Walsh V White

[aardvark]

The selection of Walsh will decide Whites future IMO. Jesse will be feeling the pressure already so I hope its the kick up the bum he needs to have a huge pre season and fulfil his true potential. I can't see a position in the team for both.

[liz]

I was thinking that pre-season was going to be a battle between Jesse and Pyke to see who emerged as leader in the second ruck / forward role. Walsh has just made it a three horse race.

I wonder if they will toy with Jesse as a defender. He has played some reserves football in defence (albeit not for a couple of seasons) and he did it pretty well. His combination of good short distance closing speed and vertical leap meant he was very good at spoiling without infringing. Patchy concentration levels might be a drawback as they are more obviously exposed in defence than up forward, but if he can improve in this area, being directly responsible for an opponent will hide his apparent lack of instinct of where to run to be dangerous.

LRT and Ted won't be around for too much longer, and both Ted and Reg struggle with the really big forwards / resting ruckmen at times.

I know Jesse to defence isn't exactly a new suggestion but the recruitment of Walsh and the way they used Pyke in the twos this year when he wasn't injured now make it a realistic option to revisit whether he might be a better defender than forward.

[Bas]

That one is easy, I would play them both at the same time. Each one playing in a forward pocket.

O'Keefe at full forward.

Why can't they try Seaby at fullback? Or is he too slow??

[aardvark]

Why can't they try Seaby at fullback? Or is he too slow??

Wouldn't you love to see Seaby lumbering after a leading Jack Reiwoldt OR maybe not. It would be like a Brontosaurus chasing a velociraptor.

[swansprincess]

for me LRT is past it. So a tall back role would be a neat spot for one of them surely..

[aardvark]

Walsh Vid to help you decide....how good was that snap ???

[DeadlyAkkuret]

All I can say is White better get his @@@@ together.

[RBS1]

Seen Walsh play a few times for sandringham in the VFL ... Plenty of upside but nowhere near as mobile or as useful in the Ruck than Jessie ... White is a huge talent just seems like a dumb footballer .. Leads into horrible spaces And seems to get lost when taken up the ground .. Fingers crossed the coaching staff can keep developing him

[DLBIA14]

Walsh can't play ruck. We can rule out that option straight away.

White in the backline has me terrified. As if that buffoon is going to be able to get into the right positions or read the ball in the air? Add the fact that he has to negate a forward at the same time, and well, his head might nearly explode from the pressure.

I do like Jessie, he seems to be quite sweet and seeing him get annoyed with himself, I do know he tries hard. He just seems to get lost on the field though. I hope he pulls it together, but the more time passes the more cynical I become about his ability to be a LT option.

I would try Walsh in the forward line first if its out of the two. Not because I'm confident he's a better option than White, but because we need to know how he can work with Reid. We know what Jessie offers in that regard already.

[Auntie.Gerald]

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/kennellys-gone-but-swans-grab-next-irishman-in-late-trade-deal-20111017-1ltdk.html

After a frustrating year with their forward line, Walsh could be the missing link in that area for the Swans. ''He's a 194-centimetre key position player who plays at either end. He's a real competitor who will give a contest all the time,'' coach John Longmire said of his new recruit, who cost the club selections 35 and 68 at next month's draft. ''We think he could play a key forward role for us. He's a big body who can help out a Sam Reid.

[ScottH]

Looks pretty useful!!

[Beesto]

White in the backline has me terrified. As if that buffoon is going to be able to get into the right positions or read the ball in the air? Add the fact that he has to negate a forward at the same time, and well, his head might nearly explode from the pressure.
.

As a backman the need to be able to read the ball in the air is greatly reduced. His main job is to go with his man and to then spoil. Much easier for him than playing forward and trying to make the play. For a guy like Jessie it is a great way for him to learn. The down side is if he stuffs up a lot there then we probably lose games.

[ugg]

Walsh can play in the ruck, he's done it in the VFL

[jono2707]

Sounds like we won't play Walsh in the ruck, but that he'll be a KPP at either end of the field (yet to be determined which will suit best). Hopefully we have learned that playing a raw, yet talented, potential KPP part time in the ruck does no favours for their development.

[ernie koala]

I was thinking that pre-season was going to be a battle between Jesse and Pyke to see who emerged as leader in the second ruck / forward role. Walsh has just made it a three horse race.

I wonder if they will toy with Jesse as a defender. He has played some reserves football in defence (albeit not for a couple of seasons) and he did it pretty well. His combination of good short distance closing speed and vertical leap meant he was very good at spoiling without infringing. Patchy concentration levels might be a drawback as they are more obviously exposed in defence than up forward, but if he can improve in this area, being directly responsible for an opponent will hide his apparent lack of instinct of where to run to be dangerous.

LRT and Ted won't be around for too much longer, and both Ted and Reg struggle with the really big forwards / resting ruckmen at times.

I know Jesse to defence isn't exactly a new suggestion but the recruitment of Walsh and the way they used Pyke in the twos this year when he wasn't injured now make it a realistic option to revisit whether he might be a better defender than forward.

I've always liked the idea of Jesse having an extended run in defence, could only help his developement if he ended up back forward.
Having said that, Pyke too has the attributes to play in defence, he's also big, strong, relatively fast and now days can take a mark.
I realise that means he can't be 2nd ruck.......but lets not forget Currie, it's time to see how he goes at senior level as a forward/ 2nd ruck.
We do seem to have plenty of big man options with..Mummy, Pyke, Currie, Seaby, White.
It will be an interesting year ahead to see how it plays out.