VFL 2022 Reserves

Citrus22

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I wonder if it's time to give Lewis Taylor another go, seems he had a really good game yesterday and has been building all year, could come in for Wicks and see what he does with the opportunity.
 

mattpolo8

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I wonder if it's time to give Lewis Taylor another go, seems he had a really good game yesterday and has been building all year, could come in for Wicks and see what he does with the opportunity.

no thanks. proven time and time again he's not up to afl level. if anyone comes in for wicks it would be ronke. he was okay in the ressies yesterday.
 

Citrus22

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no thanks. proven time and time again he's not up to afl level. if anyone comes in for wicks it would be ronke. he was okay in the ressies yesterday.

He played seniors once last year - I hardly think that's time and again at this stage. He played nearly every game for his whole career at Brisbane except for the final year. Ronke, Bell and Wicks have all shown a lot of inconsistency. Hardly see the harm in giving him a crack.
 
He played seniors once last year - I hardly think that's time and again at this stage. He played nearly every game for his whole career at Brisbane except for the final year. Ronke, Bell and Wicks have all shown a lot of inconsistency. Hardly see the harm in giving him a crack.

He is just too slow.
 

mattpolo8

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He played seniors once last year - I hardly think that's time and again at this stage. He played nearly every game for his whole career at Brisbane except for the final year. Ronke, Bell and Wicks have all shown a lot of inconsistency. Hardly see the harm in giving him a crack.
And he played 9 games in 2020, for not very good numbers.

His final seasons in Brisbane weren't exactly glowing either. I've seen enough of him.
 
Even this year? He looked unfit when he first arrived for sure but didn't think that would still be the case

Think he is as fit as he will be. From what I gather he is a terrific young person, for whom nothing in life came easy. Like Sinkers if he leaves the main list I hope there is an opportunity for him on the 'toppies' and that he has a part time coaching gig if that is what he wants.
 

Citrus22

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I don't think small forwards is our issue. But I'd have Ronke before Taylor.

Id say its an issue because we seem to be in an endless rotation of Ronke, Bell and Wicks with none of them staking a solid claim. Papley is the only small forward we have who shows much actual forward craft. I agree that Ronke is probably the best bet from what we know
 
Sep 24, 2014
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Finished my late night viewing of the match and FWIW some thoughts.

SYDNEY 9.19.73 downed RICHMOND 10.9.69

We also had 6 or 7 OOF!

We had 72 I50s to Richmond's 39, 50 more kicks, 18 more marks and won the clearances 43-22 and tackles 57-44.
So essentially dominant everywhere but the scoreboard. Although our general ball use also wasn't at its best.
We had 15 listed players to Richmond's 16, but we certainly had the more experienced side.

I thought Stephens and Taylor were our best (and easily led the disposal count, 37 and 38 respectively).
Often when I see Stephens play he seem almost diffident, but there was a real confidence in his performance on the weekend.
His kicking was not great in the 1st half (he had 3 of the OOFs), but I thought improved in the second half.
8 clearances and 13 I50s added to those 37 disposals.

Lewie a real live wire and got around the ground well and I don't see the slowness that some others do. I think he moves through traffic particularly well.

Our defence got caught out a few times with the ball over the top/deep.
IMO none of Gould, Melican or O'Connor did anything to advance their prospects (although BOC took a really good courageous mark in the 1Q running with the flight of the ball).
Sheather again down back and progressing OK, but sometimes he just needs to slow down. He tends to do everything at 100 miles an hour.
I was impressed with Rankin's 'intangibles'. For a relatively light guy (listed at 71 kgs) he has a nice aggression and confidence about him and there was a moment (I think 3Q) when Gulden got involved in a push and shove with a couple of Richmond players (after the Tigers had kicked a goal) and Rankin intervened to ensure he didn't give away a free kick in our D50 and led Gulden away and talked to him.
I thought Gulden was still our reserves captain (although the commentators suggested otherwise), but Rankin took the role of a leader at that moment, while Gould and Melican wandered around in their own world.

Academy player Jordan Endemann made his debut as a small (180cm) fwd.
Up and about, looked speedy. Only 8 disposals (2 tackles), but joined the exclusive 1pt, 1 goal club with his first two kicks.

As with Citrus22 I'm not a big fan of the carousel of Bell, Ronke and Wicks seemingly all playing for the one spot and rotating every 2 or 3 games.
Having said that Ronke kicked 3 (and 3 tackles). He had 5 marks almost as a lead up fwd, but he did also kick a terrific crumbing goal.
In the v Melbourne preview thread (prior to watching the reserves) I suggested two alternatives in Taylor and Corey Warner.
Lewie as the decision maker/ball use option and Corey as the pressure fwd.
And Warner did lay a superb run down tackle, highlighting his speed and determination.
Ronke probably did enough to come in for Wicks, but I'm still not completely sold on this constant rotation of the 3 amigos. (Bell played in the mids, sitting out the last qtr, for 22 disposals, 5 clearances, but only the 1 tackle).

McAndrew went off early 2Q and didn't return. No obvious injury, but he got up from lying on his back away from the play and there was no indication that any Richmond player did anything untoward.
Sheather off early 4Q with an ankle injury but didn't seem serious.

There were 2 commentators and we had the 'lead' caller last week as well.
It's Gulden, not Golden and he did have difficulty distinguishing our blondes (Sheather, Stephens, Warner), particularly the latter two.

The only thing worse than our goalkicking was the camerawork.
They seemed unable to actually track the ball inflight and it was lucky the commentators were at the game, because it would have been impossible to determine what was happening given the camera often caught up after a play had unfolded (eg a mark downfield).

Pleasing that Longmire, Pyke and Cox watched the first half, before heading off to the SCG.

And I liked a moment at the end of game.
As the siren went Clarke and Taylor were in shot and both pumped their fists in celebration.
Interestingly the top ups or indeed Stephens who were also in the picture didn't.
Reserves are primarily about development, but good to see Ryan and Lewie are still invested in the result and indeed the club. :thumbsu:
 
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Wheresbuddy

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Living up in Brisbane, I saw alot of Squizzy when he was here. He was actually my daughter's favourite player so we always looked out for him, both at training and the games. Since he has been with us, I have watched most of his games. I feel that I can give an accurate opinion of him as a player.

Back in his Lions days, he had clean disposal, good turn of speed, could break a tackle and a bag of tricks. Not sure what's happened with us but I have this nagging feeling he hasn't been given a proper chance. We have given guys like Bell and Wicks, both less skillful players more chances. Others like Ling and Foot have been tried, prior to being de-listed. Clearly there's something the coaches don't like about his play but given some of the play the above listed have shown, surely it was (is) worth giving Squiz a try.
 

melbournehammer

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I'm reluctant to get into this but Lewis Taylor is a better ball user, decision maker and player than any of wicks, bell or ronke, each of whom does have something to offer.

He's really never been given a great go at the swans and I can only presume that there is either major personality or cost issues associated with him by comparison to each of the other small forwards.

But it is what it is so I doubt thats going to change no matter what I think
 
Oct 29, 2007
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I'm reluctant to get into this but Lewis Taylor is a better ball user, decision maker and player than any of wicks, bell or ronke, each of whom does have something to offer.

He's really never been given a great go at the swans and I can only presume that there is either major personality or cost issues associated with him by comparison to each of the other small forwards.

But it is what it is so I doubt thats going to change no matter what I think
Spot on and they did sign him for another year
 
I'm reluctant to get into this but Lewis Taylor is a better ball user, decision maker and player than any of wicks, bell or ronke, each of whom does have something to offer.

He's really never been given a great go at the swans and I can only presume that there is either major personality or cost issues associated with him by comparison to each of the other small forwards.

But it is what it is so I doubt thats going to change no matter what I think

I could give or take him, but what I don't get is what is so different about the form he's shown since joining the club to the player at Brisbane we obviously thought was worthy of three years? Seems pretty much the same to me so I don't get why if he was worthy of recruiting why he's not worthy of getting games?
 
Oct 17, 2016
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I think when we recruited him. We may have been concerned about losing Papley. He also could have provided some outside run as a winger after losing Zak Jones.

He seems to be fit and playing consistently this season. But we have got a number of players in his position and not many 1st team injuries. But I would be happy for him to get a chance if he is the best reserves player every week. I vaguely remember a seniors game where he kicked 2 goals for us. And he is still skillful with his short kicking.

Though because he is on the last year of a reasonable contract. Even if he does break into the team, it might be a Thurlow situation where he does not get a contract renewal. Because we have a few younger cheaper players pushing for an opportunity as a half forward.
 
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Oct 29, 2007
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I think when we recruited him. We may have been concerned about losing Papley. He also could have provided some outside run as a winger after losing Zak Jones.

He seems to be fit and playing consistently this season. But we have got a number of players in his position and not many 1st team injuries. But I would be happy for him to get a chance if he is the best reserves player every week. I vaguely remember a seniors game where he kicked 2 goals for us. And he is still skillful with his short kicking.

Though because he is on the last year of a reasonable contract. Even if he does break into the team, it might be a Thurlow situation where he does not get a contract renewal. Because we have a few younger cheaper players pushing for an opportunity as a half forward.
Yes , like bloody ding dong
 
The Sydney Swans VFL side will face the Casey Demons in a curtain-raiser clash 💕 at 3:45 pm the MCG this Saturday afternoon.

Sydney Swans VFL v Casey Demons
2 Hayden McLean
3 Dylan Stephens
4 Ryan Clarke
16 Braeden Campbell
17 Will Gould
18 Callum Sinclair
25 Ben Ronke
28 Lewis Taylor
32 James Bell
34 Matthew Roberts
35 Barry O'Connor
37 Corey Warner
41 Lachlan Rankin
43 Lewis Melican
45 Hugo Hall-Kahan
50 Adam Gulden
51 William Collis
53 Jake Bartholomaeus
55 Harry Morrison
56 Darcy Cordell
60 Jordan Endemann
61 Max Geddes
TBC Louis Wilson
Emergencies
58 Harry Maguire (emg)
64 Izaac Hughes (emg)
65 Jeremy Laidler (emg)
66 Sam Barkley (emg)


Match Centre
 
Do you think Laidler being nominated as an emergency every match means he gets payments as a player? It's just real odd that the head coach is always nominated

Makes sense.
 

SGBeach

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Do you think Laidler being nominated as an emergency every match means he gets payments as a player? It's just real odd that the head coach is always nominated
ha.. maybe??
I reckon clubs are being forced to get creative with the caps.. GWS & Mumford last year, Players on rookie lists, etc

Pretty good VFL team..
theres some leaders / role players - Sinkers, Taylor etc
A couple keeping the senior players honest - Ronke etc
And most importantly some developing players - Campbell, Stephens, Gould, Roberts, Warner, Rankin, Hall-Kahan etc

Not many list cloggers (at least not as many as a few years ago)
 
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