battye wrote:I know exactly what you mean.
Out of that group you listed, still I wouldn't write off Armitage or Geary just yet. They still have played a low number of games and seem to have something about them, particularly Armitage.
McQualter is a useful player who I think will continue to play a role for the club.
Steven and Heyne - too early to tell.
Eddy hasn't done anything to suggest he'll be the next... hang on, what position does he even play? I'd say "defensive roamer" for lack of actually knowing.
McEvoy really worries me. He's been on the list a few years, only 14 or 15 games that's true... but as a ruckman he seems out of his depth and too slow around the ground, and as a forward doesn't seem at all potent.
Armo could be a very useful player if he just got more of the ball. He drifts in and out of games and just hasn't been reliable at all. Maybe it's a matter of experience or TOG, but the only change in his game since the early days is that he's kicking less goals.
McQualter's year probably wouldn't look much different to his last if he just converted his opportunities in front of goal. However, he had a very comfortable role in the Riewoldt-oriented forward line and this hsa been thrown out of order in his absence. Mini is now having to take more marks and making less tackles, which doesn't suit him at all. This combined with the fact that opposition teams are more aware of his role has resulted in an ordinary start to the season. His saving grace is probably that there is no one at Sandy pushing him out of the side.
I had very high hopes for Geary after seeing him in the VFL in his first year at the club. He was skilled, reasonably quick and very creative. Now it seems he's becoming a second-rate Steven Baker. He's going ok, but I think he could be a much more damaging player if used differently.
Steven has looked pretty good in the few times I've seen him, but again I don't want to see him become a second-rate tagger, which seemed to be his role in his couple of senior games this year. Heyne has never really done anything that makes me think he'll be an AFL player. Skills are hit-and-miss, not quick enough to be a crumber and not tall enough to be a KPP. Very much in the Matthew Ferguson mould for me. Then again, those two are still very young and should be given opportunities.
Eddy is another who has never looked like he'll be anything more than a backup GOP. I'd rather give someone with skill or pace matches than a guy who has been tried and shown that he's not quite good enough to hold a spot and has little scope for improvement.
I think McEvoy is coming along ok. He hasn't made any great impact but he's just slowly improving all the time. I noticed today that his composure under pressure with the ball is very good and always manages to get a handball away when tackled. His ruckwork was poor to begin with but with training, experience and strength it is slowly coming up to scratch. All throughout the juniors he would have had it easy being one of the few giants with any co-ordination and now playing against men he's realised he can't get by just being tall and able to kick.
