Opinion Knightsight, Hinesight and Hindsight Nov 2016 and 2017

[manicpie]

Rookie listing Liam Ryan wouldn’t have been a mistake. You have to take risks.

The only mistake we made was not getting him the year before

 

[Knightmare]

You're very good KM, but you're cheating a bit with Liam Ryan. The whole football world knew he was a freakshow, but also knew he wasn't willing to move to interstate, so he wasn't really an option for Dekka.

In 2017 Liam Ryan went pick 26. Fremantle's next pick was at 44. West Coast following their pick 26 took other players with picks 32 and 38. So that suggests to be that there was reasonable interstate interest.

If I understand correctly it was Melbourne that year with picks 27 and 31 that were believed to be considering Ryan before West Coast's pick 32, so the Eagles jumped in beforehand to ensure they got their guy.

 

[sr36]

You could reverse that, anyway, if he nominates for the draft and say's he won't go interstate, which he never said publicly, he would be in breach of the rules, he was there for the taking the year before but we were too conservative in our thinking once again

I agree with you on "risk". To me a kid like Appleby never developing the class for AFL is as high a risk as any of the 'risky' types. I'd love Harley Bennell to be training with us and not Melbourne. But when a kid was considered too immature to handle a move interstate, you can't say the recruiters were wrong because he succeeded at home. We'll never know how he would have coped in Melbourne.

 

[manicpie]

I agree with you on "risk". To me a kid like Appleby never developing the class for AFL is as high a risk as any of the 'risky' types. I'd love Harley Bennell to be training with us and not Melbourne. But when a kid was considered too immature to handle a move interstate, you can't say the recruiters were wrong because he succeeded at home. We'll never know how he would have coped in Melbourne.

Absolutely

 

[Knightmare]

I agree with you on "risk". To me a kid like Appleby never developing the class for AFL is as high a risk as any of the 'risky' types. I'd love Harley Bennell to be training with us and not Melbourne. But when a kid was considered too immature to handle a move interstate, you can't say the recruiters were wrong because he succeeded at home. We'll never know how he would have coped in Melbourne.

With Bennell I'm looking at him presently as too injury prone and unable to perform *see lack of games played during Fremantle tenure and his awful WAFL performance.

I'd want to see a year of him healthy and able before I'd consider burning a rookie spot on him.

 

[manicpie]

With Bennell I'm looking at him presently as too injury prone and unable to perform *see lack of games played during Fremantle tenure and his awful WAFL performance.

I'd want to see a year of him healthy and able before I'd consider burning a rookie spot on him.

We burn't a rookie spot on Broomhead who's past 6 years have been ordinary and he was seen limping at training already and unable to join in regular training

 

[Knightmare]

We burn't a rookie spot on Broomhead who's past 6 years have been ordinary and he was seen limping at training already and unable to join in regular training

I don't support the retention of Broomhead and didn't this time last year either. He's had his time. Too injury prone to be worth retaining any longer and at his age and not being a clear best 22 player there are better ways of filling out a list.

 

[manicpie]

I don't support the retention of Broomhead and didn't this time last year either. He's had his time. Too injury prone to be worth retaining any longer and at his age and not being a clear best 22 player there are better ways of filling out a list.

Completely agree

 

[sr36]

With Bennell I'm looking at him presently as too injury prone and unable to perform *see lack of games played during Fremantle tenure and his awful WAFL performance.

I'd want to see a year of him healthy and able before I'd consider burning a rookie spot on him.

To me, Bennell ranks alongside JOM as the most talented kids to have hit the AFL in the last decade. Bloody disappointing that neither of them look like living up to the potential. I wouldn't sign him yet, but if he was fit at the end of Supplemental signings, I wouldn't hesitate. Just so talented.

 

[Quicky]

To me, Bennell ranks alongside JOM as the most talented kids to have hit the AFL in the last decade. Bloody disappointing that neither of them look like living up to the potential. I wouldn't sign him yet, but if he was fit at the end of Supplemental signings, I wouldn't hesitate. Just so talented.

I think we have developed a pretty strong list and can afford to take a risk if we want. The intangible for me is whether we invite the potential drama (and the distractions that come with that) which seems to follow Bennell.

 

[Pragmatic Shill]

Gets a bit tiresome seeing people write Appleby off despite a reasonable showing in 2018 all because the coaches chose to play him out of position for his solitary game in 2019.

 

[Knightmare]

To me, Bennell ranks alongside JOM as the most talented kids to have hit the AFL in the last decade. Bloody disappointing that neither of them look like living up to the potential. I wouldn't sign him yet, but if he was fit at the end of Supplemental signings, I wouldn't hesitate. Just so talented.

The best ability is durability, and even when he has taken the field the results have been underwhelming.

Bennell has game and showed it early career. His reality though was peak performance in his second season, three years of 15 games then the past four years has been unable to take the field, playing a total of two senior games. His WAFL numbers these past two seasons when he has taken the field has been 2t, 1g and 16d per game. He's played a combined 23 games (AFL/WAFL) over the past four seasons.

I don't see a problem guy with poor durability and mediocre performance over the past four seasons to be someone I'd give another chance until he shows he can keep himself on the field. Have a strong first half to 2020 and mid-season is the earliest I'd be willing to discuss him again.

 

[Albert Parker]

2016 looks a chance. Willem Drew/Liam Ryan v Callum Brown/Josh Daicos/Max Lynch. I feel like I have the two best of those.

2017 is interesting and another year I feel I drafted well, but Collingwood obviously did also. D.Fogarty/Ballard/Miers/Butts. I like all those guys. Stephenson/Murphy/T.Brown/Applyby/Mihocek though is a strong haul. Stephenson is that best guy from those lists and looks clearly ahead of Fogarty. Though Ballard for mine is a clear second and looks really nice for Gold Coast. Miers and D.Fogarty v Mihocek will be interesting. Can Murphy/T.Brown/Appleby push through? Or Butts on my side of the equation. TBD

I'm scoring 2016 clearly to Knightmare (but agree with the point made by sr36 that Ryan would never in a million year have transitioned well to Victoria. Even at home he's had plenty of trouble off field) and 2017 clearly to the Pies. Stephenson is a cut above and Mihocek has been durable and won our goal kicking this year so has some geniune talent. I think Nathan Murphy can be a very good footballer with some luck with injury. Pies also have high hopes for Tyler Brown. Miers is a handy small forward and the Pies could do with him today.

I appreciate that you have the discipline to look back over your picks.