Cameron Rayner

[lumpinee]

Rayner reminds me of Petracca a few years ago, and thus could become the player Petracca has now become.

To me, put simply, both were glory hounds. They both were trying to do something I like to call "million dollar kicks", whereby they try to do the amazing with every possession and look like a million dollars.

That might have translated ok at junior level, but as Petracca learnt, its more difficult at this level. Subsequently though, when Christian started to lower the eyes, choose better options, stop chasing the glory every time he was within 55m meters from goal and started to do the team things, he has absolutely flourished. Deservedly, he has now become one of the elite players in the competition.

I would back Rayner, in time, to be able to do the same.

just not at Brisbane

 

[cotter101]

Plenty of potential. He’s realistically still another pre season or two away from spending more time in the middle and impacting games more.

 

[RAPPA]

hes got a # 1 draft pick whos plodding around uselessly,wake up

Not all number 1 picks, let alone players, will succeed simply because of the coach. There’s a lot of hard work that’s required to make it. That’s why players picked up so late on the draft - Neale for example - can still turn out to be guns and others fade into obscurity.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Good bloke > Good footballer

or so claimed the old saints admin.

We passed on Luke Ryan (twice) because he failed our psych test. If you don't trust your club culture to turn around a poor or arrogant attitude then you probably have bigger concerns.

I don't really see the Rayner/Trac comparison either, other than they were both powerful junior guys who could kick goals. Trac never had any issue finding the ball at AFL level, whereas Rayner has had consecutive sub-10 touch seasons now.

 

[a mayes ing]

We passed on Luke Ryan (twice) because he failed our psych test. If you don't trust your club culture to turn around a poor or arrogant attitude then you probably have bigger concerns.

I don't really see the Rayner/Trac comparison either, other than they were both powerful junior guys who could kick goals. Trac never had any issue finding the ball at AFL level, whereas Rayner has had consecutive sub-10 touch seasons now.

Would that be because Rayner has played primarily in the forwardline? Where did Petrracca play for the first 2/3 seasons?

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Would that be because Rayner has played primarily in the forwardline? Where did Petrracca play for the first 2/3 seasons?

I'm more just commenting on Rayner's ability to become a midfielder at AFL level compared to Petracca. To date he hasn't shown any ability to find the footy on a consistent basis - has he played purely as a deep forward or something?

 

[KissKiss]

Would that be because Rayner has played primarily in the forwardline? Where did Petrracca play for the first 2/3 seasons?

A Melbourne fan would know better but Im pretty sure Petracca mostly played forward with small stints in the midfield. He might have had slightly more mid time than Rayner but not a lot

 

[Tasmanian saint]

Petracca has NEVER had a poor attitude. Where do you get this from ?

Also, if you look at his statistics over his first few seasons he matched Rayner in goals and had almost double his disposals. Even last year Petracca was top 5 in the B&F.

Not saying it’s true but his attitude was apparently one of the reasons we didn’t take him pick 1 that ended up coming back to bite us

 

[Trav 20]

Not saying it’s true but his attitude was apparently one of the reasons we didn’t take him pick 1 that ended up coming back to bite us

He failed the psych test, but I don't know what the issue was.

He's always been a popular player at Melbourne without attitude issues.

He even flew over a sick 9 year old kid from Tasmania at his own expense to watch him debut in 2016.

 

[Tasmanian saint]

Yeah it is strange.

He definitely had a year or two where he stagnated and a bit and faded out of games in second halves but he was always getting upwards of 20 disposals from day one. He was getting midfield time and performing.


It's such a lazy and wrong comparison these days whenever anyone sees some young kid who isn't a midfielder but could maybe end up there someday and compare him to Dusty.

Dusty by 2016/17 simply became a four quarter player and an even more prolific forward. He didn't just appear out of nowhere in the midfield.

Still think he will be a good player reminds a me lot of brendon Goddard it took him 4-5 seasons to click not having a set position

 

[Damon_3388]

Still think he will be a good player reminds a me lot of brendon Goddard it took him 4-5 seasons to click not having a set position

The idea that these guys should be playing their best footy at age 20 is the problem.

No matter where you are selected in the draft, you're most likely and should be expected to see your prime years at age 25-29 (usually a player's 7th-11th season). It's rare for players to peak earlier, and even rarer for those who peak earlier to maintain it and not decline earlier too.

You pick (or should be picking) a guy because you expect his peak years to be the highest and best of the bunch, not because you expect him to peak earlier than others.

 

[schmuttt]

Would that be because Rayner has played primarily in the forwardline? Where did Petrracca play for the first 2/3 seasons?

Petracca played about 70-80% forward in his first few years. His first BOG game was in 2017 playing in the midfield against Adelaide.

 

[Roobs321]

Whilst he still has a long way to go yet, I felt that he bobbed up and consistently impacted games during the 2nd half of the season, those 10 disposal-type games are becoming more clean and potent anyway and his tackling pressure has increased. Working out where to put himself on the ground and the basics of what is required. Whereas in 2019 he had those second year blues, looked more out of place in a team on the rise, and had the tendency to go missing or make a clanger. Not a great year for him, but things to build on.

Lions for mine just lack a little experience at the moment. Their only guys to debut in the 00s were Birchall ('06), Martin ('08), Rich, Robinson ('09), plus Zorko ('12) will be 32 next season. I suspect this group of players (as well as someone like McCarthy) might ultimately not see a flag. Jarrod Lyons will probably be their oldest in the 22 when it finally clicks. Rich might be able to get there if he is afforded the right role during his early 30s.

 

[Dazb86]

Half forward is a hard role to play nowadays. You don't see too many 20 touch/2 goals a game types around anymore.

 

[La Dispute]

Rayner wont be a HFF forever. He's being hidden up forward because Brisbane have drafted/traded in a bunch of midfielders over 2016-2018 (McClugagge, Berry, Bailey, Neale, Lyons) period, he doesn't have the fitness to run out games, and he's pretty good when he does get the ball. The defensive side of his game is solid, so it's not as though his workrate isn't already where it needs to be, it's going to be about adapting his game while building his midfield minutes.

I can see him essentially swapping with Zorko as that 70%/30% mid-forward, allowing Zorko to play deeper which he's also very capable of doing.

These threads always becoming lamentable over time. The guy can clearly play - he as as much impact per posession as the better players in the league, but he needs to show some quantitative improvement.

 

[youneverknow22]

I think attaching a draft number to a player is somewhat harsh. Yes, he was a number 1 draft pick, but I would rather judge him on how he is playing in our team, not his draft number. When he walks into the door, he should be viewed the same as a McStay, or Hipwood or Lyons or anyone.

 

[Slysh]

I think attaching a draft number to a player is somewhat harsh. Yes, he was a number 1 draft pick, but I would rather judge him on how he is playing in our team, not his draft number. When he walks into the door, he should be viewed the same as a McStay, or Hipwood or Lyons or anyone.

I totally agree with that, however if he was not taken at number 1 and he was taken at number 61 i think a lot less people would be giving him the Dusty and Trac comparisons.

On exposed form he is an inconsistent player with moments of brilliance. He could be anything but he is still very much living off hype.

 

[Wavvey]

Has the x-factor potential to be a star but still feel he is a long way off it. Should be no where near the midfield yet. Just about to turn 21 so plenty of time left