Future coming through..

[saintsRrising]

quote="Armoooo"]Good to see Eddy coming along nicely
Geary, Eddy, Steven and Armitage all looking likely, very exciting [/quote]

It very good to have a list now which at least seems to have a steady stream of talent coming through..... a list with a future pool coming through.....rather than just a focus on the present.



Fure Ruck; Mcevoy...and maybe VR

Future Key Forward: Allen. seems to know where and wen to run and is a nice kick at goal.

Future Mids (or flankers):

Pool A: Armo and Geary will definately play a lot of games for us.

Pool B: Eddy and Jones are likely lads who have to work on flaws...

Pool C: Steven is very young, but looks to bea real talent. Elay too early to say...but has shown a bit.

Miles..pitty about his injury...will be interesting to see how he goes.....


Hopefully in the next draft period a future FB will bob up....anda genuine HF would be nice

[Armoooo]

It will be interesting to see how we approach the draft this year, IMO our key position stocks should be our first concern because they take the longest to develop, I believe that the next few years we should focus on rebuilding the midfield stock.

[Richter]

Drafting IMO needs to be considered in 2-3 year blocks according to the perceived needs of the team 3-5 years hence. This gives you a bit of licence to also try to pick up the "next best talent" available.

Thus, ruckstocks will be exhausted again in a couple of years hence Big Mac last year. Key forwards we should be fine for another 5 years so less of a priority. Pacey mids - priority NOW and will continue to be so in the next few years. All mids - there are so many needed that they are always near the top of the priority list. Key defenders - Max will be gone in a couple of years. Probably need another one recruited either this year or next.

[saintly]

quote="Armoooo"]Good to see Eddy coming along nicely
Geary, Eddy, Steven and Armitage all looking likely, very exciting

It very good to have a list now which at least seems to have a steady stream of talent coming through..... a list with a future pool coming through.....rather than just a focus on the present.




Miles..pitty about his injury...will be interesting to see how he goes.....


Hopefully in the next draft period a future FB will bob up....anda genuine HF would be nice [/quote]

Does any one what injury does Miles have? have not heard much lately.

[Otiman]

I still think we need to recruit a #2 ruckman this year.

All other things being equal.

1st round - KP Back
2nd round - Ruckman
3rd/4th round - More mids

[saintsRrising]

On Miles..I have not heard...but I would like to see more of him too.

It would appear that he is too small for FB...but he played midfield as well with heaps of super quickpace ank skills..with a long kick.

If he can step up to AFL level he good be an excellent additionaddressing some of the aspects that we lack.

He could make an excellent running HB or midfield link man.

Anyway he is only a rookie at present...but lets hope that he can get playing again at Casey.

[matrix]

i actually think we need a up and coming backman a centre half back or full back.
max gone in a few years, and we dont know yet if goose is gonna get to the point we all thought he would before that broken leg...
plenty of back 'runners' but not enough major position men i feel.

then again, you guys would know whats coming up thru the reserves etc in the case of defenders.....i however dont really know.

[Dan Warna]

still only 21, is mini out of the picture?

[bobmurray]

The only players over 190 cm not in the team at the moment are...

M.Gardiner............199cm
B.McEvoy..............200cm
M.Rix....................198cm
J.Allen...................193cm

Rookies...
L.Van Rheenan.......201cm
K.Haretuku.............198cm

I don't think that leaves us flush for developing Key Position Players....

It needs to be priority sooner rather than later............

[saintsRrising]

The only players over 190 cm not in the team at the moment are...

M.Gardiner............199cm
B.McEvoy..............200cm
M.Rix....................198cm
J.Allen...................193cm

Rookies...
L.Van Rheenan.......201cm
K.Haretuku.............198cm

I don't think that leaves us flush for developing Key Position Players....

It needs to be priority sooner rather than later............

I think it is mainly a key emerging back that we are short of..particularly a FB. apart from that I think we are ok for height.


Roo and Kosi should be around a while....so an emerging Allen is fine. any more and they would probably never get picked anyway.

With MacEvoy and VR...as well as the rooke Khan...I don't think we want any more rucks at present. We could not play them in the ruck which makes it hard to develop them.

If Rix gets delisted...then yes maybe in the draft you might take another. However by seasons end we will really know where Gardi nand King stand (they have both demonstrated this year that they are good enough, we just need to see if they can play often enough).

Max is in top form....but is geting on. We need a replacement in the system. Maybe Gilbert when he beefs up???

Sam Fisher...can now play CHB well. We will know by seasons end how Goose is going...but I would imagine that he canrecover, but that it may take a while.


Apart from a key defender I would just go for more mids and a hf type.

[saintsRrising]

still only 21, is mini out of the picture?

No...but he needs to keep up his form of the last few weeks.

Will help if he can keep scoring goals for as we all know we lack mids who can score goals.

[Dan Warna]

still only 21, is mini out of the picture?

No...but he needs to keep up his form of the last few weeks.

Will help if he can keep scoring goals for as we all know we lack mids who can score goals.

BOG for casey = career death

but yeah here's hoping he becomes a good luck story ftw.

[vacuous space]

I would think it unlikely that we'd take a KP defender in the first round. There's still a long way to go before the draft and somebody could emerge, but I don't think there'll be any KP backs worthy of our first pick available to us. Michael Hurley will probably be gone before we select, but if he's not, I'd be happy with that pick. Like I said though, there's a long way to go. At least a third of the first round last year was probably rated below the first round at this point of the season.

At this stage I'd expect a mid or a key forward. Very few defensive players go early in the draft.

[Dan Warna]

not many players available at pick 17 (assuming melbourne are the only side that get a priority pick )

<shrug> heres hoping eh

[plugger66]

not many players available at pick 17 (assuming melbourne are the only side that get a priority pick )

<shrug> heres hoping eh

16.Melbourne cannot get one even if they lose 22 games. Only after round one.

[Dan Warna]

not many players available at pick 17 (assuming melbourne are the only side that get a priority pick )

<shrug> heres hoping eh

16.Melbourne cannot get one even if they lose 22 games. Only after round one.

bonus, then we've agreed to get the best player available at pick 16 then

here's hoping

then we can all bitch about GT's influence, RL's influence, the quality of the team as inherited by RL, the relative merits of the coaches, the change in administration, defencive vs offensive strategies, relative injuries each coach dealt with, yada yada yada in the 08/09 break and nexxuss will have snuck into under the fridge like all the other roaches.

I'll take that thanks.

[saintsRrising]

Well an update since I wrote the OP:

*Armitage. Is looking good and has shown enough to indicate that he should become at leasta capable AFL level player., though gets low TOG. At times goes missing, but on the other hand he has the knack of kicking goals whic a number of our older mids lack. Armo has actually kicked more goals than any other St Kilda mid...and averages more than any other mid apart from Birss.

*Jones has improved to be a genuine "bottom six" player.

*Eddy has played a few games now and looks the goods. Will only get better. One advantage he has over some of the other kids is that he hasa more robust body.

*Geary has played quite a few games and is a definate player of the future. Just needs more experience anda more mature body.

* Big Ben has had a taste but us still to raw for senior football. We will need King and Gardi fora couple of years yet. Now this is nota real problem as young rucks takea while..just look how King and Kosi towelled up Kruezer.

* Allen has had some games...and has shown glimpses. Looks very likely but is still raw.

* Mini has re-surrected himself and continued on with his good Casey form into the seniors to play good steady football.

*Steven. I have only seen a couple more games with him. He has not donea lot, but what he has done screams "class". Of our current young players I think he is the one with the biggest upside.

*Howard. Has shown promising improvement and is a much better player than last year, but is still not AFL quality. He is still very much an unknown quantity but is worth keeping though as he is trending upwards.

*Miles. has at alst played some game with casey and so far has looked very good. He has shown his pace....and with gram graduating to the midfield Miles could well be his replacement down back as the pacey running HB.

*Ferg. cCme in and did little and then his injury curse re-emerged. Witha shrinking injury list I think he will find it hard to get another crack in the near future.

*Gwilt. has now played some more senior games. at times looks very good and at other times quite horrid. He seems to be an athlete playing football and in that way reminds we of Tro Schwarze. Will need to improve to make it.


In 2010 I could definately see these players as regular senior players:

Armo
Geary
Eddy
Steven
Jones
Ben (though will still be years off his best)
Allen

With Mini a big chance to be there too now.

However to do it all must still improve.


And in addition Ross was reported as saying recently:

Clinton Jones?
Very driven, exceptional pace, speed and endurance, obviously his disposal (is an issue) but he’s been working on that. The last few weeks he’s had it 22 times.
James Gwilt?
He’s taken a step. He’s starting to make decisions and compete in the manner that we want. He’s a real good athlete, six-foot-three (188cm), got speed, endurance. He’s far from cementing a spot, but he’s played some good roles. Last year he played on Barry Hall, he played on Fevola, and full-backs are very hard to find and one day we have to replace Max Hudghton. It’s a critical year for him but he’s only young, he’s only 22.
Robert Eddy?
He’s an All Australian under-18, very strong character, incredibly hard worker, top-three athletes at the club, speed, endurance. He has a very strong work ethic.
Jarryn Geary?
He missed playing in the under-18 championships. He’s in the top five for speed and endurance at the club, he’s a quality kid. He played in the NAB Cup, he’s played just eight games, and he had 20 possessions against Sydney and Carlton, but needs to build his body a bit more. He will be a good player.
Brad Howard?
Was a second round player out of Queensland, he’s progressed and we are confident he will get there in the end.
Jarryd Allen?
He’s playing his third game this week. He’s a tall forward, maybe a key back. He’s really hard working and he took a couple of contested marks against North. He had a big contest against three North players on a wing which was pleasing.
Andrew McQualter?
He’s a first-round draft pick, he’s had four years. We delisted him and then we took him back and he’s worked his arse off. He worked very hard on Boomer Harvey in the second half last match.
Ben McEvoy?
We are going to give him more games this year. With Kosi coming back, we’ve been justified by that (dropping him) because Kosi probably played his best game for the season. He’s going to take time, but he’s a ruckman that can play forward. He took the most contested marks in the under-18s and we think he has a big future.
Jack Steven?
He’s one with real talent. He’s quick, still doing VCE and was one of the best for the Geelong Falcons last year. We hope to see him play seniors before the season is out.

[noob]

people don't realise that u don't need a first round pick for a defender or a forward. some of the saints players played up forward in 18s comp and now groomed into the backline.. so their positions can change once at afl level. look at max hudghton(started his junior career down back?) i don't think he would be a first rounder and his gun. 1st round picks should always be midfielders eg. selwood. a gun already.. so id pick a midfielder first next year

[saintsRrising]

I think that in the first round you basically take the best player available...at least in the first half anyway.

Once the talent "levels' out and there is not much difference between your ratings you go what position your team mainly needs...


But yes there is talent to be had late..as well as early. Just look ar our current group of blooming rookies. Howeer I don't think there is any logic to smalls being better to take early than key postion players.

I think rucman yes...as they takea lot longer to bloom and are thereforea much harder group to predict.

[mad saint guy]

people don't realise that u don't need a first round pick for a defender or a forward. some of the saints players played up forward in 18s comp and now groomed into the backline.. so their positions can change once at afl level. look at max hudghton(started his junior career down back?) i don't think he would be a first rounder and his gun. 1st round picks should always be midfielders eg. selwood. a gun already.. so id pick a midfielder first next year

I'm not quite sure what language this is in, but I do recognize a few words...

In modern recruiting, the attributes AFL clubs look for in a key defender are height, speed, agility and coordination. Their overall performance in junior levels will not play a huge part in their chances of being recruited if they are tall and athletic.

Usually players drafted to be groomed into forwards already play forward in junior comps, because they have the best footy smarts, skills, size, mobility and pace. The best ones will go early (Pavlich, Roo, Kosi, Roughead, Franklin etc) and the kids with holes in their game go much later. If these players lack skills, but have good athleticism then they are often tried down back.

I'm pretty sure you're trying to say that because of Joel Selwood, every player picked in the first round should be a midfielder. Believe it or not, but Selwood is not like every other midfielder who gets picked early. That draft was the best in a long, long time and the only reason he didn't go at pick 1 was because of the concern on his knee. There will not be anyone that good who would make it past the top 3 picks any time in the near future.

And yes, Max Hudghton was a first round pick.

[Eastern]

The only players over 190 cm not in the team at the moment are...

M.Gardiner............199cm
B.McEvoy..............200cm
M.Rix....................198cm
J.Allen...................193cm

Rookies...
L.Van Rheenan.......201cm
K.Haretuku.............198cm

I don't think that leaves us flush for developing Key Position Players....

It needs to be priority sooner rather than later............

How tall is Goose? I thought he is about 193cm !!

[Dazvolt]

I think we really need more medium sized goal kickers. Premiership teams have > 5 players that kick greater than 25 goals a year. We have roo, kosi & milne and need more. Also schnider is capable but is a small forward who is not great over head.

[saints11]

The only players over 190 cm not in the team at the moment are...

M.Gardiner............199cm
B.McEvoy..............200cm
M.Rix....................198cm
J.Allen...................193cm

Rookies...
L.Van Rheenan.......201cm
K.Haretuku.............198cm

I don't think that leaves us flush for developing Key Position Players....

It needs to be priority sooner rather than later............

How tall is Goose? I thought he is about 193cm !!

Yeah Around that

[mad saint guy]

How tall is Goose? I thought he is about 193cm !!

Usually listed at 190-191cm. Doesn't make much difference though. He plays tall.