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I've read they are concerned with his speed and position within their structure.Train on players?
I'd love to see Louis Kellaway get an invite. Kid can play. Beautiful kick, hard at it, good size, and can run.
Surprised Richmond didn't snap him up.
Maybe the knock is his production?
That is the way the game is going. The ones we currently have aren't very good. Wes Walley similar to Byrne is a x factor player which we don't have many of.Why do we have yet another small forward as a train on???
Great to hear! Certainly has the natural talent if he can get his body and work rate right.SEN reporting Wes Walley is one of the train on spots for us.
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I guess you could argue that Durdin, Fantasia and White have departed with only Ainsworth and Byrne coming in for the role, so theoretically thereās one more small forward spot to fill.That is the way the game is going. The ones we currently have aren't very good. Wes Walley similar to Byrne is a x factor player which we don't have many of.
Because we just got rid of a heap of small forwards, and people on here constantly complain about how our smalls arenāt good enough?
We got rid of a Fantasia and Durdin. Heaps?
Williams, Motlop, Ainsworth, Fog, White (maybe), Hayward, Evans, Cottrell, Moir... now Byrne?
That's without counting the Lord, Jagga, Cerra types who will spend time on a fwd flank.
Just feels like we were so focused on small forwards we didn't really do much research on the taller guys.
Having said that Byrne looks like an awesome kick so that is the #1 box ticked for me.
Owies also departed last year, although he technically didn't play as a traditional small.I guess you could argue that Durdin, Fantasia and White have departed with only Ainsworth and Byrne coming in for the role, so theoretically thereās one more small forward spot to fill.
Itās probably not a strong endorsement for Motlop, Fogarty, Flynn Young and Cottrell as well as an acknowledgment that Williams is coming close to the end.
I forget where it was that I read it, but there was an article probably 3 or so months ago that talked about how one of Graham Wrightās first list moves at Collingwood was to recruit Bobby Hill because he loves small forwards for the modern game.I have no idea why we were so obsessed with adding another small forward at the exclusion of all else. Having said that... what a pick. Speed, determination, tackling, good mark for his size and such a great kick. Everything but height.
Could easily see him playing round one.
Seems like nobody rated the talls in this year's draft... except for Dean, that is
Doubt Kemp plays before the bye.The good news is that we donāt need our draftees to step up immediately. Weāve also brought in Ainsworth, Hayward and Florent, all going to be best 23 players, and Chesser hasnāt been brought over to play 2s either. Reidy is the only one with question marks, but Iām sure itās hoped that he can step up and overtake Pitto quickly.
Newman comes straight back in, Jagga is also essentially a new recruit. Kemp is probably the unknown - could be a while before heās fully back and playing at the level. But overall, thatās up to 8 best 23 players that we could have ready to bring in early, before we get to draftees. Excluding Lij from this as well given heās not even in the list, but if he somehow works his way back in, heās best 23 on talent.
The draftees likelihood of playing is probably down to role more than anything. Weāve lost 3 talls from our best 23, albeit only 1 of them played in the last month of the season. Dean is probably the most likely to debut given the role. Weāve got a lot of front half players coming in, so itās harder to see a spot for Ison or Byrne - so they will have to work hard to earn their way in.
Delisted White. And Hayward, Moir, Cottrell, Ainsworth and Evans arenāt small forwardsWe got rid of a Fantasia and Durdin. Heaps?
Williams, Motlop, Ainsworth, Fog, White (maybe), Hayward, Evans, Cottrell, Moir... now Byrne?
That's without counting the Lord, Jagga, Cerra types who will spend time on a fwd flank.
Just feels like we were so focused on small forwards we didn't really do much research on the taller guys.
Having said that Byrne looks like an awesome kick so that is the #1 box ticked for me.
As per the pre-season training thread, apparently Wes Walley has been invited to train with us.
Was a WCE NGA prospect, in the AFL Academy, small mid-forward, great athletically. Had a patchy year is my understanding, and was pretty wayward in front of goals
āAnother Subi boy, Wes Walley, but we believe he is getting an opportunity to travel over to Carlton and do some training with them, so he is still with a chance to find his way onto a list.ā
Walley, a classy small forward drawing comparisons to Michael Walters, boasts elite athleticism, and at 184cm can play anywhere within the front half of the ground. Passed on at the National draft, Walley is said to have been offered a chance to earn a train-on spot with the Blues over pre-season.
So we can sign anyone in the SSP period, is that right? And we have one spot left.
There was an article on the AFL website leading into the draft linking us with Wes.The wording is not very definitive.
![]()
The WA prospect granted a train-on chance at Carlton
"He is getting an opportunity to travel over to Carlton and do some training with them."sen.com.au
There was an article on the AFL website leading into the draft linking us with Wes.
"Walley has attracted interest from Victorian clubs, including Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong and Richmond, completing follow-up meetings with some of them on the eve of the draft."
Also states that he's prepared to move states to get an opportunity.
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Eagles academy draft hopefuls aware they may be leaving the nest
Wes Walley says West Coast Academy graduates are prepared to move interstate to continue their football journeyswww.afl.com.au
We got rid of a Fantasia and Durdin. Heaps?
Williams, Motlop, Ainsworth, Fog, White (maybe), Hayward, Evans, Cottrell, Moir... now Byrne?
That's without counting the Lord, Jagga, Cerra types who will spend time on a fwd flank.
Just feels like we were so focused on small forwards we didn't really do much research on the taller guys.
Having said that Byrne looks like an awesome kick so that is the #1 box ticked for me.
My Will White source did say there was a WA player being invited to train on - but had no details as to whoThe wording is not very definitive.
![]()
The WA prospect granted a train-on chance at Carlton
"He is getting an opportunity to travel over to Carlton and do some training with them."sen.com.au
Been saying for years that a clean out of small forwards is coming, half done this year and the other half will be done at the end of next season.I have no idea why we were so obsessed with adding another small forward at the exclusion of all else. Having said that... what a pick. Speed, determination, tackling, good mark for his size and such a great kick. Everything but height.
Could easily see him playing round one.
It's not who - it's where.My Will White source did say there was a WA player being invited to train on - but had no details as to who