Senior Josh Battle

Great for Sandy, sounds like a Nick Sautner type, but when was the last time a player made it in the AFL playing like Jason Dunstall? 1995?
All Dunstall did was lead hard, mark the ball and kick dead straight.
That type of play is good in any era.
Its only the stay in the goal square full fwd thats no good anymore.
If hes half as good as Dustall id be wrapt.
 
New game: best time you've heard the word "Battle" in a movie.

One of my favourites, was from Highlander, where they're going off to fight, and Angus says, "I peed my kilt when I first went into BATTLE".

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Dunstall was 188cm and like a cannon ball, he genuinely would have struggled to find a team to give him a go these days but once he showed what he could do he would still have made it. He was a freak. There are always undersized players who make the most of their position despite size. Members pretty much played predominantly as a lead up forward this year, Crameri plays as a KP forward, Pav etc.
 
Dunstall was 188cm and like a cannon ball, he genuinely would have struggled to find a team to give him a go these days but once he showed what he could do he would still have made it. He was a freak. There are always undersized players who make the most of their position despite size. Members pretty much played predominantly as a lead up forward this year, Crameri plays as a KP forward, Pav etc.
Yes Dunstall definately wouldve made it.

I always have a bit of a laugh to myself when i hear somebody say something like " Plugger and Dunstall wouldnt do any good nowdays co's footy has changed and is more accountable".
Yeah but throw Brucey or Travis Cloke back to 1988 and i can guarantee you they wouldnt be kicking 9 or 10 goals regularly like Plugger or the Chief did.
Those guys were freaks back then. They would still stand out now.
 
New game: best time you've heard the word "Battle" in a movie.

One of my favourites, was from Highlander, where they're going off to fight, and Angus says, "I peed my kilt when I first went into BATTLE".

latest
No contest

 

Bomber Man

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Dec 23, 2005
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IMHO... I'm still surprised Battle dropped so far down the draft and was hopeful Essendon would take him.

I'm also surprised at the player comparisons people use for him, to me he's more like Tex Walker was in his younger days - not super quick or agile, but knows where, when and how to move to create space for himself (remember when that was considered important for forwards, finding space...?), lightning quick good decisions, beautiful kick, and elite endurance. Also has a real competitive streak and a little bit of mongrel without being dirty.

Incidentally, Tex was taken with the last selection of the 2007 draft at number 75 (actually a NSW Scholarship selection), and was 192cm and 86kg about 6 months younger...
 
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Aug 23, 2010
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IMHO... I'm still surprised Battle dropped so far down the draft and was hopeful Essendon would take him.

I'm also surprised at the player comparisons people use for him, to me he's more like Tex Walker was in his younger days - not super quick or agile, but knows where, when and how to move to create space for himself (remember when that was considered important for forwards, finding space...?), lightning quick good decisions, beautiful kick, and elite endurance.

Incidentally, Tex was taken with the last selection of the 2007 draft at number 75, and was 192cm...


TBF Tex was an academy selection so he wasn't a genuine slider retrospectively.
 

Bomber Man

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TBF Tex was an academy selection so he wasn't a genuine slider retrospectively.
True, I was clarifying that but lost connection while away...

Can't remember the rules on how that worked back then, was there any way another club could take him or was he just nominated as selected by Adelaide? Either way, there wasn't any real talk about him at the time.
 
Aug 23, 2010
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True, I was clarifying that but lost connection while away...

Can't remember the rules on how that worked back then, was there any way another club could take him or was he just nominated as selected by Adelaide? Either way, there wasn't any real talk about him at the time.


Nominated as selected.

All academy players were always their club's last pick then.

Back to Josh, hopefully he'll play a game or 2 this year.
 
Jan 7, 2011
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Finally finished watching the Vic Country v Allies game from the champs last night and there were a couple of plays in the last quarter (by which time he already had 4 goals up) by Josh that Richo would absolutely love.

In the first one he was with his man at the top of the goalsquare and the Allies had the ball in the pocket, and Josh correctly anticipated that they would switch the play back across to the middle of the ground, so he charged out from the top of the goalsquare towards someone they had loose about 45m out, directly in front and the ball did get kicked to him and he marked it about 50m out and thought he was in the clear, so he took off and started running towards goal, only for Josh to run him down and bury him into the ground (after about a 50m sprint), resulting in a free kick and his team rushing it back inside 50 and having a shot for goal. Was fantastic stuff.

Then, a few mins later, he was leading out to the flank and he wasn't able to mark it and someone from the Allies got the ball and Josh again buried him into the ground and dispossessed him. The ball fell loose and Josh quickly got back to his feet to chase someone else from the Allies who had picked it up and he then handballed it off to someone else, who Josh then took after. He then handballed it off to someone else and Josh duly took off after him as well, putting enough pressure on him that his rushed kick slid off the side of his boot and OOF.

So in that play he did one terrific tackle, quickly got up and chased 3 others, one after the other, until they eventually turned it over.

Was like the All Stars game where he caused a couple of turnovers from his defensive tackling or efforts. Top stuff. :thumbsu:
 
May 23, 2008
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St Kilda draftee Josh Battle may have stepped into a man’s world in recent months, but he will still spend a couple of days each week as a schoolboy while he completes Year 12 at Haileybury College.

The highly rated key forward still has three subjects to tick off in 2017 and will juggle his study with his new life at Linen House Centre, where he has made an impressive start to his career at the Saints.

Now ten weeks into his time in the AFL system, Battle admits the elevation in intensity and demands has been ‘massive’, emphasising how important recovery is to get up for the next training session in order to train at the required standard.

“It’s been a massive step. I think last week was the most brutal session I’ve ever done in my life,” Battle told saints.com.au on Tuesday.

“It was pretty hectic but good once we got through it and you could look back on it and be satisfied with doing a brutal session like that.

“I think recovery is something that I’ve really learnt here how important and vital it is to get up for the next session.

“Obviously it’s footy and not school so I spring up out of bed each morning and head down here so I’m loving my time so far.”

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2017-02-14/juggling-time-the-battle-for-new-saint

482365-tlsnewsportrait.jpg
 
May 23, 2008
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Dunstall was 188cm and like a cannon ball, he genuinely would have struggled to find a team to give him a go these days but once he showed what he could do he would still have made it. He was a freak. There are always undersized players who make the most of their position despite size. Members pretty much played predominantly as a lead up forward this year, Crameri plays as a KP forward, Pav etc.

Pav was a cm shorter than Riewoldt
 
Josh kicked one goal with limited opportunities in a bad game for the Saints. Opinion seems devided whether he should be played next week for experience or not . I can't make up my mind about what to do . Probably depends on how many are already being dropped for injuries or form related things . Membrey has another week to serve before he comes back in . People seem after Marshall to come in so he can play in the ruck.
 
Josh kicked one goal with limited opportunities in a bad game for the Saints. Opinion seems devided whether he should be played next week for experience or not . I can't make up my mind about what to do . Probably depends on how many are already being dropped for injuries or form related things . Membrey has another week to serve before he comes back in . People seem after Marshall to come in so he can play in the ruck.

I say no to 1 game stints.
He gets out there , its all full on and overwhelming, give him a chance to reflect on what he can do better and then try to do it.
In general i hate 1 game elevations, prefer blocks of 3.
 
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