Tac cup 2012

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nofearbrowny said:
I have seen stringer twice this year, I dont doubt his talent but I do doubt his body mainly his leg. Its been 16 months since the break I dont think things are getting any better. His foot doesnt seem central to his leg , Im no doctor but Im doubting he can stand up to rigors of afl. His chances of a first round pick are slim at best , I hope Im wrong !
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As I said, his leg is coming along quite well condisering the trauma it went through. It's only about 8 or 10 weeks since the pins and screws were removed so it's amazing thats he's actually playing now. Whoever does pick him up will have to move him to the backbench for the first 12 months or so. It's been 24 months since a fair dinkum pre season so I believe he'll struggle through the Dec - Mar period of work. If he does go in the second or third round, it'll be a bargain.....The desire of this kid to play at the highest level is his biggest asset, he is pushing it as far as he can go....and a little further.
 
Give the kid a spell! Think of the guys in AFL footy who have busted a leg, and think how long it's taken them to return to their best form.

It takes at least 2 years, sometimes more for a player to fully recover from a broken leg like Stringer had. Ease up. He's going along ok.
 
footyman said:
Give the kid a spell! Think of the guys in AFL footy who have busted a leg, and think how long it's taken them to return to their best form.

It takes at least 2 years, sometimes more for a player to fully recover from a broken leg like Stringer had. Ease up. He's going along ok.
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I don't think anyone is critisizing FM rather lamenting what a shame it is that he has had such a horrific injury so early in his career and at such a crucial period for him when he should be able showcase all the talent he undoubtably has.I'm wondering whether there has been any thoughts of him having another year in the TAC as a 19yr old to give him a chance to regain his fitness properly.
 

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71" GF said:
I don't think anyone is critisizing FM rather lamenting what a shame it is that he has had such a horrific injury so early in his career and at such a crucial period for him when he should be able showcase all the talent he undoubtably has.I'm wondering whether there has been any thoughts of him having another year in the TAC as a 19yr old to give him a chance to regain his fitness properly.
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Stranger things have happened, but you'd like to think that absolute worst case for the kid that one club would take a punt in the 120 odd National and Rookie draft picks. There may be some risk, but potentially some reward when he gets right.
 
Schnail73 said:
As I said, his leg is coming along quite well condisering the trauma it went through. It's only about 8 or 10 weeks since the pins and screws were removed so it's amazing thats he's actually playing now. Whoever does pick him up will have to move him to the backbench for the first 12 months or so. It's been 24 months since a fair dinkum pre season so I believe he'll struggle through the Dec - Mar period of work. If he does go in the second or third round, it'll be a bargain.....The desire of this kid to play at the highest level is his biggest asset, he is pushing it as far as he can go....and a little further.
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Spot on. He did a mountain of work to get back to football earlier than expected (it is at least a 12 month injury). He was ahead of schedule and had a solid fitness base. Then a decision was made to have the rods and screws taken out, which set him back and undoubtedly robbed him of that fitness base. Maybe doing so well in the first game or two has set him back, but lets judge him on later in the year, considering expectations were for him to figure little if at all this year, instead of the performances he put up when straight back...
 
1/2 time at Warrawee Park, Sandringham 4.6.30 to Bendigo 3.4.22, scrappy affair, Kenny Ong going well for the Dragons, Jake Chisari as well for the Pioneers. A couple of goals for Dragon Joel McKee, weather is holding up just nicely, should be a cracker of a second half. Surprised the Pioneers are still in it.....
 
Unconvincing win to the Sandy Dragons over the Bendigo Pioneers by 25 points. Tom Langdon, Joel McKee and Michael Barnes were good for the Dragons, also thought Kenny Ong was good. Walls, Chisari, Bell and Miller for the Pioneers. A game with few highlights, scrappy affair that was a little more exciting when the numerous stoppages opened up and free flowing footy developed. Nick Mee's chase down tackle at centre half back when really he had no right was a bright spot for the Pioneers, as was Stringer's 10 minutes of midfield ownership in the last quarter. I stll cannot see where the Pioneers can win some more games, where the Dragon did just enough to get 4 points and regroup for next week.
 
Schnail73 said:
. I stll cannot see where the Pioneers can win some more games, where the Dragon did just enough to get 4 points and regroup for next week.
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They would have a chance against Northern Knights wouldn't they. Last time they played they one by 100 points.
 
Footyking123 said:
They would have a chance against Northern Knights wouldn't they. Last time they played they one by 100 points.
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Fair call, probably judging them quite hard as well, whilst still missing Wines and Heavyside. I don't think the Knights will allow Stringer the forward 50 space he received in that game either. Knights might be stronger than Pioneers with all VC and Metro players back to their respective sides, although NSW/ACT players Clyne and Burgess also strengthens the Bendigo side.....wait and see
 
Hi I'm 15 I play for Taylors Lakes football club can any one tell me do you have to play TAC to get drafted to the AFL or can you play VFL and get drafted what's the best way plz
 
Adrian Indivino from Oakleigh Chargers is a jet, an underage player in 2012 and has already played 5-6 games and has provided promise in all of them, an outside midfielder, but has the ability to do the hard stuff required, even with a small frame. He contains lovely skills with a deadly left foot. Along with pace and good aerobic fitness, Adrian cruises up and down the wing, whilst kicking goals.
 
G'day Adrian. Welcome to the forums
 
right genius, if I was Adrian, why would i make a fake account to pump myself up and therefore place more pressure on myself and future prospects, and not too mention the banter recieved from peers. Think again.
 

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Good stuff, Adrian's dad/mate/concubine.
 
Went aaaaall the way up to Highgate to see Geelong draw with Calder yesterday. Was expecting a miserable sleeting fridge complete with Arctic gales, but actually ended up being quite a pleasant afternoon. Still a bit of wind though - the ground is on top of a hill and gets basically no shelter from wind no matter what direction it blows from. Awkward, changeable, and sliding across goal at an angle, it led to the footy not being the most attractive I've ever seen.

First time I'd seen either side this year (I know it hacked up the surface, but I wish they'd go back to playing TAC doubleheaders at Princes Park every weekend - so damn much easier to get to than Highgate or bloody Kardinia park!) and I was really impressed at how well the Falcons midfielders worked together. Calder may have had more hyped up draft talent, but the Falcons kids hunted in packs, got numbers to the contest, knew each others games really well, ran in support, and generally made the Calder midfield look distinctly less than the sum of its parts. Still not sure how the Falcons didn't win this one, the seemed to have numbers to the fall of every ball, and it was generally only acts of individual brilliance that kept the Cannons in it. Geelong were comfortably on top for the first half despite not managing to get a scoreboard break, then Atkins, Gallucci and Daniher turned it on for a brief period in the 3rd qtr and that was pretty much enough. Daniher levelled the scores with a behind from 30 with 2 mins to go, and then the game ended farcically when the clock kept counting down (no time-on the the TAC Cup) while a bunch of kids ran around behind the goals looking unsuccessfully for the ball. A Cannons trainer finally brought a replacement ball out, but there was only enough time for the Falcons to take the kick-in before the siren went. Geelong can justifiably feel a bit robbed. Other than that, umpiring was overofficious rubbish, but it seemed at least that it was overofficious rubbish that didn't strongly favour either side (Jake Owen can feel miffed about his disallowed goal though!)

For Geelong, I was really impressed with Cam Williams, strong-bodied 195cm overager who played fwd, back and ruck at various times. Solid competitor in the air against some strong opposition (ruckwork nothing to really write home about), who put his mark on the contest when the ball hit the ground as well - second efforts and ability to recover after the marking contest were a real feature. Seriously was all over the ground - I was really impressed with the number of contests he got to. Only the first time I've seen him, but at 88kg he looked like a draftable option for a team who wanted a CHB but didn't want to wait too long for one to mature.

Zak Sherman was very industrious, hardworking and productive. Positioned himself well, got a lot of the ball, willing to run and carry or go in and get it himself. Very good, dangerous game and he was a major part of the Falcons midfield superiority.

Tom Gribble similar to the above. I can give credit to a bunch of guys actually - it was a very even Geelong midfield. Mason Wood gave good run and carry and kicked a very impressive goal from the pocket, James Tsitas was quietish early but found increasing amounts of space later in the game, Nick Bourke (underager, definitely one to watch) got a load of it as a leadup option but shifted into the midfield later on and continued his good work. I'll need to watch the Falcons a few more times to get a feel for who's doing what, but as a unit there were exceptional.

Matthew Boag another Falcon to keep an eye on next year. Smart, agile, hardworking small forward, kicked 2, set up others with good pressure and option selection.

Cannons played like a bunch of individuals through the midfield, and like a team prioritising getting kids drafted over winning games up forward. Boyd rucked most of the game, leaving McBean and Daniher in the forward line, which really didn't work as a combination despite it being each of their best positions, since half the time they were doing dummy leads all the way up the wing to isolate Nick Fletcher one-out as the target man (why?) No structure whatsoever, and the Cannons smalls were helpless to stop the Falcons halfbacks rebounding it out again and again.

Atkins was quietish in the first half, but woke up and got dangerous later on. Won clearances (enjoys the barrel out of the centre) and made something happen whenever he got near the ball. Impressive ability to change or reverse direction completely in the course of a single step, makes him ver hard to pin down.

Gallucci is undraftably small but was a big part of the reason that Calder got back into it in the second half. Very quick, agile, evasive, knows where the goals are.

O'Rourke ran hard all day but had someone on his hammer the whole time, which hindered his effectiveness. Hardly got a clean or uncontested possession all game, and didn't get as much protection or blocking from his teammates as he should have.

Daniher looked unstoppable when he got half-decent delivery, but with the Cannons' midfield and forward line structural issues that wasn't often. Clunked his usual huge, chanceless marks in front of goal, but also missed a couple on the lead (I think he lost it in the low afternoon sun when Calder were kicking to the southern end - another problem with the lack of shelter at Highgate) and burnt his chances in front of goal too often, from gettable shots. Ended up with 2.3 I think (Cannons had 0.2 on the board when I got there), and a couple of what would have been goal assists if his teammates had been able to finish off relatively routine shots. Would like to see him work harder off the ball though - jogs around a little aimlessly at times, though I'm not sure if that was because he just got a tiny bit lazy or because he was as confused about the Calder forward structure as I was.

McBean looked handy when allowed to roam, got on his bike and covered some serious ground. Handy work - could improve his value as a leaup taget by launching himself at the ball more in his final stride, and by taking it with arms outstretched - gices his defender too much of a look at it sometimes. What he hasn't got in burst speed he makes up for in reach, he needs to use that advantage more. Vulnerable to body contact though, was far too easily outmuscled - he's really got to hit the gym before he'll be remotely AFL ready. Hell, I've got bigger biceps than this kid and I'm 8 inches shorter than he is and write software for a living.

Not the strongest Calder side I've seen. I'm not sure where Abdullah is at the moment, or Madden, but they'll be wanting to get Plowman back before finals time at least.
 

Saturday 1st September

1st Elimination Final
Murray Bushrangers vs. Geelong Falcons
Visy Park​
11:45 AM​

2nd Qualifying Final
Gippsland Power vs. Dandenong Stingrays
Visy Park​
2:30 PM​

Sunday 2nd September

2nd Elimination Final
Oakleigh Chargers vs. Calder Cannons
Visy Park​
11:15 AM​

1st Qualifying Final
North Ballarat Rebels vs. Sandringham Dragons
Visy Park​
2:00 PM​
 
Sezzac1 said:
Saturday 1st September

1st Elimination Final
Murray Bushrangers vs. Geelong Falcons
Visy Park​
11:45 AM​

2nd Qualifying Final
Gippsland Power vs. Dandenong Stingrays
Visy Park​
2:30 PM​

Sunday 2nd September

2nd Elimination Final
Oakleigh Chargers vs. Calder Cannons
Visy Park​
11:15 AM​

1st Qualifying Final
North Ballarat Rebels vs. Sandringham Dragons
Visy Park​
2:00 PM​
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Thank goodness, four games at Visy Park!

Now Carlton are out of the finals race, there shouldn't be any concern about the Visy ground being chopped up from TAC Cup games cos the ground won't be getting used during the week! :D Highgate was on standby for Sunday :eek:
 
footyman said:
Thank goodness, four games at Visy Park!

Now Carlton are out of the finals race, there shouldn't be any concern about the Visy ground being chopped up from TAC Cup games cos the ground won't be getting used during the week! :D Highgate was on standby for Sunday :eek:
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Yeah........... always a silver lining somewhere :(:(:mad:
 
*, just lost two entire match reports when my computer s**t itself.

Starting again...

Saw both of yesterday's games and the first of today's. Beautiful conditions, sunny and mild, a slight breeze today but nothing yesterday. Great to be back at Pricefixer park rather shivering in the sleet at Warrawee or driving an hour to watch blokes try to deal with the permanent howling gale at bloody Highgate.

And the Princes Park kiosk sells hot chips now, which is awesome! Didn't buy any because I get queasy at the thought of giving Carlton money, but having the option is nice, and it's so much more inviting than the rank old hot dogs...

Got to Murray-Geelong a little late, and when I arrived in the second the Falcons were up 8 goals zip to 4 goals and the ame was almost over. Bushies gave it a shot in the 3rd qtr, got a heap of the ball and got within a goal, but couldn't quite get their noses in front. Margin blew out late in the 4th when the game was dusted and the Bushies dropped their heads. Valiant effort, but the small Murray mids just didn't have the body size and couldn't make their tackles stick. Some of the Bushies crowd was getting seriously feral at missed htb decisions, they perhaps copped the slightly rougher end of the stick, but still, it was pretty embarrassing.

Gribble BoG for the Falcons, got loads of it, hardworking mid who's a bit of a ball magnet, can go inside or outside. Sure hands and respectable pace but his kicking can be up-and-under, particularly on the run.

Saunders was good through the middle too - Geel have a very even bunch of 180cm blokes - if you stop one, another will bob up. Saunders did that today, with Sherman subdued (lacking a bit of legspeed and penetration by foot) he and Alex Hickey (underager, worth watching) stepped up well. Perhaps a bit more pace than Gribble and looked more dangerous in the f50.

Mason Wood the main fwd target at 190cm, thin but strong overager. Mostly used in a leading role yesterday, but I've seen him play as a running mid before and I think if he's going to step up a level, that's where he'll find his role. Strong hands, agile, can manufacture goals from a groundball, not just a lead-mark-kick type.

Cam Williams solid again, not dominant, but physical (admittedly easy when you're so much beefier than anyone else), hardworking and rarely beaten. Good size at 195, but looks confident and assured in traffic, not your average tall gangly panic-merchant. Depending on how he tests for speed, he could be an option for someone who wants a kpd with a later pick but doesn't want to wait forever - he's an overager and is built pretty well already. Would like to see him take more marks though.

Fraser Fort was playing well but copped a hip to the head when bent over the ball in the second and went off looking wobbly. Worth remembering, promising kpd prospect for next year.

Darcy Fort had an interesting ruck battle with John Woodcock, and probably took the points, though both were handy contributors. Darcy's selling points are his true ruckman height and his efforts when the ball hits the ground - he tackles hard and wins clearances with handball when on his knees in packs. Ruckwork is still a bit untutored - needs to hit his mids more often - and I'd like to see him present more of a marking presence around the ground, but at 203cm and only 84kg (despite being overaged) he's a multi-year project anyway, so there's time to work on that side of his game. A bit like Tom Downie as a prospect.

For Murray, it was Hampton, Martyn and Gibbon who did all the work. Hampton probably the best of the three, ran hard and chased relentlessly, used his pace well. But all 3 have major body size issues from a draft point of view, Martyn is the biggest by some margin at 176cm and 74kg, and as I mentioned earlier, the Murray mids lack of size was a major factor in result. Martyn more inside, smart ball user, Hampton the quick runner and chaser, Gibbon somewhere in the middle.

Taberner and Porter were ok forward options, Taberner in particular at 197cm and with good reach showed a fair bit of marking talent. Could be worth a look, is an overager who'd only played 5 games this year, but has put in good numbers at times.

Gippy and Dandenong looked like one-way traffic from very early on. Dandenong had all the running, the Power were continually turning it over across half back and when they did get it forward, had no structure at all. The Rays skipped to a 5 goal lead at qtr time against a scoreless and shell-shocked Power, and kept that buffer through to the final change despite some wasteful kicking on goal. Dunno what was in the Gippy boys' powerade at 3/4, but in the last term they came out and smashed the Rays all over the park, turned the frustrated fist-swinging angries from the first three quarters into hard ball gets and excellent pressure, and piled on 7 goals to zip and won by a couple of goals in an astonishing comeback.

Nic Graham probably BoG. Bored in hard and showed the flag all game, but it just wasn't going right for him early, gave away some silly frees at times. To hid credit, didn't go into his shell, but stepped it up massively in the second half - won clearances, spread well, tackled hard, fought like a rabid badger. Luke Parker is an inescapable comparison for this bloke.

Josh Scott I liked, 190cm roaming fwd who hit up while Membrey stayed at home. Another one who had the angries all game, and who will be thankful he whiffed his roundhouse on Josh Kerr because he'd be in for a long holiday if it'd connected. At 190cm and not the quickest I'm not sure he's got the weapons to step up a level, but he put in a power of work all game and took some excellent marks under pressure.

Membrey was Membrey. Lead-mark-kick-at-goal-that-never-looks-remotely-like-missing. Ended up with 4, you've got to love his cool head and ability to time his leads to best effect. He doesn't LOOK like he's got lightning burst pace, but he always cops the best defender and always get separation. Not sure where he fits draftwise (he will go, of course), he's just an excellent player, but 188cm tall marking forwards at AFL level? Still, I had the same questions about Siposs and he's doing well.

Ben Kearns bobbed up late and kicked a bunch of goals in the final qtr to end up with 5 and effectively win the match. Smart midsizer who finds space and kicks straight, bit of a good-Monfries game from him. Haven't seen much of this guy, wonder what he's like in the midfield?

Josh Cashman really stood up late playing a small defender's role. Very reliable, enough pace to do the job even on the quicker fwds, provided good rebound and run.

Tipungwuti's still got a bit to learn but is getting better all the time. Had a rank start to the game with some very average kicks in the d50, but sorted himself out after qtr time. Really creative (too creative at times, kicking out he can cause heart attacks now and then!) and has the pace off the mark to get himself into space when he needs it. He's a longer-term AFL prospect, his engine is much improved but still has a way to go, and he's used to being heavier and stronger than everyone he plays against, and it'd take him a while to adjust to bigger bodies. But there's talent to burn there.

For Dandenong, Billy Hartung was the best by a fair margin, was in everything and kicked 3. Marginal size at the moment, but he's still an underager, if he puts on another 4-5cm over the coming year he's a very real prospect.

Pongracic was a rock across half-back, powerful and versatile and didn't do much wrong at all. Chose good options and his disposal seemed solid. My concern with him is if he's a man playing against boys, he was able to monster his opponents physically, and in the aerial contests he was just using his weight and momentum to cruise though and other blokes couldn't divert or hinder him.

Clayton MacCartney is one to watch next year, dangerous goalkicker with an excellent turn of pace.

Lewis Pierce showed a bit in the ruck - another beanpole but decent athleticism and his hands were fast and accurate in close. On the other side, Leslie and Thomas are a pretty handy pair for Gippy, if they keep developing they'll be a very powerful combo next year.

Whitfield played forward most of the game, only went into the middle in the last when the wheels were starting to fall off and the Rays desperately needed him. Promptly got stood on, hobbled off the ground, and spent the rest of the game with ice on his foot. Kicked a couple and showed his quality - his disposal and anticipation are just brilliant - but there wasn't much in the way of desperation in his game. Played like a kid with one eye on the draft.

Calder and Oakleigh today, in a classic talls vs smalls matchup. Very open game with not much in the way of defensive structures. Calder got a couple of quick onest to start, but then Jackson Macrae got going and started getting just a ridiculous amount of ball. He almost singlehandedly pushed the Chargers to a couple of goal buffer, with the Calder mids unable to make a dent and McBean and Daniher stuck in the fwd line nowhere near the ball. Calder woke up for a bit late in the second, getting a few quick ones from some rare f50 entries to hit the lead, but Oakleigh got a late one back to go into half time ahead, and were never headed. Calder had their chances in the 3rd but were inaccurate, and Oakleigh had the numbers and structure at every stoppage, and ran it out to win by about 5 goals. Season over for Calder - pretty disappointing from them. It's been the least organised, structured, and team-oriented Calder side I can remember, to be honest. They had premiership talent this year, no mistake, but sides that worked together had their measure.

For Oakleigh, Macrae was enormously impressive again. There really aren't many blokes in this year's batch who win one-on-ones (or one-on-twos) better and more consistently than he does. Played in the midfield this week, which I prefer - he gets abandoned on an hff more often that I'd like - but still kicked 3. Strong mark, very agile, balanced and evasive - he's certainly up there with the best Victorian mid prospects this year in my book. Comparison is Steven Johnson.

Dylan Heath was good, as always. Worked hard in tight - solis body as you'd hope from an overage inside guy. He's an excellent shot on goal but I think his field kicking will be his Achilles heel when it comes to taking the next step. Just sprays it too damn often.

Jordon Collopy gave some useful run and carry, added a bit to a Chargers midfield that is very even buy lacking a bit of standout pace.

Jay Kennedy-Harris is a small, very light underaged kid, indigenous I think. Played roving small forward, didn't get all that much of it but looked dangerous when he did. Gets goal of the day, screwing one back over his shoulder when running away from goal about 40 out. Worth remembering next year, but badly needs to beef up if he's going to be in draft contention.

Jason Ashby is a stealth midfield prospect for you. He's not your dominant stand-out spectacular type guy, but he's a good size, works hard, and just plain doesn't make mistakes. Bit more outside than inside, but does the defensive stuff and tackles well, very safe by foot. He's the sort of player I've noticed in several games but who hasn't quite made the 'write-up' cut-off, but he's just too consistent and reliable to ignore.

Billings did his usual thing, hang around in the fwd line, somehow find acres of space, take mark, kick goal, repeat. Ended up with another bag of 4. It'll be very interesting to see how he hoes if/when the Chargers move him to the middle next year.

For Calder, well, hard to evaluate because their quality is in the talls and supply was very limited.

Jordan Angus their best for mine, big solid overage ruck who's nearly AFL size already. Despite his bewildering and haircut, it was a really blue-collar effort from him - his chasing, tackling and bodywork were first-rate all day. Won almost every hitout, but the understanding with the midfielders just wasn't there so Calder didn't translate this into clearances. Athleticism a bit of a question - he has the engine and his pace isn't too shabby in a straight line, but he doesn't get far off the ground, and even when he does jump at a ruck contest he tends to go much too early.

Good to see Plowman back from injury, he hasn't missed a beat seemingly. Good game in defence from him, his closing speed and athleticism impressed, took some good marks and laid decisive spoils, and he gave good rebound. Definitely a top kpd prospect this year.

McBean played deep forward and ended up with 4 goals. Still not sure what to make of him, he's seriously lacking body strength for a 200cm bloke, and his best passages of play were when he got to show off his run and side-step. Impressive agility, but you'd want a fwd/ruck to be marking the thing more, surely? Spent a little time in the ruck to not a huge amount of effect, but his fwd work was really good, and he kicked straight today as well, which was good to see after some questionable games recently.

Sean Gregory was a bit of a surprise packet to me. Skinny 195cm kid who played key defence, but just lightning fast and his rebound sometimes had to be seen to be believed. Did the job overhead well, took some handy relieving marks (against less-than-fearsome opposition, it has to be said - Oakleigh's mid-size fwds looked infinitely more dangrous than their talls all game) and was every bit as mobile as a mid when the ball hit the ground. Very skinny and sometimes his decision making was a bit panicked, but he played a really good game. Might be worth pickign up late as a development option, but if not, I hope Calder keeps him around for another year and puts some meat on his bones. there's definite potential there.

Of the Calder mids, O'Rourke got a lot of the ball but lacked impact. Probably needed blocking and support that wasn't there, but it's not like he looked about to rip the game apart at any stage either. Atkins was his usual self, brilliant and dominant in spurts, followed by long periods of invisible. Madden worked hard but just lacked a bit of size and composure.

Daniher played CHF and ended up with two, probably should have had 4 or 5 but his late-season goalkicking radar jitters continued. Had a bit of the Whitfields as well - just cruising around, already knows he's going to get drafted so went through the motions a bit. When the ball came to him his hands were chanceless as usual and Jaksch couldn't remotely go with him, but the workrate just wasn't there (especially defensively) and at times he looked flat-out lazy. Jaksch got a bit of the ball just by running harder. Set up a couple, missed a couple more, and with a couple of minutes left pulled out the party tricks, taking a low mark 70 out, then balking round his man, outrunning a pursuing midfielder and putting it through post-high from 50 on the boundary. Stupidly brilliant, but too little too late for his team. Needs the step up to an AFL environment to be honest, being a smaller fish in a big pond will be good for him for a while.
 
Great write up HM. Reading that makes me feel like I was there, right down to the awful hot dogs. Just on a few of the players...


Humble Minion said:
For Oakleigh, Macrae was enormously impressive again. There really aren't many blokes in this year's batch who win one-on-ones (or one-on-twos) better and more consistently than he does. Played in the midfield this week, which I prefer - he gets abandoned on an hff more often that I'd like - but still kicked 3. Strong mark, very agile, balanced and evasive - he's certainly up there with the best Victorian mid prospects this year in my book. Comparison is Steven Johnson.
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There is a bit of Stevie Johnson to him, in terms of more recent draftees I like the Steele Sidebottom comparison. And I think he could have a similar start to his career in the AFL, making a successful move from half forward to midfielder in no time. Every time I look at updating my draft, Macrae is always the one who jumps up the order. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go top 10, ahead of Oliver Wines. If they allowed betting on draft picks, I'd be putting a sneaky bet on Brisbane to take him at #8.


Humble Minion said:
McBean played deep forward and ended up with 4 goals. Still not sure what to make of him, he's seriously lacking body strength for a 200cm bloke, and his best passages of play were when he got to show off his run and side-step. Impressive agility, but you'd want a fwd/ruck to be marking the thing more, surely? Spent a little time in the ruck to not a huge amount of effect, but his fwd work was really good, and he kicked straight today as well, which was good to see after some questionable games recently.
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McBean will probably be the most interesting player to watch on draft day. Like you said, he is a great athlete. But when you're 200cm, being able to run isn't the most important part of your game. It's not a strong draft for players his height, but will the fact he isn't guaranteed to develop into an AFL ruckman still count against him? If Adelaide pass on him in the first round, then I'm not sure where he will go.

Humble Minion said:
Sean Gregory was a bit of a surprise packet to me. Skinny 195cm kid who played key defence, but just lightning fast and his rebound sometimes had to be seen to be believed. Did the job overhead well, took some handy relieving marks (against less-than-fearsome opposition, it has to be said - Oakleigh's mid-size fwds looked infinitely more dangrous than their talls all game) and was every bit as mobile as a mid when the ball hit the ground. Very skinny and sometimes his decision making was a bit panicked, but he played a really good game. Might be worth pickign up late as a development option, but if not, I hope Calder keeps him around for another year and puts some meat on his bones. there's definite potential there.
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This kid is the ultimate smokie in my opinion. I did a Google search for 'Sean Gregory AFL' yesterday, and the #1 result was a post of mine from back in April when I said he was one KPD to keep an eye out for. He hasn't been mentioned since on BigFooty until now.

He is reportedly up to the 196-197cm mark now. And I'd say he has put on a few kilos since I first saw him too, but obviously still has some way to go. As you said though - he moves really well for someone his size and is a strong mark. His one on one defensive work has actually been really good too, never has a bag of goals kicked on him.

I've been wondering for some time why he hasn't been getting attention on here. I can only assume it's because he didn't play in the U18 Championships. Because he is the exact type of KPP that BigFooty usually loves - skinny, but excellent athletically. I think he compares very well to Sam Frost, who despite being a rookie selection, was widely regarded as a top 30 prospect. I wouldn't be surprised if a team picked him up late in the National Draft, so as to not risk getting him through as a rookie.
 
G'day guys,

Great Thread, have really enjoyed reading. I am off to watch the Falcons v Dragons game on Sunday and was wondering if anyone has much info on Sandringham? I noticed there was a couple of players not named last week due to injuries, and I was also wondering which players are worth having a look at?
Cheers
 
spinks06 said:
G'day guys,

Great Thread, have really enjoyed reading. I am off to watch the Falcons v Dragons game on Sunday and was wondering if anyone has much info on Sandringham? I noticed there was a couple of players not named last week due to injuries, and I was also wondering which players are worth having a look at?
Cheers
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Three I know of that were out were McKee Tiernan and Quirk. McKee hurts because they used him everywhere. ACL apparently. Tiernan and quirk could be back this week.
A lot of their big names have been disappointing. Should have easily got over the line last week, but fell in a big hole.
 
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