Toast "Oh My Darling!"

[rgauci]

Interestingly you overlooked Ballantyne for Swift which was actually a surprise for the Freo recruiting team. We subsequently drafted Ballantyne with pick 21 and so far to date, Ballantyne > Swift.

We overlooked Darling at pick 20, instead chasing another extremely skinny recruit with a sweet boot in our youngster Pitt. Pitt has played 4 out of 5 games so far. Sometimes as the sub and has been OK without starring like Darling.

My point is simple. We both had our chances to have the 'Darling Ballantyne' forwardline but missed out. Both chase with intent. Both contribute greatly to forwardline pressure and both are quickly becoming cult heroes at their team.

 

[tesseract]

Interestingly you overlooked Ballantyne for Swift which was actually a surprise for the Freo recruiting team. We subsequently drafted Ballantyne with pick 21 and so far to date, Ballantyne > Swift.

We overlooked Darling at pick 20, instead chasing another extremely skinny recruit with a sweet boot in our youngster Pitt. Pitt has played 4 out of 5 games so far. Sometimes as the sub and has been OK without starring like Darling.

My point is simple. We both had our chances to have the 'Darling Ballantyne' forwardline but missed out. Both chase with intent. Both contribute greatly to forwardline pressure and both are quickly becoming cult heroes at their team.

The Freo recruiting guys seemed taken aback in the 2008 draft video and had to take a pause and regroup back into the recruiting team huddle to have a rethink when their plan-A of drafting Swift went out the door 1 selection before their pick. Such a reaction suggests that Swift was firmly in their sights.
Freo's surprise didn't come from WC overlooking Ballantyne, it was from WC taking a player that Freo were going to select.

Freo pounced on Ballantyne at pick 21. That was a good move because Freo had no picks before WC's next pick at #36, where WC would likely have selected Ballantyne. Freo had to jump at Ballantyne earlier than expected knowing this.

Ballantyne was always going to out-perform Swift early on. Ballantyne was drafted at 21 years old.
Swift is playing catch up due to missing two years of junior development. He, unlike Ballantyne, was drafted at 18 years old.

Ballantyne gets the points over Swift for early impact, but that's the case 99% of the time when pitting a youngster against a mature aged recruit.

 

[Quinz]

Ash Smith had an awesome game too.
Joint nomination?

I thought Smithy was excellent last night, but you normally need to play a few good games in a row to earn a RS nom, and there are a few others players who haven't got one yet who would deserve it.

Darling would be a very worthy nomination.

 

[swannies]

I got sick of his crapping on when he chose to mention that Darling had been a trouble-maker as a kid for the 15th time, instead of calling the play which was a Cox tap-down straight to Kerr on the run.

CCouldn't agree more, special comments dicks like Darcy talking over the call of the game is becoming a bit of a blight on the coverage of games.

Don't rate Darce as any commentators rectum. Maybe a nice bloke but needs to GTFO of the comm box.

It's all about selective listening people, didn't even hear those other comments. But, I will now that you've drawn my attention to it when I watch the replay again tonight.

 

[Lyyynnnchy]

Yet how many voted for his selection last draft? Most wanted the other potential guns like Gaff, Atley, Hepple and co.

I DID.....YAY. The second coming of Jonno Brown.....even looks like him!!!

No it was just he wasnt worth pick 4 (at the time) and no1 thought he would last until pick 26.

 

[rgauci]

The Freo recruiting guys seemed taken aback in the 2008 draft video and had to take a pause and regroup back into the recruiting team huddle to have a rethink when their plan-A of drafting Swift went out the door 1 selection before their pick. Such a reaction suggests that Swift was firmly in their sights.
Freo's surprise didn't come from WC overlooking Ballantyne, it was from WC taking a player that Freo were going to select.

Freo pounced on Ballantyne at pick 21. That was a good move because Freo had no picks before WC's next pick at #36, where WC would likely have selected Ballantyne. Freo had to jump at Ballantyne earlier than expected knowing this.

Ballantyne was always going to out-perform Swift early on. Ballantyne was drafted at 21 years old.
Swift is playing catch up due to missing two years of junior development. He, unlike Ballantyne, was drafted at 18 years old.

Ballantyne gets the points over Swift for early impact, but that's the case 99% of the time when pitting a youngster against a mature aged recruit.

Ballantyne had contact from West Coast pre draft suggesting he was a possibility at pick 18 or 20 depending on how things panned out. Fremantle were also interested.

So in some aspects you are right. West Coast would of jumped at pick 36. On the other hand Freo were genuinely surprised he was still available and grabbed him ASAP. If we didn't rate him we would of waited to pick 24 (which we used for Suban) a few selections later. We did have a pick between 21 and 36.

Your missing my main point. The commentators would have a field day with Ballantyne and Darling in the same forwardline.

 

[Lyyynnnchy]

Picks 18 and 20 were way to early to be used on Ballantyne. Freo were accused of jumping early to get him themselves at pick 24 or whatever it was.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. West Coast were never going to use 18 or 20 on Ballantyne

 

[Art OF war]

Ballantyne had contact from West Coast pre draft suggesting he was a possibility at pick 18 or 20 depending on how things panned out. Fremantle were also interested.

So in some aspects you are right. West Coast would of jumped at pick 36. On the other hand Freo were genuinely surprised he was still available and grabbed him ASAP. If we didn't rate him we would of waited to pick 24 (which we used for Suban) a few selections later. We did have a pick between 21 and 36.

Your missing my main point. The commentators would have a field day with Ballantyne and Darling in the same forwardline.

I would love to have Hayden in the WCE jumper as well as my Darling. I would be sore from all the wood i would be sporting (pun intended)

 

[Marlin01]

It's all about selective listening people, didn't even hear those other comments. But, I will now that you've drawn my attention to it when I watch the replay again tonight.

Yep, I have a very important article to re-read again.

An Eagles victory provides my with at least 9 hours of additional entertainment.

 

[tesseract]

Ballantyne had contact from West Coast pre draft suggesting he was a possibility at pick 18 or 20 depending on how things panned out. Fremantle were also interested.

So in some aspects you are right. West Coast would of jumped at pick 36. On the other hand Freo were genuinely surprised he was still available and grabbed him ASAP. If we didn't rate him we would of waited to pick 24 (which we used for Suban) a few selections later. We did have a pick between 21 and 36.

Your missing my main point. The commentators would have a field day with Ballantyne and Darling in the same forwardline.

I forgot the Warnock trade for pick 24 that landed Freo Suban.

I understood your point, I just wanted to discuss my thoughts regarding that draft.
What came to my mind was the cartoon Huckleberry Hound, where he sings: "Oh my darling Clemantine." Just change to Ballantyne.

 

[pantskyle]

Comfortably can say that Darling would have been a good pick up at 1,2 or 3.

I like Gaff and expect big things from the solid start he has had but I can't help imagining how we would be going if we had taken my pick Heppell at 4.

 

[Prem87]

Heppell is good but Gaff will be better.

 

[pantskyle]

Yeah I love Dilli. He need's to play more. Starter next week.

 

[sTeeL]

Did someone mention that Darling is 4th for Average Contested Marks this year? Same as a certain J Brown

 

[Ochre]

Comfortably can say that Darling would have been a good pick up at 1,2 or 3.

I like Gaff and expect big things from the solid start he has had but I can't help imagining how we would be going if we had taken my pick Heppell at 4.

The season is 6 rounds old ffs. Two years ago people were saying Fremantle had stuffed up horribly taking Hill over Rich.

 

[pantskyle]

^^^And what part of my post are you whining about?

 

[anti_]

we'd be going fairly similar.

heppell is a great young player, but he's hardly been a match winner for the dons at the moment. he's playing his role well, as has gaff.

if anything, i'd say gaff has had a bigger impact on results for us than what heppell has had for the dons.