Polo?

[spert]

Could be pretty handy around the ground this season, seemed to settle in a bit later in 2011 and although his style is a bit unorthodox, he gets the hard ball. Some of the younger mids will put pressure on him, but at the same time, some of those will still be another season away from regular senior games.??

[clarky449]

If we want to seriously challenge he must not be in the 22 by the season end.

[Con Gorozidis]

I agree. the 2nd half of last year he played some good footy.
would be in our best 22 at present. Might face pressure from ledger. but hes not terrible. hes only 25 or so?

[StGoddard18]

I remember opposition supporters saying gamble was the better choice and that we were idiots for drafting Polo. Well one of them is still on our list.

[WinnersOnly]

Nothing against the guy he is a reliable battler but thats all. You would hope that some of the more talented kids would overtake him and move him out of the side.

[St Ick]

Nothing against the guy he is a reliable battler but thats all. You would hope that some of the more talented kids would overtake him and move him out of the side.

This... unless he had improved his ability to hit a target by foot.

[defacto]

could he play the stevie baker role down back?

[Old Mate]

could he play the stevie baker role down back?

I reckon that's his go. The only prob is we already have Dempster and CJ as stoppers in the team.

[8856brother]

could he play the stevie baker role down back?

He'll have to learn how to kick backwards then

[Dave McNamara]

If any player is replaced coz someone has gone past them, as distinct from them going backwards, then that is good for the team I reckon.

As for Dean P, I like him. Tough as, wins the hard ball, surprisingly good mark & very quick hands. Kicking is the perceived weakness. But not if he doesn't have to kick...

Simple solution is every time he gets it, someone is running past for the handball receive.

That will get us moving the ball quickly & most likely forward. Turn defence into attack as so many have called for.







Now that's sorted I'm off to resolve squabbles on another post. (Don't fancy my odds though.)

[stevie]

No,sorry. I don't have a horse...

[Bernard Shakey]

If he's in our best 22 we're going nowhere. Ordinary VFL depth player at best.

[dragit]

Did a good job replacing lenny last year as a mature age bigger body…
I too think that we'll need younger guys going past him this year if we are to improve, i would think that he is our 25-30th player.
We have to get more skill into the side, CJ is lightning fast and a great tagger so stays, Polo is decent back up.

[gringo]

Absolute crap. If Polo is in our team at the end of the year it is because he is earning his spot over others. sean Dempster was in the same boat a couple of years ago. He has only been there a year and will be more settled. I think he might surprise a few this year. I don't subscribe to the he isn't allowed in because it isn't in our best interest long term. Players earn their spots, he was far from the worst last year.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Absolute crap. If Polo is in our team at the end of the year it is because he is earning his spot over others. sean Dempster was in the same boat a couple of years ago. He has only been there a year and will be more settled. I think he might surprise a few this year. I don't subscribe to the he isn't allowed in because it isn't in our best interest long term. Players earn their spots, he was far from the worst last year.

+1 players pick themselves by their performance if Dean is in the best 22 at the year end he has earnt it

[The Redeemer]

If he's in our best 22 we're going nowhere. Ordinary VFL depth player at best.

Thank you. It is similar to Aaron Fiora and Jayden Attard in 2007. Bloody average players but had above average years in a team that was performing below expectations.

[felix]

Wasn't a big fan of Polo until half way thru
Last year when he really showed guts and determination reminded me of Luke Ball under
A pack feeding the ball out lightning quick hands.

[WinnersOnly]

We won't improve with Polo in the side - the same goes for Jones. Great guy gives lots of effort but can't hit a target. No use winning the ball if u are going to give it straight back to the opposition. Retaining possession has become so important and we simply cant carry so many players with poor kicking skills. We can't improve with players like Jones Polo Clarke & Gram in the side - because they cant hit a target.

[saintsRrising]

Quite a few ordinary players have GF Medallions.

You just need to be in the right spot at the right time...

Polo may be not in our top 10, but he is certainly capable of being in the bottom 6.

Polo has many good qualities.....so a loy will depend on what Watters wants with "his" 22 and gameplan.....and how many of the young'uns prosper.


Watters has however flagged that he wants tough aggressive football, and so that is not going to be achieved with a team full of kids. So there will be a healthy dose of players with mature hard bodies in 2012.

Watters also wants more pace, better footskills, more rapid play on and 3 marking targets up forward.

So we will see changes...in personnel, and also where players play.

Polo could well be there to dish out with his quick accurate handball to fast runners. Or he could get squeezed out.

I certainly would not be putting a line through his name just yet.

[saintsRrising]

We can't improve with players like Jones Polo Clarke & Gram in the side - because they cant hit a target.

I think that was part of the reason why Lyon moved Ball on.....and Ball got a flag.

Teams are a mix.

But yes we need to improve on 2011.

[fingers]

Love Polo's hands...very quick in close.

[GrumpyOne]

Can't believe anyone hasn't said it.

Marco?

[Con Gorozidis]

plenty of worse guys in the afl than polo. plenty.

[dragit]

plenty of worse guys in the afl than polo. plenty.

and around 400-500 better ones too…
can't knock the guys effort to get back to playing AFL footy at all,
but there's a reason why we drafted him at pick #103,
I really don't want to see him played in front of Ledger/Cripps/Ross if they are fit & ready…

[SaintlySaint85]

If we want to seriously challenge he must not be in the 22 by the season end.

i don't subscribe to this theory. there is no set formula for 'seriously challenging', and you can bet your bottom dollar no player on the list has a line drawn through them in this manner.
players are picked on merit first, and dean polo certainly has plenty of this. if he plays he'll have earnt his spot, plain and simple.