fullback ouch....

[Alex_au]

It is fair to say the fullback position at Hawthorn has been left vacant since the Langford era. It has been the hardest position in the Hawthorn team to fill in the last decade. Graham, Robran, Hay have been dissapointing in the slot and it is fair to say that new recruit Zac Dawson could well and be on the same path as the above three. I know it is unfair to knock the kid as he is still young and only developing. But just watching him play makes me cringe and I pray that the ball doesn't go anywhere near him. The chances of him making it are slim to say the least.

Let us go back in time to the closing stages of the 2005 draft
pick 65# Hawthorn - PASS
pick 66# Essendon – Austin Lucy (Caloundra)

Austin Lucy
Height: 193cm
Weight: 90kg

Honours:
Queensland U18 2005 - MVP
All Australian U18 2005 – Full Back

Draft Camp:
Mass: 89.7kg
Vertical Jump: 65cm (equal 10th)
20m sprint: 2.94 sec (equal 8th)

Strengths:
- Attacking qualities out of defence
- Good attack on the footy
- Reads it well as a defender, looks really suited down there
- Speed off the mark: 20m test at draft camp

I know he is yet to debut for the Bombers, and I am baffled why they have yet to bring him into their lineup. Fullbacks are hard to breed and we seemed to miss out on a quality one here :(

[philhawk]

It is fair to say the fullback position at Hawthorn has been left vacant since the Langford era. It has been the hardest position in the Hawthorn team to fill in the last decade. Graham, Robran, Hay have been dissapointing in the slot and it is fair to say that new recruit Zac Dawson could well and be on the same path as the above three. I know it is unfair to knock the kid as he is still young and only developing. But just watching him play makes me cringe and I pray that the ball doesn't go anywhere near him. The chances of him making it are slim to say the least.

Let us go back in time to the closing stages of the 2005 draft
pick 65# Hawthorn - PASS
pick 66# Essendon – Austin Lucy (Caloundra)

Austin Lucy
Height: 193cm
Weight: 90kg

Honours:
Queensland U18 2005 - MVP
All Australian U18 2005 – Full Back

Draft Camp:
Mass: 89.7kg
Vertical Jump: 65cm (equal 10th)
20m sprint: 2.94 sec (equal 8th)

Strengths:
- Attacking qualities out of defence
- Good attack on the footy
- Reads it well as a defender, looks really suited down there
- Speed off the mark: 20m test at draft camp

I know he is yet to debut for the Bombers, and I am baffled why they have yet to bring him into their lineup. Fullbacks are hard to breed and we seemed to miss out on a quality one here :(

Mate, Austin Lucy is very over-rated. My cousin happens to watch the Bombers reserves play most weeks and he said that he's glad that we didn't pick him up. Players who play the majority of their junior career purely as a back tend not to make it. The quality backmen (IMO), are forwards who are moulded into backmen once in the AFL.

If we should be unhappy about not picking up someone with that pick, we should have snaffled up Swallow (if possible). :(

[DannyJ]

It is fair to say the fullback position at Hawthorn has been left vacant since the Langford era. It has been the hardest position in the Hawthorn team to fill in the last decade. Graham, Robran, Hay have been dissapointing in the slot and it is fair to say that new recruit Zac Dawson could well and be on the same path as the above three. I know it is unfair to knock the kid as he is still young and only developing. But just watching him play makes me cringe and I pray that the ball doesn't go anywhere near him. The chances of him making it are slim to say the least.

Let us go back in time to the closing stages of the 2005 draft
pick 65# Hawthorn - PASS
pick 66# Essendon – Austin Lucy (Caloundra)

Austin Lucy
Height: 193cm
Weight: 90kg

Honours:
Queensland U18 2005 - MVP
All Australian U18 2005 – Full Back

Draft Camp:
Mass: 89.7kg
Vertical Jump: 65cm (equal 10th)
20m sprint: 2.94 sec (equal 8th)

Strengths:
- Attacking qualities out of defence
- Good attack on the footy
- Reads it well as a defender, looks really suited down there
- Speed off the mark: 20m test at draft camp

I know he is yet to debut for the Bombers, and I am baffled why they have yet to bring him into their lineup. Fullbacks are hard to breed and we seemed to miss out on a quality one here :(

Jon Hay was an All-Australian, so i disagree. I know Jon isn't good now, still would be servicable at the hawks IMO. Graham and Robran were hacks (wern't to bad as "third talls"). Hay though was good in 2000, awsome in 2001, good in 2002, and 2003, 2004, 2005, was good when he played.

He can get bagged as much as you want to bag him, but as a full-back, he never got goals kicked on him. Even last year! We were a lot better team with Jon, and make no mistake he's no Langford but comparing Jon with Zac isn't fair at all. Hay missed two games last year, and what happened;

Rocca 6
Traedrea 7

Coincidence?

Make no mistake I would rather Lucy than Zac!

[Alex_au]

Mate, Austin Lucy is very over-rated. My cousin happens to watch the Bombers reserves play most weeks and he said that he's glad that we didn't pick him up. Players who play the majority of their junior career purely as a back tend not to make it. The quality backmen (IMO), are forwards who are moulded into backmen once in the AFL.

If we should be unhappy about not picking up someone with that pick, we should have snaffled up Swallow (if possible). :(

My point is that it wouldn't have hurt to try Lucy, as we passed right before him. We saved that pick obviously for a rookie (Ben Kane) look where he is now..

Lucy has speed, the height and weight. Which is the perfect mould for a fullback in this day and age.

[mulhollanddrive]

yeah huge mistake not drafting a player yet to play AFL football who was pick 60+ and hasnt been in the best players for any Essendon affiliate all year.

[burner1]

My point is that it wouldn't have hurt to try Lucy, as we passed right before him. We saved that pick obviously for a rookie (Ben Kane) look where he is now..

Lucy has speed, the height and weight. Which is the perfect mould for a fullback in this day and age.

From reports Lucy has no agility what so ever, and is slow over the first 10m and therefore really struggles against any half mobile forward. There's a reason why he lasted to pick 65 in a weak draft - doesnt have the mobility or talent to hold down fb at afl level.

We picked guerra up instead of him and although im no big fan of guerra he seems by far the better option.

[Dr_Mutley]

We picked guerra up instead of him and although im no big fan of guerra he seems by far the better option.

Guerra will be a good pickup for us, given our softness.... in the past we have traded away anyone with any backbone in our te

am, hence why ppl like guerra are important...

[cschreuder61]

I'm strongly opposed to this argument. Even on draft day I was staggered how people were damning us for not drafting him just because he is listed as a young fullback.

Facts:

1. Pretty much all clubs passed on him and he was one of the last selections
2. Essendon aren't impressed with his form this year
3. Most AFL fullbacks didn't play that position as a junior

[Motown]

I know he is yet to debut for the Bombers, and I am baffled why they have yet to bring him into their lineup. Fullbacks are hard to breed and we seemed to miss out on a quality one here :(
No need to go searching for the obscure when Occam's Razor obviously applies - the kid's not up to it (yet).

[The Kipster]

I get his point though, full backs don't drop off tree's and we are struggling in that department...looking forward to MM playing at FB next year....

[Roughie]

What I heard about Lucy was when playing on division 1 forwards he gets dominated...... Lucy was a fullback in division 2. Basically unproven on any star forwards. I would rather Guerra who has had his best season in his career I believe even though missing numerous games, then an unproven kid fullback who was guessed to be highly overrated.

[Nightwolf]

Lucy is poo.

Dawson >>> Lucy..

[Motown]

I get his point though, full backs don't drop off tree's and we are struggling in that department...looking forward to MM playing at FB next year....

That we'd struggle at FB was self-evident as soon as Hay left. It's specious reasoning, however, that we'd made a blue in passing on Lucy. Nearly every club would kill for a quality KPP, for depth if nothing else and to argue that we erred is to argue that fourteen other recruiting departments were similarly clueless.

Yes, maybe we won't win a flag with the likes of Dawson at FB, but I don't think we'll win one with Michael there, either. We're stuck with either developing our permiership FB ourselves or trading for an experienced 24-27 yr old.