Crows training 29/1/03

[Jerome]

According to Channel 10 news tonight (I swear they are stalking Carey!), Mr Carey rejoined the main group at Crows training today. he looked great in the running excercises.

His one on one work left a bit to be desired. He was soundly beaten by Ben Rutten according to Channel 10. They had some footage of Ben beating him too! Mc Carey also got told of by Coach Gazza as his second efforts were not good enough!

GO BENNY RUTTEN! Might have a new full back this year... I'm keen to see him Feb 14th (got the whole day off to get there early).

Gary Garner the St George Crows coach from NSW is with the club this week seeing how everything is run here.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Yeah Rutten looks the goods. He must be trialled for most of the pre-season games in a key defensive role. If Ben can step up like Kenny did last year, it will go a long way to fixing probably our biggest weakness (ie. Hound playing on bigger players). Not sure whether I would back Rutten on a fully fit Carey in a final, but then again who would you back against the Duck!

 

[macca23]

Well done Ben!! He certainly goes better at this stage of his career in the backlines than up forward. Would have had a big edge on Carey today in match practice and fitness, but nevertheless, well done Ben!!

Not that Channel 10 would have deliberately only showed the occasions that Rutten beat Carey to the ball - much!!! They have had a camera on him from the time he got here waiting and hoping for a slip-up one feels.

I'm sure that Carey will be saving himself for the real thing - today was his first piece of competitive work and he would be just easing his way back in at this stage.

I think that this will be the case until we are playing for premiership points. I only expect Carey to be playing brief cameo roles until the end of the Wizard Wok competition.

 

[Stiffy_18]

LOL!!! You went alright there until you mentioned channel 10. The credibility of Channel 10 goes out the window. Fair Dinkum!!!! Did they say if he had to leave the training session to go to the toilet? (no offence meant to you Jerome )

I think Ben Rutten will be our new FB. He has loads of experience at senoir SANFL level and did well in last year's Wizard Cup. I agree that at this stage Rutten is a better defender than a forward. If I remember corectly Mark Stevens was better defender than forward until mid 2001. I was thinking about our possible spine in 5-6 years time

FF: Bock
CHF: Hentschel
C: Bode
CHB: McGregor
FB: Rutten

Pretty good???

I think Matthew Smith will also develop into a nice KPP capable of playing at both ends of the ground.


As for Carey, it will take some time for him to settle into the structure but in round 5 he will have a BLINDER!!!!!!

 

[Blues_Girl]

Originally posted by Jerome
According to Channel 10 news tonight (I swear they are stalking Carey!)

It saves the rest of us having to do it then

 

[Jars458]

Anyone who thinks Rutten will replace Basset at full back this season is deluding themselves

Bassett is one of our most reliable and toughest players

Rutten still has a lot to prove. The games I have seen him for West Adelaide, he has been far from impressive.

If he gets to play a couple of games this year that would be good

Lets not put too many expectations on someone who is still only a kid.

We should be more worried that Carey can't beat Rutten than being excited that Rutten can beat Carey.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by Jars458
The games I have seen him for West Adelaide, he has been far from impressive.

I will agree with you that he was very quite in the first half of the season but his second half was nothing les than sensational as is shown by him finishing 3rd in Westies best and Fairest last year. Not bad for a 19 yo with more than 60 games of SANFL experience at senior level.

Physically he is ready for AFL, now its a matter of whether or not he can handle it mentally. A 19 yo who has overcome 1 knee reconstruction and was a captain of our Under 18 side, to me that says that he is very mature player. No one expects Rutten to be a star in 2003, What we are simply suggesting is that he will get a crack at 2nd or 3rd best tall forward of the opposition.

As for Bassett, I couldn't agree with you more, he is one of our most reliable players and certainly a very hard competitor. But IMHO he struggles against bigger forwards of this comp. He is about 2cm too short and some 5 kg too light. I think Bassett is better suited as a 3rd tall defender rather than a KPP.

Rutten will probably play in Back Pocket or across Half-Back in 2003 but by 2004 I expect him to be our FB. Hopefully a Rising Star Nomination is on the cards for Rutten in 2003.

P.S. I find it rather interesting that whenever there is a one on one session Rutten picks up Carey. I really think Crows have high hopes for Rutten in 2003 and beyond

 

[Jerome]

Stiffy - no offence taken. I know exactly what you mean. Channel 10 would install a camera up his back passage if they could!

As for Rutten, the Crows do rate him highly. His last half of the SANFL season was pretty good - in the best players most weeks. His performances seem to improve after Fitzy's injury. At the end of the season the AFC website had a review of all of the SANFL Crows and Rutten was named the Crows best SANFL player for 2002.

As previously stated, we really need some height and strength in the backlines. Basset is great but he needs help. We need a gorilla at FB against the likes of Lloyd, Rocca and Lynch.

A good example is the Brisbane final. AFC made the point before the game that we had to contain Lynch to win. We could'nt and it only highlighted a problem area in our side. I'm very keen to see how he goes in the pre season and I hope he can secure a regular spot in the side.

Jerome

 

[Carlos]

Originally posted by Jars458
We should be more worried that Carey can't beat Rutten than being excited that Rutten can beat Carey.

Sorry to intrude...

But FWIW, Wayne never regularly blitzed in pre-season intraclub matches at North.

Mind you, he was usually oppossed to a Mick Martyn in his prime, but as he got older, Wayne used to go pretty easy in these scratch matches in the main, except for the odd quarter of 5 or 6 goals when he fealt like it.

I wouldn't be too worried guys.

 

[Mong]

Originally posted by Jerome
A good example is the Brisbane final. AFC made the point before the game that we had to contain Lynch to win. We could'nt and it only highlighted a problem area in our side.

lol, even if we did manage to contain Lynch there was still that problem of failing to contain any one of the other 21 players in that Brisbane side. That was a performance I would like to forget.


****

 

[Damp Squarie]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
I will agree with you that he was very quite in the first half of the season but his second half was nothing les than sensational as is shown by him finishing 3rd in Westies best and Fairest last year. Not bad for a 19 yo with more than 60 games of SANFL experience at senior level.

Physically he is ready for AFL, now its a matter of whether or not he can handle it mentally. A 19 yo who has overcome 1 knee reconstruction and was a captain of our Under 18 side, to me that says that he is very mature player. No one expects Rutten to be a star in 2003, What we are simply suggesting is that he will get a crack at 2nd or 3rd best tall forward of the opposition.

As for Bassett, I couldn't agree with you more, he is one of our most reliable players and certainly a very hard competitor. But IMHO he struggles against bigger forwards of this comp. He is about 2cm too short and some 5 kg too light. I think Bassett is better suited as a 3rd tall defender rather than a KPP.

Rutten will probably play in Back Pocket or across Half-Back in 2003 but by 2004 I expect him to be our FB. Hopefully a Rising Star Nomination is on the cards for Rutten in 2003.

P.S. I find it rather interesting that whenever there is a one on one session Rutten picks up Carey. I really think Crows have high hopes for Rutten in 2003 and beyond

Yep good post Stiffy; yer dead right

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by topjars
Yep good post Stiffy; yer dead right

Thank Mate. I do try to be honest