White's future

[BSA5]

We need to give jesse a bit more time until we write him off as a forward. It really is only his second year in the seniors and he will continue to improve.

I think that if he has a big pre season and increases his aerobic capacity he will markedly improve. With more endurance and a higher intensity in his game he will be able to lead over and over and present harder at the ball. If he improves in this area to a point where he is getting a bit more space on his opponent he will hang onto more marks and be in a better position to kick to, giving him more better quality opportunities to hang onto marks.

i would also like to see more aggression from him, attacking the ball and packs harder more often.

Fingers crossed he gets these things right and turns into a gun CHF-FF

Heath Grundy had about the same amount of time before we switched him down back, and it did wonders for him.

Look, quite simply for me, the bloke struggles to take a contested mark, and that's something we really need. Hall used to average around 3 contested marks a game; White averages 0.4 this year. I do think that if we persevere with him, he'll make an acceptable FF/CHF, maybe play 100-120 games or so, a decent player. If he went into the backline, I reckon he could play 150-200 games, take the role of our main stopper, and Reid could play 200 games at CHF.

[stellation]

18.8 from 15 games, 6'4"/6'5" or so, 22 1/2 years old. If people are willing to give up on that then good for them, I'm certainly not. I wanted him to kick 40 for the year but expected 20, perfectly fine return.

[BSA5]

18.8 from 15 games, 6'4"/6'5" or so, 22 1/2 years old. If people are willing to give up on that then good for them, I'm certainly not. I wanted him to kick 40 for the year but expected 20, perfectly fine return.

If he was a weedy prospect who was taking the occasional strong grab but just wasn't developed enough, wasn't getting to contests enough, that sort of thing, like Jack Riewoldt last year, then yeah, the point stands. But he is physicially capable of imposing himself, he is getting to contests, but he just rarely finishes off. He's doing a decent job, but I just question whether his natural attributes lend themselves more towards being a defender than a forward. Maybe he could be an alright forward, but a very good defender. I think he's certainly worth throwing in defence for a while. Worst case scenario, he's not much good, but he expands his knowledge of the game and goes back to the forwardline. Best case scenario, his strength, speed and athleticism allow him to become a really reliable defender that will carry us into the future, allowing LRT to be second defender and Grundy to play third tall, mark-machine rebounder a la Lake, Fletcher, etc.

[Nico]

A KPP in the backlines with bad hands? If you miss a mark in the forwards its a turnover,if you miss a mark in the backlines ,its a goal against you. KPP in the backlines that do well are all superb marks,Scarlett,Lake,etc. Would you like to stand alongside Jesse and spend all game trying to cover the spilled ball.?While a lot of what you say is true the key fact that he can't hang on to his grabs means he cannot be anywhere near the goals of the opposition. I also note he is not that reliable when the ball is below his knees and many balls get passed him.Thats suicide in the back lines
No! Bad Idea! Forward or nothing IMO.

I remember similar opinions about Grundy a couple of years ago when he went back after not appearing to develop as a forward. Making him work harder might be the making of him.

[Nico]

His hands are fine.

His main problem at this stage is his perpensity to stand and watch the play and not use one of his key assets which is his pace and size.

When he keeps moving around (both up and down and lateral) like he did against Carlton, his immediate defender finds it hard to a) get in front of him and b) get around him to spoil. Plus he does not need to cope with a third up defender.

His best position is CHF or in the hole out from FF, but not at FF. Just needs a little more time to make sure he runs to the right spots at the right time but that will come.

DST

If he stays up forward he will be a better player if understands and follows through on the fact that he must play in front. He is a big unit that few backs, if he gets it right, can beat from behind. Pretty elimentary really.

[DST]

If he stays up forward he will be a better player if understands and follows through on the fact that he must play in front. He is a big unit that few backs, if he gets it right, can beat from behind. Pretty elimentary really.

I agree with that somewhat, but in front is not always the best option with the football is played these days with zones and players in clusters all over the ground.

The modern game suits forwards who are constantly moving in all directions (forward, back and lateral) to use the space around them. It's what makes Reiwoldt so good and what will ultimately make Jack Watts a great player once he learns to run to the right spots.

What's the most important thing is that White constantly moves with the flow of the game and that is something Bradshaw will be able to help with going forward. Not sure of the stats but I would suggest that he has played his better games when Bradshaw is playing and when he can instruct White from behind while on the field.

DST

[Robbo]

Finished off 09 very well and looked the goods at full forward.

But with Bradshaw coming in and playing earlier in the season White had to step back and become the 2nd option. His output dropped and his confidence dropped.

Confidence is key with him. If we stick him in the goal square and back him then he will learn to back himself again.

But White's year was always going to be effected by Bradshaw coming in.

[Gezball]

Is White signed for next year?? Being a Queensland boy...

[goswannies]

BSA5, you've made your point over and over and over in a lot of different ways. Other posters have both agreed and disagreed with you. Let it rest. After saying the same thing half a dozen different ways, you aren't going to convince those who want to persist in using Jesse as a key forward, or those that think his marking isn't that bad. Please, enough, let this one go. We know where you stand.

[stellation]

Is White signed for next year?? Being a Queensland boy...

He signed a contract extension through to the end of 2012 last year, I'm pretty sure he was contracted to the end of 2010 then and they added on 2011+2012 to it (could be wrong). Either way, they already moved on that to lock him away.

[UglyDuckling]

He signed a contract extension through to the end of 2012 last year, I'm pretty sure he was contracted to the end of 2010 then and they added on 2011+2012 to it (could be wrong). Either way, they already moved on that to lock him away.

im pretty sure your right on this

[UglyDuckling]

Also i would like to add that i think Jesse's second half of the year after he was dropped for round 9 has been alright. in 7 games he has kicked 13 goals, including 3 bags of 3, a very similar output to the back half of last year.

Early on having Bradshaw had a negative effect on Jesse, he wasnt able to find his role in the team. But since bradshaw has been out he has played a bit better. I think what needed to happen is that Jesse was dropped for a few games to find some form and confidence but we couldnt do that becasue we had no one to replace him.

[BSA5]

BSA5, you've made your point over and over and over in a lot of different ways. Other posters have both agreed and disagreed with you. Let it rest. After saying the same thing half a dozen different ways, you aren't going to convince those who want to persist in using Jesse as a key forward, or those that think his marking isn't that bad. Please, enough, let this one go. We know where you stand.

That seems a very odd reaction. It's hardly like I'm jumping down other posters' throats and arguing them point by point on every single little disagreement and trying to drag the thread through the mud. A couple of people offered counter points, and I responded. That's all. Chill out. Christ, you must be at risk of an aneurism with some posters.

[stellation]

Also i would like to add that i think Jesse's second half of the year after he was dropped for round 9 has been alright. in 7 games he has kicked 13 goals, including 3 bags of 3, a very similar output to the back half of last year.

Early on having Bradshaw had a negative effect on Jesse, he wasnt able to find his role in the team. But since bradshaw has been out he has played a bit better. I think what needed to happen is that Jesse was dropped for a few games to find some form and confidence but we couldnt do that becasue we had no one to replace him.

A fair point on his recent form, a sustained performance at 13 goals from 7 outings would have put him on track for a 40 goal season and I'm sure most folks would take that?

It's not an excuse for him, and I know it's been done to death, but I've played a lot of footy leading from the goal square and I honestly think I would have been livid with some of the delivery our key forwards get if I was getting that in u17s club footy... and that's whent hey don't just take a ping themelves... It's all well and good to say he needs to learn to lead better (and he does), but I reckon if you fix the F50 delivery then he might magically look like he knows how to lead pretty darn quickly. I think we have got a bit lost and maybe thought being a key forward to our midfield was easier than it actually is due to having Goodes (a dual brownlow medallist) and Bradshaw (top 50 ALL TIME goal kicker) get on the end of it- I think those two are possibly unfair comparisons for a young forward.

[Hartijon]

The comparisons to Leo Barry and Grundy are fallacious. Both were great marks .Grundy's hands were good and if they had enforced the chopping the arms rule he might have stayed up forward. Both were agile and who can forget the zig zag of Barry out of the fullback position. In the dying seconds of the 05 GF Leo showed us why you need a defender who can mark. Having a one dimensional spoiler is a backwards step reminiscent of the 70's Hawthorn sides. All good modern sides attack from the full back position. White is a big unit who I believe would make us supporters nervous wrecks if he played in the backlines.He is too straight line,not flexible or agile enough and the one dimensional spoiling back man was obsolete years ago.He is too loose below the knees and not savy enough to body out a clever forward. What would either Riewoldt do to him is horrific to ponder! Sorry Forward or nothing!