Friday's Training.

[HFF]

Rusling didn't play

Does that mean Rus and Jack were the only two players not to take part in the hit-out (apart from Dicky)?

Gee, adding both of them into our forward line will give us a major boost.

Both of them need to see some game time in the NAB Series- period.

 

[DaVe86]

good to hear dale Thomas played.

Reckon he may still sit out the first NAB Cup game because he hasn't had much training over the last month. Either that or he may be one of the subs.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Any info on how Dawes performed?

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

wish people would forget about rusling he will always be injury prone unfortunely.

I agree. Threads asking if Rusling, Anthony or Dawes provide a better alternative are a waste of time until Rusling can display some semblance of fitness and form. He showed nothing in his comeback games last year.

 

[jimmy_clement#8]

Went, missed the opening five minutes, but stayed to the end and combined with last week's scratch match I am impressed in the list this year I must say.

I'll quickly go through the players from what I saw. In hindsight, I should've spectated from the Lexus Centre side, where the interchange was, and not the Punt Rd side, but we'll persevere:

1.Leon Davis - Played mainly half-forward, and looked good. Mercurial touch, great snaps, looks better as a half-forward I think, but the option to throw him in the middle at times will be a bonus.

2.Sean Rusling - Didn't play. Concerning as they wanted everyone to play at least one match, Ruz didn't play either.

3.John McCarthy - Looked alright actually. Didnt' get a tonne of it, but showed glimpses. Down the pegging order at this stage, but with some good early VFL form will beat down the door on the senior team I'd imagine.

4.Alan Didak - Midfielder. He is now an onballer, fulltime, so the half-forward setup man that he once was is a thing of the past. And he looks great in the middle, as he did last year. Looks in good nick too.

5.Nick Maxwell - Typical Maxy, lots of yelling, lots of screaming, dependable as always.

6.Tyson Goldsack - Maxwell-lite. On the bubble of the first team I'd say.

7.Paul Medhurst - BOG. Didn't always have a tough opponent, but whoever he had he beat. Tricky, skillful, selfless at times, did it all. Think ANZAC Medal form today. Kicked at least 5.

8.Harry O'Brien - Look for H to take another step this year, he looks dominant in defence now, as opposed to being one piece of the backline. Looks really fit too.

9.Jack Anthony - Didn't play.

10.Scott Pendlebury - Looks completely over the leg injury, didn't get a tonne of it, but that probably means 20 plus touches still. Looked good, as you'd expect.

11.Shane O'Bree - If anything, looks to have slowed a touch, maybe the first signs of age showing with Cheese. Didn't do a lot, but then again he does go unnoticed a fair bit.

12.Luke Ball - Now. His never been a long kick, but he certainly has penetration in his kicks, or at least he did today. And the best thing is him and Swanny gelled so beautifully. If Ball got it, Swan instinctively was running past, and vice versa. Run really, really hard, and played really well. Exciting.

13.Dale Thomas - Played really well on a wing. In good nick.

14.Anthony Corrie - Lots of mistakes, didn't impress unfortunately.

15.Leigh Brown - Did some good things, had to ruck a bit after Jolly and Fraser were rested and Wood had him. Can't beat the strength he has though.

16.Nathan Brown - Probably beat Dawes, looked ok.

17.Dayne Beams - Moved really well, and just seems to fit alongside the likes of Pendlebury, Swan, Didak. Look for a big year.

18.Darren Jolly - Played a quarter, maybe a half, but impressive.

19.Cameron Wood - Looked good after Jolly went off, interesting to see how he is used this year.

20.Ben Reid - Would've got votes today. Always got a spoil in, his footskills have come on really well, and would've amassed the most disposals today. The guys often look for him now. With a good NAB Cup he will be hard to leave out of Rd 1 (matchups pending).

21.Sharrod Wellingham - Still being tried in defence, again, really enticing when he goes forward, just a liability of sorts when it comes to marking someone. Not sure about it just yet.

22.Steele Sidebottom - Got a bit of the ball, always clean, he's ready for the midfield full time this year.

24.Tarkyn Lockyer - Really impressive. He looks really strong overhead, and just looks really 'up'. Played well today.

25.Josh Fraser - The time he did play, he was CHF. Never touched a ruck contest. So we know where he'll play this year, its just how he will hold up.

26.Ben Johnson - Went ok, couple of shanks, but thats just Johno.

27.Jarrad Blight - Not his best hitout, but shows glimpses of being a real player here and there.

28.Ben Sinclar - Didn't notice him much to be honest. He's only young, and slight so no biggy.

29.Ryan Cook - Didn't get enough of it for mine considering how many years he has been around now. Capped off one nice play, but probably needs to do more.

30.Brent Macaffer - See Ryan Cook, although Caf probably did get a bit more footy.

31.Chris Dawes - Went up against Brown, and Reid at stages, and probably lost out a bit. He's midfield got towelled up after half-time which didn't help, but, to be fair, looks to have improved a little bit on last year, he certainly is kicking straighter for mine.

32.Travis Cloke - Moved well, kicked straight. You read that right, he kicked straight. That is all .

33.Brad Dick - didn't play.

34.Alan Toovey - Typical Toovs, played well, backed his running, kicked well. Has a spot in the first 22.

35.Simon Prestigiacomo - Got beaten a little bit, hopefully just a down day. Otherwise he didn't touch it, but when does Presti anyway?

36.Dane Swan - Going to have a big year if Luke Ball has a say, Ball to Swan will become a familiar phrase this year count on it.

37.Luke Rounds - Did some nice things, looks a player.

39.Heath Shaw - More midfield again, and looks ok there, but when he went back it just looks a miles better fit for him. He is an AA calibre half back, we all know that.

40.Josh Thomas - Didn't do that much, but impressive. Looks a steal at this stage.

41.Simon Buckley - Bit player, but has good pace, and a good kick. Will be useful.

43.Jaxson Barham - Played well, made a few mistakes, he will be in the VFL and probably, unfortunately, will only be called up with injuries.

47.Jarryd Blair - Footballer. Just gets it. Great in the clinches, great decision-making, clean, and has the skills. Just tiny. Will be interesting to follow his progess in '10.

50.Shae McNamara - Still learning, but won a couple of taps today. Stuck in the goalsquare for most of it and didn't touch it all that often.

##.Thomas Young - Player. Played super well last Friday and today too. Definite winner there.

##.Kris Pendlebury - Had a good second quarter, looked AFL quality for a moment there. He isn't, but gee, a good year and you'd have to look at a rookie spot.

Anything else you'd like to know about, re: a player, or something team-related, feel free to ask.

 

[JOELY]

you're a legend. thanks for that.

 

[mattys123]

Yeah, great write up, thanks for that.

Great to hear about Travis Cloke and Medhurst, I think our success may well rest on how our forward line stands up this year, and those 2 are as important to our forward line ability as anyone.

Ball and Swan would love playing together, no surprise there, almost identical players when you think about it.

Thanks again.

 

[HFF]

Cheers for the write-up Jimmy.

It's clearly evident we need to get match-conditioning into Josh, Jack and Rus throughout this NAB Cup/series to give them every opportunity to be ready for round 1. These 3 are pretty important players in terms of our forward line "clicking", and in Josh's case, giving Jolly a chop out when need be.

Rest of the squad seem to be travelling well.

 

[smiddaz123]

I don't see how either of Rusling or Fraser can be considered important to our forward line. Both have rarely been used there in recent years.

Anthony, Cloke and Medhurst are clearly the important players in our forward line.

 

[jimmy_clement#8]

Chuck in Lockyer, Davis, and hopefully Fraser and Anthony or Dawes, and the forward line has great potential.

 

[Pie eyed]

Excellent report. Thanks.

 

[Dawson]

I don't see how either of Rusling or Fraser can be considered important to our forward line. Both have rarely been used there in recent years.

Anthony, Cloke and Medhurst are clearly the important players in our forward line.

Hudson missed a whole year too

 

[conodie05]

Any reports?

No, it wasn't a carlton intra-club

 

[Frankie23]

I don't see how either of Rusling or Fraser can be considered important to our forward line. Both have rarely been used there in recent years.

Anthony, Cloke and Medhurst are clearly the important players in our forward line.

Watch Fraser in the 2002 GF, went forward and kicked 3 that day, no one should have any doubt on his ability to roam across half forward and provide a target.

 

[TradeDraft]

Watch Fraser in the 2002 GF, went forward and kicked 3 that day, no one should have any doubt on his ability to roam across half forward and provide a target.

Didn't he play CHF a Fair Bit Early in his Carreer

 

[EB&W Pieman]

Didn't he play CHF a Fair Bit Early in his Carreer

No, Dave, No.

 

[DoubleO7]

No, Dave, No.

IIRC, Fraser did play as a CHF in his junior career.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

No, Dave, No.

Revisionist history?

He played primarily up forward in 2001/02, as McKee was our #1 ruckman over that span - Hence why he kicked a quite impressive 37 goals in 2002.

 

[mattys123]

I still think that no matter what your opinion is on Josh Fraser as a forward, it is going to happen, maybe as early as round 1.

Hearing and seeing what has gone on at training and in the intra clubs so far, it seems that Jolly is obviously our no.1. ruck, but that Wood may have passed Fraser for the number 2 position, or at the very least pushed his way into the 22.

This would mean Fraser is "stuck" with only one other option if he is going to play senior football more often then not in 2010 and beyond, and that is to go back to his under 18 and 2002 "roots" and play forward.

It will happen, and I won't write Fraser off as a forward until I see him play there again, because the last memories I have of him as a forward are the 2008 Elimination Final in Adelaide where he tore Adelaide apart at CHF in the first quarter.

 

[smiddaz123]

Watch Fraser in the 2002 GF, went forward and kicked 3 that day, no one should have any doubt on his ability to roam across half forward and provide a target.

I said both have not played there in recent years. Do you consider 2002 to be in recent years?

It is quite obvious Fraser is a completely different player to 2002. Nowhere near as mobile or quick.

And my point still stands, how can he be considered important when we've managed to get by perfectly well without him playing as a forward for us? Being able to play well there does not mean he's important.

 

[Bay Pie]

Anthony, Cloke and Medhurst are clearly the important players in our forward line.

Absolutely no doubt.

 

[Frankie23]

I said both have not played there in recent years. Do you consider 2002 to be in recent years?

It is quite obvious Fraser is a completely different player to 2002. Nowhere near as mobile or quick.

And my point still stands, how can he be considered important when we've managed to get by perfectly well without him playing as a forward for us? Being able to play well there does not mean he's important.

Yes 2002 isn't recent, but he has proven from his younger years that he is very capable of playing a forward position, some ruckman simply cannot do it, Fraser can so that is a plus.

Look at the forwards, especially the forwards you've mentioned, Cloke Medhurst and Anthony. They don't really provide a target deep in the 50, that's where Fraser can be a very important player, along with Jolly, being a 'get out of jail' player when we have no where to go. He is pretty good in the air and very good at ground level, don't underestimate this as an asset.

 

[loki04]

Cheers Jimmy great report mate.

 

[smiddaz123]

Look at the forwards, especially the forwards you've mentioned, Cloke Medhurst and Anthony. They don't really provide a target deep in the 50, that's where Fraser can be a very important player,

Fraser would be very average as a target deep in the 50. Hell, in your initial post you specified that in 2002 he impressed across half forward. He's skinny, doesn't use his body well against good defenders, isn't aggressive, and is average over his head for his size as well. If he's a forward, he'll be a lead up forward.

 

[loki04]

I'd back Dawes in to kick 37 goals if left in the side for 15+ games, I'd rather Dawes get his opportunity and have fraser play the 2nd ruck role with floating forward on a flank.