Jude Bolton Vs Lenny Hayes

[footyhead]

Well it will be interesting to see how each goes this week,
becuse it is a well know fact that the Swans passed Lenny up in favour of Jude (in the first case, then Fosdike - god that was definatley a mistake- in the second)
There is no doubt Jude has improved but he is still proving inconsistant from week to week - seasone to seasone. Lenny is looking like a cut above , thus far.
Oh well heres looking forward to checkin out both the boys on the weekend and seein how they do.
I do feel the Swans made a pretty big blunder with this one though.

[Snowy]

Lenny is a better player but also helped by playing in a team which provide support for him. He has great hands but under pressure is not a great kick. You would have thought that as a Sydney boy he would have been picked before Bolton though. Last week the Saints recruiters basically said they thought the Swans would swoop with one of their top ten picks. Mind you Steve Wright who coached the NSW ACT Rams in 1997 and 1998 said that Nick Davis was a better talent than Hayes but felt that Hayes with his leadership qualities would go a long way.

[dendol]

Its obvious, comparing current form, that picking Fosdike over Hayes was a mistake. Hayes is averaging 27 disposals a game this year (about 25 last year) and generally uses the ball alot better. Of course, it helps that you have a team that is full of talent and playing with absolute confidence.

Bolton, however, Im not so sure we should write off. Last year he was consistent and he plays the in-and-under role that Kelly excelled at. Without his input last year (and considering Scheider/Buchanan were not fit enough to run in the midfield) we wouldnt have go to where we did. We all expected Bolton to take the next step and become one of the elite midfielders this year, but it hasnt happened, yet. Im still hopeful that he can turn it around and consistently be one of our best, week in week out.

Drafting is often alot of guesswork and hope (despite all the scouting). I bet that alot of kids may play "above" themselves in their draft year and consequently get drafted higher than they are really worth; same as kids that underperform, or ones that mature slower (eg Simon Black).

[ScottH]

The added attention he gets now, that Cressa is not there, is also a factor that has been noted before. Once he can shrug off the attention he will be an elite midfielder. Remeber Cresswell was not that great a midfielder when he started, esp his disposal, but he ended his career as one of the best. (and boy did he love a goal!!)