Rookie draft selections

[FQF]

Anyway, regardess of where the 2 youngsters played their footy... my greatest beef with our rookie selections was not taking Cam Delaney.

We should have taken the 2 youngsters + Delaney + either Saad OR Schneider...

A better mix.. and Delaney is good... and young.. and plays an important position, i.e. tall KPD.. we should have used our 2nd round rookie pick on him... having allowed North to select him 1st round

I think that he has a few injury concerns.


But with his brother as a lock at FB, and Goddard recruited did we need him?

Not to mention that Bruce will surely stay put in defence now that we Riewoldt, McCartin, Lee, White, Membrey (+ Payne, resting ruck) up forward.

[SuperDuper]

well the thing with Bruce is.... is he any good down back?
The jury is out IMO... and he may be a better forward

So that leaves our stocks quite low for tall KPDs IMO...

[saintsRrising]

well the thing with Bruce is.... is he any good down back?
The jury is out IMO... and he may be a better forward

So that leaves our stocks quite low for tall KPDs IMO...

How many do you want?

[SuperDuper]

well the thing with Bruce is.... is he any good down back?
The jury is out IMO... and he may be a better forward

So that leaves our stocks quite low for tall KPDs IMO...

How many do you want?

probably one more young one would do it!

we certainly did not need another small forward (Minchington, Eli, Lonie, Saad OR Schneider would have been enough IMO)

Fisher will be gone next year.. Gilbert I rate, but wont be around when our young group matures...
That leaves basically Delaney and Goddard to play as genuine tall KPDs

[WinnersOnly]

Superduper if McCartin gets going early I wonder if they might try Tom Lee in defense. The games he played the relieving ruck role he looked good when helping out in defence and floating across marking contests.

[plugger66]

Superduper if McCartin gets going early I wonder if they might try Tom Lee in defense. The games he played the relieving ruck role he looked good when helping out in defence and floating across marking contests.

Far to slow and from what ive seen just not good enough. Hope I am proven completely wrong. Anyway I doubt McCartin would play more than 5 games next season. Even that maybe to hard.

[saintsRrising]

Superduper if McCartin gets going early I wonder if they might try Tom Lee in defense. The games he played the relieving ruck role he looked good when helping out in defence and floating across marking contests.

Far to slow and from what ive seen just not good enough. Hope I am proven completely wrong. Anyway I doubt McCartin would play more than 5 games next season. Even that maybe to hard.

Yes you would imagine that the key forwards in 2015 will come from in the main :

Roo
Lee: In 2015 he will need to show something more like he finished 2013. 2014 he had dodgey shoulders and will be given the benefit of that.
White: Club will be happy if he can show steady development. It will help that he will not have to be the main man up forward
Bruce: Finished 2014 really well up forward. Club could use him forward or back in 2015, or both as a swingman. With Lee and White both to be played you would see him going back, and more so as Membrey will play up forward as well as a marking target.

McCartin you will imagine will just be given some games to develop him, and because the club will want some PR. Lee and White both need to be given a serious run at it to decide if they are going to be part of our future. They both need to be told that they are in the team for a while, rather than playing one bad game and being out.

POSSIBLE ROUND ONE TEAM

Geary Delany Dempster
Webster Fisher Savage
Acres Armitage Joey
Membrey Roo White
Billings Lee Saad/Templeton

Hickey Dunstan Steven

Int from: Bruce Gilbert Newnes Ray Weller Ross Roberton Curren Longer

[WinnersOnly]

Superduper if McCartin gets going early I wonder if they might try Tom Lee in defense. The games he played the relieving ruck role he looked good when helping out in defence and floating across marking contests.

Far to slow and from what ive seen just not good enough. Hope I am proven completely wrong. Anyway I doubt McCartin would play more than 5 games next season. Even that maybe to hard.

Think outside your square plugger, you get such a set on players you cant see them develop! Lee with a preseason and a sound body will surprise you, he just needs a run at it...

[plugger66]

Superduper if McCartin gets going early I wonder if they might try Tom Lee in defense. The games he played the relieving ruck role he looked good when helping out in defence and floating across marking contests.

Far to slow and from what ive seen just not good enough. Hope I am proven completely wrong. Anyway I doubt McCartin would play more than 5 games next season. Even that maybe to hard.

Think outside your square plugger, you get such a set on players you cant see them develop! Lee with a preseason and a sound body will surprise you, he just needs a run at it...

There is no point in thinking outside the square if you don't think a player could do the role. Its just like putting Longer forward. he cant do the role. Or making Minch become a CHB. If Lee makes it it will be as a forward. You can just see how a player plays to see if they could do a different role and I think Lee cant. At the moment the coaches think exactly as I do.

[gringo]

I think if fit Lee probably gets a go before White. I'm pretty sure he's a work in progress right now and would need to pull a finger out to start in the seniors. Lee really only as a forward though, possibly ruck /forward as they seem to think he can for some reason. Mc cartin will be lucky to play a few games in his first year. He looks like he will be a solid pick long term but if he plays at all it will be to give him a taste you would imagine. I think there is more chance of Jack Sinclair playing 5+ games than Paddy.

[PJ]

I think there are a lot of positions up for grabs so it'll be pretty interesting who gets the first nod

If Saad puts in a good pre-season and shows what he had in is his 1st season where do you put Templeton and Billings?

Does Billings start going through the middle?

If Bruce plays forward where does that leave White and Lee?

Half backs - Webster, Wright, Savage, Newnes, Gilbert - who do you pick?

How many rucks can you play - Hickey, Longer or both?

Where is Markworth and Sipposs at?

Does Weller hold his spot with a full list?

Can Ross improve and be a regular inside mid?

It's going to be one of the least predictable pre-seasons we've had for some time

[older saint]

Weller our best tagger so yes holds hi spot on list, Saad and Schnieder have to rely on Long term injuries to get a senior game as rookies.

Look for Newness to have a Jack Steven type break out season of a couple years ago

[Scollop]

I think if fit Lee probably gets a go before White. I'm pretty sure he's a work in progress right now and would need to pull a finger out to start in the seniors. Lee really only as a forward though, possibly ruck /forward as they seem to think he can for some reason. Mc cartin will be lucky to play a few games in his first year. He looks like he will be a solid pick long term but if he plays at all it will be to give him a taste you would imagine. I think there is more chance of Jack Sinclair playing 5+ games than Paddy.

Richo and his assistants along with development coaches need to have a structure and transparent goals for youngsters and rookies and create the competition between players and reward them fairly for their efforts.

Project players and draftees that have been touted as potential A graders may be treated a little differently, but at the same time their bodies are still growing and we need to be careful to manage them before there are any signs of soreness.

If they achieve their goals they earn a spot. If a fringe player like Siposs, Lee or Simpkin or Saunders is consistently busting a gut with the Zebs (and showing good form) then they should earn at least a couple of games in the seniors. Give the whole list a fair go if players are fit and available.

If we are fair dinkum about buyilding a team for 2016 and beyond we will genuinely build a team for the future and we will endeavour to fast track the development of younger and not so experienced players. Give them goals to work on and reward them with selection in the seniors.

Any player with any niggle or a busted finger or a suspect shoulder or hammy must be rested and there shouldn't be any player selected just because they have 'runs on the board' or because at 80% fit they are 'better' than a youngster.

If a senior player gets consistent games and they are consistently playing poorly or not doing the 1 percenters, then we are doomed to be a bottom side for another decade and beyond!!

[WinnersOnly]

You have to wonder which is better for a players future - gifting them games at AFL level or allow them to develop naturally via the VFL and earn their place in the AFL side? I also wonder if the level of exposure last year attributed to all the younger players injuries?

For me Billings (on form) should not have played more than 6 games last year, Dunstan was playing tired when he injured his shoulder. Templeton was unlucky but again looked like he needed resting leading up to jis injury. Same with Wright the year before his body wasnt ready for the continious heavy contact of AFL. Is it worth risking their long term health for the sake of getting games into the younger players - IMO it is not!

In saying that I would play the players who have deserved a game from their preseason form or players whose bodies are ready to handle AFL in Round 1.

[WinnersOnly]

You have to wonder which is better for a players future - gifting them games at AFL level or allow them to develop naturally via the VFL and earn their place in the AFL side? I also wonder if the level of exposure last year attributed to all the younger players injuries?

For me Billings (on form) should not have played more than 6 games last year, Dunstan was playing tired when he injured his shoulder. Templeton was unlucky but again looked like he needed resting leading up to jis injury. Same with Wright the year before his body wasnt ready for the continious heavy contact of AFL. Is it worth risking their long term health for the sake of getting games into the younger players - IMO it is not!

In saying that I would play the players who have deserved a game from their preseason form or players whose bodies are ready to handle AFL in Round 1.

[FQF]

Reading this thread you almost get the impression that we have an abundance of depth...

[stinger]

[bergholt]

Reading this thread you almost get the impression that we have an abundance of depth...

I think that's true, in that we have a lot of players at a similar level so there's always a replacement if one gets injured or is out of form. Unfortunately that "similar level" is below AFL quality at this point.

[Saintberra]

well the thing with Bruce is.... is he any good down back?
The jury is out IMO... and he may be a better forward

So that leaves our stocks quite low for tall KPDs IMO...

Bruce always sparked up forward for us in NEAFL, not that he was a terrible backman, he just has more confidence up forward - I think its due to that instead of following someone around, he makes the first move.

[Munga]

You have to wonder which is better for a players future - gifting them games at AFL level or allow them to develop naturally via the VFL and earn their place in the AFL side? I also wonder if the level of exposure last year attributed to all the younger players injuries?

For me Billings (on form) should not have played more than 6 games last year, Dunstan was playing tired when he injured his shoulder. Templeton was unlucky but again looked like he needed resting leading up to jis injury. Same with Wright the year before his body wasnt ready for the continious heavy contact of AFL. Is it worth risking their long term health for the sake of getting games into the younger players - IMO it is not!

In saying that I would play the players who have deserved a game from their preseason form or players whose bodies are ready to handle AFL in Round 1.

It's a conundrum. Does it fast-track a player's development? Can their bodies handle it?
I like looking at Robert Harvey, started at the top level at 16. Obviously had an exemplarily career. He also had hammy issues, was this caused by his early start?
Who knows? Maybe it's horses for courses.

[plugger66]

You have to wonder which is better for a players future - gifting them games at AFL level or allow them to develop naturally via the VFL and earn their place in the AFL side? I also wonder if the level of exposure last year attributed to all the younger players injuries?

For me Billings (on form) should not have played more than 6 games last year, Dunstan was playing tired when he injured his shoulder. Templeton was unlucky but again looked like he needed resting leading up to jis injury. Same with Wright the year before his body wasnt ready for the continious heavy contact of AFL. Is it worth risking their long term health for the sake of getting games into the younger players - IMO it is not!

In saying that I would play the players who have deserved a game from their preseason form or players whose bodies are ready to handle AFL in Round 1.

Whilst I don't agree about gifting games I reckon you have got Billings form of this season wrong. His form was good enough to keep playing for sure. We need to keep playing our best side next season. The only time younger guy gets in over an older guy is if there from is similar. Then its stupid to play the older guy but lets be honest we have no depth at all so there shouldn't be issues about guys getting games or not. I also don't buy this 50 game rubbish but I do buy 3 years in the system before you really become an AFL footballer apart from the obvious champions.

[Freebird]

I thought Billings lucky to play that many games on form...he had trouble keeping up with players running off him. But I also think it important he gets games

Ross is also exposed when opposition have ball

[magnifisaint]

McCartin will play more than 10 games next year if he's not injured.

[plugger66]

McCartin will play more than 10 games next year if he's not injured.

What do you base that on? History suggests he probably has no hope of doing that. And he doesn't need to unless he is playing well enough.

[magnifisaint]

McCartin will play more than 10 games next year if he's not injured.

What do you base that on? History suggests he probably has no hope of doing that. And he doesn't need to unless he is playing well enough.

Being the bottom side and the fact that he would be the best option at full forward. But don't concern yourself as its only my opinion.