AFL Player #40: Tex Wanganeen - Running and kicking drills at training - 23/3

[VelvetSledge]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2024 (Category A Rookie)
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 37, ghostdog

 

[Lore]

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Why go through the pre-game stuff only to have him on the pine all game?

* the sub rule off forever and a day and expand it to 24 players.

 

[TheGrizz]

Clearly a mistake by the club here and I feel sorry for the kid.

Not to mention they bungled a massive PR opportunity to build it up through the week.

 

[ant555]

Clearly a mistake by the club here and I feel sorry for the kid.

Not to mention they bungled a massive PR opportunity to build it up through the week.

He is now a trivia question. Which two cousins made their AFL debut in the same year without getting on the ground ?

 

[BrunoV]

He is now a trivia question. Which two cousins made their AFL debut in the same year without getting on the ground ?

Without be eligible to get on the ground.

 

[citizen-erased]

Only raises more questions. If he's not ready, then why was he not playing VFL and getting game time?

Such a mind boggling decision. More so given it wasnt long ago he said he wouldnt do this exact thing.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Absolute horseshit. Why on earth would you do this? Play him in the VFL. They knew he wouldn’t be playing.

 

[Yoda_]

Unpopular opinion; No individual is bigger than the club no matter how storied the player's history is

 

[owen87]

Unpopular opinion; No individual is bigger than the club no matter how storied the player's history is

I just don’t think a debut should be anything but an actual debut. For any player.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Unpopular opinion; No individual is bigger than the club no matter how storied the player's history is

Popular opinion: Tex in his current "not ready" state is already better for the side than Ham, Guelfi and Smith and should have just been selected.

 

[tandino]

Unpopular opinion; No individual is bigger than the club no matter how storied the player's history is

I'm a bit that minded. He put his hand up to be a professional footballer, that's what it entails.

I'd have thought he would have been more than eager to take the chance of getting on. There are plenty of players who never get that opportunity.

 

[Maddogm]

They had their chance to ‘sneak’ him on half way through the last, when Cox went down, and be done with it.

Embrace the publicity anyways. It’s a high profile sport and he’s going to face scrutiny whether he likes it or not.

There was 4 minutes left, so slim chance of getting on even if they activated him

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Unpopular opinion; No individual is bigger than the club no matter how storied the player's history is

I do agree to a certain point. I just feel bad for his family who flew out. They not only watched 3 quarters of crap and a loss, but didn't even get to see Tex step out on the field.

 

[yodellinhank]

I do agree to a certain point. I just feel bad for his family who flew out. They not only watched 3 quarters of crap and a loss, but didn't even get to see Tex step out on the field.

Wouldn't blame him if he leaves this ******* club for port if they give him a chance down the track.

 

[Halftimehero]

I’ve softened a bit here on my stance, initially I was livid he was made the sub, looking at it though we pretty much had no one else available to play the role, you can’t use key position players, it was literally first gamers or Waterman left over and Waterman wasn’t even in the 26 to begin with.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

The idea that we have to keep playing Smith because we don't have other small forwards who are ready is absurd. We have to keep selecting someone who's a non-factor and has been since 2019, because what if the new player is a non-factor?

 

[owen87]

The idea that we have to keep playing Smith because we don't have other small forwards who are ready is absurd. We have to keep selecting someone who's a non-factor and has been since 2019, because what if the new player is a non-factor?

You're better off to destroy Smith than throw a promising young kid to the wolves after 2 years of not playing proper games of football and risk destroying him instead, I guess?

 

[Schnitzengruben]

You're better off to destroy Smith than throw a promising young kid to the wolves after 2 years of not playing proper games of football and risk destroying him instead, I guess?

"Risk destroying him" and "throwing him to the wolves" - come on, I think that's a bit over the top. We played Baldwin with the same amount of prep.

He was ready enough to be the medical sub which means the coaches think he's ready enough to play.

 

[Lore]

The idea that we have to keep playing Smith because we don't have other small forwards who are ready is absurd. We have to keep selecting someone who's a non-factor and has been since 2019, because what if the new player is a non-factor?

Smith had 1.1, 4 inside 50s and 17 disposals last week. Only 2 tackles, but he wasn't so much more awful than every other senior player in Round 1 that he alone would be dropped for it. Knowing what we knew at the time the team selection came out on Thursday, it didn't make sense to drop him for Wanganeen.

What happens for Round 3 is a different matter though. Hopefully they can start Tex in the 22 and at least get him on the grass. With Martin presumably available there may not be a spot though, unless two of Guelfi, Ham and Smith go up the ground to cover the gaps left by Cox and Merrett (not convinced on that score, as I half expect Hobbs to debut).

 

[owen87]

"Risk destroying him" and "throwing him to the wolves" - come on, I think that's a bit over the top. We played Baldwin with the same amount of prep.

He was ready enough to be the medical sub which means the coaches think he's ready enough to play.

A little dramatic, but remember that most of these kids have barely played for 2 years now, they're not 'normal' draftees coming off a solid U18 year of games so it makes sense to be a little more gentle in how they're introduced to the team.

The coaches don't think he's 100% ready to play, otherwise he'd have played. He's not exactly being kept out by superstars right now.

There's questions as to whether he can run out the game and consistently apply pressure and/or be a scoring threat. If he can't, he's more of a liability than a cooked Devon Smith is.

Baldwin played out of necessity as well given Jones and Francis were both unavailable to play. I suspect Tex isn't too far off a legitimate game, but he's also a kid that didn't even get taken in the rookie draft that has come from the clouds to be in consideration.

 

[BrunoV]

The idea that we have to keep playing Smith because we don't have other small forwards who are ready is absurd. We have to keep selecting someone who's a non-factor and has been since 2019, because what if the new player is a non-factor?

This is AFL selection policy 101.

You can't take that risk.

 

[Zach Package]

Saw on twitter that he was asked whether he wanted the full VFL game or to be the AFL sub and get the experience, even knowing he may not play, and he chose sub.

Cannot verify whether that is true, but if so, good on him and going through the process will probably be of some benefit to him but there's a bit of tail wagging the dog stuff there.

 

[eth-dog]

Saw on twitter that he was asked whether he wanted the full VFL game or to be the AFL sub and get the experience, even knowing he may not play, and he chose sub.

Cannot verify whether that is true, but if so, good on him and going through the process will probably be of some benefit to him but there's a bit of tail wagging the dog stuff there.

That just goes to show the VFL should be the day after the AFL wherever possible. If a sub is unused they can play the VFL

 

[andleanback]

Saw on twitter that he was asked whether he wanted the full VFL game or to be the AFL sub and get the experience, even knowing he may not play, and he chose sub.

Cannot verify whether that is true, but if so, good on him and going through the process will probably be of some benefit to him but there's a bit of tail wagging the dog stuff there.

Anyone is going to take the afl sub in that scenario, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t choose the chance to potentially play an afl game over going down to geelong to play vfl in front of no one. You take the decision out of his hands.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

If that's true, then it's poor process by the coaching panel.