Expectations

[older saint]

I find it strange the amount of expectation placed on 1st year players by supporters in regard to what they will contribute in year 1. No other football code in the world has as many 18 year olds come in to the system and expect contributions straight away.

Rugby League - Generally debut older than 18 . Get the odd freak Isreal Folou for example but not many and will come through the bench often.
Rugby Union- defintely later than 18 and introduced generally off the bench
Soccer- Again the odd freak - Rooney, etc but very few at 18
NFL - generally drafted between 20-22 depending upon how many years in college

The reality is AFL is no different to some of these, you get the odd freak - Judd, who comes in at 18 and makes a difference but generally it is until 20+ that they really start to contribute.

Yet I read here about McEvoy a dud pick, Howard, Stevens, Allen etc all still teenagers, or just 20 and written off by some.

It will happen again this year with whoever we draft, especially if they only have minimal impact in the first year.
Put things in perspective and then judge performance, or better still wait 3-4 years before starting to say whether a pick was good/bad etc.

[iwantmeseats]

Cant disagree with that. Our bottom 12 players make our young guys look not so flash. They have to work with shouse disposal etc.

[Con Gorozidis]

I find it strange the amount of expectation placed on 1st year players by supporters in regard to what they will contribute in year 1. No other football code in the world has as many 18 year olds come in to the system and expect contributions straight away.

Rugby League - Generally debut older than 18 . Get the odd freak Isreal Folou for example but not many and will come through the bench often.
Rugby Union- defintely later than 18 and introduced generally off the bench
Soccer- Again the odd freak - Rooney, etc but very few at 18
NFL - generally drafted between 20-22 depending upon how many years in college

The reality is AFL is no different to some of these, you get the odd freak - Judd, who comes in at 18 and makes a difference but generally it is until 20+ that they really start to contribute.

Yet I read here about McEvoy a dud pick, Howard, Stevens, Allen etc all still teenagers, or just 20 and written off by some.

It will happen again this year with whoever we draft, especially if they only have minimal impact in the first year.
Put things in perspective and then judge performance, or better still wait 3-4 years before starting to say whether a pick was good/bad etc.

agree. everyone is different. guys develop physically at different rates. my basic rule is dont trade/delist anyone under 23 (unless they are lawrence angwin)
gives mcevoy another 3 years to make it (or more).

[Bernard Shakey]

We draft kids, most other codes draft men.

Many potentially very good players are destroyed by being drafted before their bodies are anywhere near mature.

It the same as letting kids drive and drink at the same age. Stupid!

[Otiman]

Yet I read here about McEvoy a dud pick, Howard, Stevens, Allen etc all still teenagers, or just 20 and written off by some.

I don't think anyone is writing off Jack Steven. Most are pumping him up as the next best thing.

McEvoy is a tough one, he has shown he is great around the ground, very agile for a big man. However, I don't think he's won the hitout count in a match in the VFL this year.

Was shockingly trounced in the ruck contests a few times by ordinary ruckmen. I reckon he might end up being a forward who sometimes pinch hits in the ruck, rather than the other way around. Very much like Koschitzke in that regard (only bigger).

Allen is a footy player, with a footy brain. Can take a great pack mark. However he isn't too crash hot on a lead, and in reality, that's where our gameplan is taking us, requiring quick leading players who can get into space and take uncontested marks (which is the main reason Charlie was given the nod over Allen this year)

Howard was taken as an athletic guy who was pretty raw in a football sense. He has come a long way since being drafted and is on track for a good year next year.

I suppose people will be laying into Eljay next year when he doesn't perform? But you know what, he'll be a player for us. Is one of few players who you can look at and say that he's at home with the football in his hands. Others like that at the saints include Dal Santo and Raph Clarke. May take some time to come on with putting some weight on (don't want to do it too quickly - see BJ ~2005).

You gotta love how the same people that pump up these young players are the first to jump on their backs after a bad year.

[Armoooo]

Yet I read here about McEvoy a dud pick, Howard, Stevens, Allen etc all still teenagers, or just 20 and written off by some.

I don't think anyone is writing off Jack Steven. Most are pumping him up as the next best thing.

Lol, I know, we never learn, we're just setting ourselves up for more heart break