Past #5: Ben Warren - drafted with #69 in '06 ND - delisted at end of 2012 season

[MagicalRoos]

The article seems very sensitive to Corey Jones' feelings.

 

[DunderHead]

Also, first mention since before pre-season that David Hale will be spending time in the ruck. I think this is absolutely necessary. Its extremely difficult playing into form when you're stuck in the goal square. Hale is big enough to play ruck and has good enough endurance to go for a run in the middle each quarter. It just gives us another option during games, when he's dropping marks or H and Goldy are failing in the middle. Big H could really settle up forward if given the oppurtunity. Getting really excited about this coming year.

 

[shiraz]

Also, first mention since before pre-season that David Hale will be spending time in the ruck. I think this is absolutely necessary. Its extremely difficult playing into form when you're stuck in the goal square. Hale is big enough to play ruck and has good enough endurance to go for a run in the middle each quarter. It just gives us another option during games, when he's dropping marks or H and Goldy are failing in the middle. Big H could really settle up forward if given the oppurtunity. Getting really excited about this coming year.

But given this comment, you have to wonder whether Goldy is going to play. If H&H are both rucking, how much time in the ruck could Goldy possibly have? I think Goldy is good in the ruck, but he isn't really the kind of player you want to play elsewhere on the ground. If Hale takes 30% of the ruck duties, it goes a long way toward making his use at FF more beneficial to the team as a whole, but then we are going with a part time FF which is not what you want when your forward line is universally acknowledged as the weakest link. Having 3 AFL standard ruckmen is a dilemma we are lucky to have, but it does present temptations and challenges.

 

[Mr Reliable]

The article seems very sensitive to Corey Jones' feelings.

Yes, it finishes like this:

Corey Jones is a $300,100 forward in this year’s Toyota AFL Dream Team.
Ben Warren is a $234,800 forward.

Very specific amounts there.

 

[RooHooDoo]

Maybe Bon plans to rotate them through the forward line a bit as well.

I guess the answer might be if Hale is struggling up forward to throw Goldy or McIntosh down there and give him a run on the ball.

 

[DunderHead]

But given this comment, you have to wonder whether Goldy is going to play. If H&H are both rucking, how much time in the ruck could Goldy possibly have? I think Goldy is good in the ruck, but he isn't really the kind of player you want to play elsewhere on the ground. If Hale takes 30% of the ruck duties, it goes a long way toward making his use at FF more beneficial to the team as a whole, but then we are going with a part time FF which is not what you want when your forward line is universally acknowledged as the weakest link. Having 3 AFL standard ruckmen is a dilemma we are lucky to have, but it does present temptations and challenges.

What Goldy is capable of is anyone's guess. Despite the five goals against melbourne he doesn't strike me as the type to be particularly dangerous in the forwardline. Maybe he won't play seniors every week? We really could get by with H in the ruck and Hale backing up - which would allow another midfielder/forward into the team. I wouldn't be totally opposed to this.

 

[Jay-Z]

The H/Hale/Goldy 'problem' is an interesting one. I think how Bon decides to handle it could have a huge effect on the success of our season. The problem is, I love Goldy's ruck work but I can't see us playing two rucks who rest in the forward line and a FF who has the occasional run in the ruck all in the same team. TBH, I'd rather either Hale to play FF permanently or Bon to only play one of Goldy and Hale each week

 

[RooHooDoo]

What Goldy is capable of is anyone's guess. Despite the five goals against melbourne he doesn't strike me as the type to be particularly dangerous in the forwardline. Maybe he won't play seniors every week? We really could get by with H in the ruck and Hale backing up - which would allow another midfielder/forward into the team. I wouldn't be totally opposed to this.

yeah TBH I feel a bit this way as well. Petrie is also capable of rucking in emergency so Hale/Goldy/Petrie/McIntosh is a little to top heavy for my liking.

 

[NiceCunnington]

Have to disagree with some of these comments.

Goldstein has shown signs of being very capable up forward and also floating down back and not just in the Melbourne game. He gets bugger all game time and always looks dangerous when resting up forward IMO. If he kicked straight the week before he would have also kicked a few. I remember him kicking 2 or 3 nice goals the year before against Collingwood I think.

I will be disappointed if he is kept out of the side just so that we can try to get Hale back into form. I rate him as one of our most promising young players and think he will go past McIntosh in the next year or two and we could have the best ruck combo in the league.

Will be interesting to see how this pans out but Hale is the one that will need to show massive improvement.

 

[danj]

Have to disagree with some of these comments.

Goldstein has shown signs of being very capable up forward and also floating down back and not just in the Melbourne game. He gets bugger all game time and always looks dangerous when resting up forward IMO. If he kicked straight the week before he would have also kicked a few. I remember him kicking 2 or 3 nice goals the year before against Collingwood I think.

I will be disappointed if he is kept out of the side just so that we can try to get Hale back into form. I rate him as one of our most promising young players and think he will go past McIntosh in the next year or two and we could have the best ruck combo in the league.

Will be interesting to see how this pans out but Hale is the one that will need to show massive improvement.

This

 

[shiraz]

[...]Hale is the one that will need to show massive improvement.

Yep.

I will be disappointed if he is kept out of the side just so that we can try to get Hale back into form.

Yeah, I will be fricken furious. I don't see Scott giving him that kind of slack though, don't think that's how it will play out. If he's not better he wont last long, and a bit of ruckwork wont be enough for him to keep his spot.

Hale has to improve on 09 to play any role. The preferred outcome is that he finds 08 form and that's that. In this case, he shouldn't be used for rucking anyway, he's valuable enough to hold the spot up forward. There is a middle road where Hale does some rucking, spends the majority of his time at FF, where he does pretty well without being brilliant. If Hale is doing some portion of the ruckwork, I find it difficult to justify playing 2 pure rucks on top of that, when the alternative is to play an extra forward/mid rotation.

 

[RooHooDoo]

Yep if hales stinking it up as a forward this year then its time to try something different and have either Goldy or Hale as the backup off the bench. The other (probably Hale in this case) will be in the 2's.

 

[mark73]

Has really impressed on the training track this pre season and I would like to think his a monty for a starting 18 berth at north this season.

To me it's not even debatable. Warren is one of the guys that's going to take us to the next level. I'm actually quite happy with Jones' attitude because it's what needs to happen. It's a harsh reality for an ageing player but unfortunately it's also the nature of the beast.

 

[KiwiRoo]

To me it's not even debatable. Warren is one of the guys that's going to take us to the next level. I'm actually quite happy with Jones' attitude because it's what needs to happen. It's a harsh reality for an ageing player but unfortunately it's also the nature of the beast.

if Jones got back to his best he could take us to the next level too.
Look at what Dew did for Hawthorn ..an experienced fwd who did well in the big moment, playing with a young team..

It would be an interesting debate on who to play if Jones got his best form back vs Milkys form from last year..

who would the opposition least like us to play ?

 

[King Corey]

if Jones got back to his best he could take us to the next level too.
Look at what Dew did for Hawthorn ..an experienced fwd who did well in the big moment, playing with a young team..

It would be an interesting debate on who to play if Jones got his best form back vs Milkys form from last year..

who would the opposition least like us to play ?

They can both play in the same side. Both require a pretty attentive strong and smart opponent.

Warren's straight line leads and work ethic should make him more consistent but Jones likely to cause more fear in opposition planning simply because he's so boom or bust .. when he breaks free he can be a very x-factor type.

Play those 2, 2-3 talls who actually use their size and a couple of smart opportunists and we won't be winning any more lowest score contests.

 

[Shinbones]

Yes, it finishes like this:

Corey Jones is a $300,100 forward in this year’s Toyota AFL Dream Team.
Ben Warren is a $234,800 forward.

Very specific amounts there.

I wouldnt mind betting CJ is going to go through the midfield . Bon was Mid field coach at Collingwood and they were big on lots of rotations through the midfield so i rekon he will be a part of that given our lack of expierience in there.

 

[ansonholt]

Don't think I can recall a more serious case of man-love for any North player since Carey, mid-90s.

His hit on Brogan will live in my memory for years, not just the rest of the season.

Seriously, can anyone find any fault with the guy? I can't. Embodies everything I love about North and seems to have no weaknesses. Love him to bits. Such a great example for the rest of the guys.

With Ziebell obviously in a similar mould, and hopefully Cunnington also, if reports are right (have yet to see him play live or on TV) we might have a core of inspirational hard nuts to really lead the team in a way they haven't been led since, well, our premiership years. Thoughts?

 

[Bozz.Clunker.H]

Any ideas about his contract? He is a Gold Coast boy...

 

[NiceCunnington]

I am a big fan.

He seems to be having a bit of a concentration issue lately though. I have lost count of the amount of times he has dropped simple marks or fumbled handball receives this year. Seems to spend it before he's got it and can definitely improve there. Could keep his feet better at times. The positives far outweigh any negatives though at this stage.

I was very impressed with that set shot he nailed from 50m. Wasn't sure he had it in him but it sailed through easily.

My smokey to win the Rising Star.

 

[Big_H]

His hit on Brogan will live in my memory for years, not just the rest of the season.

Yeah that was great. Man I hate that Bogan. Like someone said earlier this season, Warren is gonna cause some damage.

The most positive thing about the way he played yesterday was that I think that was the minimum output we're gonna see from him. It was difficult, wet conditions, we hardly got the ball into our forward 50 and he was matched against a very good player (Cornes), but he still created an option with sheer work ethic. There were a few mistakes here and there, but I reckon he's definitely going to improve and be a very important in the years to come.

I think I've got a mancrush too.

 

[Event Horizon]

The thing with Benny that stands out is rapid development. Only 12 months ago nobody would consider him as anything other than a late pick with some promise.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Ben posts on BF under the alias Bigeasy, which explains his dislike for Bogan on Sunday. I like the name mentioned in the other thread "The Milk Truck", as that's what hit the big Bogan. I reckon it left him in shock, he was hit that hard by a smaller bloke, as much as in pain.

The kid's come a very long way and the NAB Rising Star call is a very good one. All we need now is enough F50 entries to give him the chance to win a bloody nomination.

 

[breeno]

Ben posts on BF under the alias Bigeasy, which explains his dislike for Bogan on Sunday. I like the name mentioned in the other thread "The Milk Truck", as that's what hit the big Bogan. I reckon it left him in shock, he was hit that hard by a smaller bloke, as much as in pain.

The kid's come a very long way and the NAB Rising Star call is a very good one. All we need now is enough F50 entries to give him the chance to win a bloody nomination.

I checked his odds after the first NAB match and he was paying $81, get on it.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Any ideas about his contract? He is a Gold Coast boy...

pretty sure he signed a 2-3 year contract at sometime last year if I'm not mistaken. But i'm not 100%

 

[Arden]

Any ideas about his contract? He is a Gold Coast boy...

Brisbane actually, not Gold Coast. Plus his parents have moved down to Melbourne, so no real reason to move back in that sense.

As for faults, didn't Swallow say in his blog that Milky had a massive boil on his forehead that had to be drained? That's pretty ****ed up.