Where does Hickey play

[plugger66]

We have Hickey now and I would hope he plays round one at the Saints but for the life of me I cant work out where he can actually play. We will have the tallest forward line in AFL history if most of the talls play. Either that or Sandy will have a good VFL forward line.

[matrix]

u couldnt ask this question in the 'welcome to st kilda tom; thread??
it needed its own whole thread to discuss what position he plays?

he's back pocket and interchange btw

[bergholt]

Fair question. As it stands the team would be something like this.

FB Simpkin, Gwilt, Geary
HB Gram, Fisher, Dempster
C Gilbert, Hayes, Montagna
HF Schneider, Riewoldt, Saad
FF Milne, Koschitzke/Lee, Stanley/Hickey
R McEvoy, Dal Santo, Armitage
IC Steven, Siposs, Milera, Newnes
E Koschitzke/Lee, Stanley/Hickey, Milera, Jones, Ledger, Wilkes, Dunell

I think Lee only plays if Kosi is injured/out of form - not round one. I think Hickey battles with Stanley for a spot as backup ruck/forward. Not sure who's ahead of who come round one. And if Brown comes in then a defender drops out, probably Simpkin but maybe Gwilt.

[on the outer]

Very tall forward line with a medium sized backline unless we pick up a tall backman or Lever / Staley makes a rapid entry into the starting 22 next year, also hope Ross and Markworth are pressing for selection.

[Scollop]

Fair question. As it stands the team would be something like this.

FB Simpkin, Gwilt, Geary
HB Gram, Fisher, Dempster
C Gilbert, Hayes, Montagna
HF Schneider, Riewoldt, Saad
FF Milne, Koschitzke/Lee, Stanley/Hickey
R McEvoy, Dal Santo, Armitage
IC Steven, Siposs, Milera, Newnes
E Koschitzke/Lee, Stanley/Hickey, Milera, Jones, Ledger, Wilkes, Dunell

I think Lee only plays if Kosi is injured/out of form - not round one. I think Hickey battles with Stanley for a spot as backup ruck/forward. Not sure who's ahead of who come round one. And if Brown comes in then a defender drops out, probably Simpkin but maybe Gwilt.

Why not play Lee in round one and if he goes ok, play him in Rnd 2, 3, 4, etc.. keep playing him 'til he's battle weary.

I'd like Roo at FF and Lee at CHF for the first half of the year. Get the kid to put in the miles or play Rhys at CHF and Roo can be unleashed at CHF in the last half of the year. I agree that at this stage you can't say Lee is in front of Kosi, but why not keep Kos in cotton wool and tease him with only a game or two for the first 18 rounds then unleash him for our run-up to finals - Clarke Keating style!!

Now....back to this thread....I reckon Hickey and Stanley will put pressure on Bigmac to retain his position. All three will ruck. This can only be positive for the team and Macca has to improve and his to lift or he won't be our number one ruckmen. Hickey could become our number 1 ruck.

[CURLY]

Rotates with McEvoy in the ruck with both having with small stints in the goal square. Leave Roo and Stanley at key forward positions.

With our backline being a bit undersized Im wrapt we now have two ruckman that have the ability and mindset to push back and take defensive contested grabs and helpout.

[SuperDuper]

FB Gwilt, Simpkin, Geary
HB Gram, Fisher, Dempster
C Gilbert, Hayes, Montagna
HF Siposs, Riewoldt, Saad
FF Milne, Lee, Stanley
R McEvoy, Dal Santo, Armitage
IC Steven, Curren, Hickey, Schneider
E Milera, Newnes, Wilkes, Dunell

[joffaboy]

Rotates with McEvoy in the ruck with both having with small stints in the goal square. Leave Roo and Stanley at key forward positions.

With our backline being a bit undersized Im wrapt we now have two ruckman that have the ability and mindset to push back and take defensive contested grabs and helpout.

mac has been used very effectively in short stints as the loose man in defence, depending on whom we are playing, but also because we dont have a regular FB.

Both can take contested marks so both can swing through that role when required, both are ruckmen and can rotate through that position (with Stanley) and both can play forward.

Only position they can play is through the mids .

[bigcarl]

Fair question.

Second ruck to McEvoy? Riewoldt CHF. Lee FF.

Stanley HFF?

Kosi to Sandringham.

Wilkes, who knows ... CHB?

Its going to be interesting.

[Legendary]

Gives us good flexibility.

Forward line with Roo and Stanley locked in.

McEvoy locked in as ruck.

Hickey and Lee competing for the same spot in a sense - either Lee in playing forward and Stanley plays forward AND rucks to support Ben, or Hickey in and Stanley plays permanent forward, with Ben & Hickey resting.

Kosi will enjoy a productive season of VFL football in 2013.

[footynut]

In the pre season push Roo to CHB and all our probles could be fixed!
Lee at FF
Rhys at CHF
and Sadd, Siposs, Schneider, Milera, Dunell, Milne, Dal Santo & Wilkes floating around them
then Big Mac & Hickey swapping in the forward pocket

[spert]

Seeing Hickey was secured to boost our ruck division, then he would rotate with McEvoy and would give us the extra tall to drop into the backline. Wilkes deserves the FF gig for starters as he really put in this season, played great team footy and did kick useful goals and marked strongly. Stanley will play somewhere in the forward line as will Lee, but no guarantees that Lee will be up to AFL standard straight away. It kind of looks hard to find a spot for Kosi..back pocket?

[tedzeeki]

How about McEvoy to CHB. He is a great Defensive Mark, and is not the slowest.

[ace]

Wherever his coach directs him. For the last year it has been mostly on the Gold Coast.

[Middo]

How about McEvoy to CHB. He is a great Defensive Mark, and is not the slowest.

AYE ...??? Very close to the slowest ...

[tedzeeki]

I know he is slow but I was more thinking about covering our problem against the monster forwards

[vacuous space]

Sandy. Project player. Isn't going to unseat Ben. Roo, along with a pair of Kosi, Stanley and Wilkes, will start forward.

[bigcarl]

ST KILDA has recruited young ruckman Tom Hickey as part of plans to counter an expected cap on interchange rotations.


Saints head of football Chris Pelchen said today Hickey's elite endurance would be a factor if the AFL introduced a new rule.

"We look forward with the possibility of capping rotations taking place, Tom has got an outstanding tank,'' Pelchen said on SEN.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/departm ... 6502095839


"Ultimately, we'll get two players for what would have been our pick 13. Getting Tom through the door initially and then pick 26. So it's not a stand-alone pick that we've traded away.

[bergsone]

Excately what we need,trouble fitting em all in


We desperately need a key back,imo that will leave either Gwilt /Gram struggling for a spot

[bozza1980]

Wherever his coach directs him. For the last year it has been mostly on the Gold Coast.

Gold!!

His first game for us might not change that!!!

[Sobraz]

Stanley will be exclusively forward IMO...

The future of football... They're all getting taller and more athletic.. Franklin is 6'6 and plays like Milne..

Keefe is a 200cm+ fullback for the Pies.. Due to Rhys's athleticism, playing exclusively forward is not an issue, as long as he develops the smarts and straight kicking... So it's Hickey and Ben as the 1/2 ruck combo, floating forward and back respectively...

[mad saint guy]

Wilkes and Kosi are the two big losers of our trading so far. They would have been competing with each other for one spot, now they're competing with Lee plus HIckey makes it harder for them.

Riewoldt, Milne and Saad are three permanent forwards. I think we're likely to have three tall forwards at any given time, the two crumbers and one of Schneider, Milera, Dunell and Siposs drifting in there.

So there's four of the regular forward spots taken with the two spots remaining for talls. Stanley is a lock, but it remains to be seen if he will spend time in the ruck. If Hickey plays, then Stanley will be a permanent forward. That's five forward spots, and McEvoy/Hickey would have to rotate through to justify having them both in the side. That could well be it, with Kosi, Wilkes and Lee missing out. I don't think that's an ideal situation and we'd lack a mature, pack-busting body to take pressure off Riewoldt.

But if Hickey is developed at Sandy for most of the year then Rhys becomes the second ruck and another KPF spot opens up. Who gets it out of Kosi, WIlkes and Lee is probably dependant on form and fitness. If Lee can play as an athletic, high-roaming HF then it's possible that two of those guys could be in the side, but that would still make us rather slow and top-heavy.

For 2013 I think Hickey will play around 8-10 games assuming McEvoy and Stanley stay fit for most of the year and Lee would play a similar number also pending injuries. In 2014 when Kosi is gone, a more regular spot opens up for Lee and if Roo is finished by 2015 then Hickey gets a regular gig as a second ruck/third forward. Our trading hasn't really been focused on 2013, but more for a few years down the track.

2015 (post-Riewoldt) side would be gearing towards something like this assuming we do snare Mitch Brown.

B: Dempster (31), Brown (26), Geary (27)
HB: Gilbert (29), Simpkin (25), Siposs (22)
C: Montagna (31), Armitage (27), Newnes (22)
HF: Markworth (22), Stanley (24), Dunell (25)
F: Saad (26), Lee (24), Hickey (24)

Foll: McEvoy (26), Dal Santo (31), Steven (25)

Int from: Gwilt (29), Ross (22), Ledger (23), Milera (27), Ferguson (23), Curren (23), Wilkes (29), Ray (29)

[saintjake]

Wilkes and Kosi are the two big losers of our trading so far. They would have been competing with each other for one spot, now they're competing with Lee plus HIckey makes it harder for them.

Riewoldt, Milne and Saad are three permanent forwards. I think we're likely to have three tall forwards at any given time, the two crumbers and one of Schneider, Milera, Dunell and Siposs drifting in there.

So there's four of the regular forward spots taken with the two spots remaining for talls. Stanley is a lock, but it remains to be seen if he will spend time in the ruck. If Hickey plays, then Stanley will be a permanent forward. That's five forward spots, and McEvoy/Hickey would have to rotate through to justify having them both in the side. That could well be it, with Kosi, Wilkes and Lee missing out. I don't think that's an ideal situation and we'd lack a mature, pack-busting body to take pressure off Riewoldt.

But if Hickey is developed at Sandy for most of the year then Rhys becomes the second ruck and another KPF spot opens up. Who gets it out of Kosi, WIlkes and Lee is probably dependant on form and fitness. If Lee can play as an athletic, high-roaming HF then it's possible that two of those guys could be in the side, but that would still make us rather slow and top-heavy.

For 2013 I think Hickey will play around 8-10 games assuming McEvoy and Stanley stay fit for most of the year and Lee would play a similar number also pending injuries. In 2014 when Kosi is gone, a more regular spot opens up for Lee and if Roo is finished by 2015 then Hickey gets a regular gig as a second ruck/third forward. Our trading hasn't really been focused on 2013, but more for a few years down the track.

2015 (post-Riewoldt) side would be gearing towards something like this assuming we do snare Mitch Brown.

B: Dempster (31), Brown (26), Geary (27)
HB: Gilbert (29), Simpkin (25), Siposs (22)
C: Montagna (31), Armitage (27), Newnes (22)
HF: Markworth (22), Stanley (24), Dunell (25)
F: Saad (26), Lee (24), Hickey (24)

Foll: McEvoy (26), Dal Santo (31), Steven (25)

Int from: Gwilt (29), Ross (22), Ledger (23), Milera (27), Ferguson (23), Curren (23), Wilkes (29), Ray (29)

Gwilt over Gilbert everyday of the week

[mad saint guy]

Gwilt over Gilbert everyday of the week

I'm not sure on Gwilt's future. The ACL robbed him of a bit of pace and agility, which he didn't have in abundance to start with. He's too short to play KP and can't play on smalls. He's good on strong marking medium forwards like Crameri but there aren't too many of that type around. Gilbert is flawed but has pace and can play on any type of forward other than the monsters.

[spert]

Gwilt over Gilbert everyday of the week

I'm not sure on Gwilt's future. The ACL robbed him of a bit of pace and agility, which he didn't have in abundance to start with. He's too short to play KP and can't play on smalls. He's good on strong marking medium forwards like Crameri but there aren't too many of that type around. Gilbert is flawed but has pace and can play on any type of forward other than the monsters.

I don't think Gwilt was ever recruited to be a KPP, its just that he has been forced into that role and it has stunted his natural game this season. We need a bigger spine, CHB and FB to allow Gwilt to go on the flanks and set up play out of the backline with his excellent penetrating kicking (something a bit rare at St K).