Dawson Simpson

[you pick one]

On the money meto...we haven't seen the boy this year..who knows if he's ready?

One poster mentioned the word " heart " and associating it with Simpson. I like that!! West hasn't really impressed me so far...but I am neutral about him....seems Simpson may be worth putting time into.

Josh Walker gets a run this weekend DtC he's one I would like to see make it.Good size kid with Geelong connections.Key position player.

 

[David the Cat]

Josh Walker gets a run this weekend DtC he's one I would like to see make it.Good size kid with Geelong connections.Key position player.

Yes...I read a bit about him. Will be interesting to see how he goes. Hope he can take a good grab!

Interesting squad picked...Scott is giving the young boys a go all right!

 

[meto]

Yes...I read a bit about him. Will be interesting to see how he goes. Hope he can take a good grab!

Interesting squad picked...Scott is giving the young boys a go all right!

We seem to have all these talented kids that are all mid sized or small with the recent exception of Walker and Vardy.
Although Vardys not playing, great to see Josh getting his chance, I hope he grabs a few marks.
We need a couple more tall options to develop for the future, and just not down the spine, guys who are mobile in the mould of Saints Gilbert and Blake, who can play pockets and flanks or go forward if needed.

 

[maxy87]

Ports ruck division is quite young too so should be a good match up for Dawson on Friday

 

[DanA]

Watching the VFL IMO Vardy went past West last year.

I don't think it is ideal to play a Blake/Simpson. Ottens/Simpson ruck division anymore.

Vardy injured himself right before the NAB cup which has kept him out unfortunately.

 

[Cataholic]

We seem to have all these talented kids that are all mid sized or small with the recent exception of Walker and Vardy.
Although Vardys not playing, great to see Josh getting his chance, I hope he grabs a few marks.
We need a couple more tall options to develop for the future, and just not down the spine, guys who are mobile in the mould of Saints Gilbert and Blake, who can play pockets and flanks or go forward if needed.

Interestingly, and according to the website, Brown and Walker are the same height (196cm) with a difference of only 2kg's - 85kg and 87kg respectively.

West is 198cm and 104kg, so it'd be handy for the club if he could step up and play a role this year while the younger guys learn and bulk up.

 

[Turbocat]

Watching the VFL IMO Vardy went past West last year.

I don't think it is ideal to play a Blake/Simpson. Ottens/Simpson ruck division anymore.

Vardy injured himself right before the NAB cup which has kept him out unfortunately.

Dan , I didn't watch enough VFL to debate you on that but West and Vardy to me seem similar but are different players.
The little I've seen of Vardy excites me tremendously. Huge upside as a flexible tall , sort of a Richo/Ottens type with nice hands and capable skills. He has athletic attributes which would would think would add to our forwardline and would complement Hawkins big bulking frame.

West is a more mature body , plays a slightly different game imo. I have said it before , but he should be nursed , put up with , form ignored and encouraged but above all played for as many games as possible this year. We must know by Oct1-2011 if he is up to it because Simpson and Vardy look to have huge upside as well. I still say if he was on 99 games right now rather than Blake , we would have more confidence in our ruck division. Some like Blake ability to tap yet there is plenty debate over winning the taps effect on a game. For mine nothing is as pure in football as ruck tap down to a running mid who streams forward and kicks a goal or hits a player on the tit. But the fact is today it almost never happens. Its around the ground that counts and it here West could excel. On top of that , plenty of rucks have looked almost hopeless early on. Cox , Sandlilands and Hille all looked underwhelming and West has look like that as well. We have invested 5 years in the guy , its time to see one way or the other.

 

[D0nk]

I remember seeing him a couple of years ago running around in the VFL and thought he reminded me of Sandilands for sheer size. At the time I thought if he can be half as good as Sandilands he would be very handy.

Good to see he's improving, and as we know all ruckmen take a long time to develop, so still not expecting him to do a lot this year, but would be nice to get some gametime into him.

Has Simpson trimmed down a bit over the pre-season? When I saw him on the weekend he seemed a lot "smaller" than I remember that first day of seeing him in the VFL, I had to check if it was the same player for a sec.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Vardy didn't go past West. I went to almost every VFL match and West was in our bests most weeks and spanked a lot of good ruckmen. Not saying Vardy wasn't but he didn't go past him.

Vardy played more forward and West played more ruck and I think that's the roles you'll see them play in the afl side this year, they'll both get games at varioud times throughout the season.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Watching the VFL IMO Vardy went past West last year.

I don't think it is ideal to play a Blake/Simpson. Ottens/Simpson ruck division anymore.

Vardy injured himself right before the NAB cup which has kept him out unfortunately.

Agree

Fighting for 1st ruck-Blake, Ottens, Simpson

Fighting for second ruck-West, Vardy, Hawkins (please no but they might)

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

I remember seeing him a couple of years ago running around in the VFL and thought he reminded me of Sandilands for sheer size. At the time I thought if he can be half as good as Sandilands he would be very handy.

Good to see he's improving, and as we know all ruckmen take a long time to develop, so still not expecting him to do a lot this year, but would be nice to get some gametime into him.

Has Simpson trimmed down a bit over the pre-season? When I saw him on the weekend he seemed a lot "smaller" than I remember that first day of seeing him in the VFL, I had to check if it was the same player for a sec.

Not many out there who can go toe-to-toe with Sandi and not look like a child, but...

If anyone is going to know how to get Dawson up to Sandi's level, it's Chris Scott.

Also for the record, Simpson himself stated that he was at 208cm/108kg last season in an interview, I think before his West Coast game.

 

[DanA]

Vardy didn't go past West. I went to almost every VFL match and West was in our bests most weeks and spanked a lot of good ruckmen. Not saying Vardy wasn't but he didn't go past him.

Vardy played more forward and West played more ruck and I think that's the roles you'll see them play in the afl side this year, they'll both get games at varioud times throughout the season.

Obviously they are different players, for a while there they looked to be making West into a defender/ruck but I think that was a bit of a fizzer and abandoned with the emergence of Lonergan at CHB.

From what I saw at the start of the season I felt Vardy was a shadow of the player West was only looking good in glimpses. By the end of the season I felt Vardy was the better player and certainly had more potential. He was the player I was most looking forward too seeing this year.

I'd be interesting to hear your take on it though. You'd still have Vardy behind West? If so do you think it's a long way?

Mind you I also thought Christenson would be the most promising of the younger players. Hasn't made anywhere near the physical improvements I was expecting though.