Does Amon Buchanan deserve to be Selected?

[kylegee28]

Greetings Folks.

With all the talk of selecting bigger bodies this week to face the Gold Coast, it got me wondering about Amon Buchanan.

At 2's level, he has been playing at a standard that (in my opinion) would warrant team selection if he was younger.

In the games he played last year, I thought he was quite a good contributor, however, I also understand that he is definitely not part of the future of the Lions, and we should be blooding the kids.

What are everyone's thoughts?

(Same thing could be applied to a lesser extent with Stiller and Hawksley)

p.s Mods feel free to delete thread if it's been done before or isn't in the right place.

 

[Toffee Lion]

If players like Beams, Docherty, Bartlett, Karnezis, Lisle are finding hard to get games under their belts even while being in form.

A player like Monty will struggle regardless of his form.

 

[Bucking Beads]

It is a good sign of depth.

 

[PattyKwasagun]

I think he's played his last seniors game and knows it. Wouldn't be at all surprised if he joined the club in some off field capacity next year though, absolutely loves Brisbane.

In saying that, I do think it's a little unfortunate how he got to being just a reserves player. I may differ to many with this opinion, but I thought the senior games he did play for us in his first year were at a pretty high standard - at least, as high a standard as the other off season recruits. I guess we just have more depth and talent ready to play AFL level in his role than we do in roles like Raines as a tagger, Goose as a KPD, or Staker as a versatile tall.

 

[Grimreepah]

I believe playing him would not be in the best interests of the club.

 

[Loyal Lion]

I wonder if he will get a farewell game against the Dogs ? It seems that he has been a very good clubman who hasn't dropped his bundle.

 

[Whabbaghetti]

I agree that there is no point in playing a player who will not be on our list next year. Might get a farewell, but I see more youth being rotated through the 1s now that our slim chance at finals has pretty much escaped us and our finals spot in 2s pretty much sealed. Buchanan is doing a good job in the reserves and I hope he continues to do so for the remainder of the year. Might get to play the NEAFL final so consolation perhaps...

 

[Ceebee]

Probably not , or he would have been picked by now.

 

[matwt73]

By all accounts has been great in the ressies, but he would know that his role now is to support, protect and assist in the development of the young guys who have passed him by.

I feel for him a little but from what I've seen he is doing the job the club asks of him and that's a credit to him.

 

[cjwalkley]

Hopefully the club is able to reward him for his efforts over the past 18 months.

I would love him to be a playing assistant coach in the reserves, assisting the development of our younger players. It's a role it appears he is also doing unofficially at the moment, and I believe he can take a part of the credit for how far advanced a number of our younger players are.

 

[LIONHART]

I wonder if he will get a farewell game against the Dogs ? It seems that he has been a very good clubman who hasn't dropped his bundle.

i believe he should be given the option of having a farewell game, he deserves it on the basis that he has/is a good clubman. it's the least the club can do really. it should also be the same for stiller if he is to be delisted as well.

an opportunity for the supporters to say thank you

 

[knaf]

I feel a bit sorry for him. Based on reports from the magoos, perhaps he deserves another few games. But for the future of the club we have to put games into younger players. Big Thumbs up to him though, for keeping his head up and really putting in for the club in the lower competition. Again for the reports he is showing great leadership. Can we have a playing coach in the seconds? Didnt Selwood take up a role as playing reserves coach at Geelong?

 

[Tairy Greene]

Can we have a playing coach in the seconds? Didnt Selwood take up a role as playing reserves coach at Geelong?

I believe coach Clarke has pulled the boots on when we've been short.

 

[Lionheart Penno]

No one has been more critical in the recruitment of "highly priced" Buchanan than yours truly and I stand by that criticism with just 18 AFL games over a 3 year period. Nonetheless after watching our talented reserves mob over the past weeks I have to tip my hat at Amons commitment to the cause in showing ferocity at the ball and leadership in general. He seems to be pretty popular with the group with a coaching gig beckoning but a 'farewell game' is a little over the top for just a 18 game Lions career IMO.

 

[BuntonRules]

No one has been more critical in the recruitment of "highly priced" Buchanan than yours truly and I stand by that criticism with just 18 AFL games over a 3 year period. Nonetheless after watching our talented reserves mob over the past weeks I have to tip my hat at Amons commitment to the cause in showing ferocity at the ball and leadership in general. He seems to be pretty popular with the group with a coaching gig beckoning but a 'farewell game' is a little over the top for just a 18 game Lions career IMO.

This

 

[Last of the Roys]

I too have always been highly critical of the Buchanan trade, and I understand all of the issues which all appear to point to him not playing seniors again and probably rightfully being delisted at the end of this year.

Although everyone might be overlooking something obvious - he has been named as an emergency for the last two weeks in a row. Usually that is an indication that someone is very close to forcing their way into the team on merit, and his reported performances in the reserves seem to back that view up.

I understand the view that there is little point playing him as he will not be offered a contract next year, etc. But there could be a case for selecting him at some point in the next 6 weeks if we get more injuries to experienced players (given the experience balance is pretty crucial to our competitiveness).

 

[Jemima]

I actually would like to see Amon get a crack in the seniors. Clearly, as he has been named as emergency recently, his form in the ressies is pretty good. Whilst I know a commitment to playing the younger guys has been obvious, I don't agree with keeping a player out of the team should his form warrant selection. He's been close and I hope he gets a gig.

 

[s364376]

this idea of playing kids becuase they are kids is ridiculous. players need to learn to earn there spots in the team, they shouldn't be a walk up start becuase they are younger. have a look at geelong, you need to earn your spot in the senior team, which i think is positive.

if we don't watch ourselves, we may become more like melbourne, who blooded plenty of high draft picks in teams that were uncompetitive and all they learnt was how to lose. i think some of the kids in our team are starting to get a bit flat, so might be worth rotating them with players like buchanan, hawksly etc.

 

[PattyKwasagun]

this idea of playing kids becuase they are kids is ridiculous. players need to learn to earn there spots in the team, they shouldn't be a walk up start becuase they are younger. have a look at geelong, you need to earn your spot in the senior team, which i think is positive.

if we don't watch ourselves, we may become more like melbourne, who blooded plenty of high draft picks in teams that were uncompetitive and all they learnt was how to lose. i think some of the kids in our team are starting to get a bit flat, so might be worth rotating them with players like buchanan, hawksly etc.

If you think players aren't having to earn their spot in our side at the moment, you're watching an incredibly different football club to me. Beams, Karnezis, Green, Lisle, Docherty, Bartlett, Dyson, Wrigley - all have done enough to earn a senior spot, but have rarely received one this season, if at all. Yes, we have given games away in the past, but this season more than any players are being forced to work so hard to get a spot in the side.

From my point of view, Buchanan isn't the next in line anyway when age is discounted. I think Beams, Karnezis, Docherty and Lisle all have done more to earn a spot than Buchanan, and if he made it in it would be because of his age, to inject some experience in the team.

 

[Lionheart Penno]

While I do agree with the basis of your (s364376) argument in the fact you don't want to be too top heavy with rookies and youth in a team that is struggling, I think there is a couple of factors to consider.

First of all you have to take into account the context of the season (ladder position, injuries, team balance etc) in regards to team selection. In my belief there is huge consideration in regards to the prospect of final participation in which case I would be insistent in the selection of our "best team" regardless of player development. This would bode well for the likes of Hawk and a big body like Amon.

Secondly in contrast to the Demons I would say our more experienced players (Black, Browny, McGrath and Sauce) contribute greatly to the development and spirit of the team hence the opportunity to rotate some fresh blood. As a developing team we need to establish as quickly as possible the players most likely to fit into our best 22 for our next premiership tilt. We might take our lumps in this process but this season we seem to have an increase in established "young players" resulting in more wins.

 

[Grimreepah]

this idea of playing kids becuase they are kids is ridiculous. players need to learn to earn there spots in the team, they shouldn't be a walk up start becuase they are younger. have a look at geelong, you need to earn your spot in the senior team, which i think is positive.

if we don't watch ourselves, we may become more like melbourne, who blooded plenty of high draft picks in teams that were uncompetitive and all they learnt was how to lose. i think some of the kids in our team are starting to get a bit flat, so might be worth rotating them with players like buchanan, hawksly etc.

I think the concept of fast tracking young players by giving them games is up for debate. It works for some and it doesn't work for others. Mature aged draftees are able to excel from their first game. Would Zorko be a better player if he had played 100 games already? The benefit of experience is certainly a lot more complex than the number of games played.

 

[POBT]

Imagine if Buchanan gets a senior game and dominates? Hello Cat, meet Pigeons!

 

[knaf]

I think the concept of fast tracking young players by giving them games is up for debate. It works for some and it doesn't work for others. Mature aged draftees are able to excel from their first game. Would Zorko be a better player if he had played 100 games already? The benefit of experience is certainly a lot more complex than the number of games played.

Polec would be a classic example of the problem with the "play the kids" argument. From reports he is too good for the NEAFL, but just doesnt have the strenght to compete at senior level. I still believe he will be a player but needs a full preseason (at least). Do we continue to play him for "experience" or let him dominate at a lower level so he doesnt burn out physically?

 

[Grimreepah]

Polec would be a classic example of the problem with the "play the kids" argument. From reports he is too good for the NEAFL, but just doesnt have the strenght to compete at senior level. I still believe he will be a player but needs a full preseason (at least). Do we continue to play him for "experience" or let him dominate at a lower level so he doesnt burn out physically?

Logically I would think that players learn the most by playing against players comparable to their own ability. The natural reward system of winning and losing will motivate the player to keep striving for that extra edge. Whereas if you beat the opposition (either as a team or as an individual) regardless of whether you play well or not (or if you lose regardless of whether you play well or not) the natural reinforcements or striving to be better are not there.

In theory the best player in the VFL is inferior to the worst player in the AFL, so it is quite a jump to go from one to the other. The NEAFL is significantly inferior to the VFL, which creates a bit of a vacuum between it and the top level, and we sometimes see players in limbo where they are too good for one, and not good enough for the other. In other words they are not in their optimal developmental environment no matter which they play: reserves or seniors.

Is Polec a better player after his game against GC? Hard to tell as it depends on why he struggled. But if he is not yet physically capable (eg. lacks fitness) to compete at that level, then he is being set up to fail, and he might take short cuts (read: bad habits) to compensate.

 

[Slax]

Can't see a single advantage of giving a game to bloke who won't be at the club next season. If we were looking at playing in September there might be an arguement, but we're not so I fail to see any advantage of it. I'd much prefer to see Lisle, Beams and Docherty get some more game over the next 5 weeks.