Reserves Talent.

[WolfGang]

Any idea on who could be upgraded from the Rookie list ?????

Unsure if any will be upgraded with LRT's extended injury + the mid/late season 'free' (??) upgrade.
I'm unsure if there is an upgrade for all teams mid or late season - if anyone knows - please advise. - Thanks

[hot potato]

Excellent info guys.
And how's Crouchy looking for a senior coaching job down the track ?

HP

[crackedactor]

Just Maybe

From what I have seen we have a pretty mediocre group. Realistically most of the guys who make it, not all, are pushing for selection in their first and second years.

Other than Mitchell & Rohan, of the ones I have seen, only B Jack, maybe Membrey, maybe Towers, have talents that would give them a chance at AFL. The rest I expect to not make it

Just for the Record, a friend of mine has watched a couple of reserve games and is wrapped with Alex Brown, even though he needs to
put on a few extra kilos to play seniors. I know Jude Bolton has said he is wrapped with Tom Mitchell, but it is a worry about all the injuries he seems to get. I think the
jury is still out on the rest.

[Reggi]

How many Twos games have you seen Reggi? I think this group is a lot better than last years model and definitely better than Vesper or that mob. The difference is in the skill level and the mongrel. All of our young blokes have a bit of it including 'The Kid' Lloyd. I go to all the Twos that are before the main game and I watch replays if they are available or just highlights. It is not that they win that counts, although it is the preferred option even for the Twos, it is how they go about their footy. This Twos side is a 'TEAM' everything comes down to helping each other, knowing each others strengths, weaknesses and playing together. This will help them if they ever play Seniors and I think plenty of these boys will unlike in past years because we only had a few possies before. In the near future we will have quite a few as players retire.

Enough. I will put it this way. Last week our emergencies were White, Walsh, Morton. So none of these young guys are pushing for selection.

Membrey is a classic of our current crop. He is an outstanding second tier player, but his lack of height is clearly a massive impediment to making it at AFL level

[Primmy]

And how's Crouchy looking for a senior coaching job down the track ?

HP

I Tweeted Crouchy along the lines of I bet he was enjoying the coaching gig, and his reply was that it was easy with this crop of kids. They are mostly quite intelligent, and understand the 'team' ethic already. That in itself is unusual for a crop of 18 to 22 yos trying to stand out and impress the coaches.

Come to the Ressies games! there is a lot to look at, it may not be a brilliant contest, but it does give you a clear idea of what the future is going to provide. It is also an insight into realising who is probably not going to make it, and why. And you also have the puzzlements. I thought Jesse would be a gun from about his 3rd ressie game on. Think that may be an ingrained thought that is difficult to get away from.

[dimelb]

Enough. I will put it this way. Last week our emergencies were White, Walsh, Morton. So none of these young guys are pushing for selection.

Membrey is a classic of our current crop. He is an outstanding second tier player, but his lack of height is clearly a massive impediment to making it at AFL level

I think your point is made Reggi.
Membrey could still offer a lot: at 189 cm and 89 kg he is bigger than, say, Mitch at 185/82, and sounds like a better set shot.

[ShockOfHair]

I thought Jesse would be a gun from about his 3rd ressie game on. Think that may be an ingrained thought that is difficult to get away from.

Jesse IS a gun in the ressies.

[Reggi]

I think your point is made Reggi.
Membrey could still offer a lot: at 189 cm and 89 kg he is bigger than, say, Mitch at 185/82, and sounds like a better set shot.

Sure, but chances are against it. Reminds me of when we drafted Shane Smith, who had similar u/18 credentials and went on to be a gun at VFL level.

I would love to see him make it, just that he is emblematic that we have a lot of guys who are just a bit off AFL level

[jono2707]

I think Membrey might be a bit of a Stuart Crameri type - 190cms 95kgs who is not a key forward but still a pretty decent player. He'll do alright although he'll take a little bit of development. He shouldn't have fallen as far he did in the draft so we sort of accidentally got him.

Mitchell will make it. Towers seems to have been recruited for a specific purpose so we could see him sometime. Lamb is on the verge of a debut. Of the rest, Lloyd and Jack are likely but long-term prospects, Harry may get another chance at some stage but I'm not expecting too much of the rest. Good to hear Brown is being spoken of highly.

Lockyer and Biggs would be doubtful to make it on to 2014 but I hope they give it a red hot shot - Lockyer has been particularly disappointing to date unfortunately.

I don't see Naismith as anywhere near a chance to go further at this stage - however it was a smart move to recruit a ruckman for the 2s to give us some continuity there to help develop our young midfielders and to give Jesse a hand.

[liz]

I reckon that writing off the chances of players we've recruited over the last couple of years - especially the 18 and 19 year olds - is as foolish as expecting the majority of them to graduate to senior football. They are all part of a team that has played some wonderfully effective and disciplined football over the past couple of months and each has made a contribution to that. Many of them are very early in their careers and have a huge amount of development left in them.

Although I posted earlier in this thread that past history suggests most won't, it is certainly not my view that most of the current crop have no (or little) potential too. I just think it is too soon to identify those who will, especially when luck with injury and opportunity will play as much of a role as raw talent and application.

I find the idea that Membrey most likely won't because he's "only" 189 cm tall to be quite bizarre. That's just an inch or so shorter than Tony Lockett, and a similar height to Ryan O'Keefe. There are any number of roles he might successfully fill at AFL level if he fulfills his obvious potential.

Similarly, how can one write off a 19yo lumbering ruckman who was playing in regional NSW a year ago, who has barely had a chance to play with the reserves team yet due to his injury, yet has already managed to significantly change his body shape since the back end of last season when he played as a top up for a few game? Where were Dean Cox, Shane Mumford, Darren Jolly et al when they were his age?

[Primmy]

Everyone should have a read of what Jimmy B had to say in today's Herald/Age. With him 100% about expecting 18yos to be 28yos.

[satchmopugdog]

Anything Jimmy Bartel has to say would make me swoon, especially if he was in his long sleeve guernsey

[jono2707]

Similarly, how can one write off a 19yo lumbering ruckman who was playing in regional NSW a year ago, who has barely had a chance to play with the reserves team yet due to his injury, yet has already managed to significantly change his body shape since the back end of last season when he played as a top up for a few game? Where were Dean Cox, Shane Mumford, Darren Jolly et al when they were his age?

Although I too am excited by Naismith's potential, and height, I think our recent history in drafting and developing ruckmen has tempered my expectations on where he'll get to with us. We haven't developed our own ruckman from scratch (Pykey excepted obviously) for a long time but instead buying and improving somewhat ready-made guys like Mummy, Seaby, Jolly, Ball etc. Whilst I think it's really important to have a developing ruckman or 2 in Ressies to help young guys learn our structures and to develop, none of the young ruckmen recently have been retained long enough to get a run with the 1s.

It sure will be interesting to see how Naismith develops over the next year or two though - we have great ruck coaches as he is nice and tall.....