MeikleJohn

[Bleed Red Blood]

From www.sydneyswans.com.au

Sydney is known for its famous beaches, and the harbour city is experiencing another change in the tide.

As Paul Kelly, Wayne Schwass, Andrew Dunkley and Tony Lockett?s match-day heroics drifted out in 2002, in glided exciting youngsters such as Adam Schneider, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Mark Powell, Jarrad Sundqvist and Luke Ablett.


Now, before a ball has been kicked in pre-season training, the Swans will be without defender Brad Seymour - who hopes to head south - along with the retiring Daryn Cresswell and Daniel McPherson.

Meanwhile, floating onto the senior list in the next wave is 19-year-old ruckman James Meiklejohn - who played five matches in the top side and listed 12 times as an emergency this season.

?It?s very exciting,? Meiklejohn told afl.com.au.

?I am very happy to be part of a young team like we have at the moment and we should have exciting times ahead of us.?

The former NSW-ACT under-18 representative rang his parents in Canberra straight upon hearing the news of his promotion to the senior list and they congratulated the youngster who spent the 2003 season becoming a sponge for knowledge.

?All the senior players helped me out with everything. I lived with Leo Barry so he was a good influence, Jason Ball was a big influence and he helped me out a lot with my ruck work and things like that as did Adam Goodes.

?All the senior players had their part in helping me out, and helping everyone out.

?I learnt so much like how to handle yourself as a professional athlete, looking after your body, general game stuff.

?It (becoming an AFL player) was a lot more than I thought it was, just the amount of effort and preparation you have to put into everything not just the game.?

As Meiklejohn moved up to the senior list he had to prepare to move out of Barry?s abode due to their new addition. He now looks forward to sharing household duties with fellow ruckman Stephen Doyle and defender Tadhg Kennelly.

On the field he looks forward to repaying the coaches? faith in him by taking more marks and getting more footy around the ground.

?(The coaches) were very happy with how I went (during the year) and told me a few things I have to work on like contested marking and being more aggressive at times.?

Never one to shy away from hard work, Meiklejohn spent his off-season keeping fit until training begins on 24 November.

?I took a couple weeks off to do nothing and now have just been working as a construction worker in Canberra which is keeping me busy,? Meiklejohn said.

?The hours are a bit different with trade hour days, and it?s very different work but it makes me enjoy the football a lot more.

?I can?t wait for (pre-season training next week). It will be really good to just getting back and touching the footy.?

[dimelb]

Good to hear the young bloke is keen and working hard. Obviously it's early days for him at this stage, but he showed a couple of good things, the second time against Brisbane in particular. Let's hope he keeps progressing, and given that it takes time to mature a ruckman, I hope he gets the space he needs.

[Charlie]

He's probably competing with Doyle at this stage for 4th in the ruck ranks... behind Goodes, Ball and Roberts-Thomson. I doubt he'll play a lot of footy in 2004, but rather he'll be expected to make an impact in 2005, especially if Doyle doesn't overcome his injuries.

[sharpie]

4th in the ruck ranks...Doyle? Pfft, you have got to be kidding, behind LRT, haha. Are we gonna play him as a tagger or something? If Doyle is fit, I mean match fit, he is our premier ruckman. The only true ruckman in our side, its just that Goodes and Ball have the experience.

If everyone is fit, the Doyle, Goodes and Ball all get selected in the 22. These guys rotate between ruck, bench and full-forward. LRT only gets picked if he can play CHB. At present, Meiklejohn is just another backup ruckman.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by sharpie
4th in the ruck ranks...Doyle? Pfft, you have got to be kidding, behind LRT, haha. Are we gonna play him as a tagger or something? If Doyle is fit, I mean match fit, he is our premier ruckman. The only true ruckman in our side, its just that Goodes and Ball have the experience.

If everyone is fit, the Doyle, Goodes and Ball all get selected in the 22. These guys rotate between ruck, bench and full-forward. LRT only gets picked if he can play CHB. At present, Meiklejohn is just another backup ruckman.

That's probably what the club is hoping for in the next couple of years. In my view, it's overly optimistic, considering that Doyle has battled injuries for the last 4 years now, and has still not spent any meaningful time in the ruck at AFL level, means that we cannot consider it to be the case at the present time. We need to recognise that Roberts-Thomson is ahead of Doyle at the moment.

If is the operative word in your post.

[Sanecow]

If Doyle is fit, I mean match fit, he is our premier ruckman.

And if he could kick 100 goals he'd be our premier full forward. But we're yet to see it.

[liz]

Originally posted by Charlie
We need to recognise that Roberts-Thomson is ahead of Doyle at the moment.

Disagree.

Doyle has played far more Aussie Rules football, has more senior games under his belt in total and is far more physically developed. He "proper" ruckman size, which LRT isn't.

Personally I doubt LRT will ever be more than a pinch-hitter in the ruck but he could be a valuable KPP if he continues to develop. If both were fit and I had to pick one to play in the ruck tomorrow then I'd pick Doyle every time.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by lizz
Disagree.

Doyle has played far more Aussie Rules football, has more senior games under his belt in total and is far more physically developed. He "proper" ruckman size, which LRT isn't.

Personally I doubt LRT will ever be more than a pinch-hitter in the ruck but he could be a valuable KPP if he continues to develop. If both were fit and I had to pick one to play in the ruck tomorrow then I'd pick Doyle every time.

Again, operative word 'if'. Doyle has not had an extended run without injuries in his 4 years at the club. In fact, he hasn't been much luckier than Heath James has. Considering the physically taking role that ruckwork is, he MUST be treated as a player who is not necessarily going to be capable of reaching his potential. So, saying that he's better than LRT in terms of size, and that "if both were fit... I'd pick Doyle", is irrelevent.

We need to take into account more than simple talent - fitness, age, size etc are ALL important.

[liz]

There is nothing to suggest that if a game were played tomorrow - or let's say round 1 next year - that Doyle is any less likely to be fit that Roberts-T.

Doyle had an injury-wrecked first year on the list and a relatively injury free second year. Lewis has had almost exactly the same. Doyle's last two seasons have been wrecked by injury but they were very different types of injury - one in a collision that the offending player got suspended for, and other a freak knee injury. I don't believe that these suggest that he is injury-prone in the same way as James' hamstring problems. Exactly the same could happen to Lewis next season - or any other footballer, for that matter.

So the 'if fit' is only needed in so far as it is a qualification needed for any player who plays a high impact, collision game such as AFL. On all other facets, I believe Doyle to be more advanced than LRT at the moment, particularly as a ruckman, and therefore would not rank him behind Lewis.

[Xie Shan]

Meiklejohn may well be only competing for our 4th ruck position now, but in a year or two if/when Ball retures and Meiklejohn, Hyphen have more experience I think our long-term prospects in the ruck are looking better, not to mention Doyle and Goodes.

[Jimmy C]

Isn't this all part of the rebuilding scenario? Our Ruck options (all over the ground, and in no particular order) are currently Ball, Doyle, Goodes, LRT, Meiklejohn and Hall (esp in the forward area). I see the club developing this as a very enigmatic position for opposition teams. Perhaps they'll never have a full-time (or #1) Ruckman for a few seasons.

[BAM_BAM]

I'm hoping to see LRT, being an athletic type player- more so than Doyle or Jimmy, being used around the ground. I think he could end up being a Carey type player. From what we've seen, he's strong mark and an accurate kick. He could be used in either attack or defence. Jimmy for mine, would be ideal to groom for ruck duties, with LRT as a back up behind him.

As Lizz said ,ideally Roosy could have LRT being a pinch-hitter, as Goodesy was at the start of the year. An ideal back up if needed, otherwise someone to really worry about, not knowing where he plays. We need to remember this kid has a long career ahead of him. If developed correctly, LRT will be one of the greats, no matter where (position) he plays