Discussion Our 2012 draftees

[SaintsSeptember]

Yeah I'd rather keep Saad in the forward line as well. He's our Rioli.

That was my gut feeling but Schnieder's not been winning the contested ball, while both Milne and Schnieder can be pretty good at getting the ball in the 50. But then if it goes to ground Saad has a very good chance of winning it back.
Then there's TDL who only scores around 88 based on his game last year.

Dunnel and Sippo did OK considering the role they were given, lets hope they continue to improve.

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

Absolutely that would be preferred - if they step up (Newnes is a top midfield prospect too - hopefully he and Seb can avoid the 2nd year blues).

Agree re Newnes - going to be a great player and meant to be a great person too! There's that word again - character

 

[Yoda_]

Cheers for that info re Pierce and Wright, much appreciated and same to you for next year, even though you pinched BJ off us.

Just on Wright, did he spend much time in the guts at all, any time you saw him (or that you've heard)? Given his skill set and physical attributes, he seems like someone who to me could be ideal in the middle, especially given his apparently good 1v1 ability and strength, aggression and speed.

And what are your thoughts on Pongracic?

Wright spent the majority of the year in the back half, the Rays had a very strong on ball unit this year (Pongracic, Whitfield although hindered by OP played forward a lot, Tuddenham, Foote, Rolfe etc).

I wouldn't be so sure on him becoming an inside midfielder, seems like a natural half back flanker/pocket.

Jason 'Pongo' Pongracic travelled the hour distance from Koo Wee Rup to Stingrays truing each week. A very (very, very, very) solid boy. Yes he may have got by on pure size, but he continually pushed and pushed and pushed to get to contests.

Reminds me a lot of a Brad Sewell/Dane Swan type, very unfashionable but highly effective.

Goal kicking good for a midfielder, disposal neat and tidy and is a clearance machine. In a FT environment he could be a useful onball rotation, after being on his horse early, I watched a couple of games and have dice back peddled thinking the upside is not as great as the immediate impact.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Wright spent the majority of the year in the back half, the Rays had a very strong on ball unit this year (Pongracic, Whitfield although hindered by OP played forward a lot, Tuddenham, Foote, Rolfe etc).

I wouldn't be so sure on him becoming an inside midfielder, seems like a natural half back flanker/pocket.

Jason 'Pongo' Pongracic travelled the hour distance from Koo Wee Rup to Stingrays truing each week. A very (very, very, very) solid boy. Yes he may have got by on pure size, but he continually pushed and pushed and pushed to get to contests.

Reminds me a lot of a Brad Sewell/Dane Swan type, very unfashionable but highly effective.

Goal kicking good for a midfielder, disposal neat and tidy and is a clearance machine. In a FT environment he could be a useful onball rotation, after being on his horse early, I watched a couple of games and have dice back peddled thinking the upside is not as great as the immediate impact.

OK, cool, thanks for that.

 

[saintsrfreak]

OK, cool, thanks for that.

I think that's the shortest reply you've ever written

 

[aussierulesrules]

Really?

 

[stkildathunda]

Really?

That would have been without the ? in there

 

[stkildathunda]

“As a junior I was a midfield/forward. I was mainly in the midfield in the younger grades and as I got towards A-grade at country level I played at full-forward. Last year I played in the backline and midfield and all over the place. I’m not sure what position the coaches are interested in me playing but I can’t wait to find out.” - Murdoch

 

[hayes]

We all know versatility is Watters' favourite word so no doubt that's why we went with Murdoch over someone like Membrey.

 

[Squizz]

Murdoch & White (includes video)

http://www.saints.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5315/newsid/151760/default.aspx

 

[aussierulesrules]

That would have been without the ? in there

O rly?

 

[Persevering Saint]

Definitely like the idea of Mr Geary becoming an inside midfielder. Has the tank, the toughness.

 

[stkildathunda]

Definitely like the idea of Mr Geary becoming an inside midfielder. Has the tank, the toughness.

Has won both time trials this year

 

[Persevering Saint]

So tank, and pace, with hardness. He COULD be an inside/outside midfielder, much like Dal (only without the kicking efficiency, of course).

 

[SaintsSeptember]

So tank, and pace, with hardness. He COULD be an inside/outside midfielder, much like Dal (only without the kicking efficiency, of course).

But comparing very nicely to Jones.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I remember in his first year of prominence for us Gears would get plenty of possessions and give us a lot of run, but then he bulked up enormously in the following preseason and to me was almost unrecognisable at the start of the following season. He went from skinny to "hulk" and I don't think it did him any favours at all, as he had a much quieter season, got a lot less of the ball and seemed to lose all the run that he'd had the previous season.

If they find the ideal balance for him, bulk wise, he could go back to getting a bunch of the footy and giving us good drive through the middle of the ground again. Would probably all be dependent on finding someone else to play BP though, hence my TDL suggestion.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Interested in seeing what we do with Murdoch.

191cm. Seems extremely versatile. Kicked a lot of goals as well as providing run out of defense. Could even play middle? 191 seems a nice height.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I've seen him listed at 191cm previously, but everything "official" lately has had him at 187cm. He may have shrunk, or else the 191 was a mistake. He does look to be a big unit though and certainly has the body to be able to play AFL footy tomorrow.

 

[saintsrfreak]

Interested in seeing what we do with Murdoch.

191cm. Seems extremely versatile. Kicked a lot of goals as well as providing run out of defense. Could even play middle? 191 seems a nice height.

BJ replacement? Has extremely similar characteristics, big bodied, can play several positions, elite kicking.

 

[tbarker]

Has won both time trials this year

He also won the Bendigo Pioneers B&F as a midfielder ahead of Joel Selwood. Mind you - that might have been the year that Selwood had knee issues. The knock on Geary is that his kicking lacks penetration. He seems to flick his leg by bending at the knee as opposed to driving from the hip. As a result he often chips the ball and it floats. I agree that he had a superb year but often it was his judgement and clean hands - not his kicking. So where is his best position? I like him where he is because he has great discipline.

 

[Squizz]

So tank, and pace, with hardness. He COULD be an inside/outside midfielder, much like Dal (only without the kicking efficiency, of course).

Geary has been well performed in time trials for years.

Jan 2008 "The players and coaching staff have returned today and apparently there was a time trial held this morning with Robert Eddy recording the fastest time, followed by Jason Blake and Jarryn Geary."

Nov 2008 http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/off-to-a-real-flyer/story-e6frexz0-1111118110568
Not even a fortnight since Chris Judd tore up the track in a 10.33 time trial around Princes Park, not one but three St Kilda players have bettered his mark. Leigh Fisher was first home ... Jarryn Geary (9.59) and Robert Eddy (10.10) also beat the mark set by the Blues captain 13 days ago.

Happy to try it (he has been well performed in the midfield in the VFL), but I'd wonder whether at his pace he'd be under constant pressure as an AFL mid (exposing his kicking - my view is he does take a little while to get it onto his boot). Yes - he is quicker than Lenny (but he ain't Lenny).

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I remember in his first year of prominence for us Gears would get plenty of possessions and give us a lot of run, but then he bulked up enormously in the following preseason and to me was almost unrecognisable at the start of the following season. He went from skinny to "hulk" and I don't think it did him any favours at all, as he had a much quieter season, got a lot less of the ball and seemed to lose all the run that he'd had the previous season.

If they find the ideal balance for him, bulk wise, he could go back to getting a bunch of the footy and giving us good drive through the middle of the ground again. Would probably all be dependent on finding someone else to play BP though, hence my TDL suggestion.

first year 10 games average 11 disposals ( max 21 )
Second year 15 games average 17 disp ( max 24 ) plus a handy 7 goals.
third year 19 games average 16.5 disp ( max 25 ) 4 goals
2011 injured 8 games average 10 disp ( max 16 ) plus Lyon went stupid with defensive game.
2012 20 games , average 18 disp ( max 27 twice ).

I've always seen him as a steady improver and didnt get the impression that he'd bulked up to much at all. I put it down to Lyon only wanting his designated ball movers to actually gain possession.

 

[aussierulesrules]

There was definitely one year where he came back from preseason and as I said, I could hardly recognise him as he had bulked up so much. It was one of the bigger turnarounds I'd seen over one preseason, if not the biggest.

Going by those stats, I would suggest it was between those 2nd and third years. By the looks of it he didn't drop back much at all in the stats, but maybe it was more that I was expecting him to up the ante and get more in that 3rd year and instead he went back slightly in numbers and he also seemed to me to have lost a lot of his run and carry that year, compared to the previous one, when it was a feature of his game. Maybe that was an instruction, but I'm more inclined to think it was due to his body shape and weight changing so much over a short period of time. To me, that previous year was significantly better, whether it is reflected in the stats or not.

 

[Squizz]

http://www.frankstonweekly.com.au/story/1143771/afl-draft-newly-picked-saint-off-to-us/?cs=1575

The first call Pierce received from the Saints was from someone quizzing him about his passport.

"I've got to go and buy some cold-weather gear."

"St Kilda is so close and with their ruck situation and their developing list I couldn't be happier. Mum was probably the one who didn't want me to go anywhere."

(on fellow Stingray Nathan Wright) "It's pretty good that when you've got your first day there you will know someone. Tom Curren came from Mt Eliza as well and he was training with us when I first started with the Stingrays. Darren Minchington is another one at the Saints who is from the peninsula."

"I guess I just need to bulk up a bit to make sure I don't get injured."

Pierce joined the Stingrays' program as an under-15 player. He was also a member of Haileybury College's successful football program and played the bulk of his junior football with Mt Eliza Redlegs.

Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats said Pierce had all the attributes to be successful and was confident his injury woes were just "growing pains".

"I haven't seen many kids at 203 that can pick the ball up off the ground like him," he said. "He's certainly a project player but if you look at players like Sandilands and Cox they took a while."

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

So might be a few years before we see Pierce then heh.

Order of likelihood getting a game next year?

Wright
Murdoch
Saunders
White
Pierce

Although I do remember not many people expecting Siposs to be the first to get a game in 2011 or Newnes to be the first to get a game this year. Saunders to surprise!?