Shannon Grant

[Carey_is_King]

Rooboy,
Since you have flagged a difference of opinion on Shannon Grant, let's discuss it. If I may, I will go first.

In my opinion he is a player with a great deal of polish and finishing skill. However, he lets himself down with his shots on goal at times, and that is really unforgivable. ( I happen to think that goal shooting is one of the weakest skill areas of the game in general)

He also has a tendency to go missing in big games ('99 GF notwithstanding), and I think, without checking, you will find that every time we get beaten, he has a low stats count.

Finally, I think he is soft, and it appears that other sides do too, because they frequently target him for a bit of rough-house.

Perhaps I am being too harsh, and I do enjoy some of his good play, but he would not be in my best 12 at North. I am interested in your view.

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Trample the Weak,
Hurdle the Dead.

[Rooboy 96]

CIK... i agree with your post on several counts...

yes... he is targeted for rough play... now I am not sure if that is due to his softness or importance to our gameplan... as I recall when Wayne was a lad he was targeted to... was that because he was soft??? I DON'T THINK SO...

yes... regularly when we get beat... he has a bad day... or could it be when he has a good day we win... the question you are putting "is he a front runner?" maybe he is but that is the role he is set... by the coach... I don't think he can be blamed for that... and that is why when it all falls into place he has a good game and when it doesn't he has a day... that we can all forget...

no... I think the criticism of his kicking for goal is a trifle unfair... as I remember in the middle of the year Bell could not kick a goal if his life depended on it... but these times go and better times come... by memory only his kicking for goal was sensational in 1998... at a guess something like 46 goals 9 behinds... so we know he can do it... so if you want to get stuck into someone goal kicking... what about Shane Clayton??? gets by himself alot but rarely kicks the goals...

but at the end of the day... once they pull on a North jumper they get my cheer... even Calthorpe... it's in the blood... it's like family... you know... you can pick your friends but family...

As I see it Grant will be our next captain as he matures he will become an even better footballer... Remember he is still a young man...

[Carey_is_King]

Rooboy,
Good points, but captain ??? For mine, the next captain is Colbert, who, by the way, is headed for a big season I hope. Clayton frustrates me for the reason you have stated. He gets the ball through hard running to make space - and I give him credit for that - but he doesn't hurt the opposition enough when he gets it. A bit like Robert Harvey in that respect.

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Trample the Weak,
Hurdle the Dead.

[This message has been edited by Carey_is_King (edited 19 December 2000).]

[Rooboy 96]

Colbert could be the next captain but he would and Wayne will probably retire at the same time in about 6 or 7 years... well heres hoping anyway....

[Shinboners]

Speaking of who may be our next captain, a third candidate may be Brent Harvey. Assuming that the King plays the next two seasons, it leaves these three players with plenty of time to prove themselves. If you look at our previous three captains.....Matthew Larkin, John Law, and Wayne Schimmelbush...they were all hard as nails, and that's what we should be looking for.

Shannon Grant had an awful 2000. In a year where North needed every player to stand up, he didn't, and on that alone, he shouldn't be in the calculations. But he is still young (only 22?) and has time to redeem himself. One thing about Grant's 2000 season though, it didn't help his confidence when Pagan used him as a tagger. As Rooboy pointed out, he had a very good 1998 in front of goal, so keep him forward or in the midfield.

Leigh Colbert did much better than what I expected. What impressed me was how hard he went in for the ball, especially against the Swans late in the season. Normally players who are recovering from knee reconstructions are reluctant to go in hard into the packs, but Colbert did plenty of that. A good 2001 and he'll jump up in the queue, but for the time being, he hasn't done anything in North colours to merit the captaincy.

Brent Harvey is also young and also played plenty of good games in 2001. He's proved himself in our hardest season since 1997, so if he keeps on producing the goods in 2001, then I'd have him as heir apparent to the King.

[Aussie_Roo]

With all due respect to Leigh Colbert, whom I have no doubt will produce the goods over the coming years, I struggle to see why Geelong named him captain in the first place. He was a surprise selection at the time, and I'm not really convinced whether he has the necessary leadership qualities. Only time will prove me wrong or right.. So who is going to be our next captain ?? I'm not sure, maybe if Wayne could stick around for a couple of more years, you never know one of the young blokes we drafted this year might prove to be the goods. After all, two of them were the Captain of the Vic Country and Vic Metro teams, so you would hope that they would have some leadership qualities..

[kymhodgemansmo]

CIK,

I would have to agree with you almost entirely.

Grant is not a proven performer against quality opposition, Grand Final excluded.

The "Head Job" (Great polish) is exquisite to watch when he is on song, but his many soft efforts and ability to be where the ball aint, for a man who is rated among the fittest in the club, suggests one of three things.

He is not savvy enough to get to the footy, he is too lazy to get to the footy or he is being played out of position.

Which raises the question where should he play.

I remember one quarter at Colonial v Brisbane when he was hard at it and delivered with pinpoint accuracy while paying in on a number of occasions while playing in the pivot.

If he could do it on that particular occasion, could he do it regularly.

Interested to hear your thoughts as to how he can improve, or should we concede he is another John McCarthy, Corey McKernan who promise the world and don't deliver????

[This message has been edited by kymhodgemansmo (edited 20 December 2000).]

[MACROO]

On the subject of future captains, I have heard that the club is expecting big things from young Dylan Smith, and that he has been ear marked as a future leader of the club. Apparently comes with big wraps, for both his ability and leadership qualities. Having said that, many young players have been tagged "champion in the making" only to have them become just another run of the mill player, or succumb to injuries. Here's hoping this prediction comes to fruition.

[The invisible mullet]

Maybe Grant is a player that we can hope to do a deal on in a season or 2 ala Peter Bell. He does have the ability to have a very good season but hasn't been able to put 2 such seasons together - time for him to be really put under the pump.