Farren Ray

[PJ]

What's peoples take on this guy and what does he offer the saints?

Haven't seen enough of him to comment, all I'm only going by at the minute is what we've heard in the media so far.

[n1ck]

Pace, run and carry, skills on a wing / flank.

Release Goddard, Gram or Fisher into the midfield.

[Batnoe]

I have high hopes for the kid am stoked we got him and will fit in nicley to the Saints mould

will play 22 games + finals depending on injuries...

I am looking more forward to seeing him run out there more than any other trade we have had since the Hamill + Gehrig trades


will score goals, will break through the middle, will deliver the ball nicely..

15-20 possessions at 80% efficiency + a goal or 2. He is the type of guy that only needs the ball 10 times and will more or less do something with it like set up a team goal...

Fast becoming a favourite player of mine behind Goddard and Ball and i havent even seen him play for the saints

[PJ]

Does anyone know where he played for the dogs?

[n1ck]

Does anyone know where he played for the dogs?

Wing.

[Batnoe]

He is an outside reciever with a lot of pace... something the dogs had a lot of


Dogs midfield- Cooney, Griffen, Boyd Cross- 4 of the best and all similar players. I like to think he plays a lot like Griffen but is faster and not as big.....


Great link man that is perfect on the wing... plus running off half back. He would love to play on the wing as he is super fit and fast but with Gram, Goddard and S Fisher all looking for a spot in the middle he might have to wait his turn....

[PJ]

He would love to play on the wing as he is super fit and fast

If he's good enough for the spot then he should go there. I'm not a big fan of this waiting your turn/pecking order stuff. Who cares if someone has their nose put out of joint - then work harder to earn your spot.

No saint should be taking their position for granted. Earn it .....again.

[chook23]

The description fits Fiora when he first walked in the door.

[Animal Enclosure]

Word from Bulldog supporting mates support all of the above except the skills comment.

Can be hit & miss with his footskills. Plenty around already with that issue so hopefully Ross has 'Hitting a target 101' as a key summer program.

[Batnoe]

The description fits Fiora when he first walked in the door.

I would love for you to say at the end of 09- wow i was wrong!! i think u will be, he is a better player than Fiora ever was

[PJ]

Don't want to disrespect a saint but when I saw him run out in the prelim I had a real bad feeling in my gut. Good luck for the future Aaron hope there's less pressure from fanatic fans.

[PJ]

p.s. don't like player comparisons. no player is the same.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

Pace, run and carry, skills on a wing / flank.

Release Goddard, Gram or Fisher into the midfield.

ray and goddard are different players - goddard is physical and can play key back...ray...ummmmm

closest to the pin might be gram despite gram usually having an opponent throughout games

if we swap fisher for ray we are relying on maximus to take at least 3 forwards (taking into account goose taking the other forward)

[Armoooo]

Agreed, I don't want Ray anywhere near the backline TBH...

Ross has stated he would like to get Xavier into the middle, perhaps Ray could take his spot on the forward flank...

[Quixote]

Good thread.

Perhaps the question is, who is Ray going to replace in the team?

Now going from a rough memory of last years PF, I'll state this:

B: S Gilbert Max J Blake
HB: R Clarke S Fisher J Gram

Personally, I don't see Ray replaceing any of those six players, nor do I see why he should.

However, our forward line may have at times during the final looked like this:

HF: Eddy Roo Jones
F: Milne Kosi Armitage

Can think of a couple there that will be training hard.

My guess is that Farren Ray comes in for Robert Eddy.

I'd like to see Ball in for McQualter.

Goose and Baker are different stories. But Gilbert, and perhaps Jones/Schnieder are borderline.

Also, X Clarke. If he's fit, does he take Gwilt's role?

And Tom Lynch. Where does he fit in? Does someone like Blake come under pressure?

Also Big Mac. Is he our 3rd tall forward? Can we afford King, Kosi, Macca (with MG on the fringe) in the one side?


Many answers await!

[joffaboy]

Family full of Doggie supporters - reckon he is pretty good but will let us down with foot skills and decision making.

Sounds just the ponk for the Saints

[BAM! (shhhh)]

p.s. don't like player comparisons. no player is the same.

Farren Ray is a hard one to properly draw comparison's for anyway, given that he had the lowest contested ball rate in the league.

Even mates of mine who are Bulldogs fanatics aren't sure how much of Ray's game was driven by Ray and how much was driven by gamestyle. If his execution had been better, he would have been a perfect "outrider" in the Eade gameplan, but it wasn't, and so you were left with an entirely unnacountable guy who didn't win his own ball and didn't do much damage with the ball he was given.

With the Saints, such a role doesn't exist - our loose guys are expected to be accountable, and regularly lead the way in contested possessions (e.g. Goddard and Fisher). As much as Gram has struggled at times on a direct opponent who drags him to the goalsquare, it's a mystery as to how Ray might go in a similar situation, as it didn't come up with the dogs (teams were content to let him be loose).

So, how much can Ray improve his contested work will be a big variable, as will the damage he can do. If he's got the drive, St Kilda is likely to represent a fantastic opportunity for Ray, he could turn out to be an incredible bargain, but while I'd expect him in the round 1 team, if he doesn't make strides in these areas, I wouldn't necessarily expect him in the round 22 team.

[Ghost Like]

will score goals, will break through the middle, will deliver the ball nicely..

I sincerely hope you're right Batnoe. However I've got about 5 Bulldog mates who all mentioned a similar theme in that he seems to get lost running the ball through the middle, consequently holding on to the ball too long and either getting tackled or kicking under pressure and causing a turnover, leaving team mates out of position.

Hopefully this will be worked on with new instructions and game plan. Two big key forwards should also be a bonus for him instaed of having to wait for a medium forward to create space.

He's nothing like Fiora, his courage has never been questioned and he works hard defensively. Good luck Farren, I think this will be a great move for you and the Saints.

[evertonfc]

Family full of Doggie supporters - reckon he is pretty good but will let us down with foot skills and decision making.

That's pretty much spot on. I'd also add that he gets panic attacks under pressure, which is why he has trouble disposing of the pill and deciding what to do.

Hopefully, somehow, he can eradicate the panic from his game.

[Solar]

look he can run and carry the ball through the lines very well but as many have said it's his decision making and skills that let him down. Will never be the dal santo type of hit up a player perfectly but if we have leading big forwards for him to kick to then these decision mistakes might clear up.

[InkerSaint]

B: S Gilbert Max J Blake
HB: R Clarke S Fisher J Gram

Personally, I don't see Ray replaceing any of those six players, nor do I see why he should.

However, our forward line may have at times during the final looked like this:

HF: Eddy Roo Jones
F: Milne Kosi Armitage

Can think of a couple there that will be training hard.

My guess is that Farren Ray comes in for Robert Eddy.

With competition for spots in the back from Baker and Maguire, Fisher and Gram going forward to the midfield... pretty tight there too.

C: B Goddard L Hayes N Dal Santo
Foll: L Ball (King/Gardiner/McEvoy?) L Montagna

I could see a couple moving forward to HF, perhaps this:

HF: Goddard Riewoldt Gram

And possibly:

Int: X Clarke C Jones L Fisher J Gwilt

Anyone who isn't standing up might have plenty of pressure from Armitage, McQualter, Steven, Heyne, Cahill, Lynch...

I have no idea how the Saints will go this year but it should be great to watch! Doesn't look like there's room for any passengers.

[MCG-Unit]

He is an outside reciever with a lot of pace... something the dogs had a lot of.....

.....I like to think he plays a lot like Griffen but is faster and not as big.....

....

Don't know whether Ray plays the same as Griffen, Griffen relishes body contact, I would think Ray is more of an outside player

Number 4 draft pick, hope he more than lives up to that

[Moccha]

Maybe if he changed his name to Ray Farren then it might improve his skills. He's probably confused as to why he has a surname as a christain name and christain name as a surname. It might get him thinking straight and more direct in his approach to the game

[Sam23]

Tis a shame that i'm sure Saints will turn on Ray after 2 or 3 games due to him not getting the hard ball.

Despite him not needing to do that, as it isn't what he does. Everyone will soon turn.

Be funny to see it run out.

[sunsaint]

I hope FR grabs his second chance with the saints, and gives it a big shake.
But to be honest I was confused by the club's decision.
I know there is a coaching staff connection going on...
But I dont know where he fits. He has never played HBF, and if that is a future postion for him, then why did we go for Begley? (who is a HBF) And Demspter will be back. If he is a winger, then what does that say for X, Montagna, or where does he go when Gram/Goddard move up to the middle.
Looking at his last year at the dogs, apart from injury he was given a lot of games. And right up til QF against the Hawks, Eade gave him every opportunity. A month later he is gone. 2006 was his best year, since then he has gone backwards.
Most surprising, no one at the dogs are bleeding he is gone.
http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=3755

Hope he gives '09 a shake.