Player Watch #6: Taylor Garner - groin issues

Firestarter

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Seems like a good portion of our recruitment policy is targeting injury-prone players from other clubs/as sliders in the draft and backing our medical team to get them right. High risk/high reward. However, what if we've overrated Saunders and co.? We did somewhat overrate the depth of our list last year.
Some could say we don't have the off field personnel to make it work.
 

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When that depth is unavailable due to injury, it's not really fair to state that.

With a fitter list I'm sure the likes of Bread McKenzie are not playing AFL footy, but we were stuck basically in multiple positions.

As for Saunders its hard to know, maybe a touch overrated and unlucky at the same time.
 

Ischenko

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I thought our depth was great last year. We need the all Australian types.
Agreed we need more sheer star power however I reckon we put too much faith in journeyman B/C graders stepping up - Ray and Nahas obviously but also having to play limited players out of position: Mullet in back line, McKenzie anywhere, Thompson on bigger players, Goldie should have been rested but no solid back-up ruck as they obviously felt Daw wasn't ready. Dunno, we definitely have/had too many ho-hum types; whether this is great depth I dunno, but obviously it's unrealistic to expect players 23 - 30+ to be guns. Anyway, Taylor potentially is and this is his thread I'm derailing.
 

joegreen

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Looks like some sort of hip injury... delayed start to season.

Who’s burning?
Small forward Lindsay Thomas has been a standout at Arden Street this summer. The 28-year-old looks noticeably leaner and has run strongly in time trials and interval sessions. There has long been talk about Thomas spending more time in North's midfield and he has dominated in the centre square this pre-season during match simulation. The Roos have used the two-time club leading goalkicker almost exclusively in attack previously, but he has been so impressive at clearances and with his passing in general play that he could become a regular member of North's on-ball division in 2017.

Who’s not?
Ruckman Todd Goldstein (ankle) has been on a restricted program since Christmas, but North is confident he will be fit for round one. Scott Thompson (adductor), Majak Daw (knee) and Sam Wright (ankle) all resumed running on the track recently and hope to play some part in the JLT Community Series. Ben Brown (knee) is unlikely to play any pre-season games but could yet be fit for round one, while Jed Anderson (shoulder) will be sidelined for the next two months after undergoing surgery this week. Taylor Garner (hip) and Jy Simpkin (leg) are also expected to have delayed starts to the season after being conservatively managed over the summer. - Nick Bowen
 

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LuvtheKangas

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Looks like some sort of hip injury... delayed start to season.

Who’s burning?
Small forward Lindsay Thomas has been a standout at Arden Street this summer. The 28-year-old looks noticeably leaner and has run strongly in time trials and interval sessions. There has long been talk about Thomas spending more time in North's midfield and he has dominated in the centre square this pre-season during match simulation. The Roos have used the two-time club leading goalkicker almost exclusively in attack previously, but he has been so impressive at clearances and with his passing in general play that he could become a regular member of North's on-ball division in 2017.

Who’s not?
Ruckman Todd Goldstein (ankle) has been on a restricted program since Christmas, but North is confident he will be fit for round one. Scott Thompson (adductor), Majak Daw (knee) and Sam Wright (ankle) all resumed running on the track recently and hope to play some part in the JLT Community Series. Ben Brown (knee) is unlikely to play any pre-season games but could yet be fit for round one, while Jed Anderson (shoulder) will be sidelined for the next two months after undergoing surgery this week. Taylor Garner (hip) and Jy Simpkin (leg) are also expected to have delayed starts to the season after being conservatively managed over the summer. - Nick Bowen
Ben Jacobs is becoming the forgotten man.
 

LuvtheKangas

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I know LTK. Just feel he's overrated a fair bit on here, hence not in report.

He's a plodder/list clogger if not in very limited shutdown roles.
I've revised my opinion. Not a list clogger, but not best 22 except in those games where a hard lockdown is necessary (Sam Mitchell, Nat Fyfe, Dusty Martin, to name a few). Good depth, which every list needs.

My original post was because I was just interested that Nick Bowen appears to have forgotten about him.
 

boneofshin

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Don't think he does.
The purest footballer on our list but he's most dangerous up forward so Brad never plays him outside the fifty.
I remember him starting off the back of the centre square at a number of centre bounces last year. He was quite handy when used that way.
 

kangaspurs

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I know LTK. Just feel he's overrated a fair bit on here, hence not in report.

He's a plodder/list clogger if not in very limited shutdown roles.
I've revised my opinion. Not a list clogger, but not best 22 except in those games where a hard lockdown is necessary (Sam Mitchell, Nat Fyfe, Dusty Martin, to name a few). Good depth, which every list needs.

My original post was because I was just interested that Nick Bowen appears to have forgotten about him.
Respectfully disagree with both of you,

Benny J is clearly best 22 if he's fit, for me. Simply put, he makes us better. The more players we have in the team that make us better when playing their best role, the better we will be.
 
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Respectfully disagree with both of you,

Benny J is clearly best 22 if he's fit, for me. Simply put, he makes us better. The more players we have in the team that make us better when playing their best role, the better we will be.
Not for mine. He's either a stopper or he doesn't play. We have much better midfield talent incoming, he can play a role but he's way back. Reckon will be delisted as per Bread McKenzie who many raved about.
 

LuvtheKangas

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Respectfully disagree with both of you,

Benny J is clearly best 22 if he's fit, for me. Simply put, he makes us better. The more players we have in the team that make us better when playing their best role, the better we will be.
I seem to recall we've always held opposing opinions on BJ. I'll concede that I've moved more towards your view than vice versa, but I haven't changed my opinion enough to call him best 22 and I don't buy the "he makes us better" line. Except where a hard lockdown is required - when not, he's never done anything that makes me think he holds a spot on non-tagging merit.
 

kangaspurs

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Not for mine. He's either a stopper or he doesn't play. We have much better midfield talent incoming, he can play a role but he's way back. Reckon will be delisted as per Bread McKenzie who many raved about.
My point, though, is that when he is a stopper (which, imo, is needed in most games) he makes us better. When he completely shuts down the oppositions best mid it improves our chances of winning the game of footy.

I actually agree that he should only be ever played as a midfield tagger, but I think that he should be played in that role whenever he is fit.
I seem to recall we've always held opposing opinions on BJ. I'll concede that I've moved more towards your view than vice versa, but I haven't changed my opinion enough to call him best 22 and I don't buy the "he makes us better" line. Except where a hard lockdown is required - when not, he's never done anything that makes me think he holds a spot on non-tagging merit.
Haha yeah, I think we have, actually.

At the risk of re-treading old ground (particularly in the Taylor Garner thread), I'll just say that I actually understand where you're coming from, but I think he should be played in that stopper role whenever he is fit, as having a player in that role makes us better imo.
 

kangaspurs

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I'm willing to do all I can to make the Taylor Garner thread active, in the desperate hope that it will make Taylor Garner, the player, active.
I think we all hope that this thread becomes extremely active this season, and for all the right reasons!
 
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