Will Roos keep his promise?

[hammo]

But we have picked up some pretty handy players with those trades Mattner and Shaw were both in the best today. If a second round pick turned out to be as good as Mattner i think the club would be pretty happy.

Agree they're both well inside our best 22 but at 27 years of age they hardly represent the future.

It's the young players that will develop into 200 game players and be the nucleus of the side for the next 10 years that our recruiting focus must now turn to.

[connolly]

You get the feeling some people here just have the boot ready, waiting to kick Roos at any opportunity.

Basically all our fit kids played today, Meredith would definitely be in the side if fit and I think even Johnston would have been given a game. Aside from Hannebury, the "best" kids have been getting a run and we need to give them time.

I'll do my best to rate the kids so far

Bird: Can go missing, but he's cemented himself in the starting 22 and looks very promising most of the time.

Meredith: Oozes class imo, his disposal will only get better and his body stronger. Think we're on a winner with this one.

White: Let's remember he's a KPP, they don't become stars in their first 2-3 years, so give him time. When he's finally settled into one position, hopefully up forward, he'll only get better.

Jack: Solid without being amazing, but can do some brilliant things. No doubt he'll keep getting a game and he should.

Veszpremi: First game back in 2009 so it's hard to judge, but once he gets a few games under his belt this year he'll improve and start playing with the excitement that he did last season.

Barlow: We must stick with him, through the good times and the very bad! He has the skills and that natural ability to get the ball, if we let him go he'll shine at another club.

Thornton: Has looked poised and shown strong hands, but probably not confident in himself at the moment. I'd like to see him on the wing sometimes, just running and linking plays so he's involved.

Smith & Brabazon: Haven't seen enough to judge. Someone can help me with these two if they wish.

Brabazon went well today. Will fill the Fosdike type role of a running midfielder. He made a few clangers but he gets the ball. Kicking was OK. Smith played a very cool game. Will take Crouch's spot. Who was lamentable.

[BSA5]

Brabazon went well today. Will fill the Fosdike type role of a running midfielder. He made a few clangers but he gets the ball. Kicking was OK. Smith played a very cool game. Will take Crouch's spot. Who was lamentable.

Does Brabazon remind anybody else a lot of Priddis at WC? Both are running outside midfielders who win a lot of loose ball, have question marks over their disposal, are roughly the same height, and have bouncy, tightly curled blonde hair (prompting Priddis to be nicknamed Noodles). While Priddis is not a star, if Braba can work to that level, I'll be very happy, as I had him pegged for delistment this year.

[Nico]

Why Jude? He's probably leading the B&F this year. Our midfield would have no grunt without him and Kirky.

Grunt but no penetration.

[Nico]

Brabazon went well today. Will fill the Fosdike type role of a running midfielder. He made a few clangers but he gets the ball. Kicking was OK. Smith played a very cool game. Will take Crouch's spot. Who was lamentable.

Bit hard on Crouch there Connolls. He was better than last week, only marginally mind you, and was coming from a very low point, but showed improvement (clearly finished). That HTB he got against him was hash because the ball came out in the tackle and every other time is play on. The Umps interpretation on HTB lately is hogwash and inconsistent.

[ugg]

Does Brabazon remind anybody else a lot of Priddis at WC? Both are running outside midfielders who win a lot of loose ball, have question marks over their disposal, are roughly the same height, and have bouncy, tightly curled blonde hair (prompting Priddis to be nicknamed Noodles). While Priddis is not a star, if Braba can work to that level, I'll be very happy, as I had him pegged for delistment this year.

Priddis an outside midfielder? I think you need to watch more WC games (On second thoughts that sounds like torture)

[hammo]

Priddis an outside midfielder? I think you need to watch more WC games (On second thoughts that sounds like torture)

Based on Natanhui's last quarter it's not the torture you suggest. They have a superstar in the making (unfortunately!)

[UglyDuckling]

Natinui is an absolute freak! We should have tanked last year

[10Totti10]

Smith has very very good skills, something we lack, and hopefully Mal rediscovers some form and we will have two very good half backs. Braba does not, and we already have heaps of those type players. White needs to play forward more, or back, with Currie coming in.

[Bas]

Natinui is an absolute freak! We should have tanked last year

Watched the game and thought the same thing. What an exciting player. Seeing campbell brown trying to push him around was very funny.

[satchmopugdog]

Priddis an outside midfielder? I think you need to watch more WC games (On second thoughts that sounds like torture)

Just watched the Eagles game .....Priddis gets the ball heaps and kicks poorly.

BUT Natanui plus Wirrapunda...what a reason to watch football..magic..exciting.....plus silky. I wish we had them.

[Margie]

Just watched the Eagles game .....Priddis gets the ball heaps and kicks poorly.

BUT Natanui plus Wirrapunda...what a reason to watch football..magic..exciting.....plus silky. I wish we had them.

Just said in another thread that I wish we had Natanui, but Wirrapunda is another of my favourite non-Swans players.

[satchmopugdog]

Just said in another thread that I wish we had Natanui, but Wirrapunda is another of my favourite non-Swans players.

We must be twins Margie.

[Margie]

We must be twins Margie.

Must be! Both getting excited over a West Coast Eagles match

[BSA5]

Priddis an outside midfielder? I think you need to watch more WC games (On second thoughts that sounds like torture)

"Outside" probably wasn't quite the right word. Just that he isn't the pack-busting type. He's outside in the same way you might describe McVeigh as an outside midfielder. He's that combination of handball-happy linkman who often seems to be the pivot in one-twos, and the guy who can break a tackle and run at times, wins a few clearances, but isn't the one who physically imposes himself on the contest. Though he does seemed to have improved that aspect of his game this year, winning a few more clearances and contested possessions. I don't know if this is backed up by stats, but in previous seasons Priddis seemed to me to be much more of an outside runner. Perhaps when guys like Cousins and Fletcher were still in the WC midfield, he was relegated to that role. But yeah, one season playing as a contested ballwinner isn't enough for me to change that perception of him, especially since this is the first year in a while I've been without Foxtel and so the number of non-Swans games I've been able to watch has diminished greatly!