Luke Van Rheenan???

[WinnersOnly]

What will happen to Luke Van Rheenan next season?

He is in his second year as a rookie, hence cant remain there and is out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury.

On all accounts he has shown some potential but is it enough to get him a list position? It is a shame he hasn't been able to play this year as at least the club could have got a handle on his development or progress + or -.

Has he shown enough for the club to take a punt and draft him???

We will still have KING, GARDINER, McEVOY, RIX and KOSI plus HARETUKU as a rookie ahead of LVR next year. Hence I think his future at the club might be shaky!

It is a shame that given his long term injury that his tenure on the rookie list cant be extended to 3 years. However there may be other young ruckman out there worthy of a rookie position next year.

[super dooper]

What is the extent of the foot injury?? Do we want another injury prone player (if it is that kind of injury) to join our ranks.

Gonna be hard for him to mount a case from an external perspective, but i guess things like attitude and work ethic will have to be on the primary considerations of the stk hierachy in the decision to keep him or not.

Ive only seen him in the intra club, personally think we should put our resources to the development of McEvoy.

It also depends ont he depth of the draft next year and the other departures from our list as to whether we keep him or not.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Suspect in means Van Rheenan goes the way of most rookie listed players. Nowhere. It's definately the hard way to make it, and injuries are a very tough way to have the dream go down.

IIRC, don't we have another freakishly tall player on board via the schalarship program? I'd be guessing that player would move into LVR's spot.

Basically comes down to Rix vs. Van Rheenan... and it sounds like LVR is behind where Rix was when we picked him up after Hawthonr let him go post-rookie years.

[saintsRrising]

Too early to say......

However McEvoy is looking the goods....so a tick there.

King and Gardiner at this stage we would anticipate would both be right for next year...but we have a season to go yet. If both play out the year ok...then you would think that they should be ok for say two more years.

This would give you King, Gardi and McEvoy to choose from for 2009 and 2010 = looks ok...and allows for any one to be out injured, suspended etc at any time.

There is also our young NSW Scholarship elevation....Khan...who is a possible ruck.

Then there is of course posiblr draft picks next year...and new rookies.

The rookie list is there to churn through possible players.


In the pipeline too there is another current Scholarship selection...an ex-soccer/basketball giant

Saints Sign 208cm Basketballer – Blake McGrath


http://saints.com.au/tabid/5315/default ... wsid=55274

St Kilda Football Club is pleased to add 208cm, 17 year old Blake McGrath as their latest NSW Scholarship program signing.

Blake is new to Australian Rules football and has been playing basketball at an elite level for the past three years. He has been involved in the NSW Institute of Sport basketball program and attends Westfield Sports High School in Sydney.

[saints11]

he is the tallest player on the list (201cm)

[plugger66]

He will not and should go onto the main list but can be rookied again if no one else wants him. Personally I think 2 years is plenty and it is just bad luck for him but probably to early to call as we have to see if MG and King stay.

[ausfatcat]

He will not and should go onto the main list but can be rookied again if no one else wants him. Personally I think 2 years is plenty and it is just bad luck for him but probably to early to call as we have to see if MG and King stay.

I thought it was two years max at anyone club......


Is it he has to be redrafted on to the rookie list then rather than retained.

[plugger66]

He will not and should go onto the main list but can be rookied again if no one else wants him. Personally I think 2 years is plenty and it is just bad luck for him but probably to early to call as we have to see if MG and King stay.

I thought it was two years max at anyone club......


Is it he has to be redrafted on to the rookie list then rather than retained.

Im pretty sure that after 2 years anyone can have a crack at him and if no one wants him we can rookie him.

[saintly]

He will not and should go onto the main list but can be rookied again if no one else wants him. Personally I think 2 years is plenty and it is just bad luck for him but probably to early to call as we have to see if MG and King stay.

I thought it was two years max at anyone club......


Is it he has to be redrafted on to the rookie list then rather than retained.

Im pretty sure that after 2 years anyone can have a crack at him and if no one wants him we can rookie him.

from my understanding you're right plugger.

[Solar]

real tough one. Was showing a little, but is he worth the spot on the rookie list for another year or perhaps be cut adrift to play VFL standard football.

[mad saint guy]

He still hasn't been named in the best at any level for Casey and doesn't have any outstanding attibutes. With his recent injury I don't think the chances of him staying are good. His future probably rests a bit on the form of Haretuku and if it turns out this Blake McGrath can play football.

[Mr Magic]

I'm not sure that Khan will end up as a ruckman, unless he continues to grow. It seems that teh trend in ruckmen these days is going back to teh 'skyscraper model' rather than the shorter athletic type (Jeff White style). It seems that the centre circle has curtailed the ability of the shorter guys (Kosi included) to outleap their taller opponents because of the inability to take a longer runup.

Khan is approx Kosi's size (not much bigger than Buddy Franklin, Mathew Richardson or Jonathan Brown) and if he is athletic enough may well end up as a KPP who can 'pinch-hit' in th ruck.

If that is the case then the CLub may well invest more time into LVR as a young ruckman.

[n1ck]

Khan I believe is being looked at more long term as a CHF or CHB...

[saint66au]

sRs....Ive edited your post a little

A reminder to all..please dont quote saints.com.au articles in full...going to the website to read it there makes the Club money

[esaint66]

he is the tallest player on the list (201cm)

And whats that got to do with keeping someone on or cutting them.
Not all tall people will make it in the AFL.

[saints11]

i was just saying...

[bobmurray]

This is from the AFL's rules on rookies.........

Rookie Players

* All clubs can maintain a rookie list of up to six players. Participation at the NAB AFL Rookie Draft is voluntary. A player included on a clubs rookie list cannot play for the club in the AFL except in the Pre-Season competition of if a rookie-listed player is promoted as a long term injury replacement player
* A rookie player must be 18 (and under 23) before December 31 in the year he is drafted. Sydney & Brisbane can include one or more players on their rookie list during the period between the NAB Pre-Season draft and the NAB Rookie Draft provided the player has resided in NSW or the ACT (in the case of Sydney) or Queensland (in the case of Brisbane) for at least three years before his selection. This encourages Sydney & Brisbane to invest in local players who were not selected at either the NAB AFL Draft or the NAB Pre-Season Draft.
* A club can retain a maximum of three players on its rookie list for a second season provided it nominates those players at the time of the compulsory list lodgement.

Plugger's thoughts are left unanswered by the AFL's rules,maybe because the plugger rule doesn't exist

[skeptic]

IMO should take Rix's spot on the list... can't offer any less and has a much bigger upside

[jill]

Elevate Luke, delist Rix

[stinger]

We will still have KING, GARDINER, McEVOY, RIX and KOSI plus HARETUKU as a rookie ahead of LVR next year. Hence I think his future at the club might be shaky!

It is a shame that given his long term injury that his tenure on the rookie list cant be extended to 3 years. However there may be other young ruckman out there worthy of a rookie position next year.

i'd be willing to bet money that if it comes to a toss up between luke and rix.......luke will win hands down....a no brainer really.....

[Scoop]

IMO should take Rix's spot on the list... can't offer any less and has a much bigger upside

LVR was going to be elevated to the main list at the end of last year until we traded for King.

I agree with skeptic on this one. I think we have seen what Rix has to offer and it aint much. With King and Gardiner as your older established (albeit injury-prone) ruckman, McEvoy and LVR provide the developing young ruckmen that we have lacked for a long time.

McGrath would be a much longer term project type with no guarantee of success and, as has been suggested by others, Khan H is more of a KP prospect.

Therefore, unless we draft/trade a better credentialed ruckman at the end of the year, I would add LVR to our list.

[Bernard Shakey]

He was looking really good at training this year, before the injury.

I would have him anyday ahead of Rix, who will not stay on the list whatever happens.

[vacuous space]

From what I understand, the AFL is changing the Rookie rules so any player who hasn't yet played can be kept on the rookie list. I think we'll be able to keep him next year if we want him. The question is, do we want him?

I've only seen him a handful of times, but I've never seen anything out of him to suggest he'll be able to make the jump. I'd rather use the spot for another young player.

[hotdish]

He was looking really good at training this year, before the injury.

I would have him anyday ahead of Rix, who will not stay on the list whatever happens.

To those of you wanting Rix delisted and Van Rheenan listed - you guys need to get a grip.

While I am not a massive fan of Rix, he is a solid backup. Was once named in VFL team of the year if I am not mistaken and has made the Casey bests on several occasions, plus kicked a few goals.

Van Rheenan has achieved none of that. All he has going for him is his weight and height at the moment. I would rather have Khan elevated than Rheenan at this stage.

Rheenan has shown NOTHING

[bobmurray]

I was surprised to see Rix playing like he did on Sunday at Casey,he looked like someone who COULD play and play ok......

He took pack marks and kicked ok.....

Doesn't look anything like that in the AFL,must be tooooooooo big a step up in class for Rix.....