alan toovey

[sweepi4]

any know wats goin on with the boy
hows he training and what vfl club is he with
i was at claremont with him
didnt play but im a trainer and hes a really nice lad
would be nice to how hes goin
ta

 

[tarrantcantkick]

second that the kid is the total package (ability, humble and a great kid) so cough up how he's going vic members.

is he over his injury?

 

[Johnson#26]

He had a bit of a foot injury in mid-late January. Should be ok for round one.

 

[Coin_Toss]

I like the size of Toovey - 189cm is an advantage over other midfielders.

I hope he can star in a couple of Williamstown games this season, who knows, maybe we might see him wear the Black & White as soon as next year.

 

[FIGJAM]

I like the size of Toovey - 189cm is an advantage over other midfielders.

Trouble is, he's a defender!

 

[Coin_Toss]

Trouble is, he's a defender!

********, my bad. I heard he was a midfielder.
Another defender? Man, that's no good.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

********, my bad. I heard he was a midfielder.
Another defender? Man, that's no good.

Actually, it is good - He ran 2.94 seconds over 20m at Draft Camp, good for equal 8th at the whole deal, and just one-hundredth of a second behind Dale Thomas.

His vertical leap was also impressive, in the top 10 for that too.

He may be a little undersized for a key spot, but with his athleticism, he may a tall option to defend small forwards.

More importantly, the Lions went alright with the 188cm Mal Michael at FB and the 190cm Justin Leppitsch at CHB, so it's not cause for concern as such.

 

[ant22]

Actually, it is good - He ran 2.94 seconds over 20m at Draft Camp, good for equal 8th at the whole deal, and just one-hundredth of a second behind Dale Thomas.

His vertical leap was also impressive, in the top 10 for that too.

He may be a little undersized for a key spot, but with his athleticism, he may a tall option to defend small forwards.

More importantly, the Lions went alright with the 188cm Mal Michael at FB and the 190cm Justin Leppitsch at CHB, so it's not cause for concern as such.

Not to mention a bloke by the name of Leo Barry who went alright last year. If you can jump and punch and have leg speed there is no reason you cannot make it as a key defender with his height , providing he is strong enough of course.

No nothing about the guy but if he is a good bloke then I would love to see him do well

 

[Jabso]

Just because he was a defender in U18s doesn't mean he may be used differently. He is only a rookie, so any progress made by him is a bonus.

 

[FIGJAM]

Hmmm...Wiz acctually said he is potentially midfield:

----------------------

By Colin Wisbey:

Alan Toovey (Claremont)

189/79 top-age left foot defender/midfielder.

*STYLE LIKE: A. Welsh / smaller Staker

*MY RANKING (not meant to reflect appropriate draft pick to use): 46

*PROBABILITY OF AFL CAREER: Query. Ready year 2.

- Within an AFL team list, could prove capable of SUSTAINING a ranking of 15-25.

*HURT FACTORS (Offensive/Defensive/Negative): M / M / L-M

*TRADEMARK:

- Glove spoil then swoop on the spill and dash downfield with impressive speed and purpose, then kick, perhaps without steadying, and perhaps get less than optimum return on effort

*SUMMARY ASSESSMENT, RECOMMENDATION:

- A slim 189cm defender/midfielder with excellent all-round athletic attributes, although footy smarts is not his strong suit. Very good WAFL form including Seniors late '05. I suspect he may be a little too NQR (not quite right) for AFL. In the end, he just snuck into my rankings.

- Hasn't had many chances in the past couple of years to play against someone his own height except for a few Colts games. Routinely finds himself fighting out of his height and weight division. That makes assessing him for more-appropriate AFL roles difficult.

I originally compared his style to Andrew Welsh and that's not a bad comparison re the way each player goes about his game. A better comparison though, and in more ways than style, would be a smaller version Brent Staker. Both extremely athletic, both spent most of their development years many hours from a major footy city, both played U18s in similar roles fighting out of their weight division, both regularly like to back themselves to "take them on" ... and both too often try to do too much and thus undo some of their good work. I would describe both as athletes who do some nice things but too often fall on their own sword due to iffy judgement calls (especially risk management and awareness-related).

- I expect Toovey to get drafted and to play some AFL games but I am dubious about his long-term AFL potential. I think he is probably worth a try as a Rookie but I can't get too excited for the main draft. What you are buying is:-

1. pace

2. leap

3. endurance

4. accountability

He is capable of carrying the ball but I don't think he is special enough in any aspects for me to confidently predict an AFL future. My main concerns are:-

1. smarts (especially under pressure)

2. getting value from his possessions in field play

3. (slight query) ability to bulk up much

If he has AFL ability, I see him mainly as an excellent height, athletic, running HBF or "wing". Would give you run through half back / midfield but would need to play more within his limitations than he currently does. I suspect Toovey is best when he is given a set role and told exactly how to play it on the day. He seems to be reliably self-disciplined in that sense.

- Got his best stats and BOG votes in Clarke Medal in rounds 6 and 10, playing as a midfielder at Colts level. I though Brabazon was BOG in R6 and I wouldn't have had Toovey in my votes in that game (although he got 17d). He did play well in those games but the opposition each time was bottom of the ladder at the time with only one win and the only decent small-mid in either opposition team was Heise (R6) who IMHO played better that game than Toovey. I didn't see anything in either game to make me think Toovey had the makings of an AFL midfielder in terms of stop-play smarts.

He was good at getting the ruck spill (either first hand or 2nd hand), primarily coming from the defensive end of the traffic, but his strategy was generally "get, try to dash in a virtually direct line through traffic, then kick direct". The problem with that is that he didn't look for options to feed off to, especially when under pressure, and he was too often caught, nailed and too often stripped (or had to rush a scrubby kick) in unnecessarily taking too long to dispose. A smart midfielder would have tried to use his possession more constructively (eg looked to feed off more or quickly chip to a spotted target), would not have routinely tempted fate by trying to outrun the traffic, and would have had better instinctive vision and decision-making, especially when the pressure arrived from opponents impeding his run through space. On various occasions, Toovey was like a rabbit caught in the spotlight when he couldn't continue a dash and got nailed without any apparent ability to come up with a plan B. In those situations, he showed poor awareness, lack of sharp evasion (or even attempts at), and poor vision and ability to think quickly and dish off. That's not to say Toovey is a poor player. I'm just saying he lacks appropriate attributes for AFL in those situations. Incidentally, whenever I refer to problems he has on the run, I'm talking about when he is on a dash, not just any non-set kick.

- I feel sorry for kids like Toovey who spend their 17-18yo years in roles (eg FB, FF, ruck) they are too small for at AFL level as they don't get enough chance to show their ability in roles appropriate to their potential AFL roles. At least a short U18 ruck routinely gets to hone, and has the opportunity to display, some generalist attributes (eg reading the play around the ground, traffic management, marking etc). Toovey, on the other hand has spent much of his last 2 years, even in WAFL Seniors, as an undersize negating FB (albeit that he does like to run off his opponent at the spill). Someone has to play FF and FB and there aren't enough genuine talls to go around so I understand why coaches have to give the Tooveys, McKinleys, Kellehers etc those roles more often than roles appropriate to their AFL prospects. However, IMHO it does stunt their development and limit their chances to convince recruiters re how they would handle their potential AFL roles. Toovey got some midfield exposure this year, which was good to see. You'd like to see more though to have a better sample to analyse.

I thought Toovey did some nice things as CHB on Josh Kennedy at Seniors level in R19. Kennedy clearly on top and Toovey's team had the game won halfway through the first quarter but Toovey did a couple of nice spoils despite conceding 6cm and tried to create a run-off / linking option whenever possible. Also took a nice grab over the top. Toovey and Ryder both debuted in that same game. Ryder looked completely overwhelmed in the first half but Toovey didn't look like a newby to Seniors (let alone debutante), and wasn't intimidated by the step up. That's a good sign re how easily he might adapt to an AFL environment.

He almost always plays from behind this year. I have seen him play a forward from in front but his smarts/self-assurance let him down. In such situations, he often either backs his judgement when he should stay, or is too netball -like stop-start.

- Broke a thumb or finger late May so was a bit underdone re match fitness coming into the '05 U18 Champs.

*DISPOSAL:

(see above)

- His field kicking is quite mixed bag, even under no pressure - surprising for someone entrusted with kick-outs. In general, the problem is not so much kicking technique but dubious judgement calls.



- In particular, on the run, again even under no pressure, his kicking is very unreliable and prone to turnovers. Not balancing up (failure to steady) sometimes results in mongrels or blind kicks in hope.

- Last year a number of his kicks tended to slice to the left. Not so much this year.

- His kicking style generally has a low take and limited arm movement. His arms move forward in unison and generally forward instead of across his body. That's as it should be. I much prefer that to kids who extravagantly fling their near-side arm back and then whoosh it across their body on return. The main purpose of the arm action after setup-up should be to balance you and keep you square. You don't need extravagant action. Toovey's arm action is somewhat at the other extreme and could perhaps do a little more work but I have no problem with it.

- Quite good by hand. Not super reliable but good hurt factor. Sometimes quick hands but that's not really his go anyway.

*DECISION-MAKING, SMARTS:

- (see above).

- Poor vision. Doesn't look for options enough. Too often has tunnel vision on the run, even under no pressure. Very poor awareness of imminent pressure. Often takes too long to dispose. Has a tendency on the run to run virtually headlong into trouble. Lacks vision and poise under pressure and is not a quick thinker.

- He gets stripped much too often. I'm not sure what category to place this under in this assessment because the cause is not a single issue. Part of the problem is that he almost behaves in many situations as if he doesn't comprehend the pressure he is under and the need to dispose more quickly. Part of it is a need to think more quickly. However that only explains why he gets nailed, not why he allows the ball to spill free out of his hands so often. Sometimes the opponent literally steals it out of his hands without apparent resistance. Part of the problem may be a strength issue. Again though, most skinny little guys don't share the same problem. At the very least he needs to protect the ball more and practice more intensity / determination to not surrender the ball and to keep the ball and to force a ball-up if he can't dispose. The real solution in most cases comes back to the need to play the percentages and dispose more quickly in the first place.

- He also sometimes has trouble getting the ball to come back to him when bouncing it. Most players will at some stage encounter a bounce that doesn't come back as expected. However, with Toovey, there is somewhat of a pattern, although not a frequent occurrence. I suspect the problem is that he tries to bang the ball into the ground too hard. (He doesn't use the same action each time).

- The combination of poor vision, poor awareness, lack of quick thinking, being too slow to dispose, and inability to routinely make it hard for the opposition to convert a possession of his into a possession of theirs is a major concern and goes to the heart of why I am dubious re Toovey sustaining an AFL career long-term.

*HANDS:

- Fairly clean above the knee. Clean at ground level under no pressure but "win some, lose some" under pressure. Overall he's probably in the Satisfactory-Good bracket, even on the run.

*OVERHEAD MARKING:

- Quite good overhead, at least from behind. Seems to have improved significantly this year. Good judgement. Takes his share of 50/50 marks.

- Very good glove spoiler at a marking contest when the ball is kicked on top of the forward's head. Not so good at spoiling on a lead with the ball kicked a bit lower.



*ATHLETICISM:

- Gets a big tick in all areas of athleticism, as shown by his across-the-board excellent draft camp results. And those results are a generally accurate reflection of what he shows on the field. (Although he often doesn't push himself as hard on-field as his terrific beep test might suggest).

- Very quick, including off-the-mark.

- Very good leap.

- Struggles body-on-body at this stage but has improved a lot since last year and it is hard to pass definitive judgement because the "other body" has usually belonged to a genuine-sized KPP, not someone of Toovey's size.

- At 79kg, he is very slim for a top-age 189cm. That in itself doesn't phase me. It's just that he hasn't really added any weight in almost 2 years. That has to raise a question re his ability to bulk up enough for the roles he would have to play at AFL level. (Or ability to bulk up enough without being at the expense of any athleticism)

*INTENSITY, ETHIC:

- Last year I queried whether he had the aggressive intensity/competitiveness to push himself hard enough for the roles he would face at AFL. I've been very impressed with his lift in intensity in those regards this year.

One of the things that impressed me in his limited games in midfield this year was his attack on the ball inside traffic. And he got his share of genuine hard ball. I suspect he is, by nature, primarily a Predator, rather than First Dibs but he didn't shirk the hard ball whatsoever. Quite often showed a desperation that seemed to be missing last year.

Very occasionally he fails to commit his body enough or a tackle won't stick but generally his ethic and intensity have been terrific this year. All the 1%ers.

- Very good off-field ethic. Keeps himself in top nick. Reminds me very much of Nathan Van Berlo ('04 draft) in that and other respects. I have doubts about both boys having long AFL careers but I am genuinely happy for kids like them to prove me wrong. Toovey's a nice kid, doesn't get ahead of himself and is honest with himself.

*CONSISTENCY:

- Bit hard to judge his consistency as some of his match-ups against gorillas are a mismatch from the word go and set him too big a challenge. As a general rule, he usually performs to his best against the opponents you would expect him to be competitive against, and sometimes against opponents who are a bigger challenge.

Whether he will turn out to be up to a sustained AFL career or not, I don't think he will often thrash, or very often be thrashed by, opponents of similar height/build and type. Gorillas and big-marking types worry him. So do opponents on well-timed, quick leads. Smalls who are slippery might also.

*AFL VERSATILITY:

- (See above)

- Toovey does have good pace and acceleration but, for AFL, I see him as purely a HBF or "wing". Maybe in time he might be capable of a run-with role but even run-with players needs traffic (especially stop-play) smarts. Whether he has the smarts for those upfield roles, time will tell, but I do have strong doubts. His best form in the last 2 years, taking quality of opponents into account, has been as FB. That suits him because he can see the play unfold in front of him, and he can concentrate on spoiling from behind then running off his opponent (as he does quite well). He is not big enough for AFL FB though.

*CSI (COMPARATIVE SCOPE for IMPROVEMENT):

- Normal. Is already top-age and has been right through the system, including 2 U18 Champs and Senior experience at SANFL level. That would technically make his SCI "less than normal". However, I upgraded his CSI because he hasn't had as much opportunity as most of his peers to learn from playing roles that he would be considered for at AFL level.

*QUERY:

- Footy smarts

- Ability to bulk up.

- Kicking accuracy (in general play)

*SOME STATS:

- Stats summary '05 U18 Champs:

Averaged 8 disposals and 1.0 marks in his 3 games. (Best TD 12).

Kicks per 20 disp: 13.

Kicks long vs short: 9-3 (8 long per 10 kicks).

Ineffective kicks: 3/15 (2.0 per 10 kicks), incl 1 clangers (0.7 per 10 kicks).

Ineffective handballs: 2/9 (2.2 per 10 handballs), incl 0 clangers (0.0 per 10 handballs).

Ineffective disposals: 5/24 (4.2 per 20 disp), incl 1 clangers (0.8 per 20 disp).

HandBall Receives: 7/24 (6 per 20 disp).

Hardball gets: 6/24 (5 per 20 disp).

S.P. clearances: 1/24 (1 per 20 disp), incl 0 BU (0 per 20 disp), incl 0 CBC (0 per 20 disp).

Tackles: 7 (Avg 2.3 per game).

Marks: 3 (3 per 20 disp), incl 2 contested (6.7 per 10 marks).

- Stats summary '04 U18 Champs:

Averaged 8 disposals and 2.0 marks in his 3 games. (Best TD 17).

Kicks per 20 disp: 10.

Kicks long vs short: 6-4 (6 long per 10 kicks).

Ineffective kicks: 3/13 (2 per 10 kicks), incl 1 clangers (1 per 10 kicks).

Ineffective handballs: 4/12 (3 per 10 handballs), incl 1 clangers (1 per 10 handballs).

Ineffective disposals: 7/25 (6 per 20 disp), incl 2 clangers (2 per 20 disp).

HandBall Receives: 5/25 (4 per 20 disp).

Hardball gets: 4/25 (3 per 20 disp).

S.P. clearances: 2/25 (2 per 20 disp), incl 0 BU (0 per 20 disp), incl 0 CBC (0 per 20 disp).

Tackles: 8 (Avg 2.7 per game).

Marks: 6 (5 per 20 disp), incl 1 contested (2 per 10 marks).

*OTHER STUFF:

- All Aust LY.

- AIS

- Colts '04. School footy was '04 priority.

- WAFL Seniors '05 (Fullback) - debuted late July.

- Moved from Mt Barker 2 years ago.

 

[Coin_Toss]

It would be a huge bonus if he can develop into a midfielder. Great size, reasonable pace, good footy smarts. Maybe there might be room for him... sounds like a decent prospect.

 

[Jabso]

Some examples of different roles:
Presti: CHF/FF in juniors.
Swan: Forward Pocket in juniors (I think, may have been a midfielder too).
Rusling was used just about anywhere
Shannon Cox played a fair bit in the ruck.
Shane Wakelin was a forward.
Ben Johnson may of been a forward pocket.