Luke Parker

[The Redeemer]

Lenny was the standout player for NSW in the 98 carnival. In the record for that carnival, the coach gets to highlight one player. I think it was Stevie Wright who nominated Hayes as the 'player to watch' and even suggested that Lenny is the sort of kid you would like your daughter to partner as was his character.
He was also the clear standout for the NSW/ACT rams in the TAC Cup.
His only knock was pace.

Headland was the big name going into the draft after doing some magical things in the WAFL , and Longmuir was an enticing player at 200cm with talent.

After that, throw a few in a basket.... But Lenny was the best junior, and proved to be the best senior.

Steele was an all Australian U18 in 2008. Before his GF heroics, he was also an AFL graduate and had two seasons in the TAC cup. He was not just picked after dominating one game.

Lenny is just a good guy. It is almost lame to label someone as 'good' but damn he is just so damn good and nice and happy and cheerful and yummo.

[joffaboy]

So Steele was a steal?

[joffaboy]

..... Even last night Luke had 17 touches on a dirty night....

He was s.hit last night. Got flogged in the midfield. Our young blokes in Armo and Jack played all over him.

Maybe some of those dumb recruiters may have been on the right track.

[BigMart]

JB, seriously...

Jack and Armo have been in the system 6 and 5 years respectively..... What a silly call....Armo is 24 FFS....Luke is in his second year. Which would be 2008 for Armo.

Do you know Armo (and I love him) got a career high of 29 disposals in about his 60th game last night, only
Last week he only had 13. Parker has had 29 and 30 possessions in his best games already, before he played 20 games.

[Animal Enclosure]

So Steele was a steal?

And the one that everyone missed (at least once) was Tommy Rockliff.

Was fantastic that whole year & fed Sidebum with at 6 of his 10 in the TAC GF (& kicked 5 himself).

Steele went top 15, Tommy undrafted until Brisbane rookied him & now he is one of the best young mids in the game.

[joffaboy]

JB, seriously...

Jack and Armo have been in the system 6 and 5 years respectively..... What a silly call....Armo is 24 FFS....Luke is in his second year. Which would be 2008 for Armo.

Do you know Armo (and I love him) got a career high of 29 disposals in about his 60th game last night, only
Last week he only had 13. Parker has had 29 and 30 possessions in his best games already, before he played 20 games.

Wasn't a silly call at all.

Regardless of the truth of what you post above, what i posted was exactly what happened last night.

He was s.hit and our two boys killed him.

What happens in the future is a different matter, I dont have a crystal ball, butr from the ONE time I have seen Parker play, he is just a player.

Maybe he might be the 2012 version of Daniel Rich. Hows he going nowdays?

[BigMart]

Daniel Rich is going well.... Is he a bad player??

But you're judging Parker (a second year player) on one game. What do you think when a young saint is harshly critiqued??

[PJ]

Daniel Rich is going well.... Is he a bad player??

But you're judging Parker (a second year player) on one game. What do you think when a young saint is harshly critiqued??

You mean like Cripps?

[joffaboy]

Daniel Rich is going well.... Is he a bad player??

But you're judging Parker (a second year player) on one game. What do you think when a young saint is harshly critiqued??

Can only judge on what I see.

He may well become a very good midfielder, but last night was taught a lesson in how to play in the midfield, he had plenty of mates BTW. I have not once said he is a poor player, just that last night he was ordinary.

Look BM I'm not knocking a young bloke, just commenting on last nights game and his in particular. 17 possessions was average at best, although 8 were contested. His critical errors was a worry though.

As for young Saints being critisised, well as you said in a different thread it is a man game and when you run across the white line playing seniors, you should be judged on the game you played.

I think a player can be critisised on a game without making a prediction on his whole playing future.

I have seen Tommy Walsh play about 15 times and still dont know if he will make it, but if I was made to judge on him, on last nights effort, I would say maybe not.

[BigMart]

Cripps I think is improving....

I think he needs to get stronger in the contest, needs to improve his composure and need to find it more...

But as I have mentioned numerous times, he is still young as has plenty of opportunity to work on things....

He still only found it 10 times last night and wasn't a huge factor. But his tackle to set up a goal was the best highlight I've seen from him, which was good and he took a nice contested mark. He will get better, no doubt. He will never be L.Hayes, but if he turns out to have a J.Gram career, you'd take it...

[gringo]

Cripps I think is improving....

I think he needs to get stronger in the contest, needs to improve his composure and need to find it more...

But as I have mentioned numerous times, he is still young as has plenty of opportunity to work on things....

He still only found it 10 times last night and wasn't a huge factor. But his tackle to set up a goal was the best highlight I've seen from him, which was good and he took a nice contested mark. He will get better, no doubt. He will never be L.Hayes, but if he turns out to have a J.Gram career, you'd take it...

He had a couple of plays where he took on the opposition and used his pace to advantage. It was a really good game for Cripps and was a sign of why we picked him up. He was very highly rated as a junior and at the draft camp so should develop into at least a solid citizen for us. He looks like he has some tools such as pace and goal sense so maybe something special even. It's hard to compare young players because you never know how someone might play with different opportunity available, Armo may be an established mid if we didn't have players holding him out of a spot. Likewise if Ledger got a spot at a team like Melbourne he may be a rising star nominee.

[BigMart]

No doubt.

[kosifantutti]

We should target the Morrish Medal winner every year.

Imagine a team with Jackson Sketcher, Anton Woods, Farran Priest and the great Fortunato Caruso.

[BigMart]

Or some others you forgot.... Including the one we've got.... L.Hayes

[kosifantutti]

I also forgot Mungara Brown Luke Shackleton and Matthew Stolarczyk

[dragit]

I also forgot Mungara Brown Luke Shackleton and Matthew Stolarczyk

You're a funny fantutti…
How come it says you have only 191 posts, surely I have read hundreds?

[BigMart]

And Jarrad Blair, David Rodan, Nathan Brown, Dyson Heppell, Matthew Kruzer

Or from the old days

Daisy William, Tony Liberatore, Tim McGrath, Wayne Schwass, Vin Catoggio, Paul Callery

[kosifantutti]

Paul Hood, Derek Murray, Dean Watson, Brad Smith

[kosifantutti]

I also forgot Mungara Brown Luke Shackleton and Matthew Stolarczyk

You're a funny fantutti…
How come it says you have only 191 posts, surely I have read hundreds?

Because everyone of them has been gold it seems like a lot more.

Or at some stage I lost the login details and re registered as kosifantutti23 until Battye kindly reset the password on my original name.

[dragit]

I also forgot Mungara Brown Luke Shackleton and Matthew Stolarczyk

You're a funny fantutti…
How come it says you have only 191 posts, surely I have read hundreds?

Because everyone of them has been gold it seems like a lot more.

Or at some stage I lost the login details and re registered as kosifantutti23 until Battye kindly reset the password on my original name.

Either of those answers will suffice

Btw, I see poor old Fortunato Caruso won it it 2 years running, but I don't remember him being drafted... ?

[BigMart]

Hard for Fort

167cm tall...... He was very good in the VFL in the years after the draft, now I think he is earning $$$$ interstate. He would have been exploited in the AFL probably.

Fort....unately Lenny is 186cm

Shack is 179cm and had a 92kg body...... What does that say???

Many of the others you listed also had either physical deficiencies too or an error in their game which made it tough for them... Murray another example, he was drafted but at 172 and 68kg it was too physical for him

Having said that, winning such an award says 1 thing.... You can play footy. Of all elite kids in Victoria, you have been voted the best player over the course of an outing...

So it indicates you can play? Yes

Does it mean you will cut it in the AFL? No

Speed, power, skill, body development, attitude come into it......

But it indicated Lenny could play, Kruzer could play, Heppell can play.....and they have the other tools necessary...

Anyway, good day

[dragit]

Hindsight... So much easier than foresight.

[BigMart]

So Lenny was unknown leading into the drat??

Not sure you've been listening, he was clearly around the mark

IMO he should have been rated higher than Murray Vance.... I actually think he was easily top 3.

[dragit]

Must be hard judging guys coming out of a much weaker comp like the NSW/ACT/QLD ones though?

[BigMart]

Lenny played in the TAC cup for the Rams and in the national carnival

Remember he won that award....