Canadian rugby player our new rookie!!!

[connolly]

I'm all for a bit of innovation. The Irish experiment has worked, so who's to say this one won't?

But do we need another bloody Victorian?

[hammo]

Why? They've been encouraging clubs to look outside Australia's borders for talent, even to the extent that non-Irish international rookies are not included with the normal quota of 6. So this bloke will be in addition to the normal 6(+3).

I wasn't aware international rookies were classified separately, therefore I presumed he would be included in the 9. My mistake. Even still, with Melbourne clubs struggling to fill their 6 rookie quotas as it is due to financial constraints, I'm sure this will raise more than a few eyebrows.

Apart from your predictable Roos bashing, why would you say that???

See my response above. The fact he is currently 24 with at least a couple of years development needed, hardly makes sense to me. Who was the last 26 year old who debuted in the AFL?

Why do you say it is predictable Roos bashing, apart from taking the opportunity for cheap shot?

[R&WtilIDie]

Im actually a bit excited about this. 200cm solid, agile, athlete, that can run 100m in sub 11 seconds, and already uses an oval ball? Could be an awesome ruckman.


doesn't sounds nuts to me. might just be genius.

[Jeffers1984]

Fullbacks do kick in rugby (abiet usually bombs) but i'll back Roos on this one. 200cm athletic freak will be interesting.

[reigning premier]

See my response above. The fact he is currently 24 with at least a couple of years development needed, hardly makes sense to me. Who was the last 26 year old who debuted in the AFL?

Why do you say it is predictable Roos bashing, apart from taking the opportunity for cheap shot?

Maybe, but before soemeone recruited an Irish Gaelic player that had never been done before either. Before someone recruited a Rugby union player that had never been done before either. It can't be innovation if eveyone else is doing it now can it?

As for the Roos bashing, Umm.... It was neither cheap nor a shot. Just a fact. Your constant and predictable cracks at Roos are a tad tiresome.

And FWIW, I doubt Roos was the one that personally went and recruited this guy. I'd humbly suggest that perhaps the recruiting department and the rest of the footy department would have done all the work in going after this guy. Roos would be a very small cog in the wheel.

[Dogzbody]

105 kegs, can run a 100 in less than 11 and 200 cms....if he can learn the game would be pretty exciting...

coming from rugby as a backman his ball handling would be pretty good already

Just gotta wait and see if he can go for 2 hours rather than 80 mins

[hammo]

Your constant and predictable cracks at Roos are a tad tiresome.

Please provide examples.

And FWIW, I doubt Roos was the one that personally went and recruited this guy. I'd humbly suggest that perhaps the recruiting department and the rest of the footy department would have done all the work in going after this guy. Roos would be a very small cog in the wheel.

Ultimately no player is recruited without Roos as head coach having the final say so it's a fair call to make.

[ShockOfHair]

"Through researching him it became clear that he was suitable: he?s a 200cm guy who can run a hundred metre sprint in under 11 seconds; he?s got great agility for his size; he?s got a great ability to run with the flight of the ball and catch the ball."

Brilliant! We lack pace and especially pacy talls. Just what we need.


Official Website of the Australian Football League > NEWS ARTICLE > Cross-code Canadian becomes a Swan

[Bas]

Our own FISH!!!!

Looks very impressive. This in a year or two could be a great story.

Fingers crossed.

[stellation]

Perceptive as I am, I honestly didn't see this coming.

[573v30]

Very interesting prospect. I hope it's a successful transition from rugby and he becomes a dominant player for the Swans in the future.

[reigning premier]

Please provide examples.

Ultimately no player is recruited without Roos as head coach having the final say so it's a fair call to make.

Your very first post on this subject prooves your bias against Roos.

You are correct in that no player would recruited without Roos approval, but the fact of the matter is, there would be a lot more that happens before Roos even gets to see a potential recruit and he wouldn't even be able to make such a recruitment decision alone as you intimated in your post.

[ScottH]

What about Sonny Bill?

Israel can already take a screamer!?!?

[robbieando]

He can learn kicking off LRT and Playfair who were both converts from Union

To be honest my only concern with this is his age. Other than that we have just picked up a 200cm athletic player on the cheap who is fast and by the pure fact of his position in Rugby Union at least knows how to kick a Oval ball fairly well. He just needs to learn the way the game is played and its rules and gain some match fitness so he can run out 120 minutes of an AFL match and not the 80 minutes of a Union match (as he gains that fitness he'll lose weight and drop under 100kg).

We don't have much too lose to be honest. He want be a Superstar, but he won't be that bad that we'll never do something like this again.

[hammo]

Your very first post on this subject prooves your bias against Roos.

It doesn't prove anything other than my questioning of the decision.