Peake = Birss

[skeptic]

Interest point on Birss and Mini.

At the time I thought Birss was very stiff as he seemed to be going ok....but you would have to say that Lyon got the call right as Mini really took the role on perfectly...and has been more than ok.

He got the call on mini right

You don't know what Birss could have become; in his last season, I thought SHane put in a few performances that were at least the equal if not better than what mini regularly brought to the table.

That being said, u obviously can't compare Mini's development over the last 2 years to what Birss produced b4 he was cut

[Leo.J]

Birss was average at best, and 3 and a bit years older than McQualter.

Similar player types, McQualter is/was better IMO, and younger, a no-brainer of a decision.

[skeptic]

Birss was average at best, and 3 and a bit years older than McQualter.

Similar player types, McQualter is/was better IMO, and younger, a no-brainer of a decision.

Birss was showing something at the time, McQualter wasn't.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not unhappy with Mini and how he's been doing.

For mine though, Birss adds his name to a long list of Saints players that could have been something but weren't managed well and cut b4 we could see the best of them
(not a dig at RL)

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Take on Brett Peake after Round 2:

I've seen him play live in one game that counted: R2 vs North. He was fantastic, in an absolute smashing.

Conclusion: I have no idea whether he's a good/bad player for the Saints. I have no idea whether he was a good or bad pickup. I can't quite understand how others are making such firm judgements already.

The most I can say is there does appear to be a role for him though: be very interesting to see how he goes this week, because frankly, I was expecting nothing, and I got something.

I'm on the bandwagon - I won't be surprised if the bandwagong crashes

[meher baba]

To me, he looks as though he could be anywhere between Aaron Fiora and Heath Black.

Please let him be Black!

I don't think Peake has anything like the footskills of Black.

However, he is a bit quicker (more like Fiora's pace) and unlike either Black or Fiora - looks like a player who can break lines a la Gram and Raph.

The key to whether Peake will be much use to us is how consistent he can be.

If Fiora had been more consistent (as he was at times during 2007), he would have been great value for us.

[saintsRrising]

The most I can say is there does appear to be a role for him though:

Indeed. The gameplan seems to have been tweaked a bit for alternative forward entries to players besides Roo (and faster entry for all).

Would have been tailor made for Lovet (and probably was!!!!!), but given this you can see why Peake and Lovett were picked up with IMO the idea that at least one of them could settle into the role.

It is not quite Pagon's Paddock but yes there seems to be more emphasis to kicking to players who run forward...and pace is obviously very good for this. As is player like Goddard who can read the play very well to time his entry well.

be very interesting to see how he goes this week,

Yes as the Pies should crank up the pressure...though the Swan's were very good at applying it too.

I think that Ros game will have been good for Peake's confidence. But like a few players consistency is what he needs.

[degruch]

be very interesting to see how he goes this week,

Yes as the Pies should crank up the pressure...though the Swan's were very good at applying it too.

Should suit his running game just fine. On a side note, the Pies will be down a defender this week (Johnson injured) which should tie down Shaw or O'Brien you'd imagine (most likely the latter) and stifle their own run a bit. It might be Buckley's first run for the Filth, perhaps?

[gringo]

Peake will be ok if he is allowed to play a bit more of a creative role. He is one of those players that seem to be able to do the freak things but at freo was possibly a little undisciplined in the 1 percenters. My mate that is a Freo fan says he could be a star for the saints if he gets the rest of his game going. He is a potential superstar that had stalled. hopefully it comes together and he shows something of his promise. The NAB made him look ordinary as he looked like he was trying to prove himself instead of playing instinctive footy- creativity is something that needs confidence and he should get that as he goes along.

My hope is that he gives us an x factor that geelong has in players like Steve Johnson and Chapman, he is a good long kick for goal who can play running back midfield or forward -fingers crossed we will forget about Lovett when he turns out to be the find of the season. He wasn't exactly bad in his last season with Freo much like Farren Ray at the dogs , he just possibly didn't meet the expected level they thought he could.

[Con Gorozidis]

To me, he looks as though he could be anywhere between Aaron Fiora and Heath Black.

Please let him be Black!

I don't think Peake has anything like the footskills of Black.

However, he is a bit quicker (more like Fiora's pace) and unlike either Black or Fiora - looks like a player who can break lines a la Gram and Raph.

.

Peake easily quick than Fizzer. Fizzer's pace was a massive myth. I reckon he was actually a pretty slow. Just ambled along.

Black was a great kick (although sometimes he overcooked it). Peakeys kicking is dicey.

Either way - 3 goals from a wingman. Ill take it. And surely he will get better once he grows in confidence and learns about where to run etc...

[barks4eva]

Birss was average at best, and 3 and a bit years older than McQualter.

Similar player types, McQualter is/was better IMO, and younger, a no-brainer of a decision.

Birss was showing something at the time, McQualter wasn't.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not unhappy with Mini and how he's been doing.

For mine though, Birss adds his name to a long list of Saints players that could have been something but weren't managed well and cut b4 we could see the best of them
(not a dig at RL)

Birss was a dud, I couldn't believe he was getting a game, a complete waste of time and space!

McQualter always had potential and now is delivering on it!

I find it strange how the two are even mentioned in the same sentence!

[3:16]

[quote="barks4eva]

Birss was a dud, I couldn't believe he was getting a game, a complete waste of time and space!

McQualter always had potential and now is delivering on it!

I find it strange how the two are even mentioned in the same sentence![/quote]

Birss was not a dud, Dud's are not blokes that play 60 to 80 games of AFL Footy, so that rules out Birss and McQualter, Dud's are people who sit on computers and bag others for achieving things they couldn't!!!!!

[meher baba]

Birss was a dud, I couldn't believe he was getting a game, a complete waste of time and space!

Birss was nothing special, but he was certainly an AFL-quality player. His last two games for the club - Rds 21 and 22 in 2008 - were probably his best.

He was then dropped for the QF, with McQualter and X Clarke coming in for himself and Dempster (who suffered his season-ending injury in Rd 22).

McQualter went well, but X had the sort of game you would expect from someone who had not fully recovered from injury and hadn't played since Rd 7. So X went out for the SF and, as it turned out, the PF, but instead of bringing back Birss, they went for Armo, who didn't do very much in either game (although, as is his wont, he completed 7 tackles against the Hawks).

And then, at the end of the season, bye bye Birss. It was a big surprise: sure, he wasn't in our top 22, but he seemed to be on the margins of it.

As things turred out, our terrific run with injuries in 2009 meant that, had we kept him, we would have had no need ever to select him for our top 22: as indeed turned out to be the case with other fringe midfielders like Armitage (who got a run in a few games which didn't matter) and Steven.

So delisting him proved to be the right decision for us, even though it seemed an odd one when it was made.

But the guy was no turkey: he was the essence of a GOP.

[oneteam]

Pavlich & Peake take out Media Guild awards


Daniel Davini 12:00 AM Wed 15 November, 2006

Matthew Pavlich and Brett Peake have received further recognition for their outstanding 2006 seasons by picking up individual gongs at last night’s WA Football Media Guild Awards. . Peake was judged to be the AFL Emerging Player of the Year, awarded to the most promising player from either Fremantle or the West Coast Eagles who had played less than 10 games at the start of 2006. He beat off a host of eligible player that were in line for the honour, and it was a fitting reward for a season in which he stamped himself as a player on the rise, polling 10 Brownlow Medal votes and representing Australia in the International Rules series. The awards were voted on by members of the WA Football Media Guild, which includes past and present football writers and broadcasters.

...yeh, just like Birss...NOT

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Pavlich & Peake take out Media Guild awards


Daniel Davini 12:00 AM Wed 15 November, 2006

Matthew Pavlich and Brett Peake have received further recognition for their outstanding 2006 seasons by picking up individual gongs at last night’s WA Football Media Guild Awards. . Peake was judged to be the AFL Emerging Player of the Year, awarded to the most promising player from either Fremantle or the West Coast Eagles who had played less than 10 games at the start of 2006. He beat off a host of eligible player that were in line for the honour, and it was a fitting reward for a season in which he stamped himself as a player on the rise, polling 10 Brownlow Medal votes and representing Australia in the International Rules series. The awards were voted on by members of the WA Football Media Guild, which includes past and present football writers and broadcasters.

...yeh, just like Birss...NOT

Not to underplay Peake's 2006, or the 10 Browlnow ovtes, BUT:

who did either Freo or West Coast give serious minutes to that year who weren't established? Both were top 4, with WCE obviously going on to the premiership... neither was developing many kids that year...

After a quick look:
Priddis was blooded: 2 games.
Hurn was blooded: 6 games.
Marus Drum (!) blooded: 5 games
Paul Diffield (!): 7 games

The only eligible guy I can find who's any sort of Chop is Rosa, who played 15, wasn't selected (can't remember if on form on injury) for prelim of grand final.

Am I missing anyone, or are we talking about a participation award?

[bozza1980]

While Peake is never going to win a Brownlow medal I think he is going to fit nicely into our best 22.

He doesn't have fantastic foot skills but at the same time is far from terrible and can kick long bomb goals.

He may not be able to beat Usain Bolt but he has a turn of pace which could make him the line breaker we are after.

Early days no doubt but, as I think we will win the flag this year, I think he is on his way to being in a small club - St Kilda premiership player.

[oneteam]

Pavlich & Peake take out Media Guild awards


Daniel Davini 12:00 AM Wed 15 November, 2006

Matthew Pavlich and Brett Peake have received further recognition for their outstanding 2006 seasons by picking up individual gongs at last night’s WA Football Media Guild Awards. . Peake was judged to be the AFL Emerging Player of the Year, awarded to the most promising player from either Fremantle or the West Coast Eagles who had played less than 10 games at the start of 2006. He beat off a host of eligible player that were in line for the honour, and it was a fitting reward for a season in which he stamped himself as a player on the rise, polling 10 Brownlow Medal votes and representing Australia in the International Rules series. The awards were voted on by members of the WA Football Media Guild, which includes past and present football writers and broadcasters.

...yeh, just like Birss...NOT

Not to underplay Peake's 2006, or the 10 Browlnow ovtes, BUT:

who did either Freo or West Coast give serious minutes to that year who weren't established? Both were top 4, with WCE obviously going on to the premiership... neither was developing many kids that year...

After a quick look:
Priddis was blooded: 2 games.
Hurn was blooded: 6 games.
Marus Drum (!) blooded: 5 games
Paul Diffield (!): 7 games

The only eligible guy I can find who's any sort of Chop is Rosa, who played 15, wasn't selected (can't remember if on form on injury) for prelim of grand final.

Am I missing anyone, or are we talking about a participation award?

10 brownlow votes . hardly a participation award. You reckon they are equal. Birss never got , or had the ABILITY , to get 10 brownlow votes.
They are different players in quality , IMO. You are more looking at his few games of performance at this stage, and I get that. But Peake is clearly higher quality and ability - now we need to see that ability each week, as he learns more and more about our structures and how his teammates play /position etc.

[gringo]

My mate that follows Freo said Heath Black was like a second rate Simon Black when we picked him up. Had the talent but an ordinary application. Id say that would sum him up pretty well- there was heaps of potential for him to be an elite player but seemed to just never quite get there.

He sees a bit of that in Peake -masses of talent , just an erratic application. Some of the freak things look easy but the basics just seem to go missing at times. He sees Peake really taking off at a club where commitment and application is expected. If he is able to give a more even performance he could be a superstar not just another G.O.P.