Im disappointed for Tommy SIMPKIN

[WinnersOnly]

Im disappointed for Tommy SIMPKIN - whats the poor bugger got to do? Obviously I am not in the inner sanctum but I disagree with leaving him out of the team. Tommy is better suited and deserves a chance at fullback in front Gilbert, Blake and Wilkes.

Beau WILKES if he gets a game has looked 'all at sea' playing down back and it would be a huge injustice if he got a crack at full back over Tom. Tommy's form had been good in the NAB and he gives %100 percent and attacks the ball strongly. Gees it is fraught with danger if they chose to use Gilbert as he is named at Full Back. Gilbert gets out bodied by medium sized players, how is he going to go against opposition talls - he will get monstered. Blake has been an great servant of the the club but IMO Tommy has gone past him in ability and deserves the opportunity.

For me WATTERS and his team of coaches have made their first concerning error - but time will tell!

[SainterK]

See, Beau can go forward.

Blake can ruck.

Nothing against the kid, or his work ethic, but he may need to add another string to his bow?

Modern footy is about playing multi-positions.

[dragit]

This is the problem with drafting mature age 'back-ups'. The temptation to play them in front of the developing younger blokes is too great... Is Wilkes the new Gamble?

[GoSaintersGo]

Im disappointed for Tommy SIMPKIN - whats the poor bugger got to do? Obviously I am not in the inner sanctum but I disagree with leaving him out of the team. Tommy is better suited and deserves a chance at fullback in front Gilbert, Blake and Wilkes.

Beau WILKES if he gets a game has looked 'all at sea' playing down back and it would be a huge injustice if he got a crack at full back over Tom. Tommy's form had been good in the NAB and he gives %100 percent and attacks the ball strongly. Gees it is fraught with danger if they chose to use Gilbert as he is named at Full Back. Gilbert gets out bodied by medium sized players, how is he going to go against opposition talls - he will get monstered. Blake has been an great servant of the the club but IMO Tommy has gone past him in ability and deserves the opportunity.

For me WATTERS and his team of coaches have made their first concerning error - but time will tell!

His time won't be far away. I reckon they want the experience of Blake, Gilbo, Dempster, Fisher, Geary, Goddard, Ray, to rotate through the back half for the season opener.

[dcstkfc]

I'm disappointed too, he's been clearly the pick of the bunch for mine during the pre-season, but agree that it may well be about versatility which he lacks

[murray 66]

Don't panic winners only,I'm sure once Blake plays his 200th the door will open for Simpkin.With Raph and Jimmy out Watters went for a bit more experience in the back half.
Blake won't play too much more.



Go Saints.......................

[paddy]

Seeing as though Scotty was the Filth's Defensive coach, i am happy to place my faith in him...

However i think sainter K is on the money, there really is no place for single position players in today's game.

[Old Mate]

Must admit his exclusion came as a surprise. From my limited observations this preseason he has been our best FB option.

Not versatile? Neither is Scarlett. Should play our best option avail for that position.

I'd have Blake in the team as well. We're looking mighty short and its not ideal for our set up to have Gilbert and Fisher playing key defensive posts.

The Wilkes selection confuses me with Stanley, Roo and Kosi starting. You're not telling me Wilkes is a candidate for FB?

[skfc17]

Beau WILKES if he gets a game has looked 'all at sea' playing down back and it would be a huge injustice if he got a crack at full back over Tom. Tommy's form had been good in the NAB and he gives %100 percent and attacks the ball strongly. Gees it is fraught with danger if they chose to use Gilbert as he is named at Full Back. Gilbert gets out bodied by medium sized players, how is he going to go against opposition talls - he will get monstered. Blake has been an great servant of the the club but IMO Tommy has gone past him in ability and deserves the opportunity.

the way the team is layed out on paper aint always how they line up. i wouldnt be suprised to see Wilkes at FF. bit harsh writing off the bloke b4 hes even played a proper game

[matrix]

This is the problem with drafting mature age 'back-ups'. The temptation to play them in front of the developing younger blokes is too great... Is Wilkes the new Gamble?

blimey i hope not

[QuestionOfAccuracy]

From the NAB Cup, to VFL games etc Tom Simpkin has been pretty faultless - couldn't have done any more to press his claims for a selection.

I don't think it's a strong enough argument to say that Blake is included because he's more versatile - I'd take Simpkin to play well on a PA forward, against Blake being very slow on a PA forward and hardly causing a contest in tap ruck contests.

There are still plenty of good 'one dimensional' players still in the game: Jamison, Duigan, Stephen Milne, Eddie Betts, Heath Shaw, Harry O'Brien, Clint Jones etc etc etc etc etc

[Thinline]

Port have some big lumberers up front. I would have thought Tom S would be a monty to wipe one out.

Injury we don't know about?

Or are we looking to contest in the air, bring it down and run like bank robbers?

[Enrico_Misso]

Tom has been really good in the preseason.
He has really bulked up.
Now looks strong enough to take on the key forwards.

His time will surely come.

[BigMart]

Ben Rutten
Darren Glass
Alipate Carlisle
Zac Dawson
Tom Lonergan
Heath Grundy
Dale Morris
Goose Maguire
Alex Rance

And others......all key backs....basically will play on best Fwds every week.....

There certainly still are specialist roles in afl footy......tall back is probably the most important ones...

Btw, how many positions will big Ben Mac play in 2012???

[cwrcyn]

Simpkin is certainly no worse then Gilbert in body on body stuff, and Gilbert has never played tall for a 194cm player. Simpkin actually plays a little bit taller than Gilbert, but at 191 cm it makes me feel apprehensive against playing him against genuinely tall forwards. Blake, in comparison, plays very tall for his 189cm, and to me is going to be very important for us this year when we come up against the very tall forwards, and there a plenty of them these days.. Wilkes, from what I have seen, doesn't play tall for his 194cm either - he doesn't seem to have much of a leap, whereas Simpkin does. So really, it's a difficult choice to make, and yes, Simpkin can consider himself unlucky.

My guess is that Wilkes could be exposed fairly quickly, opening the door for Simpkin. At his age and given his time in the system, now is the moment for him to be afforded that opportunity. On form, he seems to have deserved it over Wilkes.








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[bergholt]

Btw, how many positions will big Ben Mac play in 2012???

is this a trick question? two, right? ruck for most of the game, tall forward for about ten or fifteen minutes in the third quarter.

[Con Gorozidis]

wilkes isnt even in the side. wilkes was named em for encouragament reasons.
(injuries aside) the wilke dog will only play if either kosi/stanley/roo/mac is injured. he shouldnt even be mentioned in a simpkin thread.

i think it came down to Blake v Simpkin.
Ray was edged out by both Peake and Geary.
Siposs was edged out by Milera.

So regarding Simpkin - depends how the Blake performs I guess.

[BigMart]

Fair Call Con...

If Ben plays more than a few burst minutes as a fwd......we are in trouble.....

Hopefully we can get a mismatch with him....but structuring up with him would mean we have few better options than a lumbering ruckman

[defacto]

lets remember he is pretty young. in the game against the eagles he was struggling fitness wise to keep up.

i'd say he wasnt named merely to manage his work load through the season.

[Wrote for Luck]

can't help but think his exclusion contradicts what Watters has been saying about ability based selection a little
will suspect/hope Watters may be looking at a considered rotation policy throughout the year giving everyone deserved a go
will see I suppose - but no Siposs and no Simpkin is a pity

[gringo]

He stuffed my dream team up I had him, thought I'd pull him changed him over then ran out of time to think it out before the lock out came and took the first guy for the money with heaps of games- can't even remember who it was.

[bobmurray]

lets remember he is pretty young.

he's nearly 23.. that excuse is just about used up...at some point he'll have to be judged on performance...D day is approaching..

[vacuous space]

he's nearly 23..

Simpkin? He turns 22 in August. If he keeps playing the way he has, he'll get his shot.

[samoht]

The best full forwards of all time were 190 cm and 188cms tall.
The best full backs of all time were around 190 cms tall.

Body strength beats height every time - Dawson's 196 cms height was useless when strong bodied forwards kept him well out of the contest.