Adam Bentick

[Kmasn]

I was looking at our list and it got me to thinking how I, among a lot of others, had such huge raps on him when he was first elevated from the rookie list. since then he has been solid but hasn't improved out of sight. was wondering whether people here think he is a good young player with plenty of scope for improvement, or whether the fact he has been rated so highly by the club and supporters the last few years is a symptom of us struggling on field and the low quality of players on the list. do you think he has a long term future with the club considering some of the high draft picks we have been getting? my opinion is that for him to cement himself in the 22 in the next few years, he'll have to do it has a tagger/run with player rather then someone who gets a lot of his own ball. any thoughts?

 

[Jeremias]

I like him a lot, and think he adds an important aspect to our side.

I don't think he is under much pressure to keep his spot ATM. He is not a tagger, but is our hard in and under player.

 

[OZBomb]

I'd think he'll end up playing about 15 or so games this year. He really has levelled out and he hasn't been able to average the 20 or so possesions that someone in his position should. Very overrated given the numbers he does, which is probably due to him being our only genuine 'in and under' player at this point.

 

[blues4flag]

To be honest, I wasn't overly impressed with his 2006. Not that it was bad, but he'll have to do more if he's gonna stay in the side in two years time. He does have scope for improvement, seeing that it was basically only his second year, having only played a handful of games before that. This year he's got to improve, sort of a make or break year for him in 2007, although I can't see him being delisted anytime soon, but if he doesn't improve than he won't be anything but a depth player. His skills and speed let him down and are his major weaknesses.

 

[Mayesy_23]

This is a make or break year for AB, although I don't think he will be delisted. We need one or two more in and under players and at the moment he fills that void alone. I rate him but his speed and skills let him down.

 

[Kmasn]

so would we say that he needs to fine tune his skills and increase his ability to play in and under better, which is what he does now, rather then change his style of game to that of a tagger in order to be on the list 5+ more years?

 

[Il Naso De Gastev]

A good ordinary footballer. Nothing flashy. He's pretty good in tight.

His skills won't get any better and he won't get any quicker. Just has to keep doing the honest things that got him where he is and he'll have a part to play.

 

[Melbdave81]

A good ordinary footballer. Nothing flashy. He's pretty good in tight.

His skills won't get any better and he won't get any quicker. Just has to keep doing the honest things that got him where he is and he'll have a part to play.

Disagree with the the statement about his skills. Having Braddles and Rats down there as coaches will have to have a positive impact on players skills and AB seems to have a pretty solid work ethic so I see plently of upside for him. Big year ahead, dont forget this bloke torn Collingwood apart on a Saturday night 2 years ago, 30+ possie's

 

[Aussie Joe]

This is a make or break year for AB, although I don't think he will be delisted. We need one or two more in and under players and at the moment he fills that void alone. I rate him but his speed and skills let him down.

Agree totally.

 

[one_twelve112]

The game is getting a lot quicker and he isn't. Both himself and Teague have that toughness about them, which in the past has been a great asset, but with today's game focusing more on uncontested possession and requiring more leg speed, I think he may get left behind. If he had the football smarts and disposal of a Greg Williams he would survive, but unfortunately he doesn't.
Will play no more than 12 games coming off the bench this year, and even less next year.

 

[stokesy]

At the moment, we need players like him to get the ball to soft ***** like Stevens and Houlihan.

If we didn't have Bentick, we'd be lucky to get a clearance in a game.

 

[AndyWalkersGirl]

I"m a Bentick fan. You do not need to be a flashy player to contribute to your team. What he does, he does quietly, but efficiently. He is our hard in and under midfielder, and probably the only one we have.

I can't see him getting delisted he's only 21. Bannister will go next year, not Bentick.

He's a very hard trainer, and if you just watch his games, what he does is provide a heavy body in our midfield, who lays tackles and who takes the hits. We need someone like that, because Murphy, Gibbs, walker, Blackwell, Simpson are not those type of players.

We need 22 players on game day with different abilities, to play different roles. Since when does every player need to be the fastest and the most skilled? Diesel wasn't quick, yet he was hard and efficient.

I really like Bentick, and i think he is highly underrated by a lot of you guys on here. And exactly whose game did impress you this year? Besides Fevola, Simpson and one or two of the others, the rest of our team was average, so it's not fair that you base your thoughts on the guy, based on performances this year. Not many players in our team stood out this year.

Also, read that he was playing with a minor shoulder niggle all season, and then it finally cracked, now he's had surgery/rest, hopefully he'll be back to his best in 2007. By all reports he's tearing up the track at training (just as Murphy!), so hopefully he's ready for a solid year.

Geez some supporters expect a hell of a lot from our young players. He is 21. I'd be more worried about players like Hartlett, Flint, Raso that haven't shown us anything yet, instead of Bentick. Give young players a chance before you jump down their throats. They need experience, they need to develop their confidence, and they need to start playing in winning teams.

It can only happen with time.

 

[Jeremias]

Geez some supporters expect a hell of a lot from our young players. He is 21. I'd be more worried about players like Hartlett, Flint, Raso that haven't shown us anything yet, instead of Bentick. Give young players a chance before you jump down their throats. They need experience, they need to develop their confidence, and they need to start playing in winning teams.

Ahem Ahem, that's a bit hypocritical-didn't you say you think we may make the finals?

And why on earth would you be worried about Flint?

 

[cfc05]

Worried about someone who just got promoted to the senior list.... geez we do have high expectations for a club that finished 16th!

One player has been on a senior list for 4 years, the other a few weeks and your already spotlighting the elevated player - interesting to say the least.

 

[as0l0]

i think he won't make it in the end. Don't feel like he has a lot of improvement left.

 

[BlueWorld]

At the moment, we need players like him to get the ball to soft ***** like Stevens and Houlihan.

If we didn't have Bentick, we'd be lucky to get a clearance in a game.

Stevens won more clearances than Bentick this year.

 

[TheHeatleyStand]

Really?
and as for minutes...? hard ball gets? tackles?
shepherds ..blocks???...etc??

What kind of clearances are you actually talking about??

 

[barone]

played with an injury from round 5 on agaisnt richmond, got abosolutly crunched, but still managed to play untill round 20 untill the cloub said he should have the surgery early!
Good player adds alot to the team, alot more then people give him credit for, is an awesome tackler and is still a kid! has improved his kicking since joining the club and his leg speed, is a work horse on the training track and it shows on the field!

 

[Kooley]

At the moment, we need players like him to get the ball to soft ***** like Stevens and Houlihan.

If we didn't have Bentick, we'd be lucky to get a clearance in a game.

be careful around here with that type of abuse stokesy. there are some on here who are very sensitive to calling ryan soft.

 

[mediumsizered]

i think he won't make it in the end. Don't feel like he has a lot of improvement left.

He turned 21 halfway through the 2006 season & you have concluded he has little improvement left in him. He has had 2 years in the AFL system, for goodness sake. Lucky we didn't write Kade Simpson or Fev off as quick as that. AB is already ahead of players taken before him in the draft due to his work ethic, both at training & on the field. As long as he keeps up this strong work ethic there is no reason why he shouldn't have much improvement left in him. If he was 24, I would look at him differently, but the kid is still developing, a bit like some of the other 20/21 year olds on our list ie Hartlett, Russell, Walker & Betts.

 

[Kooley]

He turned 21 halfway through the 2006 season & you have concluded he has little improvement left in him. He has had 2 years in the AFL system, for goodness sake. Lucky we didn't write Kade Simpson or Fev off as quick as that. AB is already ahead of players taken before him in the draft due to his work ethic, both at training & on the field. As long as he keeps up this strong work ethic there is no reason why he shouldn't have much improvement left in him. If he was 24, I would look at him differently, but the kid is still developing, a bit like some of the other 20/21 year olds on our list ie Hartlett, Russell, Walker & Betts.

good call!!! i watched adam at training yesterday and he looks primed for a solid year. he is very popular amongst the playing group because of his committment.

 

[Feva]

Big year ahead, dont forget this bloke torn Collingwood apart on a Saturday night 2 years ago, 30+ possie's

Only really good game he has played for the Blues. May have torn the Pies apart, but Mark McGough tore Essendon apart in an Anzac Day game - so what.

Too slow, poor kick and not creative enough for a midfielder. Prefer others.

 

[mediumsizered]

Only really good game he has played for the Blues. May have torn the Pies apart, but Mark McGough tore Essendon apart in an Anzac Day game - so what.

Too slow, poor kick and not creative enough for a midfielder. Prefer others.

So who would be your preferred option to play the in & under role that Bentick has been playing? None of Murphy, Gibbs, Blackwell, Simpson, Stevens, Walker are suitable for the role & unfortunately Kouta is no longer physically up to the role.

 

[Funkalicous]

Bentick still isn't getting enough opportunity imo. He has been used well in short spurts however. - Getting 10+ touches a quarter and so on. Maybe he has some fitness issues we don't know about. I think he's a quality player though. Not many young players can come into footy and play an in-and-under role straight away. At the moment, he provides the team with the hardness that many of our other midfielders are lacking. His skills are satisfactory too.

 

[HBF]

Still think that 2007 will be a crunch year for him. Just needs to step up and become a more consistent player.