Opinion How good is Trent West?

[geelong_crazy26]

its all that is discussed in the hamish mcintosh injury thread, so figured id set up the appropriate avenue for it to be discussed, and leave the mcintosh injury thread for discussions about mcintosh only

il set up a poll as well to see how he is generally rated around here

ive made my opinion very clear, i dont think west is a good player at all, i think he is just an average footballer who is a good back up or fringe player to compliment a best 22, nothing more thought

 

[footscore]

I think you need to lay off the hatred toward West just like some of our other posters who have it in for fringe players like Stokes or Brown because I don't think many of us give two shits about this topic given we are currently sitting 8-1 and West has been carrying the load since Ottens retired in 2011.

Why not be radical and call for West to be dropped as early as round 8 last year?

Anyhow, the match committee would have a completely different thought of West and he will remain well entrenched in our best 22 until another ruckman replicates his overall output over the past 38 matches.

 

[footscore]

has yet to take his game to another level I personally expected him too but he suffered a knee injury which left him 4 weeks out of the praccie games so he may yet take that giant step forward in the 2nd half of the year now that a couple of rucks are gaining fitness in the VFL.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

I think you need to lay off the hatred toward West just like some of our other posters who have it in for fringe players like Stokes or Brown because I don't think many of us give two shits about this topic given we are currently sitting 8-1 and West has been carrying the load since Ottens retired in 2011.

Why not be radical and call for West to be dropped as early as round 8 last year?

Anyhow, the match committee would have a completely different thought of West and he will remain well entrenched in our best 22 until another ruckman replicates his overall output over the past 38 matches.

no hatred towards west at all, if he does well i will be the first to praise him and say well done, im just saying my honest opinion of the guy, i dont rate him or his prospects as an AFL footballer, others on here do, but i dont, i wont hide that

stokesy isnt a fringe player anymore, been extremely good this year and easily best 22 and well deserving of it

 

[geelong_crazy26]

has yet to take his game to another level I personally expected him too but he suffered a knee injury which left him 4 weeks out of the praccie games so he may yet take that giant step forward in the 2nd half of the year now that a couple of rucks are gaining fitness in the VFL.

how good do you believe he can become?

 

[footscore]

what do you want him to be like?

 

[geelong_crazy26]

what do you want him to be like?

dont expect him to win the hitouts every week

would like to see him get around the ground more often, get his 10-15 touches a game, take marks around the ground, kick his 1 or 2 goals a game, around about 30 for the year would be great, being an undersized ruck if he did those things i would say very good

at the moment his poor in the hitouts, his poor around the ground and his not kicking any goals

 

[Linx]

West is an excellent 2nd Ruck, who is currently forced to played 1st Ruck. For that role, he is undersized and his tapwork is average at best.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

its all that is discussed in the hamish mcintosh injury thread, so figured id set up the appropriate avenue for it to be discussed, and leave the mcintosh injury thread for discussions about mcintosh only

il set up a poll as well to see how he is generally rated around here

ive made my opinion very clear, i dont think west is a good player at all, i think he is just an average footballer who is a good back up or fringe player to compliment a best 22, nothing more thought

So is he not a good player at all, or is he a good back up player? You haven't really made your opinion clear, looks like you're having a bet each way. He's either no good at all, or he's a good back up. Which is it?

 

[geelong_crazy26]

So is he not a good player at all, or is he a good back up player? You haven't really made your opinion clear, looks like you're having a bet each way. He's either no good at all, or he's a good back up. Which is it?

servicable player

in terms of back ups and 3rd-5th ruckman go, he is handy to have, thats the term i will refer to him as good

but overall he is just servicable in my opinion

 

[Biscut]

Gee some of you guys are hard on West. The guy has just played his 50th games of league football! He is still learning the craft, let alone being the current number 1 ruck man. I think he is doing a great job filling in a hole that we cannot get out of just at the moment. Some of you guys are forgetting the big men take a lot more time than the smaller ones to develop.

He does not have the opportunity to be the understudy as he himself is leading the way for Blicsav to develop into the number 2 spot, a spot that would otherwise be for West himself. Remember he's only played 50! Give the man a chance.

I for one think he is going great guns at the moment for a player that's had to play above himself due to in jury's to other preferred number 1 ruck men. He's getting fitter by the week off a limited per season, uses the ball well, goes forward and kicks the odd goal and certainly knows how to take a good mark.

This guy will be a GREAT number 2 for us if and when Mac gets in. FWIW I also think Blicsav will develop into a handy CHB for us.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Gee some of you guys are hard on West. The guy has just played his 50th games of league football! He is still learning the craft, let alone being the current number 1 ruck man. I think he is doing a great job filling in a hole that we cannot get out of just at the moment. Some of you guys are forgetting the big men take a lot more time than the smaller ones to develop.

He does not have the opportunity to be the understudy as he himself is leading the way for Blicsav to develop into the number 2 spot, a spot that would otherwise be for West himself. Remember he's only played 50! Give the man a chance.

I for one think he is going great guns at the moment for a player that's had to play above himself due to in jury's to other preferred number 1 ruck men. He's getting fitter by the week off a limited per season, uses the ball well, goes forward and kicks the odd goal and certainly knows how to take a good mark.

This guy will be a GREAT number 2 for us if and when Mac gets in. FWIW I also think Blicsav will develop into a handy CHB for us.

i think blicavs will become an extremely good ruckman in a few years, up there with the best in the AFL

looking at how athletic mobile he is, as well as how skilled he is for a bloke who has only played 13 games in total since he was 14 years old! he has that much improvement left in him its not funny, will be something in a couple of years, was named in our best today and rightfully so

 

[Hinkley29]

dont expect him to win the hitouts every week

would like to see him get around the ground more often, get his 10-15 touches a game, take marks around the ground, kick his 1 or 2 goals a game, around about 30 for the year would be great, being an undersized ruck if he did those things i would say very good

So what you are saying is that you want him to be Dean Cox.

 

[catswhiskers]

So what you are saying is that you want him to be Dean Cox.

Would seem so.

West may not go AA like Cox but I am hoping he goes triple premiership ruckman (which would mean Simpson or HMac will have a couple). Blitz a couple too as a swingman.

There is a bright side out there!

 

[JUBJUB]

Are you people trying to send Catempire over the edge ?
Keep praising West and you'll do it

 

[Vdubs]

West and Blicavs are making it very difficult for either of them to be dropped. I'd be more than happy if they both played in a GF v Haw, or Swans, or Pies. So far we have not lost games against quality because of their "deficiencies."
If we make it to the GF, it will have been largely on the basis of their contributions anyway, it would seem- time will tell.
Their test will come v WCE, and Freo if 211 returns. Their unique mobility around the ground and fitness will improve.
The way the game is changing, maybe this type of mobile athletic follower is the prototype of the future.
That said, it is handy we have a couple of giants we can trial against Cox, 211, NicNat, if and when HMc /DS are fit.

 

[cynical]

i'd consider him a top 5 2nd ruck in the comp, very good against other undersized rucks, very good defensively and a good contested mark. Highly versatile second ruck which is what you want.

as a no 1 ruck he is below average, just doesn't have the size or leap to make up for it

 

[Cataholic]

It should be remembered that West had the role of 1st ruck thrust on him through retirement and injury, even though he had virtually no experience and only a raw skill set at best. Has he got the skill to hold that mantle in the long term? Probably not. Has he shown courage, resolve and endeavour to step into the breach when asked, knowing his limitations and the task in front of him? Absolutely. He has given everything his skill and experience of just 50 games has allowed him. Credit.

 

[CatFan79]

He's already arguably less competitive in the ruck than Blicavs, that's probably all that needs to be said.

 

[iameviljez]

Gee some of you guys are hard on West. The guy has just played his 50th games of league football! mark.

I think that this is key. The big boys do take a lot longer - and he isn't quite as physically strong as some of the other ruckman (Goldstein, Bellchambers) who have played over him. Probably needs another two seasons.

This guy will be a GREAT number 2 for us if and when Mac gets in. FWIW I also think Blicsav will develop into a handy CHB for us.

I don't think that West is our best option for 2nd-spot ruckman, simply because he's not Vardy's equal up forward, nor that of Blitz around the ground. I'm not sure why you think that Blicavs will become a CHB, he's never played as a key defender before, and playing him at CHB will rob him of his key attribute, his endurance.

 

[dazbroncos]

Geelong Crazy 26 is after _me_ title re his Varcoe obsession....

I get it. You don't like him. He is ordinary. He should be delisted. This is your opinion and you are proud of it.

I get it.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, he is our only 1st ruck option available to us and is doing the best he can in an uphill battle.
So unless you are a 202cm senior listed player that can make the list OR are a medical magician that can get Hmac back for nest week, can we give it a spell for a bit with the understanding that you dont like Westy at all, for anything, ever.

Go Catters.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

West isn't supposed to be our no.1 ruckman. He isn't supposed to go up against Cox, Goldstien, Maric. He's supposed to go up against Lynch, Vickery and Peitrie. Which he will be better then all.

He will play much loser when Hmac is there and he doesn't need to play vs no. 1 opposition ruck each week.

 

[catinthemachine]

The point has been made already on this thread but I think it is worth repeating
West is a quality 2nd ruck who through the injury of others has been thrown into a role that he isn't really ready for.
At 50 games considering the development rate of most big men I would expect considerable upside from him in future
We can all see him getting done by #1 ruck each week but so what!
Who else have we got who can man up and do the job each week?

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Remember when Hawkins was put in the ruck?

 

[iameviljez]

Remember when Hawkins was put in the ruck?

Eugh. I had therapy for months