To be fair though, Billings, Dunstan, Lonie and Sinclair all had a lot less competition for sports.
I would be consider 5 games to be a successful year for Long.
Traded Ben Long
- Thread starter SK_MD_#7
- Start date
- Tagged users None
To be fair though, Billings, Dunstan, Lonie and Sinclair all had a lot less competition for sports.
I would be consider 5 games to be a successful year for Long.
I think you'll be surprised.
Richo wanted this type of player, will push out Wright easily IMHO
Problem for him though might be that Wright has already been pushed out by a Lonie/Sinclair/Steele/Stevens/Gilbert/Minchington and as such might be about 28th in the pecking order!
If the first two in particular bounce back from their average 2nd years I'd be very surprised if they weren't currently better than Long, who from memory had a couple of 2 disposal games at VFL level this year, while they were racking up the touches consistently and are likely to be a hell of a lot fitter than him.
I just hope we don't gift him games early like we did Billings and Gresham, neither of whom were ready and were both pretty much immediately dropped.
- Jun 13, 2014
- 5,270
- 12,395
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
Koby and Steele are likely first in line for the Minch/Wright spots imo. Gives us more midfield rotations too while both are more than capable forward.
I'd love to see Long play half a dozen games though.
- Sep 9, 2015
- 1,319
- 2,396
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
Gresham gifted games? All of the last pre season he was an absolute star in every drill they did, clearance King, they didn't gift him games at all they put him in knowing his first couple will be ovbiously to find his feet like every other junior to step through after his first couple of games he was a magician in our forward half, was not gifted games. Billings was gifted games yes but at that stage who was he competing with? Saunders ? long will either slot straight in or hel play very minimal games (5) or around 20 depends on what Richo thinks the team needs he knows what he's getting in long that's what he asked for. Don't think he's gonna get 'gifted' games
I don't think Billings was gifted games either. from memory (and that's a dangerous game cos it's pretty much nonexistent haha) he played the first game, was sub I think so didn't really get much of a go, next week he was playing VFL and he won Sandy the game with 3 or 4 goals (I think 4) in the last quarter (ended up with 5?), then the next week in the VFL he picked up 30ish disposals (might've been 28)
I don't think he was gifted games
I don't think he was gifted games
Whichever way you want to put it, Jade was well out of his depth in his first couple of games and IMO it was absolute madness that he retained his spot after he was barely sighted in R1, while Acres got dropped off his 22 disposal, one goal game in which he was BOG in the 3rd quarter.
He of course improved out of sight as the year wore on, but initially he was well off the pace and I hope we learn from that and resist the temptation to just throw Longy in there, unless he is absolutely ahead of anyone else who is in the mix- which would be some sort of feat, given the incredible competition for a spot on the flanks or pockets up forward.
Also, just because Richo says he wants a particular type, it doesn't mean that if we draft the one we think fits the bill that he's going to be ready from day 1, especially if he's competing with about 10 others who have years worth of head starts on him and plenty of ability themselves.
Last edited:
- Sep 9, 2015
- 1,319
- 2,396
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
Understand where you are coming from but no matter how much vfl footy you play you ain't ready for afl, takes a few games to adjust, especially at the age of 18. Was ready just needed to find his feet
I absolutely HATE the 1 bad game and you are dropped philosophy.
Depending on who you are keeping out of the game I really prefer players to stay in for around three before being dropped for performance.
Jade did get a goal in his first game, and more than half of his ( admittedly low ) possessions were contested.
First Games:
Jade Gresham 9 disposals, ( 5 contested ) , 1 goal. 1 clearance. Not dropped.
Lenny Hayes 8 disposals , ( 3 contested ) , 1 behind, 2 clearances. Not dropped.
Nick Riewoldt 3 diosposals, ( 1 contested ), 1 behind. Not dropped.
edit: Billings equalled Nick, as sub. Went back to VFL for a few then played a 2 goal 19 disposal effort.
THEY HELD THEIR SPOTS........ MADNESS.
( or just maybe our coaches and development people know what they are doing ).
hayes
Brownlow Medallist
If he's super agile and super quick I can see him playing 15 games easily. He'll put on immense pressure with his speed and if he's not butchering it like Wright does and getting close to a goal a game I can see him playing 15 games easily.
Unless of course someone starts averaging around 20+ possessions and a goal a game to keep him out but I'm not really sure who that could be. Billings plays up the ground for mine.
Unless of course someone starts averaging around 20+ possessions and a goal a game to keep him out but I'm not really sure who that could be. Billings plays up the ground for mine.
Nah Jack definitely was I believe. From memory he was very underwhelming in his NAB Cup games leading in and played accordingly in his senior debut and was dropped the following week. Had he not been our "shiny new toy" on the cover of all our advertising material, I doubt he would been anywhere near that round 1 team, based on his lead-in games.
It didn't matter all that much then, as we were coming off a bottom 3 finish and it was all about the future, but we're playing to win now and have more than enough others who are also young and talented and likely to be more ready to make us a better team, so I personally don't want to see that sort of thing happening anymore.
Well some come in and show straight away that they're ready, such as Dunstan, but I thought it was pretty clear after his first game in particular that Jade needed some games in the VFL, and once he got those, he was then ready, like Billings a couple of years earlier.
What are you talking about, two of those 4 you listed were dropped within their first two games! The other two are "all time greats" of our footy club, who were both taken within the first dozen of their respective drafts and debuted at a time when we had far less young talent competing with them for a spot in the team. Roo also came in when we were a bottom 2 team and as such, it didn't matter a bunch if he got a kick or not.
Hopefully that is Koby Stevens
Sir Skid
Just one Kegs lady boys!
10k Posts
BeanCoiNFT Investor
Ex-Moderator
St Kilda - Nathan Freeman Player Sponsor 2016
You don't draft for today's needs.
If that were the case I'd be interested in how Trout & co rated Shai Bolton, maybe viewed him as a longer term prospect.
Sir Skid
Just one Kegs lady boys!
10k Posts
BeanCoiNFT Investor
Ex-Moderator
St Kilda - Nathan Freeman Player Sponsor 2016
There are exceptions
Fyfe2Shenton
Senior List
- Oct 12, 2016
- 185
- 309
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
Shai Bolton didn't seem to be much of a team-oriented player.
Sure, but what you say there is right - "depending on who you are keeping out of the game". If there's serious competition for spots and you have a shocker, it's pretty unfair to a guy who's tearing it up in the twos for you to keep your spot. Hopefully next season there's that sort of selection pressure more often than not.
You can get in a cycle where X tears it up in the two's ( or pre-season ).
X gets a game and gets 6 disposals. Y tears it up in the two's.
X gets dropped and tears it up in the two's , Y gets a callup and gets 4 disposals.
X gets selected again. Y dropped. etc etc.
Players like Templeton its the norm.
You really need to look at more than just one game, because anyone can have a bad one.
Or that tells you, like with Templeton, that they're not quite AFL quality. I agree continuity is good but I'm just saying that it's a zero sum game - every opportunity you give to one guy is an opportunity you don't give to someone else.
I agree with that. But i think in general they have given our guys have had a pretty good game pattern, so they had every chance to adjust.
In groups of games
Murdoch got : 4,3,2,3,2
Templeton: 6, 1, 2, 3, 1,1,
Saunders: 2,1,7,7,2,1,2
I remember people kept saying if only Raphael Clarke got a decent run at it he'd come good. Can't believe how long they milked that.
Don't be surprised if Long is played across half back... I know we've got a heap of back flankers but I've got a feeling that Richo sees Long as offering a vastly different skill set that the others.
Everyone is looking for a Johannisen type now... we may have ours now.
Everyone is looking for a Johannisen type now... we may have ours now.
Hoping JWeb can step it up at half back and we could really use it.
Dempster, Geary, Brown not exactly brilliant users of the footy
Hey good on the kid for winning it on the day and also for winning a premiership medallion
.But has there ever been a Norm Smith medalist butcher the ball so much??
I thought half his kicks were clangers.
