Cannons' List Evaluation

[cannons]

Kyle Cheney

It would be unfair for me to make an assessment of Kyle as I haven’t see him play too much. I’ve seen him play a couple of times at Sandringham, so I’ll just make some broad points about his game.

General Observations:
- Plays as a medium-sized defender
- Hard at the ball
- Seems to read the play well
- Provides some good run off half back
- His ball use is reasonable, but he should aim to improve upon it
- Good defensive game (tackles well, accountable etc.)
- Seems like a pretty consistent, no-frills type of player

He was selection number 53 in the 2007 draft. Kyle missed three games with a broken hand and his playing time was divided between the VFL seniors and reserves, although he played the last couple of games in the seniors.

Melbourne’s player profile also indicates he is a good overhead mark and is strong in one-on-one situations.

Overall, this season has provided Cheney with a good base to build upon for 2009. It will be interesting to see if he is capable of filling the void left by Whelan when he departs.

 

[whelan=legend]

A bit of a Campbell Brown-ish player you think Cannons?

 

[Dez!]

A bit of a Campbell Brown-ish player you think Cannons?

Let's hope Kyle has talent though Whelan.

 

[whelan=legend]

Let's hope Kyle has talent though Whelan.

Brown isn't the most talented player in the world... puts his body on the line though.

 

[cannons]

Brown isn't the most talented player in the world... puts his body on the line though.

Cheney was described as 'harder than a cat's head' by his U18 team's regional manager . Whilst I'm not exactly sure about the hardness of a cat's head, I think the statement is indicative of the way he plays.

Yeah, he is hard and seems to be quite a no-nonsense type, so in that sense there are some definite similarities to Brown. His physical attributes looked pretty good to me as well, his pace was quite reasonable and he's very good defensively. He has quite a tidy kick too, but it probably isn't his strongest point.

 

[The Dr]

Potential replacement for Whelan in a year or two, or is he slightly too big to be a small defender?

 

[master bate]

Potential replacement for Whelan in a year or two, or is he slightly too big to be a small defender?

Geelong has a tall defence, so it shows as long as he has the pace to keep up with smalls I can't see why not. Although Bartram's speed has him prepared for playing on the really quick smalls. Despite his awesome late season form, next year will probably be Whelan's last so it will be interesting to see who really sticks their hands up out of a relatively even pack from Bell, CJ, Bartram, Petterd, Cheney. Just as it will be to see who excells out of Rivers, Garland, Warnock, Martin and Frawley.

 

[cannons]

Potential replacement for Whelan in a year or two, or is he slightly too big to be a small defender?

Yeah, he's a potential replacement for Whelan, he's probably got a bigger frame than Whelan but their height would be pretty similar. Cheney may have a couple of cm's on him but that's about it. His pace is decent too, so I would say that his role will be similar to that of Whelan's.

 

[2 Dogs]

Potential replacement for Whelan in a year or two, or is he slightly too big to be a small defender?

I'd say he is the tardy replacement for Peter Walsh.

 

[cannons]

Aaron Davey

Current Ability: B+
Aaron had an indifferent season by his standards. He played 15 matches, averaging 15 disposals. He battled injury for a sizeable part of the season and also missed a match through a club-imposed suspension.

Strengths:
- Immense Pace
- Kicking
- Flair
- Agility
- Ball handling

Weaknesses:
- Consistency
- Physicality
- Can get lost during games

Potential Ability: A
We all know how good Davey can be, he is blessed with high levels of talent in most of the essential areas of the game. However, in the past two seasons his form has varied greatly. He plays those games in which he really impacts upon the match and creates a spark, however all too often he fades out of other games and has a minimal impact. He needs to work on this part of his game to become an elite player.

If he can improve his stamina over preseason he may be able to move into the midfield more often and add another dimension to Melbourne’s relatively slow midfield. A role across halfback may also suit him, although accountability and size may be issues here. In saying that, he is probably most damaging as a forward who rotates through the midfield spasmodically.

Trade Value: 1st rounder, but he isn’t on the trade table.

Aaron is still an integral part of Melbourne’s line-up, despite some indifferent form over the past couple of seasons. If he is to reach the upper-echelon of players in the AFL, his consistency must improve. All of the talent is there, but further application is needed.

 

[dee-molishon]

Sylvia will be a gun, and when he does i will bump this and give you the

have a look at ya now

No problem whelan be happy to swallow my medicine if your right

Then i will proceed to bump your original comment "and suprisingly when i asked" ...........lol even you know deep down its not going to happen.

 

[dee-molishon]

Just two comments on your observations and reports on cheney and davey cannons.

Davey's potential an A?? i would think he will only get worse from here as his pace starts to drop off, sorry but i cant have him improving any more just cant see it happening.

Cheney: as i know bugger all about him i will say that one of weakness' should be: has red hair and will struggle to pick up any chicks which could result in plenty of future on field suspensions from sexual frustration.

 

[cannons]

Just two comments on your observations and reports on cheney and davey cannons.

Davey's potential an A?? i would think he will only get worse from here as his pace starts to drop off, sorry but i cant have him improving any more just cant see it happening.

Cheney: as i know bugger all about him i will say that one of weakness' should be: has red hair and will struggle to pick up any chicks which could result in plenty of future on field suspensions from sexual frustration.

I think Davey is about to enter his peak now, so his physical attributes should still remain strong for a couple of years. With added consistency, he could be an A-grade player.

Yeah, I agree on Cheney. The guy will struggle with that haircut

 

[McLean_4_Captain]

Just two comments on your observations and reports on cheney and davey cannons.

Davey's potential an A?? i would think he will only get worse from here as his pace starts to drop off, sorry but i cant have him improving any more just cant see it happening.

Cheney: as i know bugger all about him i will say that one of weakness' should be: has red hair and will struggle to pick up any chicks which could result in plenty of future on field suspensions from sexual frustration.

I'll have to disagree with you on Davey, while he didn't have a great year we still missed him badly once he got injured. We were at least semi competitive against North & alright against Essendon, then he got injured and we were a rabble (even in the win) for the rest of the year. He's not the sole reason for the downward turn, but our midfield was painfully slow without him. He'll still have at least a few good years before he starts to slow down

Have you ever seen Cameron Ling get reported? He won't get frustrated because he'll have come to the same realisation that you have a long time ago

 

[dazzledavey36]

Just two comments on your observations and reports on cheney and davey cannons.

Davey's potential an A?? i would think he will only get worse from here as his pace starts to drop off, sorry but i cant have him improving any more just cant see it happening.

Cheney: as i know bugger all about him i will say that one of weakness' should be: has red hair and will struggle to pick up any chicks which could result in plenty of future on field suspensions from sexual frustration.

cheney has a gf. she not that bad either! dont know how the **** he pulled it off! must have had a pretty good darn pick up line.

 

[whelan=legend]

Your getting slack cannons!

 

[cannons]

Your getting slack cannons!

You're absolutely right, but you could be wrong. (Sorry, I just had to quote Denny Crane somewhere )

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lynden Dunn

Current Ability: C
Dunn had an up and down season. He played 16 matches in 2008, averaging close to 12 possessions. This is a pretty mediocre return; however he was used primarily as a run-with player. He produced some solid performances in that role, negating players of high stature within the AFL. He also averaged 2.5 clangers a match, including 6 against Geelong, which is unacceptable given the amount of ball he wins.

Strengths:
- Stamina
- Work ethic
- Defensive skills
- Aggression
- Accountability

Weaknesses:
- Size
- Pace
- Disposal
- Doesn’t get much of the ball
- Marking

Potential Ability: B
I think Lynden has a lot to improve upon, and he should be able to do this over the preseason. However, I don’t think he’s the type of player who will ever explode; he will probably be making incremental improvements to his game. I think B is about right in terms of his potential; he could be a solid role player for the club, but nothing extraordinary.

I have listed his size as a weakness because he is somewhere in between a key forward and midfielder in this area. It seems as if Bailey has recognised he won’t make it as a KPF, and has looked to reinvent him as a tagger due to his running ability. To improve in this role, he needs to get more of the ball himself, and give his opponent something to worry about. We know he has some goal kicking ability, he just needs to utilise it more often. At the moment, it seems as if he is overly concerned with his direct opponent, and getting the ball is an afterthought. In saying that, he has performed his defensive duties well.

Skills are a major concern for Dunn too. He seems to struggle with his disposal at times, and he doesn’t mark particularly well for his size. He needs to work on this over preseason, as well as trying to use his size to advantage in the midfield.

Trade Value: Late 3rd rounder

Overall, Dunn has got to lift his game to cement a spot in the team for 2009. He has some qualities of a good run-with player who could hurt his opponent going the other way. If he can strike a better balance between his defensive and offensive duties, it will increase his value to the team greatly. 2009 shapes as an important year for his development.

 

[saj_21]

You're absolutely right, but you could be wrong. (Sorry, I just had to quote Denny Crane somewhere )

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lynden Dunn

Current Ability: C
Dunn had an up and down season. He played 16 matches in 2008, averaging close to 12 possessions. This is a pretty mediocre return; however he was used primarily as a run-with player. He produced some solid performances in that role, negating players of high stature within the AFL. He also averaged 2.5 clangers a match, including 6 against Geelong, which is unacceptable given the amount of ball he wins.

Strengths:
- Stamina
- Work ethic
- Defensive skills
- Aggression
- Accountability

Weaknesses:
- Size
- Pace
- Disposal
- Doesn’t get much of the ball
- Marking

Potential Ability: B
I think Lynden has a lot to improve upon, and he should be able to do this over the preseason. However, I don’t think he’s the type of player who will ever explode; he will probably be making incremental improvements to his game. I think B is about right in terms of his potential; he could be a solid role player for the club, but nothing extraordinary.

I have listed his size as a weakness because he is somewhere in between a key forward and midfielder in this area. It seems as if Bailey has recognised he won’t make it as a KPF, and has looked to reinvent him as a tagger due to his running ability. To improve in this role, he needs to get more of the ball himself, and give his opponent something to worry about. We know he has some goal kicking ability, he just needs to utilise it more often. At the moment, it seems as if he is overly concerned with his direct opponent, and getting the ball is an afterthought. In saying that, he has performed his defensive duties well.

Skills are a major concern for Dunn too. He seems to struggle with his disposal at times, and he doesn’t mark particularly well for his size. He needs to work on this over preseason, as well as trying to use his size to advantage in the midfield.

Trade Value: Late 3rd rounder

Overall, Dunn has got to lift his game to cement a spot in the team for 2009. He has some qualities of a good run-with player who could hurt his opponent going the other way. If he can strike a better balance between his defensive and offensive duties, it will increase his value to the team greatly. 2009 shapes as an important year for his development.

I really hope they play him up forward next year, he and bate had great years in 06 playing up forward together.

 

[Deenamite]

There surely has to be a better place for Dunn than a tagging mid-fielder. He's 192cm and he has to start using that to his advantage, whether it's up forward or down back.

 

[The Dr]

There is no way I'd want to trade Dunn for a late third rounder.

Considering Bailey changed his role from a KPF to a tagging midfielder this season - can you imagine how hard that would be? I thought he did an excellent job considering.

Every team needs a good tagger and Dunn has overtaken Buckley in one year with the gig. Remember Ling was drafted as a forward too and as a bigger-bodied midfielder, with now elite running skills, we all know how important he is to the Cats team.

Yes, we do lack forwards and hopefully that would be rectified in this year's draft and/or the year after.

But I think Dunn was a major positive for us in 08 - he does need to learn to hurt his opponent going the other way (kicking goals like Ling does) but that will come as he grows into his role.

 

[Beats]

There is no way I'd want to trade Dunn for a late third rounder.

Considering Bailey changed his role from a KPF to a tagging midfielder this season - can you imagine how hard that would be? I thought he did an excellent job considering.

Every team needs a good tagger and Dunn has overtaken Buckley in one year with the gig. Remember Ling was drafted as a forward too and as a bigger-bodied midfielder, with now elite running skills, we all know how important he is to the Cats team.

Yes, we do lack forwards and hopefully that would be rectified in this year's draft and/or the year after.

But I think Dunn was a major positive for us in 08 - he does need to learn to hurt his opponent going the other way (kicking goals like Ling does) but that will come as he grows into his role.

Buckley a tagger? Pretty sure you mean Bartram...

I wouldn't trade Dunn full stop.

Next year Dunn will fully come into his prime, he is too defensively minded at the moment, once he learns to run the other way he will be very very good, as he has a distinct height advantage over almost anyone he plays on.

I disagree on Cannons evaluation that Dunn does not have pace, I think that he actually has a fair bit of pace in a straight line, imo he does not have agility, which at his size is fair enough.

 

[The Dr]

Buckley a tagger? Pretty sure you mean Bartram...

I wouldn't trade Dunn full stop.

Next year Dunn will fully come into his prime, he is too defensively minded at the moment, once he learns to run the other way he will be very very good, as he has a distinct height advantage over almost anyone he plays on.

I disagree on Cannons evaluation that Dunn does not have pace, I think that he actually has a fair bit of pace in a straight line, imo he does not have agility, which at his size is fair enough.

Spot on

 

[cannons]

There is no way I'd want to trade Dunn for a late third rounder.

Considering Bailey changed his role from a KPF to a tagging midfielder this season - can you imagine how hard that would be? I thought he did an excellent job considering.

Every team needs a good tagger and Dunn has overtaken Buckley in one year with the gig. Remember Ling was drafted as a forward too and as a bigger-bodied midfielder, with now elite running skills, we all know how important he is to the Cats team.

Yes, we do lack forwards and hopefully that would be rectified in this year's draft and/or the year after.

But I think Dunn was a major positive for us in 08 - he does need to learn to hurt his opponent going the other way (kicking goals like Ling does) but that will come as he grows into his role.

I never made any suggestion that we should trade him, I just placed a perceived trade value on him.

I agree that he did a good job tagging considering his inexperience in such a role. I think he has the attributes to hurt his direct opponent going the other way, as he has ability around goals. Hopefully with more time in the role he will gain an understanding of when it is acceptable to attack himself. Now, he plays almost exclusively as a negator.

Buckley a tagger? Pretty sure you mean Bartram...

I wouldn't trade Dunn full stop.

Next year Dunn will fully come into his prime, he is too defensively minded at the moment, once he learns to run the other way he will be very very good, as he has a distinct height advantage over almost anyone he plays on.

I disagree on Cannons evaluation that Dunn does not have pace, I think that he actually has a fair bit of pace in a straight line, imo he does not have agility, which at his size is fair enough.

At this point, I wouldn't trade him either, as he has minimal value on the trade table and we would gain more through keeping him on.

I agree with your second paragraph, it pretty much reiterates my evaluation.

Your opinion on his pace is valid, but I haven't seen him use it to his advantage too often, I think his stamina is where he can generate a competitive advantage.

 

[Beats]

I never made any suggestion that we should trade him, I just placed a perceived trade value on him.

I agree that he did a good job tagging considering his inexperience in such a role. I think he has the attributes to hurt his direct opponent going the other way, as he has ability around goals. Hopefully with more time in the role he will gain an understanding of when it is acceptable to attack himself. Now, he plays almost exclusively as a negator.



At this point, I wouldn't trade him either, as he has minimal value on the trade table and we would gain more through keeping him on.

I agree with your second paragraph, it pretty much reiterates my evaluation.

Your opinion on his pace is valid, but I haven't seen him use it to his advantage too often, I think his stamina is where he can generate a competitive advantage.

Agree, he uses it almost exclusively in chasing...
However, what I was saying is that you've listed his pace as a con, I disagree as I believe he has pretty decent acceleration and speed, a LOT better than nearly anyone else in our midfield, not whether he uses it to his advantage.
He does seem to have a decent tank, but I don't think he'll be able to generate an advantage with it, simply as he will be playing on people with tanks of the same size.

 

[whelan=legend]

I reckon we chuck him up forward and leave him there, was watching Queens Birthday footage from 2006 and he looked very comfortable up there, even though we had better options (Neitz, Robbo). Considering we are crying out for key forwards i think he would do well as a full forward / lead up CHF.