Dont just criticise Daniel Wells, there are others to blame as well.

[Mervyn Beasley]

For as long as there is a draft there will be mistakes made in relation to it.
Daniel Wells is just another in a long line.

Every year, or it seems sometimes, after every bad game Daniel Wells plays, there are cries that he is over-rated.
Surely by now he is 'not rated', given how often he is criticised.

I reckon Wells probably wishes he was taken at 62 instead of 2 (who knows? He might be a better player as a result!). Reality is that he would have been snapped up at 3 or 4 though, and he would now be someone elses mistake.

Players like Wells, T Johnstone, D Headland, Tambling* were brilliant junior footballers. Silky skilled, athletic etc. They are too tempting to pass up on. But the recruiters have failed to pick up on something in their make up, or maybe the coaches have failed to get the best out of them.

The recruiters get a pretty good run from the critics. Every year they overlook players that wind up at another club and do well, and also do better than their early picks. Early days, but did every recruiter stuff up (including the club he eventually wound up at) in not picking Cameron Stokes earlier. Taken at 50 odd in Rookie Draft, plays first game possible, snags a couple of goals and looks to have a bright future.

Anyway, I think all the criticism is only making footy life harder for Wells and that some of it needs to be directed elsewhere. Not his fault he was taken at 2. If he was taken anywhere above 20 or 30 no one would give a stuff.
Sure he needs to run harder, train harder and do more of the 1%ers but why didnt the recruiters pick up on the fact that he wouldnt, and/or why havent his coaches brought it into his game?

I'm sick of hearing "For a top 10 draft pick so and so should be doing better". Maybe he is doing his best, and the recruiters just failed to pick that his best was not going to be good enough!!

*still time on Tamblings side.

 

[Lidge]

Meh.

Pick 2 or Pick 62.

A brilliant trade for us in lieu of Wayne Carey.

 

[Ari]

Wells is a class outside player. Get him the ball and he'll do incredible things with it. He's not in and under.... for the most part.

If his boys can't get the ball, it makes him look bad. Simple.

 

[Zvim]

I set the same standard for him as I do to any player, play to your potential, put in the same amount of work effort in the game. He came off the ground at times and he was not puffing, his heart rate would have been down. He is just not working hard enough and if it was any other player he would be in the VFL.

He doesn't deserve to put the jumper on unless he goes out every week and gives 100%.

 

[itsintheblood]

For as long as there is a draft there will be mistakes made in relation to it.
Daniel Wells is just another in a long line.

Every year, or it seems sometimes, after every bad game Daniel Wells plays, there are cries that he is over-rated.
Surely by now he is 'not rated', given how often he is criticised.

I reckon Wells probably wishes he was taken at 62 instead of 2 (who knows? He might be a better player as a result!). Reality is that he would have been snapped up at 3 or 4 though, and he would now be someone elses mistake.

Players like Wells, T Johnstone, D Headland, Tambling* were brilliant junior footballers. Silky skilled, athletic etc. They are too tempting to pass up on. But the recruiters have failed to pick up on something in their make up, or maybe the coaches have failed to get the best out of them.

The recruiters get a pretty good run from the critics. Every year they overlook players that wind up at another club and do well, and also do better than their early picks. Early days, but did every recruiter stuff up (including the club he eventually wound up at) in not picking Cameron Stokes earlier. Taken at 50 odd in Rookie Draft, plays first game possible, snags a couple of goals and looks to have a bright future.

Anyway, I think all the criticism is only making footy life harder for Wells and that some of it needs to be directed elsewhere. Not his fault he was taken at 2. If he was taken anywhere above 20 or 30 no one would give a stuff.
Sure he needs to run harder, train harder and do more of the 1%ers but why didnt the recruiters pick up on the fact that he wouldnt, and/or why havent his coaches brought it into his game?

I'm sick of hearing "For a top 10 draft pick so and so should be doing better". Maybe he is doing his best, and the recruiters just failed to pick that his best was not going to be good enough!!

*still time on Tamblings side.

Excuse me. Tambiling has only been in the system for 3 years now. The others you mention have been in much much longer and wells and johnstone were a slightly higher pick also. Leave the kid alone. Give him a couple more years and then judge him.

 

[MarkT]

Dunno Ari. I keep hearing from North coaches that they are trying to make him more selfish and the like. If it isn’t working maybe they need to leave him to play his own game.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Excuse me. Tambiling has only been in the system for 3 years now. The others you mention have been in much much longer and well was a slightly higher pick also. Leave the kid alone. Give him a couple more years and then judge him.

You obviously missed the caveat in the OP post, then.

 

[Beckers]

Every year, or it seems sometimes, after every bad game Daniel Wells plays, there are cries that he is over-rated.
Surely by now he is 'not rated', given how often he is criticised.

I reckon Wells probably wishes he was taken at 62 instead of 2 (who knows? He might be a better player as a result!). Reality is that he would have been snapped up at 3 or 4 though, and he would now be someone elses mistake.

He is criticised because he HAS shown what he can do in short bursts, and even once or twice in full games.
Has the ability to do what others physically can't on a footy field. He may have some head space, workrate or other issues we don't know about.
On pure talent alone, he was a deserving top 10 pick!!!!

 

[morgoth]

Apparently he has family problems back in WA and it is messing with his head. Not sure what they are but it was mentioned on SEN this morning.

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

He is criticised because he HAS shown what he can do in short bursts, and even once or twice in full games.
Has the ability to do what others physically can't on a footy field. He may have some head space, workrate or other issues we don't know about.
On pure talent alone, he was a deserving top 10 pick!!!!

This is part of what I am trying to say.
He obviously has pure talent, but he is missing other things, and the recruiters were/are not on to it. Mental toughness etc.
Recruiters will continue to make these mistakes because pure talent is too tempting to pass on. But pure talent alone, is not enough in todays game.

 

[Z_K]

Hang on a second. He's a tough player to defend the day after a performance like yesterday, but last year he stuffed his knee and spent the the remaining games getting injections to just play. Before his knee injury his numbers were outstanding. The year before he came second in the B+F. In the rush to proclaim him overrated and judge harshly his selection at 2 in the draft, the fact that he has shown himself capable of consistent and sometimes outstanding football is lost. He is not the player he should be, no question, but he is not crap or unworthy of his draft selection. He has done more than the bloke picked before him FFS.

When going, he is in our top 3 and he has won games for our footy club. He is a good kid and he does train hard. I don't think I have seen a bloke so talented and so completely important to his side lack confidence like he does though. I've literally never seen him argue with an umpire or lambast a teamate for a mistake. He doesn't celebrate goals, either. When Buckley does these things we shook our heads and called him a whinger, but he was fierce. He wanted to win and knew his ability needed to be matched by attitude. I know for a fact he isn't obsessed by footy, but there is a fine line.

But yesterday, he was just rubbish. All things considered and assuming he was fit, it's probably the worst game he has played for the club. He rarely gets numbers like that, but he never turns it over like he did. My bet is for him to have a stormer this week.

 

[Z_K]

Apparently he has family problems back in WA and it is messing with his head. Not sure what they are but it was mentioned on SEN this morning.

His old man is on his way to the big house, apparently.

 

[SirJimi05]

Wells needs to pull his finger out or else he will find himself in trouble.

How long can we talk about his amazing natural ability before he starts to deliver the goods.

Tambling has time on his side. Wells is running our of time.

 

[Scotland]

Regardless of where he was drafted, his performances don't match his talent, which is the real issue. How good people think he could be matters little if he is not providing something to the North Melbourne side that a player outside the current 22 could comfortably cover.

Being drafted at #2 just places a giant microscope over his performances. It's essentially cost-benefit analysis. Chris Tarrant is under the same pressure. Had he joined Freo for nothing through the PSD, pundits would just be saying give him a run in the WAFL and reward Campbell or Murphy. Since he cost the club a first round draft pick and 2 players, expectations are a lot higher. Jake King is fantastic, but would he be getting as much adulation if he was a top 5 draft pick? No.

When Quinten Lynch was struggling to hold down FF in 2005, people labeled him a no talent hack. When he booted 65 goals in 2006 he was suddenly inspired rookie list selection. When Mcdougall was struggling to hold down FF, every criticism leveled at him revolved around 'wasting talent', or the club 'wasting a top 5 pick'. The only real issue was trying to find a player to hold down FF for the club. The rest is all a matter of perspective.

 

[retroparty]

On Sunday he looked like he was only putting in 10%. He could have done so much more. Shame because he is a great talent and when he works hard North play better

 

[The Zebra]

For as long as there is a draft there will be mistakes made in relation to it.
Daniel Wells is just another in a long line.

Bad start.

Wells had a shocker yesterday, but he is not a draft mistake.

The only player I would even consider taking in front of Wells from the 2002 draft is McIntosh - and I would still take Wells.

 

[jacko57]

His old man is on his way to the big house, apparently.

Sorry to hear that ; but FFS, when you pull on the jumper, you focus on the job at hand.