Krueger V Hall

[WaynesWorld19]

Stiffy18 was crying in his cornflakes because Adelaide overlooked Hall not just with its first pick but also its second pick in the draft.

Touted as one of the best bigmen in the draft Hall slipped down a fair way in the draft to Collingwood on the back of thoughts he would take 2-3 years to develop and he had stated pre-draft that he had a strong preference to remain in WA.

We took Krueger who appears to have real talent but a back injury is preventing him from getting on the park.

So with the benefit of hindsight did we make the right call??

Long Hall at an end
15 July 2005 Herald Sun


DRIVING to training yesterday knowing he could be named for his AFL debut, Collingwood teenager Brent Hall felt nervous – which did not bode well for tonight.

Wizardry: Magpie debutant Brent Hall (left) and Jason Cloke at training.
Picture: Colleen Petch
Quite the contrary, it seems.

The big lad from a dot on the map in country Western Australia reckons he'll handle things pretty well against Essendon at the MCG.

"I reckon I might be a little bit toey," Hall said. "But in my mind it's just another game. I've just got to go out thinking it's just another game. I'm looking forward to it."

It's not like he'll be on his own. Apart from 21 Collingwood teammates, former junior foe Kepler Bradley plays for Essendon and, best of all, Dad will be in the stands.

While it's shearing time back home on the family sheep station at Williams, which has a population of about 300 and is a two-hour drive south of Perth, footy and Hall will take the focus tonight.

After all, if the journey from Williams to the MCG is a fair way, it's taken Hall, who is a strapping young man at 198cm and 97kg, almost two seasons to get from Williamstown to Collingwood.

Drafted in 2003, Hall spent all of last season at Williamstown and started this VFL season in the reserves.

"I was a slow starter and spent time in the ressies," Hall said. "It's been a long road, but it's been a good one."

It's certainly been good enough to impress coach Michael Malthouse, who will be looking for 19-year-old Hall to play in the ruck and both key forward positions tonight.

It might sound like a tall order for a debutant, but Malthouse is confident Hall has the tools.

"He has shown tremendous progress in the last few weeks to the point where he not only has been knocking on the door, but smashing it down," Malthouse said.

"We haven't had a player this year kick a lot of goals from either of the key forward positions, so we would like to think he might be able to play centre half-forward or full-forward for us occasionally tomorrow evening and may add to our goalkicking."

It wasn't just Hall's big frame that grabbed Malthouse's attention.

"He's got good pace, very good hands, he's improved his kicking and he's super aggressive at the footy," Malthouse said. "They're the things we like about him and that's the reason he's in the side."

For Hall, the reason he's in the Collingwood team doesn't matter. He just wanted to be there.

"The second year after you're drafted you've got to show something," Hall said.

"So at the start of the year my goal was to play AFL. It's a bit later than I hoped, but I've got to take it now it's here."

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Didnt see the game last night, but wouldnt have had a great game by the sounds of it. Correct?
Not to say he will not be better than Freddy though, one to nil at the minute.

 

[-VC-]

I'd definitely take Barry Hall over Krueger.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

I'd definitely take Barry Hall over Krueger.

I'm trying to be serious here

 

[macca23]

The club had it right at the time. We were busting for a mobile tall strong marking forward and Krueger if he had stayed sound would have been exactly that. He looked a million dollars in the pre-season last year before his back injury.

But unfortunately he did get that back injury and still has it on a recurring basis which spells nothing but trouble and may well see him delisted at the end of the year.

Hall did nothing to recommend himself last night but it would be fair to say that he's playing well ahead of his time. I watched him closely while he was on, anticipating a thread of this nature, and neither his ruckwork or his field play gave a hint of big things in the future.

Hall will probably end up being a useful AFL ruckman without being anything special IMO.

But if Hall does achieve this and Krueger does get delisted, the AFC will be proven wrong - but only in hindsight and through injury.

 

[RoosterLad]

yeah at least Hall has had a game
its unfortunate for Krueger, i noticed him for the first time last week when he took an absolute screamer only to injure himself doing it, he should get delisted

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

The sad thing is that Krueger would appear to have shown more talent than Hall in the limited games he has played so far ... it's just unfortunately we are probably not going to see Freddy at AFL level given his shocking run with injuries. Can't really fault AFC for this.

 

[Crow-mosone]

Bowen Lockwood board.

Freddy has talent, shame about injuries but that's the way it goes some time.

With some better luck, it could have turned out to be a genius pick.

 

[theorangeapple]

Brent Hall is in line to be delisted this year. He was given this game to see if he could lift at AFL level. Similar to Bo Nixon being given a game last year for the pies. Make or break for Brent, I think he will be at the dockers next year.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Brent Hall is in line to be delisted this year. He was given this game to see if he could lift at AFL level. Similar to Bo Nixon being given a game last year for the pies. Make or break for Brent, I think he will be at the dockers next year.

Info source??