Brennan is he a keeper?

[hammo]

He'd be a walk-up start in any of those sides (2001-2004) now.

That misses the point completely. He's now had four years development and experience compared to the young player he was at Brisbane.

Lethal's failure to keep Bolts would have been more than a little embarrassing and could be more so as he becomes one of the best defenders in the comp. I guess a good comparison is with our letting Scott Stevens go to the Crows and if he had developed into a defender of the quality of Bolton. What would some of Roos critics be saying now if Stevens was playing like Bolts and we had to face him in a final?

I doubt Matthews is embarassed. He coached a side that played in 4 grand finals in a row, winning 3 in a row and all done without Craig Bolton.

When Steven's left we were not the superpower Brisbane was so the embarrassment would definitely be more acute.

[NMWBloods]

Well actually Lethal discarded Craig Bolton and he has developed under Roos coaching to be the best defender in the comp this season.

Perhaps "failed to retain" is more accurate but he was delisted. Lethal's failure to keep Bolts would have been more than a little embarrassing and could be more so as he becomes one of the best defenders in the comp.

How absurd. Matthews is hardly going to be embarrassed when he has coached the Lions to three straight flags. Bolton simply couldn't fit into the side - hardly surprising. Matthews did the right thing by him and he was transferred to the Swans.

[Thunder Shaker]

The following players have developed or debuted under Roos.

You forgot to mention Kirk. Under Eade he was a fringe player but developed rather better under Roos.

[reigning premier]

Back on topic...........


Yes. he's a keeper. He's still getting a feel for the ball and a few more games will do him no end of good. As long as he's finally over a wretched run of injuries, he'll be a quality defender for years to come. Maybe not a great player, but he looks like he'll at the very least, be a steady and long term player for us.

[Nico]

Perhaps "failed to retain" is more accurate but he was delisted. Lethal's failure to keep Bolts would have been more than a little embarrassing and could be more so as he becomes one of the best defenders in the comp. I guess a good comparison is with our letting Scott Stevens go to the Crows and if he had developed into a defender of the quality of Bolton. What would some of Roos critics be saying now if Stevens was playing like Bolts and we had to face him in a final?

You win some and you lose some. I dont know of too many players who have come back to bite us on the bum over the last 10 years.

[Nico]

Back on topic...........


Yes. he's a keeper. He's still getting a feel for the ball and a few more games will do him no end of good. As long as he's finally over a wretched run of injuries, he'll be a quality defender for years to come. Maybe not a great player, but he looks like he'll at the very least, be a steady and long term player for us.

Good call at this point of his career. He seems to have fair bit of poise and looked to have picked up the pace of the game better last week. He got caught on the wrong side of Chris Johnson resulting in a goal and you could see his frustration at being caught. Has good aerobic ability also. Time will tell but I reckon he is a bird to be promoted in 2008.

[ernie koala]

The following players have developed or debuted under Roos.
Grundy - hows Grundy doing ??
Schneider - very incosistant player half a tick to Roos.
Malceski- great player tick to Roos
Schmidt- What's Schmidtta proved yet ??
Philips - still could be delisted.
Laidlaw - same
Moore- same
Barlow- One game !!!
Goodes (developed)- hardley, improved is the word your looking for.
Kennelly (developed)- mmm, maybe, then again maybe he just matured..OK that's 2 and a half definates developments to Roos.
Bevan- Haahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ....
Buchanan (developed) - Rocket.
Dempster - still after all these years a very average player.
Jack - done nothing
LRT- One great game, (albeit a granny) does not a player developed make.
C Bolton (developed)- Roos must share this accolade with Leigh Mathews, who also happens to be his rival in the context of this thread.

So even if you count the very dubious nods of Tagh who was there long before Roos became coach, as well as a half vote for C Bolton and Goodes, Roos has truly developed about 2 1/2 out maybe 4 good regular consistently contributing players in this team.

Not good enough. Lethal has more than that in the past two years alone.

Plus Lethal has actually proved that he knows what he is doing. Roos might have just got lucky.

Yet the swans are the best performed team in the AFL over the last 4 years. You don't think you're being a tad negative ??

[connolly]

How absurd. Matthews is hardly going to be embarrassed when he has coached the Lions to three straight flags. Bolton simply couldn't fit into the side - hardly surprising. Matthews did the right thing by him and he was transferred to the Swans.

Possibly a man who has been convicted of assault on a footy field would be hard to embarass about anything. But the point is even dominant premiership sides cant afford to let go development players of great potential. No matter how good the run on side was during their reign letting Bolts go was a clanger from Mathews.

[liz]

But the point is even dominant premiership sides cant afford to let go development players of great potential. No matter how good the run on side was during their reign letting Bolts go was a clanger from Mathews.

Not necessarily. One of the downsides of having a strong and durable core of mature players - ie 23-30 year olds - is that you are going to lose quality players every now and again. Bolton couldn't break into their side and Brisbane did the right thing by him by letting him quietly walk with no hoo-haa.

There is no guarantee that Bolton would have developed into the same player had he stayed at Brisbane. Sometimes it is a case for a player of being at the right club with the right coach with the right role at the right time. Roos took him at a time he was still developing his own style and team and gave him the confidence to take on bigger and tougher roles. Maybe the fact he plays in a not too disimilar position to that which Roos played himself has helped to instill that confidence into Craig.

My guess is that Mathews would be quietly chuffed at how good a player Bolton has turned himself into - and certainly pleased for Craig. Just as I doubt many of us begrudge Stevens' ability to establish himself at the Crows.

[SimonH]

He may well have a future, albeit he's in an overcrowded market of rookies seeking promotion. But I can't believe it's as a defender. For a precise-passing side like Sydney, he doesn't fit the bill at all.

Brisbane were happy to give up the kick-in from a point to an unmarked Brennan in the pocket, trusting that the Sydney gameplan would prevent him from roosting it long, and confident they could force a turnover from his attempt at pinpointing a pass. Their plan worked perfectly. Three times in the 3rd quarter, he missed a pass on the half-back line.

It was just good fortune (and the hard work of the players he put under the pump) that none of them resulted in Brisbane goals. I'm amazed that with all of the obsessing about Bevan's performance, this string of errors has gone more or less unnoticed here.

In an injury-damaged backline where Bevan's skills are often under question, Mathews will never take anyone on, and Richards can also be too hesitant, to have another guy with questionable disposal is a bridge too far. At the risk of bangin' on about the one guy, would Sean Dempster have missed his man in 3 half-back line short passes, all year?

Give Brennan a go on the wing or through the half-forward line, and see if he can do a little better when his skills aren't under so much pressure. His physical presence certainly looks okay.

[Bloody Hell]

I think Leo is more likely to keep. Brennan might play in the slips though.

On the money with Leo, Brennan more likely to carry the drinks though.

[general mac]

....... is a bridge too far. .....

Very very nice usage of the term !!!

[hammo]

He may well have a future, albeit he's in an overcrowded market of rookies seeking promotion. But I can't believe it's as a defender. For a precise-passing side like Sydney, he doesn't fit the bill at all.

Brisbane were happy to give up the kick-in from a point to an unmarked Brennan in the pocket, trusting that the Sydney gameplan would prevent him from roosting it long, and confident they could force a turnover from his attempt at pinpointing a pass. Their plan worked perfectly. Three times in the 3rd quarter, he missed a pass on the half-back line.

Every team in the AFL concedes the first kick to the pocket form a kick out so I don't think you should read too much into that.

Surely as a defender first and foremost you should be assessing his defensive pressure and ability and in those departments I think he's shown enough so far.

LRT is hardly precision like with his disposal but everyone is clammering for his return to the side.

[NMWBloods]

In an injury-damaged backline where Bevan's skills are often under question, Mathews will never take anyone on, and Richards can also be too hesitant, to have another guy with questionable disposal is a bridge too far. At the risk of bangin' on about the one guy, would Sean Dempster have missed his man in 3 half-back line short passes, all year?

Excellent point!

Does that mean we should have Brennan instead of Bevan...?

[ernie koala]

Excellent point!

Does that mean we should have Brennan instead of Bevan...?

YES PLEASE