Nathan Ablett at CHB

[Fall Out Boy]

Most believe we're doing it to give the kid an education however i believe it's being done because the club have serious concerns about the long term future of Tom Harley.

There you go, i've said it.

 

[nananana catman]

Most believe we're doing it to give the kid an education however i believe it's being done because the club have serious concerns about the long term future of Tom Harley.

There you go, i've said it.

Why play Spencer at Centre Half Forward then? No doubt it is for development purposes, but he could well turn into a CHB anyway. Whatare you implying about Tom Harley?

 

[Mr X]

Why play Spencer at Centre Half Forward then? No doubt it is for development purposes, but he could well turn into a CHB anyway. Whatare you implying about Tom Harley?

Reading between the lines, I think he is saying that Harley is knackered. He certianly seems restricted by the injury, his decision making and general contesting this year has been ordinary.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Degenerative problem with the hip. Unable to determine whether it will be manageable or if it's simply going to deteriorate to the point where he can't even play the game.

Either way, the days of Tom Harley playing 22 games a year are over.

 

[Rodion]

Bad news for Harley if true. But surely the prefered option would be Spencer at CHB and Nathan Ablett at CHF.

 

[rizzo]

If true, Egan would be the option.

 

[Turbocat]

Mmm , do we really have the cattle on hand for a classy CHB replacement? Maybe, but I think we might have to go into Ottens mode at the end of this year, yet again. We may have to trade to get our hands on some quality tall back talent, not sure if this means a guy like Harley who was in the system, maybe a Gilham (at Port Adelaide) or us trade for a low pick to pick up a kid like Marcus Drum

 

[Fall Out Boy]

If true, Egan would be the option.

Apparently not for the long term.

They also see Egan as a better player closer to goal, rather than being dragged up the ground.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

There's a lot of water to go under the bridge before anything happens, good or bad, with Harley.

It's just good to know the club are looking at all options should the news down the line be bad.

 

[GeeCat]

Mmm , do we really have the cattle on hand for a classy CHB replacement? Maybe, but I think we might have to go into Ottens mode at the end of this year, yet again. We may have to trade to get our hands on some quality tall back talent, not sure if this means a guy like Harley who was in the system, maybe a Gilham (at Port Adelaide) or us trade for a low pick to pick up a kid like Marcus Drum

I personally believe the club needs to look at drafting another young key position player capable of eventually holding down a defensive post either during this draft or in the near by future.

To be brutally honest I don't see Nathan's future in defence, but I'm willing to see what he can conjure up.

As for the two youngsters you've mentioned there Turbo, I don't see Gilham being KPP material (more a tall flanker if anything, almost in the mould of our very own Tom Lonergan) whilst Drum looks like he's headed for the top ten. Abit early to tell, but I don't know if we have the necessary fodder to get ourselves a top ten pick.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

I personally believe the club needs to look at drafting another young key position player capable of eventually holding down a defensive post either during this draft or in the near by future.

The problem with that is that our list is already top heavy.

If we're going to again target talls we need to have a good clean out.

 

[Turbocat]

I personally believe the club needs to look at drafting another young key position player capable of eventually holding down a defensive post either during this draft or in the near by future.

Agree. If you think about we really havent had much of a focus on Rookie KP Backmen for years. We have got a lot of games out guys like Harley and McGrath, 2 player that started at other clubs and were starved for chances.

As for the two youngsters you've mentioned there Turbo, I don't see Gilham being KPP material (more a tall flanker if anything, almost in the mould of our very own Tom Lonergan) whilst Drum looks like he's headed for the top ten. Abit early to tell, but I don't know if we have the necessary fodder to get ourselves a top ten pick.

Again you may be 100% spot on. I put the name of Gilham up just thinking of our two previous examples.There are probably other out there that may even be better. Drum may also stuggle for a strong bodied CHB but he is talented and its funny some times players can drop thru, Willets and Chaplin at Port were players that could have gone earlier but didnt.

 

[nananana catman]

We do have the advantage of knowing we are getting Hawkins, and Playfair has come on and looks like he can hold down CHF.

Egan is definetely better closer to goals, but we already have Scarlett, one of them may have to play up the ground. Dont write off Spencer yet, he can play.

 

[GeeCat]

The problem with that is that our list is already top heavy.

If we're going to again target talls we need to have a good clean out.

Yes, but many of whom are primarily forwards. The logjam currently exists with our forwards.

I look at the 3 backmen we play every week (Scarlett, Harley, and Mooney) and acknowledge the quality and capability of those there. I then look at the backup tall defenders (Matthew Egan, Tom Lonergan, Matthew Spencer, and now Nathan Ablett) and I worry what the future holds in store.

I'm comfortable with our primary backup in Egan, who in addition looks like he could go on and settle nicely into our senior side in the years to come, but am far from sold on Lonergan and Spencer. Lonergan hasn't got what it takes to hold down a key defensive post, and is probably best suited to taking the 3rd best tall or stick to primarily being a flanker. To be rather blatant, I don't think Spencer is our long term solution to CHB, or FB for that matter. I haven't seen alot of Nathan down back, so I'll defer from commenting on his prospects in defense.

If there's a cleanout to come, it'll be focused mainly on the forwards. That hardly changes the fact that we lack quality youngsters whom we can groom for the defensive key posts.

 

[WestCat]

I would think that it is just a bit of a lesson for him. Playfair was played in defense for quite a while, and Lonergan has been played down back as well. Playfair has ended up at CHF and I can see Lonergan ending up at FF or CHF in the future. I still think Ablett will end up playing forward, I can't see someone of his talent ending up in defense. While I haven't seen any VFL games, and can only comment on Lonergan and Egan, I am confident that these 2 can make it at opposite ends of the ground, Lonners is not a defender, he needs a bit more bulk to be able to take a contested grab and he'll be a good forward. What's the go with Spencer? I keep on hearing conflicting comments about him. From what I can gather he is not quick and not agile, but has a good footy brain and is good in the air. I think we could use a big body such as this at CHB in a more traditional role of staying in the position rather than running up the ground. In today's footy, you need to shut down the corridor and push teams wide rather than worry about them getting it in via the flanks.

 

[Unwritten_Law]

I then look at the backup tall defenders (Matthew Egan, Tom Lonergan, Matthew Spencer, and now Nathan Ablett)

If there's a cleanout to come, it'll be focused mainly on the forwards.

McCarthy and Haynes and ???? Not much of a clean out unless you are going to chop a Gardiner or Mackie which will not happen....

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Yes, but many of whom are primarily forwards. The logjam currently exists with our forwards.

I know, but i'm talking about overall list balance.

We've got far too many talls on the list as it is, regardless of position.

 

[GeeCat]

I know, but i'm talking about overall list balance.

We've got far too many talls on the list as it is, regardless of position.

Fair point, but our list isn't overly balanced if we're lacking back-up talls, young or old.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Fair point, but our list isn't overly balanced if we're lacking back-up talls, young or old.

Of course, but my point is that if we are to bring in any talls (be they forwards or defenders) there needs to be a clearout first.

 

[GeeCat]

Of course, but my point is that if we are to bring in any talls (be they forwards or defenders) there needs to be a clearout first.

Agreed, although one would think the club would face a dilemma of sorts. If the club sees a clearout as the solution, then they face some tough calls.

Alot of our tallish flankers/key position players, forwards or defenders, aren't exactly deadwood. We have alot of guys sitting in the same boat, alot of them are capable of stepping up any week, but alot of them are primarily forwards. I seriously entertained the idea of McCarthy been given the arse, amongst others. However, recent events have shown that, should we lose any of our genuine big key forwards, McCarthy automatically becomes our best available option.

I understand a few tough calls will have to be made in the event of a clearout, but I just hope the club identifies our lack of genuine key defenders as a problem of our list during the offseason.

 

[skywalk750]

At worst, and at very worst Harley still has a good 2-3 years left in him. Unfortunately its an in and out condition. What Geelong are doing is taking every precaution possible by the education of Spencer, Egan and Ablett.

I would think after the problems King has had the same type of risks wont be taken with Harley.

 

[Bennycoff]

harley was prity damn good last season, this season he is shocking...injuriies....no confidence...whats goin on?

how old is he anyway?

 

[Turbocat]

I understand a few tough calls will have to be made in the event of a clearout, but I just hope the club identifies our lack of genuine key defenders as a problem of our list during the offseason.

I agree some "tough" calls will have to be made but thats par for the course when had to bring in so many "kids" in the last 5 years. We have concentrated on picking midfield kids, with not having the "Riewoldt" type pick, we really had to hope that development would get us what we needed from guys picked up from the picks we had.

Lets face it 22 spots out of 40 odd, when you have around 13 talls not all will be successful in gaining a spot.With luck they are still worth something when the crunch comes but sometimes one has to put their delisting down to the cost of building a balanced list. Balanced in attributes and age.
Every year an understudy is on the list is a year a young kid with possibly more inert ability is deprived a chance. When do you cut your losses? When do look to the future?Its the next task for the Thompson gang, up till now they really havn't had to give the boot to any of "their" players

From what Ive read, young Hawkins has enormous latent talent, Nathan no doubt has the natuaral gifts to be anything for us but is a special project Together with Playfair, Lonergan and Mackie ,our Forwardline Height requirements are tenpered for sometime Id think.
So, I feel guys like Spencer, McCarthy,Haynes etc simply must be under the pump. They must grab every chance, just like Lonergan has.They must show something,probably in the backline, NOW, or there will be a churn, and more than likely will be shown the door.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

harley was prity damn good last season, this season he is shocking...injuriies....no confidence...whats goin on?

how old is he anyway?

i believe Harley is 26.

 

[Turbocat]

As for the two youngsters you've mentioned there Turbo, I don't see Gilham being KPP material (more a tall flanker if anything, almost in the mould of our very own Tom Lonergan) whilst Drum looks like he's headed for the top ten. Abit early to tell, but I don't know if we have the necessary fodder to get ourselves a top ten pick.

Heard anything about Austin Lucy(QLD) or Matt Tyler(Nth Ballarat), both apparently 193cm and both KP backs?Both have their names up in Footydraft.com but have no write-ups