Player Watch Will Hayes

[Gone Critical]

The two draftees who debuted this year have AFL level qualities.
Hayes - speed, evasiveness, goal sense, footy smarts, tackling.
West - contested marking, goal kicking.
Of course, we only got a glimpse of these traits, but it's a good starting point, and both will develop with time in the system.
I'm optimistic about both of these boys.

Agree. Also Steele and HH of recent years but Steele is 24 so different. Apart from these the recent draftees cupboard is a bit bare. Not a big surprise as we haven't had early picks and our hit rate is acceptable for the picks we have had. If West and Hayes makes it would be a big plus coming from the picks we had

 

[Jen2310]

Footywire is good for historical player lists. They just don’t do the latest.

They also have Buller as a rookie lol

 

[JuniorB]

Agree. Also Steele and HH of recent years but Steele is 24 so different. Apart from these the recent draftees cupboard is a bit bare. Not a big surprise as we haven't had early picks and our hit rate is acceptable for the picks we have had. If West and Hayes makes it would be a big plus coming from the picks we had

I'm excited to see what HH can deliver next year.
I thought he was on track for something special until he did his knee.
My thought at the time: BUGGER!!!

 

[Mollythedolly]

I think you are being too nuanced. sr36 is right in that clubs want to play the kids they peg as talented. This isn't gifting games its a recognition of their quality. One of the early games of 2016 Maynard missed was injured listed (round 4). When he was dropped round 2 he was back in a week. Never dropped again. Thats locked in early.

I call it “gifted”, you can call it anything you want. Was selected R14 in 2015 because we were out of other options, he was the next man up. He wasn’t banging the door down at VFL level to merit senior games on form or to usurp a preferred option, they just weren’t available. His games when given the opportunity were equal measures of “yeah this kid could be a player” and face palm moments. His games in 2016 again because preferred options were unavailable. If Goldsack, Langdon, Sinclair and Tooves were all available across 2015 and 2016 he’d have been playing VFL and that’s just the reality for draftees unless they’re exceptional. Maynard wasn’t exceptional, just a kid with some good traits.

I’ve never said I didn’t think he’d be a player. Im a huge fan and have been from day dot and I was happy to see him gifted those opportunities, just questioned your memory of his evolution. It wasn’t till at least his 3rd season (played every game on merit) that he’d ironed out some of his flaws and was anything close to a “lock”.

There haven’t been many draftees that have come into the Collingwood senior team from debut in recent years and been anything close to a lock in their first or second season imho. Just off the top of my head, you’re talking Pendles, Beams, Daisy, Checkers, Langdon, Elliott, Naicos, Cloke types. Maynard wasn’t even in the same postcode.

Again I’ll (hopefully) leave it there.