Balmain land another one....

[bustamove]

are you serious duck?
Saddington is a machine. Anyone who plays AFL/VFL deserves a little respect.
Withers is a no body, So is Blums.

[The Duck]

Deadly Bustamove, time will tell. I know I would rather have a no body named Withers than a machine. Lets just see whether he can play footy at SydneyAFL level and how many games he plays. Your comment regarding anyone who plays AFL/VFL deserving respect is crap. Their have been plenty of duds/athletes/sons of guns/brothers of guns that have been on AFL/VFL lists.

[48 Hour Detox]

I know you are excited 48hrs but i think you are a little of the pace with a few of your comments. Saddington WAS a handy player at the swans in his time there years ago. He will not be the best CHF in this comp by a mile as you put it. Their is a bloke called Matt Withers that plays at the Wests Football Club who is one of the best players in the state, border clubs included. Not sure if you have heard of him but he goes allright. Janis Blums mainly plays at Fullback and is not the best CHB in the comp. You obviously got a game in the A Grade Ammos so you think it is @@@@ hot but some players outside each clubs top 8 would get a game in that comp. I dont disagree that their premiers would beat our premiers by 6-10 goals but I think you are pumping it up a bit too much. Could luck this year though champ

The Duck, I completely understand your sentiments. No, I do not know Withers as a player or a person, so would not want to comment. Saddington was a marked player in an infinately better comp than Syd AFL, in prob the second best comp in Australia. All accounts he is killing it at training (someone posted it here earlier) so I dare say he will be a gun. I am sorry, and this is not a comment on Withers, but killing it here in Syd is nothing compared to being a good player in the VFL, WAFL or SANFL. People ned to realise that a good or even a great SYd player means nothing. I have seen Syd players, very good Syd players, come to Melb and struggle to play reserve grade VFL. Its not a step up, its a huge giant leap!!! Again, not a comment on Withers, but to suggest a player who never played AFL (correct me if I am wrong) who never was a gun VFL player, is going to be a better player than someone of Saddington calibre is a little short-sighted.

As you said, time will tell.......how about we put on wager on who finishes higher in the comps B&F???? Come on mate?

Re Janis Blums, I am only going from what TWO opposition coaches have told me over the past month. I know two Premier Div Coaches (not Balmain) and they rated Janis Blums as one of the best CHB in the comp. So can only go from what they said.

My comments were aimed at a comment that someone would be surprised if Balmain made the finals. Again, not suggesting they will play in a GF or anything, but surely people wouldn;t be surprised if they made top 5??

[48 Hour Detox]

Deadly Bustamove, time will tell. I know I would rather have a no body named Withers than a machine. Lets just see whether he can play footy at SydneyAFL level and how many games he plays. Your comment regarding anyone who plays AFL/VFL deserving respect is crap. Their have been plenty of duds/athletes/sons of guns/brothers of guns that have been on AFL/VFL lists.

LETS JUST SEE IF HE CAN PLAY AT SYDNEYAFL LEVEL!!!!!!! Are you serious??? I am going to level this alone as surely its just bait you are throwing out?? I suggest everyone walks away from this comment as its one of the most ridiculous comments I have heard.....

[Pekay]

LETS JUST SEE IF HE CAN PLAY AT SYDNEYAFL LEVEL!!!!!!! Are you serious??? I am going to level this alone as surely its just bait you are throwing out?? I suggest everyone walks away from this comment as its one of the most ridiculous comments I have heard.....

The only reason I can think of behind this comment is whether he can adjust to the slower pace of Sydney football as opposed to VFL. Otherwise, it's just plain weird. The bloke played over 100 games in the AFL, he's no mug.

[48 Hour Detox]

The only reason I can think of behind this comment is whether he can adjust to the slower pace of Sydney football as opposed to VFL. Otherwise, it's just plain weird. The bloke played over 100 games in the AFL, he's no mug.

Even then, he is a key position player.....played CHF in the VFL. Troy Luff won the comp B&F didn't he?? First year out of the AFL? Key position marking players adjust, its the quicker outside players who find it a bit more difficult.

[stellation]

The only reason I can think of behind this comment is whether he can adjust to the slower pace of Sydney football as opposed to VFL. Otherwise, it's just plain weird. The bloke played over 100 games in the AFL, he's no mug.

You've hit the nail on the head there, Pekay. I agree that just because a guy was on an AFL list doesn't mean he's an absolute gun, lots of guys get picked on potential and added to a list (although they do have to normally at least show something that would suggest they may be a decent player at Sydney footy level), but in this case you could really only put that forward for 1 of the 4 ex-Swans (Sundquivst), and even then he was more a guy I remember as having his career cut short due to injury than due to not being able to play. Schmidt didn't play a lot of games, but that was more due to injury and being at the club during some boom years when they didn't use a lot of guys in the senior team, my understanding is that he would probably still have been on the Swans list this year if he hadn't walked away. Saddington and Fosdike were both >150 game players at AFL level.

[tara]

Saddington was named at either CHB or FB in around 80% of the games he played in the VFL with David Teague pushing forward when it suited - He was named at CHB in the GF but finished with 2 goals and named in the best for the Bullants but to be honest it was a bleak day for the Ants and he was one of the few who could hold his head high. He finished the year with 25 goals averaging about 1.3 a game. Admittedly whilst a Carlton supporter I dont follow the bullants as closely as I do Pt Melb but I can safely say he wasnt used primarily as a CHF in the VFL.

Id still expect him to tear it up at SFL level though given the VFL is a mile ahead of its standard.

[Pace To Burn]

I think what Duck means is, see if he can be as usefull with the ball coming to him at shin high 75% of the time instead of perfectly out in front of him lace out. Hell be quality of course but i bet he will find it alot harder than Vfl to get his kicks

[The Duck]

I think you have missed what I was saying 48hrs. Just because he is a gun at VFL does not mean he will be a gun at this level. The first point is that the delivery will be no where near what he has had his whole career. The second point is the grounds here are a lot smaller and harder to adjust to. The third point is the areas he ran to recieve the ball (from semi proffessional well drilled players) at VFL level may not gain him as many marking opportunities. Their are more factors than him just being a gun as you like to put it. I also think you would find that key position players find it harder to adjust at lower levels than midfielders ie getting to understand where players kick to and the power and accuracy of their kicking. I am not for one moment bagging Saddington, he has been a fair player for a long time. Just pointing out factors that I thought were obvious to your average football followers in Sydney. Happy to take a gorilla on Withers finishing higher than Saddo in the league B & F. Do yourself a favour and go and watch him this year, he didnt play A Grade Ammos or VFL but he goes alright. On the point regarding Balmain making the 5, I would expect that would be a minimum with the cattle they have, they should be aiming to finish third behind ECE and Wests.

[48 Hour Detox]

I think you have missed what I was saying 48hrs. Just because he is a gun at VFL does not mean he will be a gun at this level. The first point is that the delivery will be no where near what he has had his whole career. The second point is the grounds here are a lot smaller and harder to adjust to. The third point is the areas he ran to recieve the ball (from semi proffessional well drilled players) at VFL level may not gain him as many marking opportunities. Their are more factors than him just being a gun as you like to put it. I also think you would find that key position players find it harder to adjust at lower levels than midfielders ie getting to understand where players kick to and the power and accuracy of their kicking. I am not for one moment bagging Saddington, he has been a fair player for a long time. Just pointing out factors that I thought were obvious to your average football followers in Sydney. Happy to take a gorilla on Withers finishing higher than Saddo in the league B & F. Do yourself a favour and go and watch him this year, he didnt play A Grade Ammos or VFL but he goes alright. On the point regarding Balmain making the 5, I would expect that would be a minimum with the cattle they have, they should be aiming to finish third behind ECE and Wests.

I will take you on the cash mate :-)

I think we will agree to disagree on a few points though. I think Saddington will adjust. Tall marking players adjust, I've seen it time and time again. Also, as I said earlier, didn;t Troy Luff win the comp B&F in his first year?? Also, Saddington is going to have pretty good delivery....with mids like Tim Schmidt, his brother and Fosdike....then throw in Sundquist and a few other players who have played at high level footy, all delivering the ball to him. Thats on top of a few f last years players who have good foot skills. Even if your theory that mids adjust earlier, then Schmidt and co will adjust quicker and all of a sudden Saddington is gettign ti exactly where he expects it.....its a win win :-)

Proof will be in the pudding....and at the end of the day, its al for fun!

I just believe that Balmain are on track. My mates involved are all cracking blokes, have good footy backgrounds, have strong commercial backgrounds and are all in iyt for the right reasons, They aren't talking 2010......its 2011 and beyond.

[The Purse]

no doubt balmain will do better.

I think most people when you get into a footy club are all cracking blokes.

Commercial backrounds, prior managements was awful, so couldnt get any worse. Have to remember minus a development there would be little funds.

Question though minus this development and large sum of cash would they be in it or any of the players signed??? Highly likely they wouldnt.

However fact is there is a large sum of dollars, if they werent planning on long term they would be idiots.

[Pace To Burn]

I think you have missed what I was saying 48hrs. Just because he is a gun at VFL does not mean he will be a gun at this level. The first point is that the delivery will be no where near what he has had his whole career. The second point is the grounds here are a lot smaller and harder to adjust to. The third point is the areas he ran to recieve the ball (from semi proffessional well drilled players) at VFL level may not gain him as many marking opportunities. Their are more factors than him just being a gun as you like to put it. I also think you would find that key position players find it harder to adjust at lower levels than midfielders ie getting to understand where players kick to and the power and accuracy of their kicking. I am not for one moment bagging Saddington, he has been a fair player for a long time. Just pointing out factors that I thought were obvious to your average football followers in Sydney. Happy to take a gorilla on Withers finishing higher than Saddo in the league B & F. Do yourself a favour and go and watch him this year, he didnt play A Grade Ammos or VFL but he goes alright. On the point regarding Balmain making the 5, I would expect that would be a minimum with the cattle they have, they should be aiming to finish third behind ECE and Wests.

Hell beat him in the medal, the umpires love a player with a reputation and Matty isnt a suck up either

[ShortHalfHead]

It's a wonder they haven't signed Tom Harley. He would be moving to Sydney, wouldn't he?
Then again, Nor-West might have him wrapped up.

[Monty Burns2]

Nick Davis is the rumour.