Rate the new & newish 1st grade Bloods

[ernie koala]

wasn't O'Keefe considered a promising player with an excellent mark and kick, but who was just too damn slow and couldn't find enough of the ball? Now look at him. Probably our second best player, after Kirk. He worked hard, and developed excellent stamina, which somewhat cancelled out his lack of speed. Is there any reason Reg couldn't do something similar? He also is too slow and doesn't find enough of the ball, but if he can work really hard on his stamina, and maybe work on his running technique a bit to try to squeeze out an extra yard of pace, perhaps he could cross that threshold that O'Keefe crossed in 2004, and become a vital cog in our structure across half forward. Thoughts?

Grundy is slower than ROK ,and has no where near his agility, ie Grundy turns like the queen mary. Any AFL coach, even Bailly and Rattan, will exploit this. I particually worry when he's playing as a defender. Smart forwards will turn him inside out and leave him for dead. His only hope is up forward if, as you say, he can build up some stamina and finish quarters with the same speed he starts with.

[RogueSwan]

I must admit I am not really a fan of Grundy, but he looks okay this year. May be he feels more comfortable playing amongst the other Young Bloods?

[shaun..]

The rest of your post was pretty accurate, but Kirk and O'Keefe our best two players? FWIW I think Grundy's marking and kicking abilities are awesome, he has a good footy brain but he just needs another yard of pace.

His kicking in general play was indeed awesome. Set up alot of rebounding drives from half back, along with B2 and Jack.

[Plugger46]

Moore: Agree with someone's assessment earlier in the thread - Buchanan with better skills. His kicking to a leading forward is first-rate. He doesn't kick the cover off it, he gives it some 'air' for the forwards to run on to. Very few in our side can do it. O'Loughlin used to do it when he kicked it to Lockett.

Barlow: Pretty happy with him, think he'll get better.

Bird: Will definitely make it. Won't be too long til he starts to pick up the speed of the game. His kicking technique is pretty sound, it's just the speed finding him out at this early stage.

Jack: Can really play. What's he got to do to get a rising star nomination?

Mattner: Knew he was a good player before we got him. No issues with him at all.

Grundy: What he does is good, we just need him to do more of it.

[CJK]

Was Grundys goal on the run?
Remember being impressed when he popped up for that one.

Loving seeing Jack going about it.

[BSA5]

The rest of your post was pretty accurate, but Kirk and O'Keefe our best two players? FWIW I think Grundy's marking and kicking abilities are awesome, he has a good footy brain but he just needs another yard of pace.

Yep. O'Keefe and Kirk are out two best players. Craig Bolton is probably third. Goodes is overrated. He deserved his Brownlows when he got them, but he has done jack @@@@ in between. He is far too inconsistent to be considered our best player.

I would rate our top five players as such:

Kirk
O'Keefe
C.Bolton
Goodes
Hall

One good season from Malceski isn't enough for me to put him up there. He was probably our best last season, I reckon, but I'm not comfortable putting him up there quite yet.

[BSA5]

Grundy is slower than ROK ,and has no where near his agility, ie Grundy turns like the queen mary. Any AFL coach, even Bailly and Rattan, will exploit this. I particually worry when he's playing as a defender. Smart forwards will turn him inside out and leave him for dead. His only hope is up forward if, as you say, he can build up some stamina and finish quarters with the same speed he starts with.

But O'Keefe was like that early on in his career as well. He wasn't always agile and decently quick. But O'Keefe spent a lot of time in the gym, toning and bulking up. He then shed the bulk, but retained the superb core strength he developed. This increased his agility markedly, giving him the strength to turn at pace. Grundy's body is still a little bit underdeveloped and shapeless, but he's looking better this year than last. If he takes some workout advice from O'Keefe, you never know. It would be a shame to waste such a great kick and mark. I think he and Malceski are our two best kicks.

[Jeffers1984]

It's good that we are finally giving these guys the opportunity to play more minutes (re: Moore and Grundy). The results of a bit more game time to establish themselves is really proving to be a winner.

[troyjones2525]

I'm glad Bird is in and like everyone else i have high hopes for him as a ball getting midfielder but in the first two games his disposal has been pretty awful. I didn't see anything of him last year so i don't know if this could be credited to nerves early on or something but i'm praying thats all it is! Lord knows the last thing we need is another midfielder who cant hit a teammate from 10 yards away! I hope Vespremi can get his fitness up to scratch cos from everything i've read on him he has brilliant skills and an actual footy brain! which is something a lot of our new guys haven't had in recent years! (excluding Malceski obviously)

[shaun..]

Was Grundys goal on the run?
Remember being impressed when he popped up for that one.

Loving seeing Jack going about it.

Yep it was. It was great cos he took the initiative to go for goal - we were a bit stagnant during that period.

[ernie koala]

Was Grundys goal on the run?
Remember being impressed when he popped up for that one.

He had just come off the bench, hence why he seemed to come from nowhere and was unmarked.

[Pace To Burn]

I'm glad Bird is in and like everyone else i have high hopes for him as a ball getting midfielder but in the first two games his disposal has been pretty awful. I didn't see anything of him last year so i don't know if this could be credited to nerves early on or something but i'm praying thats all it is! Lord knows the last thing we need is another midfielder who cant hit a teammate from 10 yards away! I hope Vespremi can get his fitness up to scratch cos from everything i've read on him he has brilliant skills and an actual footy brain! which is something a lot of our new guys haven't had in recent years! (excluding Malceski obviously)

I think he is still finding his feet as his disposal in the Ressies and also at the U/18 national carnival was very good. He is a very quiet kid and his dad told me on the thursday night before his first game at training after he got off the phone to him that he said he was S######G himself. From watching especially last week he was very accountable for his man even when we had the ball and still picked up 14 possessions. I think once he feels more apart of it and gets more confidence everyone will see what the hype about him is from inside the club. If you look at his stats at the carnival he reguarly got high numbers and also is pretty handy at chimeing in with a few goals.

[Bloody Hell]

Just on Grundy, I will be the first to admit that in the past (and very recent past, as well), I have written him off as a backup utility at best. A good Canberra player. But I was thinking, weren't some of the same criticisms, currently being levelled at Grundy, being levelled at O'Keefe about 5 or 6 years ago? Now, I don't remember much of that time, as I was twelve and only just beginning to follow the Swans with any sort of seriousness, but wasn't O'Keefe considered a promising player with an excellent mark and kick, but who was just too damn slow and couldn't find enough of the ball? Now look at him. Probably our second best player, after Kirk. He worked hard, and developed excellent stamina, which somewhat cancelled out his lack of speed. Is there any reason Reg couldn't do something similar? He also is too slow and doesn't find enough of the ball, but if he can work really hard on his stamina, and maybe work on his running technique a bit to try to squeeze out an extra yard of pace, perhaps he could cross that threshold that O'Keefe crossed in 2004, and become a vital cog in our structure across half forward. Thoughts?

I think O'Keefe kicked 4 goals on debut.

[BSA5]

I think O'Keefe kicked 4 goals on debut.

Hmmm, I remember that match vaguely. Wasn't it against the Roos? But it wasn't on debut, was it? Wasn't it his fifth or sixth match or something?

Anyway, what was your point?

[reigning premier]

Two cents....

Bird.... Bit off the pace but if he makes the step up from VFL to AFL, we could have a real gun on our hands here... Think Simon Black or Luke Power...

Jack.... Has reall come on this year. Those few games last year gave him the a taste and he wants more. Should be a permanent player from now on.

Mattner... Going OK but not sensational. But seriously, can't wait for the day that our back line includes Mattner, Kenelly, B2 and Malceski.....

Moore... Haven't seen enough to comment.

Grundy.... Same as above... But sounds like he's finally found his spot in the team. The talent's there, but is the determination?