- Banned
- #1
Fremantle Dockers
A massive chunk of experience was sliced away by the ruthless Mark Harvey, some say it was the cull needed to cast adrift the deadwood, maybe so, but it leaves a massive burden for the young squad to carry.
The likes of Peter Bell and to a degree Mark Johnson will take some replacing as will Josh Carr, each player bought an experience all to foreign to the club, the knowledge of how to win a premiership, what it takes, and the experience each possessed was a great asset.
Harvey's first draft was a success, scoring the likes of Palmer and Mayne in particular was a massive coup, both local products with the work ethic and desire to suceed at the top level, did I mention they can play? Hinkley is more of a development player and I dont expect we'll see the best of him until 2010 and beyond.
This years draft was a little suspect, I dont mind the fact that we took Hill at number 3. Obviously the club knew something we didnt and decided it wanted a player who would give his all for his jumper. What dissappointed me was the policy in regards to smalls. We took too many.
Ballantyne was bought into play, fine, thats sweet. Loved Suban with the next pick and Clarke with following, but why invest in so many 69kg 180cm short people? We needed to swoop on some talented talls before the effect of GC was felt to sure up either end. We have two A grade players at each end. Pav up forward and Macca down back, beyond those two, quality KPP's are bare. We waited until the Rookie draft for highly speculative picks in Sibasado and Shepheard. I hope they come off and from what I've seen they just might.
The team’s spine looks strong at the moment. But will it in the future? Look beyond Pavlich up forward, who do you see, Campbell and Murphy, hardly inspiring huh? Especially since Tarrant has been touted as playing further up the ground, which I suspect has something to do with his dodgy goal-kicking, which IMO is the easy way out, he's got all the tools to be a damaging leading forward inside 50, but the application to overcome his kicking problems doesnt seem to be there.
Down back I believe Drum can hold down CHB, Johnson was very dissappointing last year and as we all know Macca is elite.
B: Roger Hayden – Luke McPharlin – Antoni Grover
HB: Michael Johnson – Marcus Drum – Dean Solomon
C: Garrick Ibbotson – David Mundy – Byron Schammer
HF: Chris Mayne – Mathew Pavlich – Des Headland
FF: Hayden Ballantyne – Chris Tarrant – Paul Haselby
R: Aaron Sandilands – Rhys Palmer – Ryan Crowley
I/C: Ryan Murphy – Paul Duffield – Kepler Bradley – Nick Suban
Roger Hayden – The most polished player in the backline, has great vision, good pace and an element of flair each backline needs, he can quell and opponent whilst also creating tremendous drive.
Antoni Grover – He is a solid backman who plays taller than he actually is. He plays well on the heavier forwards and likes to wrestle more than cut off a lead, a little suspect when taken further up the ground. Normally sound by foot. Good honest backman.
Luke McPharlin – Quite simply, he needs to play as a backman. Keep him there, he reads the play too well to sit in a crowded forward line. Loves to take a contested mark over a pack and is just as effective spoiling. The only real FB option we have as things currently stand. Can match anything thrown his way. Our best defender.
Michael Johnson – Needs to pull his bloody finger out. Has all the assets, we've seen them on display, where are they? Needs to find that balance again and start making the right decisons at the right time or he could find himself on the outer in 09.
Marcus Drum - Hold great hopes for Drummy, should he be able to hold down CHB we are set in the defensive half for the next 4-5 years allowing us to draft for young KPB's. His last 5 games suggested he can, fingers crossed.
Dean Solomon - Every side needs grunt, he's got it. He may have to be carried from time to time due to his lack of pace, but I can see him playing on the opposition's least dangerous forward and using his courage to drop back into the whole and clog things up, a handy pawn to have.
David Mundy – David's transformation is nearly complete, the kid who cut his teeth on the HBF is finally becoming an option in the middle, he needs to find and maintain a level on intensity perhaps 5 % higher and he will be in the top bracket of midfielders. His disposal and ability to find space where there is none is fantastic. Also needs to learn how to put his shoulder into a tackle.
Garrick Ibbotson – Ibbotson managed to cement his spot on the wing and Half-back flank in 2008. He is an emerging talent with great athleticism. At 188cm, he is able to play as a defender or wingman. What impressed me most about Garrick in 08 was his ability to step up in the big games, twice against Geelong IIRC. Thats leadership material right there. Also needs to find and maintain an AFL intensity if he wants to take that step from promising young player to a solid AFL player.
Byron Schammer – Came into his own following the retirement of Peter Bell, really stood up in the middle and worked well with Palmer in the middle. Just teach him how to kick, and get his fitness up. He cramps up way too much for a league footy player. Natural midfielder who displayed his courage on numerous occasions.
Matthew Pavlich – Did someone say God? Seriously, he needs more support up forward. Cant kick all the goals, hopefully Balla’s can help him out and Taz can find some form. Don't need to say to much more.
Chris Mayne – Chris had a successful debut season where he managed to play in 17 games. He averaged 13 disposals, booted 10 goals and averaged 4 marks per game. Pick 40, beautiful. My favourite player at the club. His intensity is first rate. Perhaps needs to find more of the ball.
Des Headland - Cut down by injury, will need to stand up in the absence of other experienced players. Probably hasn't done this as well as we would have liked in the past. I can see Dessie being a dangerous option up forward, will need to work on his defensive application to create pressure.
Chris Tarrant – Needs to stop working on his guns and concerntrate on his goal-kicking, he has all the tools to have 50+ shots a year. Needs to knuckle down and figure out why he is so wayward.
Hayden Ballantyne – If we can get half of his output from his 08 WAFL season we’ll have a 35+ goals a year SF. Cant expect him to set the world alight, I expect to see him add a lot of pressure and feed off Pav well enough, he’s ready to go.
Paul Haselby – You cant expect him to slot straight back into the midfield straight up. He’ll need 8-10 rounds to regain his touch first and foremost, as well as a fitness base required for the engine room. I expect him to start in the forward line and gradually push into the middle. Here’s to hoping he can make a sound recovery.
Ryan Crowley – Harvs needs to play him soley as a tagger. It’s what he does, he gives the opposition the shits, gets under their skin and then has the fitness to run forward and hurt them the other way. Any other role and he almost becomes redundant. Needs to work on his kicking too, kicks too many mongrels for my liking.
Rhys Palmer – Future AA. Concerns over his kicking are a little over the top. Yeah, he’s not as polished as Rioli, but who is? Junior Rioli looks like a young Maurice. Palmer’s kicking lacks depth only after he’s run upward of 16km. I can forgive him. Knowing his work rate he’ll develop an even better fitness base, I expect him to carry on from his breakout year and continue to drive the engine room. He’ll benefit from Haselby’s return when he eventually gets back into form.
Aaron Sandilands – In 2008, Aaron proved many critics wrong. Aaron utilized his height and 125kg body to its maximum. Aaron averaged an amazing amount of 30 hit outs per game. Needs to take more marks up forward. His only weakness as it stands.
Kepler Bradley – Handy pick-up, will play as a back-up ruck option while Clarke develops. Good depth pick up.
Ryan Murphy – Some would rather see Campbell here but IMO Campbell is our version of Hansen, runs in straight lines and is shit below his knees. Murphy is natural forward and IMO should be stuck in the goal square every game. Campbell is the other option to replace him.
Paul Duffield – Finished 08 with a nice little run, has good skills and adds extra running power to the midfield engine.
Nick Suban – Ready to go, good grunt player, nice left kick who can come in and play either down back or as an option in the middle.
Defense Summary – The oppositions best tall and small options are covered by Macca and Roger. A lot will depend on the development of Drum IMO, if he can hold down CHB, Grover will become the best third tall defender in the game IMO. Id expect to see Ibbo play back at some stage as well, adding some run to that back flank. Looks steady.
Midfield Summary – Not sure about you lads/ladies, but I could see it coming together with Sandi and Palmer, as well as Schammer tapping and running to the right spots. The eventual addition of Haze can only be a good thing. I still think it’s too short and perhaps a little slow, the addition of Mundy/Ibbo and perhaps Ballantyne for stints may offset this to a degree.
Forward Summary – Quite simply someone needs to stand up next to Pav. Opposition sides sweat on the ball coming into Pav, quite often he’s triple teamed, such is the quality of the man he still managed 70+ goals. Murphy or Campbell need to go from promising to actually delivering. I expect Balla’s and even Walters, should he perform for the Swannies to pick up the crumbs but the challenge is well and truly at the feet of Murphy and Campbell, who wont start because of his shit efforts with the bulldogs at he end of the year.
A massive chunk of experience was sliced away by the ruthless Mark Harvey, some say it was the cull needed to cast adrift the deadwood, maybe so, but it leaves a massive burden for the young squad to carry.
The likes of Peter Bell and to a degree Mark Johnson will take some replacing as will Josh Carr, each player bought an experience all to foreign to the club, the knowledge of how to win a premiership, what it takes, and the experience each possessed was a great asset.
Harvey's first draft was a success, scoring the likes of Palmer and Mayne in particular was a massive coup, both local products with the work ethic and desire to suceed at the top level, did I mention they can play? Hinkley is more of a development player and I dont expect we'll see the best of him until 2010 and beyond.
This years draft was a little suspect, I dont mind the fact that we took Hill at number 3. Obviously the club knew something we didnt and decided it wanted a player who would give his all for his jumper. What dissappointed me was the policy in regards to smalls. We took too many.
Ballantyne was bought into play, fine, thats sweet. Loved Suban with the next pick and Clarke with following, but why invest in so many 69kg 180cm short people? We needed to swoop on some talented talls before the effect of GC was felt to sure up either end. We have two A grade players at each end. Pav up forward and Macca down back, beyond those two, quality KPP's are bare. We waited until the Rookie draft for highly speculative picks in Sibasado and Shepheard. I hope they come off and from what I've seen they just might.
The team’s spine looks strong at the moment. But will it in the future? Look beyond Pavlich up forward, who do you see, Campbell and Murphy, hardly inspiring huh? Especially since Tarrant has been touted as playing further up the ground, which I suspect has something to do with his dodgy goal-kicking, which IMO is the easy way out, he's got all the tools to be a damaging leading forward inside 50, but the application to overcome his kicking problems doesnt seem to be there.
Down back I believe Drum can hold down CHB, Johnson was very dissappointing last year and as we all know Macca is elite.
B: Roger Hayden – Luke McPharlin – Antoni Grover
HB: Michael Johnson – Marcus Drum – Dean Solomon
C: Garrick Ibbotson – David Mundy – Byron Schammer
HF: Chris Mayne – Mathew Pavlich – Des Headland
FF: Hayden Ballantyne – Chris Tarrant – Paul Haselby
R: Aaron Sandilands – Rhys Palmer – Ryan Crowley
I/C: Ryan Murphy – Paul Duffield – Kepler Bradley – Nick Suban
Roger Hayden – The most polished player in the backline, has great vision, good pace and an element of flair each backline needs, he can quell and opponent whilst also creating tremendous drive.
Antoni Grover – He is a solid backman who plays taller than he actually is. He plays well on the heavier forwards and likes to wrestle more than cut off a lead, a little suspect when taken further up the ground. Normally sound by foot. Good honest backman.
Luke McPharlin – Quite simply, he needs to play as a backman. Keep him there, he reads the play too well to sit in a crowded forward line. Loves to take a contested mark over a pack and is just as effective spoiling. The only real FB option we have as things currently stand. Can match anything thrown his way. Our best defender.
Michael Johnson – Needs to pull his bloody finger out. Has all the assets, we've seen them on display, where are they? Needs to find that balance again and start making the right decisons at the right time or he could find himself on the outer in 09.
Marcus Drum - Hold great hopes for Drummy, should he be able to hold down CHB we are set in the defensive half for the next 4-5 years allowing us to draft for young KPB's. His last 5 games suggested he can, fingers crossed.
Dean Solomon - Every side needs grunt, he's got it. He may have to be carried from time to time due to his lack of pace, but I can see him playing on the opposition's least dangerous forward and using his courage to drop back into the whole and clog things up, a handy pawn to have.
David Mundy – David's transformation is nearly complete, the kid who cut his teeth on the HBF is finally becoming an option in the middle, he needs to find and maintain a level on intensity perhaps 5 % higher and he will be in the top bracket of midfielders. His disposal and ability to find space where there is none is fantastic. Also needs to learn how to put his shoulder into a tackle.
Garrick Ibbotson – Ibbotson managed to cement his spot on the wing and Half-back flank in 2008. He is an emerging talent with great athleticism. At 188cm, he is able to play as a defender or wingman. What impressed me most about Garrick in 08 was his ability to step up in the big games, twice against Geelong IIRC. Thats leadership material right there. Also needs to find and maintain an AFL intensity if he wants to take that step from promising young player to a solid AFL player.
Byron Schammer – Came into his own following the retirement of Peter Bell, really stood up in the middle and worked well with Palmer in the middle. Just teach him how to kick, and get his fitness up. He cramps up way too much for a league footy player. Natural midfielder who displayed his courage on numerous occasions.
Matthew Pavlich – Did someone say God? Seriously, he needs more support up forward. Cant kick all the goals, hopefully Balla’s can help him out and Taz can find some form. Don't need to say to much more.
Chris Mayne – Chris had a successful debut season where he managed to play in 17 games. He averaged 13 disposals, booted 10 goals and averaged 4 marks per game. Pick 40, beautiful. My favourite player at the club. His intensity is first rate. Perhaps needs to find more of the ball.
Des Headland - Cut down by injury, will need to stand up in the absence of other experienced players. Probably hasn't done this as well as we would have liked in the past. I can see Dessie being a dangerous option up forward, will need to work on his defensive application to create pressure.
Chris Tarrant – Needs to stop working on his guns and concerntrate on his goal-kicking, he has all the tools to have 50+ shots a year. Needs to knuckle down and figure out why he is so wayward.
Hayden Ballantyne – If we can get half of his output from his 08 WAFL season we’ll have a 35+ goals a year SF. Cant expect him to set the world alight, I expect to see him add a lot of pressure and feed off Pav well enough, he’s ready to go.
Paul Haselby – You cant expect him to slot straight back into the midfield straight up. He’ll need 8-10 rounds to regain his touch first and foremost, as well as a fitness base required for the engine room. I expect him to start in the forward line and gradually push into the middle. Here’s to hoping he can make a sound recovery.
Ryan Crowley – Harvs needs to play him soley as a tagger. It’s what he does, he gives the opposition the shits, gets under their skin and then has the fitness to run forward and hurt them the other way. Any other role and he almost becomes redundant. Needs to work on his kicking too, kicks too many mongrels for my liking.
Rhys Palmer – Future AA. Concerns over his kicking are a little over the top. Yeah, he’s not as polished as Rioli, but who is? Junior Rioli looks like a young Maurice. Palmer’s kicking lacks depth only after he’s run upward of 16km. I can forgive him. Knowing his work rate he’ll develop an even better fitness base, I expect him to carry on from his breakout year and continue to drive the engine room. He’ll benefit from Haselby’s return when he eventually gets back into form.
Aaron Sandilands – In 2008, Aaron proved many critics wrong. Aaron utilized his height and 125kg body to its maximum. Aaron averaged an amazing amount of 30 hit outs per game. Needs to take more marks up forward. His only weakness as it stands.
Kepler Bradley – Handy pick-up, will play as a back-up ruck option while Clarke develops. Good depth pick up.
Ryan Murphy – Some would rather see Campbell here but IMO Campbell is our version of Hansen, runs in straight lines and is shit below his knees. Murphy is natural forward and IMO should be stuck in the goal square every game. Campbell is the other option to replace him.
Paul Duffield – Finished 08 with a nice little run, has good skills and adds extra running power to the midfield engine.
Nick Suban – Ready to go, good grunt player, nice left kick who can come in and play either down back or as an option in the middle.
Defense Summary – The oppositions best tall and small options are covered by Macca and Roger. A lot will depend on the development of Drum IMO, if he can hold down CHB, Grover will become the best third tall defender in the game IMO. Id expect to see Ibbo play back at some stage as well, adding some run to that back flank. Looks steady.
Midfield Summary – Not sure about you lads/ladies, but I could see it coming together with Sandi and Palmer, as well as Schammer tapping and running to the right spots. The eventual addition of Haze can only be a good thing. I still think it’s too short and perhaps a little slow, the addition of Mundy/Ibbo and perhaps Ballantyne for stints may offset this to a degree.
Forward Summary – Quite simply someone needs to stand up next to Pav. Opposition sides sweat on the ball coming into Pav, quite often he’s triple teamed, such is the quality of the man he still managed 70+ goals. Murphy or Campbell need to go from promising to actually delivering. I expect Balla’s and even Walters, should he perform for the Swannies to pick up the crumbs but the challenge is well and truly at the feet of Murphy and Campbell, who wont start because of his shit efforts with the bulldogs at he end of the year.
