kane249
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- Oct 27, 2006
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Preseason training 2014/15
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Dark Sharks
Premium Kent
Lycett actually compliments Naitanui perfectly.
Expecting him to overtake Nic, as far as regular output goes with marks and possessions this season.
Expecting him to overtake Nic, as far as regular output goes with marks and possessions this season.
Eastern Rangers
2015 Worsfold Medalist - Rowen Powell
The kid is going to turn some heads this year. Already put on 12 kilos since joining the club.
http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2014-12-22/powell-makes-progress
http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2014-12-22/powell-makes-progress
Tom Lambs Hair
Draftee
lycett is as better forward than Naitanui. I can see a time when Naitanui and McGovern share the ruck (rotation maybe) and our forward line will be....
darling...Kennedy...lecras
lamb......Lycett.....newman
#unstoppable
Dark Sharks
Premium Kent
The love for someone who has accomplished not a great deal after 3 seasons on our list + a stint in the big house is baffling.
Cripps just had his best year bagging himself 27 goals, and people talk like Newman (who is a rookie for starters) is 1. A better player, and 2. Going to be taking Cripps's spot in the team going forward. Cripps is a whopping 4-5 months older then Newman, and definitely not getting enough credit.
Not having a go at you in particular TLH, it's a pretty common opinion, i just can't understand it. I expect WCE to treat newman like they would any other rookie, and if he does not show considerable improvement in 2015 (his 4th year on the list) move him swiftly along.
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If you want to draft more riksy, you should also want us to give a greater chance a player like Newman, who has superior upside, rather than a player like Cripps, who's pretty safe at this point.
Since most people on here wanted to be more speculative in the draft..
Since most people on here wanted to be more speculative in the draft..
Dark Sharks
Premium Kent
To a certain degree. Newman has the most 'upside' of anyone on our list, considering he pretty much hit rock bottom, but you'd think 4 years on our list from a player who went #23 in the 2011 draft is more then enough time to develop and showcase his skills. I say 4 years with the presumption that we're talking about the end of the 2015 season.
For what it's worth i expect him to improve and i don't think his position will be in danger at the end of 2015.
Why do people have the impression Cripps has peaked or has a low ceiling? He's young, very fast, shown he can hit the scoreboard regularly at the top level, good endurance, provides outstanding tackling pressure.... the only knocks i can see is presumably his inability to transition into the midfield, which isn't a huge problem at all considering he's fine playing a role where he is, drifting in and out of games, and his diabetes condition. It's not like he won't improve with each season like any other young player, he's only 22.
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Example was more for illustrative purposes. Not knocking Cripps.
Dark Sharks
Premium Kent
Yeah that's not me having at you either Jimmy, more like a general response to the few people with the "cripps is just a role player" theory.
dajesmac you're one of those who doesn't rate Cripps or his scope for improvement very highly right?
Provided Cripps medical condition, type one diabetes IIRC, doesn't curtail his progress. Seems to have it under wraps ATM. Cripps will improve, but so will Punchy. Will be a fascinating journey.
I like Cripps but yeah that's right I think he has a limited scope. He isn't quite damaging enough although he has a knack for getting into the right spots and getting on the end of chains. Like you say I can't see him becoming a midfielder (I think we can do better) and he lacks the skills to play in defense. Pigeon hole him as a defensive forward IMO.
LordHaart
Club Legend
- Mar 27, 2011
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I agree that he's best off left as a pure forward, though I think many of the criticisms of Cripps could be similarly applied to Lecras. Lecras never really seemed like a midfielder to me and I think it's too late to play him there, he's better as a creative forward. I get the desire to play him as a defensive forward given his tackle numbers and his history of fading out later in games, but I would probably give him another year or two before pigeon holing him into that role - my hope whichisnotatallimpactedbymysponsorshipofhimcoughcough is that he can be Lecras's (who is 29 next year) successor. At 22 he still has some scope for improving his fitness and learning how to work himself into the game more often.
The other thing to remember is that Cripps has been playing amongst a forward line with Kennedy, Lecras, Darling and Cox/Naitanui - not sure how many other forward targets Lecras typically had to compete with during his best years, but even just looking at 2011 compared with 2009/2010, Lecras's average goals dropped by almost one per match, and I dare say that's because we finally has some other targets up there in Darling and Nicoski.
I like what Cripps did this year but there was plenty of times where he would shank what should have been a regulation kick (referring more to field kicks here). If he can tidy his disposal up in general play he becomes a lot more dangerous.
I forget he is only 22, at that age Ballantyne had only just finished his first year of AFL and his output was not what Cripps put up this year. There's definitely room for improvement.
His issue is that his skills let him down at the wrong times. I think he's one of the most creative players on the team in terms of vision on the field. He just lacks the polish to pull of the kicks he sees. If he can get his kicking up to scratch, he'll become an important part of the 22.
- Jun 2, 2006
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What's with this fantasy of Gov in the ruck?
195cm ruckman, it's back to the future! Have to be ahead of the curve!
- Nov 2, 2012
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Paddy Ryder is only 196cm.
Yet mcgovern is a better forward than lycett and lycett obviously a ridiculously better ruck than gov. Makes no sense to me at all
Personally disagree. Has excellent pace, runs very hard, chases and tackles, has knack for spacing, wants to take the game on and kicks goals - all attributes you want from midfield prospects. Plus, just hit 50 games, so should startshowing a fair bit more consistency.
Tom Lambs Hair
Draftee
On rotation!
Tom Lambs Hair
Draftee
On rotation. You should go and watch training. He spends time in ruck drills.
- Sep 8, 2010
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Cripps is one of those guys who won't be a game changer, but he's been pretty damn solid this year. He always seems to bop up with a goal a game, not bad.
Exactly this at the end of the day he provides pressure and is our sixth forward. If your sixth forward can get 20+ goals from a flank whilst taking pressure of the midfield then you can't complain.
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