List breakdown

[bmaurizio]

I agree Cypher, Gibbs and Hansen would be an unbelievable scoop.
Too good to contemplate almost.
Definitely trade Fev if in demand and the price is right.
Let's back and develop kids with good attitude and talent the rest will surely come.
Ciao

 

[Silvagnis]

I agree Cypher, Gibbs and Hansen would be an unbelievable scoop.
Too good to contemplate almost.
Definitely trade Fev if in demand and the price is right.
Let's back and develop kids with good attitude and talent the rest will surely come.
Ciao

If we could get Gibbs at 1 I'd be rapt! But if Hansen fell to 6-10 I'd be doing naked backflips down my street.

I can only go on what I read from the decent, educated posters as to who the best kids are. But Jack Riewoldt might be available between picks 6 and 10 and this would allow us to start threads about getting Riewoldt and Goddard from St Kilda.

 

[mediumsizered]

I
Ps: This is completely off-topic, but I read through that "St Kilda salary cap cheats" thread this morning, and I have to apologise for not being around yesterday. Those Saint supporters took a lot of cheap shots, and I should of been there to defend the club. Anyway, carry on.

Don't worry about it, Funky. ODN and I were happy to take a couple of hits for the club. You can suit up for the next thread, when the Ainters go after us again.

 

[Chemical]

Lemmings

 

[mediumsizered]

Lemmings

You bet!

 

[Blue70]

For What It's Worth (FWIT)...........vocab is fine, thanks for asking.

Did you get up on the wrong side of bed this morning?

I wasn't disagreeing with you, just merely pointing out the fact that Kouta did play some very good footy on the wing in 1995, prior to playing in defense a few years later.

I'm well aware of the education process some players through by playing in defense early in their careers.

Aha my apologies I was assuming FWIT to represent some derogatory language.

Anyway I just think that someone like Walker will develop into an elite player sooner if he is settled down in one spot. I think thats what happened with Kouta, he was so used to be played here there and everywhere that he was unable to develop consistency and then confidence in his game.

I dont want to see Walker play back long term but I would be interested in playing him there for the first half of the season and then move him into the midfield....

 

[WTTF]

Aha my apologies I was assuming FWIT to represent some derogatory language.

Anyway I just think that someone like Walker will develop into an elite player sooner if he is settled down in one spot. I think thats what happened with Kouta, he was so used to be played here there and everywhere that he was unable to develop consistency and then confidence in his game.

I dont want to see Walker play back long term but I would be interested in playing him there for the first half of the season and then move him into the midfield....

No probs, we just being lazy!............agree totally. If we do one thing this year, I hope we settle on a back 6 and leave them there to develope as a unit.

It staggers me that guys like Sporn, Wiggins and Prenda to name a few have been on the list for years and we still don't really know what their best positions are (besides being in the Bullants!).

We can't afford the same thing to happen with Walker, Russell, Hartlett and the like.

 

[mojo31]

Chris Bryan

Ruck

23 years old. 11 AFL games.
11 games in 2005.

Strengths: A good mover and is capable of taking a strong mark. Biggest kick at the club and is a very accurate with it. Can really punch the ball and kick it low and it will get to the target quickly. A big advantage with a field kick when it needs to get there in a hurry. Showed in his first senior game last year against Sydney that he was capable of actually roving his won tap outs and his second efforts were very good.
Good kick for goal.

Weaknesses: Not tall enough to really be a ruckman at AFL level. That coupled with only an average leap and pretty short arms for his height means he is simply not big enough or athletic enough to get first hands to the ball in the centre bounce often enough. Despite weighing 100kgs he gets pushed around in 1 on 1 contests by other ruckmen and is not strong for his size either.
Does not do enough around the ground (apart from the Sydney game). Does not line his body up well in marking contests and mistimes his leap at the tap outs. Too often he does not apply enough pressure on the opposition ruck who is able to direct the ball down while Chris is on the ground having mistimed his leap. More tackling and physical pressure is needed around the contests and he should be working as hard as French does in that regard.

Comment: A surprising mature aged draftee from 2004 who got his chance when French was injured. Was forced to carry the ruck in a number of games and showed he was not ready for it. To small to be anything other than a pinch hitter in there. Needs to work on his marking and develop into a forward pocket who can crash the pack. A battering ram who will either mark the ball or let it spill to advantage. He has a decent body size now and has got bigger in the pre season and fitter and I think the club sees him developing more as a marking player now.
He has decent speed and agility for a ruck but in reality he is only a slightly bigger version of a KPP. In that regard he is way down on what would be needed. Does show the ability to take a strong clean mark and will hurt opposition teams if he is within 60m of goal.
Needs more core strength to hold his ground and keep his centre of gravity lower and set himself before the ball is thrown in. Then move and stretch up when the ball is in flight and not get caught out.
Does not really read the play that well and was caught out a number of times as the season progressed. Lacks anticipation and does not judge the flight of the ball quickly and his body positioning accordingly is poor.
So I really don’t see him making the grade after this year.

2006: Marking forward/ruck in the VFL.
Future: Unlikely to be retained at the end of the year with how the list is shaping up.

 

[mojo31]

Aisake O’hAilpin

Ruck

20 years old.
International rookie.

Strengths: Superb athlete for his size. Over 2 meters tall now and has bulked up significantly after just over a year on the list. Has the speed and agility of most key position players and has none of the awkwardness that most players of his height usually possess.
Just a smooth mover who is quite effortless. Very good endurance and is pushing top 10 at Carlton now in the time trials.
Good kick of the ball on his left foot and is accurate and has a sound technique. Biggest leap at the club.
Very hard trainer and extremely professional and enthusiastic. Wants to do extra sessions and is dedicated to making it.

Weaknesses: Clearly the main weakness is going to be learning the game. Knowing where to move to and what to do in new situations. Not getting caught out and using his physical advantages to best use. Not just running up and down the ground and being bypassed constantly (leave that for Prendergast he has that perfected). Has made huge physical gains but is still to skinny and needs another 8 to 10 kgs on his body. His marking will need to improve and learning how to use his body and size better. Has to reach up and take the ball at its highest point in the marking contest to avoid the spoil. Got to push back harder into his opponent as well. Makes plenty of mistakes but they are not really weaknesses, just a lack of experience.

Comment: Long term ruck prospect for mine. Has the height, leap and athleticism to play the position. Will depend on his development and how quickly his football knowledge increases. To see his improvement in 1 year is pretty amazing but when you remember he is coming from an amateur sport into a professional one it is not that surprising.
Drafted kids coming from the TAC/WAFL/SANFL have access to gyms, dieticians, elite coaching, AIS, U16s/U18s Championships, recruiters, managers etc to help there development before they are drafted. So they are already a fair way into weights, knowing what to eat, hard running training, specific skill work on kicking and so on.
Setanta and Aisake on the other hand would not have had that to any great extent and both have put on over 10kgs and improved physically a great deal because they are so new to the intense preparation.

Played at full back and in the ruck mainly in the VFL reserves and showed he was versatile and was not out of place in either role. However now he is a bit taller I think a key position will not suit as much as the ruck and his naturally lean wiry body is better suited to that position.
Good palmer of the ball with either hand and looked great in a few drills I saw with Gary Dempsey in the pre season. Really good move by the club to bring in a specialist ruck coach to nurture he and Batson especially.
Played at CHF in the practice match on Lance Whitnall and led him to the ball a number of times. Kept presenting and leading and was always in motion. Lance got his share of the ball as he always does as a defender but Aisake more than held his own on a quality opponent.

2006: Ruck and all over the ground in the VFL.
Future: Long term ruck option in 3 years.

 

[mojo31]

Ryan Houlihan

Utility

24 years old. 114 AFL games.
17 games in 2005.

Strengths: Superb skills on either foot when in the mood. Quite quick and deceptively so. Very versatile player capable of playing as a defender and permanent forward as well as a link man in the midfield.
Decent endurance and is reasonable tall for a flanker and is a smart player. Reads the play well and is very dangerous with the ball.
Picks good options and prepared to run and carry the ball.
In space with the ball in hand he is deadly and one of the very few damaging players we have who is capable of kicking the ball to a forwards advantage time after time.
Good kick for goal on the run and capable of performing the difficult on a pretty regular basis.

Weaknesses: Lacks intensity and hardness in his game. Is too laconic out on the field when he has the ball. Does not use his pace to really try and breakaway and then allow himself some time to dispose of the ball. He will loaf around and get run down or be forced to kick under pressure. Is not accountable and likes to “delegate” rather than put in the hard yards.
A bit of a phantom chaser who looks like he is trying to catch the player but its more for show. Does not put his head over the ball enough when its his turn to go. Highlighted by the ‘Lance Franklin incident” last year. This can be pretty sapping for team morale when seen by everyone so clearly.
His skills are very good but too often he is lazy with them and kicks a scrubber especially on his left foot. Nothing to do with a technical fault or an inability to execute but just that lack of intensity and concentration in his game. A bit sensitive to criticisms from the media and coaching staff.

Comment: A make or break year for Ryan. The final year of his 3 year contract is up this year. This large contract prevented him being put up for trade even if Carlton wanted to. So a “reprogramming” course was taken in the reserves where a harder more accountable side was being asked for. Was brought back in for the North Melbourne game and did run and chase and tackle and put his head in line and perhaps he has tweaked his game the necessary level.
Has been training hard and looks stronger, bigger and his running times are down. Being earmarked as a midfield/half forward this year and part of the rotation. This will need to be watched carefully though as to me he is still going to be unaccountable and if we play Stevens and Kouta in there with Ryan it could be ugly if we don’t win the ball. Surrounded by the right mix he can be damaging and I would prefer him on the half forward flank kicking and setting up goals.
Nobody expects Michael Voss levels of hardness but a sustained and improved effort in that regard. More accountable and more desire and intensity in his physical efforts as well as a lot more concentration.

He was offered a big deal a few years ago from Melbourne and turned his back on it and re-signed and Denis is a big fan of his and supported him.
However he is 24 now and played over 100 games and his time is right now. Either play the team game or languish in the reserves and be traded or delisted. Minimize the weaknesses and play to his strengths. A move forward should help that along but the rest will be played between the ears for Ryan.

2006: Half forward flank and wing (maybe 25%) at the start of the year. The rest will be up to him if he finishes the season there.
Future: Might very well be trade bait if the reprogramming is unsuccessful.

 

[Blue70]

No probs, we just being lazy!............agree totally. If we do one thing this year, I hope we settle on a back 6 and leave them there to develope as a unit.

It staggers me that guys like Sporn, Wiggins and Prenda to name a few have been on the list for years and we still don't really know what their best positions are (besides being in the Bullants!).

We can't afford the same thing to happen with Walker, Russell, Hartlett and the like.

Yeah definately agree with you there, it's especially dissapointing considering Wiggins and Sporn were taken at picks 11 & 15 in the draft, it makes you question our drafting strategy back then.

Prenda is an interesting one because he has some good attributes (ie: courage, endurance and height) but his downside is such that it negates his good points. I would have liked to see him develop into a CHB as he reminds me alot like Sexton in the way he moves and plays (although Sexton was a much better kick). I think that if he has a below average year then he will either be traded or delisted at end of year.

Livingston is another one (and I hate saying it because he is a top bloke), he just does not justify a number 4 draft selection. Geez when I think about the picks we have wasted in the past it is no wonder our list has been so poor, consider this:

Murray Vance - pick 6
Kris Massie - pick 7
Simon Wiggins - pick 15
Trent Sporn - pick 11
Luke Livingston - pick 4

I am sure there are more that I cant think of. It would be interesting to see who we could have drafted instead of the above. I know hindsight is an advantage, and no use worrying about it now as we need to look forward and I think we have gained some genuine talent the last couple of years...

 

[Pivot]

Chris Bryan

Ruck

23 years old. 11 AFL games.
11 games in 2005.

Strengths: A good mover and is capable of taking a strong mark. Biggest kick at the club and is a very accurate with it. Can really punch the ball and kick it low and it will get to the target quickly. A big advantage with a field kick when it needs to get there in a hurry. Showed in his first senior game last year against Sydney that he was capable of actually roving his won tap outs and his second efforts were very good.
Good kick for goal.

Weaknesses: Not tall enough to really be a ruckman at AFL level. That coupled with only an average leap and pretty short arms for his height means he is simply not big enough or athletic enough to get first hands to the ball in the centre bounce often enough. Despite weighing 100kgs he gets pushed around in 1 on 1 contests by other ruckmen and is not strong for his size either.
Does not do enough around the ground (apart from the Sydney game). Does not line his body up well in marking contests and mistimes his leap at the tap outs. Too often he does not apply enough pressure on the opposition ruck who is able to direct the ball down while Chris is on the ground having mistimed his leap. More tackling and physical pressure is needed around the contests and he should be working as hard as French does in that regard.

Comment: A surprising mature aged draftee from 2004 who got his chance when French was injured. Was forced to carry the ruck in a number of games and showed he was not ready for it. To small to be anything other than a pinch hitter in there. Needs to work on his marking and develop into a forward pocket who can crash the pack. A battering ram who will either mark the ball or let it spill to advantage. He has a decent body size now and has got bigger in the pre season and fitter and I think the club sees him developing more as a marking player now.
He has decent speed and agility for a ruck but in reality he is only a slightly bigger version of a KPP. In that regard he is way down on what would be needed. Does show the ability to take a strong clean mark and will hurt opposition teams if he is within 60m of goal.
Needs more core strength to hold his ground and keep his centre of gravity lower and set himself before the ball is thrown in. Then move and stretch up when the ball is in flight and not get caught out.
Does not really read the play that well and was caught out a number of times as the season progressed. Lacks anticipation and does not judge the flight of the ball quickly and his body positioning accordingly is poor.
So I really don’t see him making the grade after this year.

2006: Marking forward/ruck in the VFL.
Future: Unlikely to be retained at the end of the year with how the list is shaping up.

Bryan is listed at 197cm. Jamie Charman and Clark Keating are also listed at 197cm while Troy Simmonds and Dylan McLaren are listed at 196cm. Jeff White is 195cm and Adam Goodes is 194cm.

They all seem to be fine when rucking so I don't really think height is an issue with Bryan. Maybe more to do with his timing when rucking and how to use his knee and body strength. Height means plenty when rucking don't get me wrong but it's more to do with timing, leap, strength, arms, knees, mind, etc. Adrian De Luca is 202cm and really struggles in the ruck even with that height.

Gary Dempsey has said Bryan is much beter in 1-on-1 situations now and is much stronger and rucking better. I think he now knows what's required when rucking against the big fellas like Everitt, Cox, Sandilands, etc.

Having said that I too think he needs to show plenty this year with both the Bullants and the Blues.

 

[mojo31]

Adrian Deluca

Key forward

23 years old. 33 AFL games.
11 games in 2005.

Strengths: Sheer height. He is tall even for a ruckman let alone a marking forward. Pretty agile for his size and is not slow across the ground. Good leap and showed in 2004 that he could take a pack mark. Too tall for most defenders and when he was able to get front position and the ball kicked to advantage was able to take a good mark. Still young and inexperienced and injuries have stopped him showing was he is truly capable of.

Weaknesses: Drops far too many marks and does not use his body well. Not a good enough physical contest and should be splitting the pack more and creating opportunities for the crumbers front and square. Not a good kick for goal and takes an eternity to dispose of the ball when field kicking. Gets caught out to much when rucking with his positioning around the ground. In short he does not use his height and size to advantage and until he does that je will struggle.
Decision making is poor and at this stage he is a mark and kick player capable of being a forward pocket and little else. Watching him being so indecisive and turn the ball over regularly is pretty frustrating

Comment: Will be measured as a forward and not a ruckman. Tall enough to ruck but does not really seem suited to it. The club re-signing him for another 2 years last year shows the club do rate him. They must feel the injury concerns are what held him back last year and his 2004 form is the more accurate guide. I would tend to disagree and thought his judgement was abysmal last year. His hands were like rock and constantly dropped too many. Mistimes his leap at the centre bounces and in marking contests. Slow to react and went backwards last year. He may be relatively inexperienced but a 23 year old fringe player cant really afford to be regressing as they get older.
With his height he should be commanding 2 defenders to go with him in the air and create some opportunities for the smaller forwards who are waiting for the spill. Something he does not do at this stage with a lack of physical presence and judgement of the ball. Too often he will run under the ball either by design or from being nudges out by defenders. This results in an easy mark or take away from the opposition. At worst he has to being the ball to ground.

2006: Battling with Setanta for a senior position. Play 10 games in the AFL and the rest VFL.
Future: Will need to improve to be on the list after his 2 year deal is up.
Not a ruckman and needs to develop his marking and kicking to be anything more than a depth player.

 

[mojo31]

Setanta O’hAilpin

Key forward

22 years old. 1 AFL game.
1 game in 2005.

Strengths: Athletic ability is something Setanta has in abundance. Genuine size at 198cms and pushing 100kgs now. Has improved his basic skills a great deal in his 2 years at the club.
Superb trainer who gives his all in every session and wants to do anything extra the club will allow him. Versatile and quick and provides a genuine contest.
Presents well and is always in motion and gives numerous leads and never gives up trying. Versatile and not completely lost as a defender, on the wing or even doing a bit of ruckwork in the forward line.
Prepared to chase and harass opponents and once the ball hits the ground will give an effort and compete hard. His attitude to everything he does is second to none and the desire and ambition is evident. Sometimes this can go over the top but for the most part it is infectious and team lifting to have a player so desperate to make it.
His improvement in 2 years is remarkable. The skinny kid is now a pretty imposing man and he understands what he is doing on the field now.

Weaknesses: Tries too hard at times and loses his composure. Needs to remain patient and work his way into the game. Realise it’s more a team game rather than having everything going through him. That means not constantly leading and clogging up the space for another forward. Have to allow other forwards to get there 1 on 1 match ups.
His kicking technique is a bit awkward and he is not what you would call a smooth mover. Does not take the ball at the highest point when trying to mark and has a tendency to duck his head when trying to overhead mark. This means his opponent has a chance of spoiling him and he does not use his extra height to advantage and drops a few to many marks waiting for the contact instead of making the ball his priority and take what comes later. Tackling technique, how to bump and the ability to hurt players are more aspects of the physical side of the game that need to be improved.
Setanta is not soft but the physical side of his game coming from his background is the part he needs to really develop to make it in the AFL. To compete harder in the packs and provide bone crunching contests.

Comment: Elevated from the rookie list and rewarded with a 2 year deal. Was flying middle of the way through last season in the VFL but his form tapered off after that. Got a bit of a niggle and affected his movement and Digby Morrell was dropped to the reserves and became the go to forward. Something Setanta struggled with and a shift to the backline and wing also did not help him either. At least the club now knows his best position is as a forward and where he seems to be most comfortable. The problem is he sees the play upfield and wants to lead straight at the ball carrier. Regardless of what’s in front of him and how many other forwards are already there. Then becomes petulant when he is ignored and loses confidence. Does not stop him continuing to try but does seem to affect his decision making and ability to hold his marks when his confidence drops.
Worked on his running technique in the pre season (after a mild dose of OP) and looks smoother and less clumsy and disjointed. Same with his kicking and is developing more fluency in his action. He is a reliable kick now and is effective with it despite the different style he has.
Played very well in the game in Newcastle and seems to be benefiting from the specialist coaching of Terry Daniher. Needs that 1 on 1 coaching about timing his leads and where to lead to and how to use his body better. Thrives under a hard worker like Daniher who has presence and a rapport with the players and keeps it simple and enjoyable.

2006: 10 to 15 games in the AFL in the forward pocket.
Future: A key position up forward.

 

[mojo31]

Jarred Waite

Key forward

23 years old. 50 AFL games.
21 games in 2005.

Strengths: Pure athleticism is a natural thing that Jarred has. Is quick and is very agile and recovers well after marking contests. Decent below his knees and is prepared to compete all the time. Lines his body up well in marking contests and is a naturally aggressive player. Long arms and a good leap means when he takes front position he can get his hands to the ball more often that not. Sticky fingers help him hold onto a number of these. Prepared to chase his opponent and apply pressure and lead long and hard at the ball. Good endurance now to really push right up field and tire his defender out. Good laterally and in a straight line and has good recovery.

Weaknesses: Kicking while improving is not still of a high standard yet. Can make the wrong decisions on the field and turns the ball over a lot.
The gap between his best and worst football is a bit too big at the moment. A bit of a confidence player who sets the tone in the first quarter. Too much arm and not enough body in his tackles.
Kicking for goal was better last year but needs more work. Has to get smarter with his leading and positioning on field. Sometimes gets bypassed in play to often and it has a lot to do with not moving to the right places.

Comment: Had a breakthrough year last year and went from a good player into a quality one. His kicking for goal was greatly improved and started to take contested marks and become more of a power player. Still not sure he will be a corridor key forward and would like that left to Kennedy when he is ready. His is lean rather than bulky and has the long limbs and good hands. Has a nice bit of physicality about his game and enjoys competing and contesting and now his body is bigger he will be more effective doing it. I do not think he is ready for the premier defenders in the league but given a lesser player he should be able to beat them more often than not.
Has enough size to warrant a key position defender but will likely be to quick and agile for most of them and will be to powerful in the air for most flankers. This leaves him a hard player to match up on as there are only so many Clement/Scarlett type defenders who are strong as well as athletic.
I would like to see Waite develop his kicking even more and his composure and decision making. Give the first option and be instinctive and not get caught as often as he does. Anything marked within 50m of goal should result in a shot and time to take responsibility on his shoulders. I think his match up will likely determine where he plays. Bigger opponents will result in him up field more and being the hit up forward always presenting .Smaller defenders will be isolated deep in the forward line.
If Fevola returns to form and takes the best defender week after week then Jarred should benefit enormously and be able to improve his consistency and take his game up another level.

2006: 40 goals from CHF/HFF, less turnovers and more possessions.
Future: Become a gun and a leader at the club and a vice captain in 2007.

 

[mojo31]

All players done now.

Any comments are welcome.

 

[bmaurizio]

Firstly just amazing work and dedication Mojo much appreciated.
What are your thoughts on the center square ? certainly it will make us or break us.
Will Mclaren or Bryan give the support in ruck we so desperately need and do we persist with Batson and O'hAisake?
Can Houlihan, Betts, Russell, Walker inject new life and make some contribution?
Are the boys good enough to cope with some of the best?
Just hope to see some positive glimpses really and don't expect too much until 2008.
Thanks again for your insight and comments.
Ciao

 

[mojo31]

Firstly just amazing work and dedication Mojo much appreciated.
What are your thoughts on the center square ? certainly it will make us or break us.
Will Mclaren or Bryan give the support in ruck we so desperately need and do we persist with Batson and O'hAisake?
Can Houlihan, Betts, Russell, Walker inject new life and make some contribution?
Are the boys good enough to cope with some of the best?
Just hope to see some positive glimpses really and don't expect too much until 2008.
Thanks again for your insight and comments.
Ciao

French, Kouta, Stevens, Bentick as our starting centre square looks okay.
The problem is we really only have Scotland and maybe Carrazzo as backups for a rest and rotation.
5 decent midfielders (although Bentick still would not be reagreded as decent based on such few games) and 1 good solid ruck plus a McLaren as a backup means we dont have depth.
An injury or 2 and we have huge problems.

If French plays 20 plus games this year then McLaren will be fine. He will be an okay backup for 10 minutes a quater.

No doubt French is the most important player on our list. If he gets injured early on and its serious we are odds on for the spoon. If he play most of the season and is injury free then I think we may avoid the bottom few spots.
He is basically the only senior big bloke who gives a physical contest as well as encourages others and lifts the team morale and allows us to be competitive. Without him our confidence ebbs away and be get pushed around to much.
Aisake is the only legititmate player on our list capable of taking his position in a few years. I dont think Batson will at this stage and no way McLaren, Deluca or Bryan can. They are only pinch hitters.
Batson is very young and often these rucks look a bit clumsy and useless for a while but Aisake has a lot more potential than him.

I am expecting Houlihan to be the same basically. Classy, skillful and frustrating. He improves when others improve around him to take the pressure off and to feed him the ball.
Walker I am expecting a big year and to move himslef into one of the first picked by the end of the year. He is a gun waiting to realise his potential.

Russell has blossomed over the pre season and is ready for a crack at the half back flank in the seniors in the NAB cup. Good form in that should mean he starts the season in the seniors. Has pace and can really close down a player. Improved in the air and is stronger and more confident. A bit more flair about him and prepared to take a risk in the practise match (on Fisher) and run off. Looks a completely different player and person from last year.
I would play him in front of Bannister, McGrath and Teague given the choice.

Betts will be fine in the forward pocket.

We are not good enough to cope with the best sides. Instead of lasting 2 quaters against them we will go deep into the 3rd quater before being run over. Not enough depth and class at the moment.

We do have a good draw and some winnable games early on

Melb (Dome): some chance of a win (30%)
Freo in Perth: loss
Sydney (Dome): loss

if we are competitve here and pinch a win even then we have a good chance of winning a few of the next games.

Hawthorn (Dome)
Richmond (MCG)
Coll (MCG)
Ess (MCG)

2 wins there and a 2 to 3 win tally for the first 7 weeks will see us avoid the spoon.
3 thrashings early on and a lack of competitvess will mean we are cannon fodder for the year.

Round 16 to 21 has us with 6 winnbale games as well. So if we win 2 or 3 in the first 7 and are competitve for the season up until that stage then we might be able to cash in later in the year.

Ess, Fremantle, Melb,Haw, Rich and Coll all in Melbourne from rounds 16 to 21 are games we might all have a chance in.

 

[bmaurizio]

Cheers Mojo, appreciate the insight, I take heart with comments on Andrew Walker .
I'll be happy if we are very competitive in most games and don't get slaughtered in any .
Would love to see further exciting development from the kids, and a more positive team culture.
Hopefully Walker Waite Fisher and Betts together with the new boys will give us plenty to be happy about
Ciao

 

[Silvagnis]

What's wrong with Saddington Mojo?

He's still using the machine on the boundary line.

 

[mojo31]

What's wrong with Saddington Mojo?

He's still using the machine on the boundary line.

I seem to remember answering this but I think it might have been Gilly1972 in a pm when he asked me about Saddo a while ago.

I alluded to Saddingtons problems when I wrote on his profile that he was likely to see his 2 year deal out and that would be it for him.
He has complications arising from his knee reco. He had hamstring soreness as well from it (pretty chronic) and would not go away early on in the pre season. The knee is not right and after some hard sessions he struggles.
I was told he moved okay up in Newcastle but not knowing if the grounds are hard up there maybe he cant take anything but the lush Optus Oval surface.

He basically is not right and some parts of the leg are stronger than other parts and it upsets the balance of the leg muscles and causes stresses and strains on his hamstring and calf and I dont think we can expect anything more than 10 to 12 games from him this year. The Telstra Dome surface will not help him and mean he will struggle to come back the following week after playing on that unforgiving surface.

They are not at this stage contemplating a clean up "arthriscope" but he has to be managed and I dont think he is ever going to be the player he was prior to his knee injury.

 

[Silvagnis]

Cheers!

Still a better payoff than drafting another rookie or late pick if we get 2 good years out of Jason.

 

[irish_setanta]

Cheers!

Still a better payoff than drafting another rookie or late pick if we get 2 good years out of Jason.

Agree totally, in 2 years hopefully alot of our young players will be up and running.Patience is the key to being a carlton supporter, with the young players we have the future has to be brighter.

 

[MeeSo]

Great work mojo.

Interesting comments on Setanta. He does seem too focused on his own game but I think with a bit of confidence and some more experience the issue will rectify itself. I could be wrong of course but to me it's always seemed like his will to succeed is causing the intense focus rather than selfishness. What do you think?

 

[mojo31]

Great work mojo.

Interesting comments on Setanta. He does seem too focused on his own game but I think with a bit of confidence and some more experience the issue will rectify itself. I could be wrong of course but to me it's always seemed like his will to succeed is causing the intense focus rather than selfishness. What do you think?

He wants to succeed so badly and wants the play directed through him. He measures his game by how many marks he takes and goals he kicks rather than other things. That is only natural for someone so new to the game.
All the coaches want from him is that he leads at the right time and to the right places. Provides a contest and is consistent with his effort regardless of hoiw many possessions and goals he has kicked. Sometimes he will get it kicked to him and sometimes it will be to open up space behind him. Dragging his opponent away from the ball at times and leaving the preferred match up to compete in a 1 on 1.
Just has to learn those smaller things and keep presenting and not clog things up and have forwards fighting over the ball.

I am not critisizing Setanta as to be honest I would love for all players to want to succeed as badly as he does. Train as hard as him and be such good blokes off the field. I am just pointing out that I would like for him to relax more and enjoy it. It takes time and another good solid improvement this year like last year will mean he is a regular senior play by the end of the year.
Some of it will come with experience and some will come when he settles more and understands his role better. I think Aisake has the right balance of professionalism and enjoyment. Both train extremely hard but Aisake seems to enjoy it more and would like to see Setanta taking the pressure of himself.

He is going to make mistakes and its all part of the learning process.