you mean pre rd 8). These $200k types are tricky….Bonar would only need to average about 55ppg to get to $300k, but so would a $123k rookie, but the cheaper rookie makes about $175k.
Yeah I do think it’s need to be put into perspective. North do bat pretty deep in the midfield. His great mate LDU hasn’t shown much and has struggled for great midfield minutes and remember he was pick4 with huge wraps, no way Bonar steps in front of him.
Rule #12 Never pick a player (rookie basement price not included) who could get dropped from his sides 22.
Please select him ppl. Waste the money and give us all a chance of winning
I currently have Townsend at f6, mainly because of his grunt and that he is likely to get midfield time. Premiership player too. Same price as Bonar…not a difficult choice for me, provided Townsend gets a good run pre-season, and a great pod……don’t want a pile on !!!
Baahaha. Was lucky to get a premiership medal. But if he looks good and Bonar doesn’t. He’s coming in.
I’m just struggling with the idea of the pill spending much time forward with the Bombers this year. Thoughts?! 😉
I agree re the premiership medal as….I remember a bomber called Paul Hills who got one in 1993…..worst premiership player ever at bomberland. But, you gotta have 22 on the team list. I’m looking at fwds and def rookie types that will actually play mid. He is by no means a lock but I will be watching Marsh games closely.
Personally I think there is a spot in Norths best 22 for Bonar to take
We have been needing another inside bull type player to take some load off Cunnington who is also a useful forward and very good overhead mark for his size.First and foremost you want your initial rookies to be playing and you worry about the points second .
IMO his JS is high and the chance to score worthwhile points is also pretty high I.e. 70 and above.
He’s in my side and unlikely to move
Shaggi – an inside bull also needs another side of the coin to keep valuable TOG mins up and with his slow-ish pace and low possie count – not sure where he sits in Shaws thinking – Marsh series look see for me.