Interesting article on Willoughby

[monopoly19]

From the Age.

Whatever happens, he is grateful to the Swans for the opportunity. "I cannot complain if I don't get a game ? I've been in charge of my destiny. I just hope people understand there are sacrifices in trying to get to where I want to go in football.

"I have a little brother (Tom) who is 15, and I haven't been able to watch him grow up. When I first left he just came up to my ribs, but now he's got me by an inch. A lot of people forget those family things. They don't know half the story."

Sounds like a pretty determined kid.

[hammo]

Re: Interesting article on Willoughby

I thought this was a really good article.

Hopefully he gets his chance this year.

[dendol]

Willoughby also receives advice, indeed encouragement, from his mentor, senior player Ben Mathews..

it all makes sense now.

[Jeffers1984]

I guess SwanSong is not alone now in the Ben Mathews band wagon. Add Joshy Willoughby.

[BarneyG]

Great Article, that type off detemination will make a regular 22 in the side.

[floppinab]

Spoke to Josh a bit earlier on in the year at a promotion day.

As per the article was very focussed and seemed, with his family, very keen to chase the dream from a very young age. Sacred Heart has produced a lot of SA footballers, the choice to board there was not by accident.

I have no idea on what basis the Swans will bring in debutants but it did occur to me that for a guy like Willoughby a run the Seniors at an earlier age, with the proviso of little expectation on his performance (we'll give you min. 4 games in the seniors to see how you go, no expectation, no bearing on what we're doing with you next year, just go and play, if it doesn't work, fine come back to the seconds and we'll sort a few things out). As it stands now he's in a situation where it's pretty close to do or die, if and when he does make the seniors there'll be so much pressure on him to perform, there's a strong likelihood it'll have a negative effect on his performance, rather than just being able to go out and play without too much hanging over his head.

Easy to say (particularly given the run with injuries last year) I guess but worth a shot????

[Lucky Knickers]

What's interesting about this is an Age report on a Sydney rookie. Is he looking for a trade?????

[NMWBloods]

I don't understand why after 3 years a first-round draft pick is still not playing but is still on the list. Particularly when you consider he's meant to be a quality midfielder and it's not like our team has ever been overloaded with those.

[stellation]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I don't understand why after 3 years a first-round draft pick is still not playing but is still on the list. Particularly when you consider he's meant to be a quality midfielder and it's not like our team has ever been overloaded with those.

He was drafted at 17 and built like this | the first two years. He looks like he has actually put on quite a bit of muscle this year, certainly an encouraging enough sign to keep him on the list and he is still only 20.

[NMWBloods]

But if he sees youngsters playing elsewhere, isn't he going to think about trying his luck with another club?

[Jeffers1984]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
But if he sees youngsters playing elsewhere, isn't he going to think about trying his luck with another club?

exactly. I wonder what they are thinking about Dale Thomas's exciting game on Tuesday? I really do hope Roos gives Schmidt and Willoughby at least a taste of the seniors this year.

[dendol]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
exactly. I wonder what they are thinking about Dale Thomas's exciting game on Tuesday? I really do hope Roos gives Schmidt and Willoughby at least a taste of the seniors this year.

yep, surely our skinny kids will be fine as long as they stand next to Bazza Not sure how much goal sense Lil'Willo or Schmidt has, but get em in as a crumber and rotate them through the midfield.

[Swanner]

McVeigh fills his spot

This is a great article.

The price of giving McVeigh aand uninterrupted run in the seniors has been the development of both Schmidt and Willoughby.

I think the club is handling our up and coming mid fielders poorly. It must be very hard to keep going when they see some others getting favoured treatment.

Finally the club needs to arrange one off matches against stiffer oppositon for our reserves guys so they get a greater chance to develop.

[liz]

Re: McVeigh fills his spot

Originally posted by Swanner
The price of giving McVeigh aand uninterrupted run in the seniors has been the development of both Schmidt and Willoughby.

Rubbish.

Firstly, McVeigh has hardly had an uninterrupted run in the senior team.

Secondly, McVeigh's form at reserves level has been more convincing than either Schmidt or Willoughby's.

That said, I think Schmidt was a little unlucky not to be able to crack it for a debut in the second half of last season when he was playing consistently well, but the lack of injuries meant there was no spot for him.

[SimonH]

Some come on faster (Dale Thomas, although who knows if he'll burn out just as fast), some come on slower (Brett Kirk). Malceski and Schneider at one end, and countless failed early draft picks at the other end, prove that it doesn't matter what number you get picked, but rather what you do after you get picked.

I've seen practically no 2nds footy in years, but I'll take Liz's word for how they're going. We shouldn't view it as a contest between McVeigh and anyone else (and I'm sure little Willo doesn't view it that way); rather, he should take the Malceski route of getting such outstanding reports week-in, week-out, that as soon as a vacancy becomes available the club has no choice but to pick him.

I for one am very happy with Sydney's list management; the beauty of the guillotine approach to Saddo, Powell, Nicks, Maxfield, Schauble etc is that almost exclusively the 2nds are youngsters and rookies, with the odd player returning from injury thrown in. On the other side of the ledger, imagine if you were a young midfielder on the Essendon list busting your gut with the Bendigo Bombers this weekend, but knowing that you had to compete with ****in' fat & lazy Dean Rioli to get your first game of league footy... and then next week he got picked ahead of you. Dispiriting, or what?

I'll be rapt for little Willo if he does make it... even though he's a Sacred Heart/Glenelg boy!