iBeng
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- Apr 3, 2012
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He will play, he just wont play 22 games. Hes going to lose his spot when his competition is the likes of McCluggage, Raynor, Bailey etc.
2018 pre season
- Thread starter Squizz89
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Hes signed till the end of 2019 anyway so has a couple of years to hopefully find his niche. Think he's been unfairly whipped on here following AFLX when we already know hes not quick and lacks elite foot skills, finding the footy has and always will be his strength.
WhiteLionFeva
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- Oct 19, 2011
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Only take a couple of injuries to our mids for him to play seniors.
Hollow Knight
Imperfect vessel
- May 3, 2005
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Where’s the Morningside loyalty acuguy!?!?!?
Nunez
Premium Platinum
Imo the key to winning round one is a GingerGreatness preview.
Lace Out
Full of it.
- Nov 25, 2006
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A bad run with injuries (60 % chance) will see all and sundry on the list have a game (some a lot more than one game) !
How's Berry and Witherden progressing? Haven't heard much about those 2 from the training track witherden especially. He did look a bit out of shape I must say from the first training photos...
Keen to know how jack payne is training. Is he looking comfortable, does he look up to it. Could those watching please let me know. Im hoping he can be the missing piece to our back 6. If he can become the man to take the opposition best fwd, it releases andrews to play that interception role he is so much better at. How hard has justin clarke been to replace. Clarke n andrews down back would have been terrific for many years. Payne n Andrews, hoping its the future.
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Coach gave him a decent wrap on SEN this morning enjoying his hard work in preseason and form in X.
Way too hasty, Nino. AFLX formline not worth a pinch of poop.
Forward We Go
Cancelled
Think Ben will get his opportunity some time throughout the year. Kinda feel a little for Ben because he's been the "pin up boy" all through his junior years and even up until his draft year was going to be one of the first drafted in a reasonably talented list of players. A significant amount of talk in season 2014 was about Ben & then, in 2015, Hippy came out and started to shine brighter. He gets his first game in Round 6 (2016 season), plays 16 games & starts his AFL career positively. Season 2017 comes up and its fair to say that he struggled. IMO, he offers significantly less than several of the other young guns that he competes with for a spot in the best 22. If I was Bens manager, I would recommend him to stop chasing the media spotlight (always loves a camera) & knuckle down harder than he ever has before. Try to be more versatile. (ie. be a player who can play several positions should a hole needs to be filled) There is no doubt he has the skills, its now time for him to step up a little more to become an established senior player...... Another QLD'er in the best 22 would be good.
Nunez
Premium Platinum
Ben has actually got some solid talent through the midfield and if one position were enough he'd likely be pushing deeper into the top 25 on our list. As you said if he's to make something of himself he needs the confidence to play forward or back as well. When he is in the middle he looks comfortable and confident but those traits seem to leave him up forward. Big year needed but Ben has the ability, work ethic and dev coaches to do so.
Dalions
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- Aug 12, 2016
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I dont really see Ben as a versatile player at all. I think he needs to aim for an inside midfield spot and make it his own. I think that is his best chance to make it in the Afl. We know there is a position available with Rocky leaving and him and Matho are 2 of the boys able to fill that role. He will need to be able to move forward when required, but he is best suited to the inside stuff.
WhiteLionFeva
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- Oct 19, 2011
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Bailey might supplant both of them in the not too distant future.
Dalions
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- Aug 12, 2016
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Bailey, Starcevich, Lyons.
They have some work to do to stay infront of them, it is great for the team to have some competition for spots moving forward. All over the ground i might add.
Nunez
Premium Platinum
Imo Keays has he tools to impact up forward. The main issue wad getting it through the middle sticks. He had a few shots at goals during many games up forward, but they had a real habit of going left or right. Ability to score really weakens his stock.
Dalions
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Particularly set shots
I'm a little closer to Dlions on this one.
To my eye, Keays does his best work during stints close to the contest (only brief flashes at senior level but more in the NEAFL) where he doesn't have time to second guess himself. His hands (IMO) are pretty quick and clean in tight, and I think he also picks good options for his 20-30m chip kicks. His execution lets him down, but I think that's a confidence issue. It seems like he second guesses his options too much once he gets outside. To my mind, that's always going to be a prohibitive limitation up forward, other than being something like a stoppage specialist within 50.
With his running power and those assets I think his absolute best case would be a role like Rockliff used to play through the midfield. He has a better natural tank too, so if he could win it in close and present a short option to recycle the ball, I think he could carve out a role that isn't as clearly open to Mathieson. That said, I agree that Bailey, Starcevich and Lyons could easily press claims and make it hard for him.
To my eye, Keays does his best work during stints close to the contest (only brief flashes at senior level but more in the NEAFL) where he doesn't have time to second guess himself. His hands (IMO) are pretty quick and clean in tight, and I think he also picks good options for his 20-30m chip kicks. His execution lets him down, but I think that's a confidence issue. It seems like he second guesses his options too much once he gets outside. To my mind, that's always going to be a prohibitive limitation up forward, other than being something like a stoppage specialist within 50.
With his running power and those assets I think his absolute best case would be a role like Rockliff used to play through the midfield. He has a better natural tank too, so if he could win it in close and present a short option to recycle the ball, I think he could carve out a role that isn't as clearly open to Mathieson. That said, I agree that Bailey, Starcevich and Lyons could easily press claims and make it hard for him.
To be fair, you guys dont play him in his best position. He is a midfielder, not a forward. Play him in the midfield and let him develop there. It has nothing to do with taking photos and the like. He is a pure midfielder with an enormous tank. Let him use it.
spot on
check out his last game in the NEAFL last yr against Syd.
30 touches
9 tackles
4I50s
8 clearances
2 goals
POBT
Brownlow Medallist
I think Keays should be aiming to be the fittest bloke at the club. That lack of pace is a problem but can be masked by workrate. I think it is better to be slowish and run all day than it is to be quickish but with no engine. But Keays has to be elite in terms of running capacity - it won't be enough for him to be top half of the list in terms of aerobic capacity. He probably needs to be top 5.
POBT
Brownlow Medallist
Got to put that in context though. There are only a certain number of positions available for pure midfielders. The guys that spend their whole playing time in the midfield tend to be elite in that area.
Billy Puller
Club Legend
We expect too much of our kids, players come on at different rates. I still firmly believe ben will make a player out of himself. Showed some glimpses through the middle, hopefully he gets played there from now on. That’s where he does his best work
that is true. i just think its a bit unfair to say he has not yet developed when he hasn't been able to play in his natural position. i do not think he will succeed playing as a forward. but i do think he has the chance of becoming a very high possession ball winner/link man. but he needs to be given the chance in that role.
