Marcus Drum

[Pure_Ownage]

Where would you play Drum, Turbo? At 191cm he's too short for a key position or to cope with an opposition tall.

I'd play him in Harley's old role, if we're still planning to fill that role (i.e. if there's a spot for that in our current backline), because his skillset is a bullseye for that role. Reads the play exceptionally well, great mark for his size, good kick and mobile to play tall or small, albeit not with the same closing speed of Harls. I don't think he can play fullback, it's not a height thing because Gillies and Scarlett are only a cm or two taller, it's more that he's a good mark because he reads the play very very well (better than most of our current defenders) and has a nice leap but has neither the closing speed nor body contest/wrestling ability to play full back. So a Harley type role to me makes much more sense than anything else (and given Laidler just left, we are light on for guys who can step in to that sort of role). Failing that he could play the rebounding half back flanker that Milburn does well.

I reckon he'll do well, I watched all our pre season practice games live and he was very impressive, would have broke in round 1 in all likelihood had he not been injured, and from there who knows.

His biggest problem will be that he'll be forced to play CHB in the VFL even though he's undersized for it, exactly as Jez Laidler had to do last year. Hopefully this doesn't slow his development because I definitely reckon he can make it, and our list isn't exactly stocked with defenders, so it'd be great if he did.

Other issue is obviously attitude, which the Freo people weren't happy with, so who knows how desperate he is to make it. He ought to be, because at 23 this year will make or break his career. I was reasonably impressed with his attitude the couple of times I spoke to him at the games, but then again what can you really tell off a couple of minutes of conversation.

Anyway, let's back him in for 2011 and hope he does well.

 

[AM]

Isn't Boris more our floating half back, PO? Now if you're suggesting we replace my beloved Boris with Drum I'll have to take you to task.

 

[Go Hoops]

I'd play him in Harley's old role, if we're still planning to fill that role (i.e. if there's a spot for that in our current backline), because his skillset is a bullseye for that role. Reads the play exceptionally well, great mark for his size, good kick and mobile to play tall or small, albeit not with the same closing speed of Harls. I don't think he can play fullback, it's not a height thing because Gillies and Scarlett are only a cm or two taller, it's more that he's a good mark because he reads the play very very well (better than most of our current defenders) and has a nice leap but has neither the closing speed nor body contest/wrestling ability to play full back. So a Harley type role to me makes much more sense than anything else (and given Laidler just left, we are light on for guys who can step in to that sort of role). Failing that he could play the rebounding half back flanker that Milburn does well.

I reckon he'll do well, I watched all our pre season practice games live and he was very impressive, would have broke in round 1 in all likelihood had he not been injured, and from there who knows.

His biggest problem will be that he'll be forced to play CHB in the VFL even though he's undersized for it, exactly as Jez Laidler had to do last year. Hopefully this doesn't slow his development because I definitely reckon he can make it, and our list isn't exactly stocked with defenders, so it'd be great if he did.

Other issue is obviously attitude, which the Freo people weren't happy with, so who knows how desperate he is to make it. He ought to be, because at 23 this year will make or break his career. I was reasonably impressed with his attitude the couple of times I spoke to him at the games, but then again what can you really tell off a couple of minutes of conversation.

Anyway, let's back him in for 2011 and hope he does well.

With that sort of rap you have to wonder what went wrong at the Dockers where he did nothing.