List Mgmt. Our current 23 yo and under team

[Bigeasy]

When you read across the Bigfooty boards, you often see a thread about who has the best young list. The arbitrary age in most cases seems to be 23 so I looked at our list and penned our best 23 and under team as at Jan 2019:

B: Turner McKay EVW
HB: Murphy Durdin LMac
C: Zuhraar LDU Dumont
HF: Walker Watson Hayden
F: Thomas Larkey Wilkinson

Rucks: Xerri Ahern Simpkin

Int: C Taylor Crocker McKenzie Scott

Of the above, only Lmac turns 24 prior to the season.

So, is the list in good shape? What are our defficiencies? What looks to be our strengths?

 

[Ocha905]

When you read across the Bigfooty boards, you often see a thread about who has the best young list. The arbitrary age in most cases seems to be 23 so I looked at our list and penned our best 23 and under team as at Jan 2019:

B: Turner McKay EVW
HB: Murphy Durdin LMac
C: Zuhraar LDU Dumont
HF: Walker Watson Hayden
F: Thomas Larkey Wilkinson

Rucks: Xerri Ahern Simpkin

Int: C Taylor Crocker McKenzie Scott

Of the above, only Lmac turns 24 prior to the season.

So, is the list in good shape? What are our deficiencies? What looks to be our strengths?

Midfield looks exceptional. Good balance of prospects all over the field. Can't remember a better youf farm in my time following.

Nitpicking here but lack of game experience the weakness when compared to rebuilt teams like the Bulldogs. Players like McKay, Larkey and EVW are clearly talented but haven't played enough to properly assess. Also Wood not making this mock team makes me worried he's Aaron Black 2.0

This is the brightest future outlook (on-field) I can recall.

 

[Shermanator]

I know its not the be all and end all, but heres the breakdown via draft pick;

B: 25 21 36
HB: R 16 8
C: R 4 30
HF: 23 34 R
F: 8 73 41

Rucks: 72 7 12

Int: 46 69 R 49

5 x 1st rounders
7 x 2nd rounders
10 x 3rd rounders to Rookies

 

[MagicalRoos]

What stands out to me is we are missing a young power forward (unless McKay ends up being that guy).

Even in our current team, our most aggressive forwards are probably a few inches short to consistently dominate in aerial contests.

 

[Uber Roo]

I can’t believe Durdin is under 23
Seems to have been around for ages


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[Pykie]

Midfield looks exceptional. Good balance of prospects all over the field. Can't remember a better youf farm in my time following.

Nitpicking here but lack of game experience the weakness when compared to rebuilt teams like the Bulldogs. Players like McKay, Larkey and EVW are clearly talented but haven't played enough to properly assess. Also Wood not making this mock team makes me worried he's Aaron Black 2.0

This is the brightest future outlook (on-field) I can recall.

This is easily our biggest problem.

We are 17th or 18th in the league for average games for players in this age group.

 

[King Corey]

Need to put up samples for other teams to compare. Otherwise Denis Pagan sister dancing can come into play.

 

[Clarke is King]

This is easily our biggest problem.

We are 17th or 18th in the league for average games for players in this age group.

I am not a sacks scotts guy but the lack of exposure of our youth has been an issue for as long as he has been in charge. I really hope to see some of these blokes force scotts and the selection committee's hand and make them drop underperforming old blokes.

 

[year of the roo]

To me there is potential amongst this lot (I'm sure 17 other team boards will say the same about theirs) but as Pykie has eluded to, we have put all our eggs in the aged 24+ basket.

Which makes it all the more important to not use a McKay/LDU in any trade for Kelly. It will imbalance us further.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

These guys will see limited opportunities unless selection ideals change.

 

[GarnerSmash]

These guys will see limited opportunities unless selection ideals change.

I think it has been made clear that if you are good enough it doesn't matter how old you are. How many young guys that we haven't played have gone on to be good players at other clubs?

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I think it has been made clear that if you are good enough it doesn't matter how old you are. How many young guys that we haven't played have gone on to be good players at other clubs?

McKay and Durdin should have played more games than they have. EVW also.

We used 31 players last year. The lowest in the league.

 

[kangaspurs]

McKay and Durdin should have played more games than they have. EVW also.

We used 31 players last year. The lowest in the league.

EVW has pretty much always played when he's been fit. It's not Scotts' fault that he's been injured so often. Agree on BMac though. And I seem to be one of the few that likes Durdin and still believe he's got the talent, but I'm not sure he's ever belted the door down.

I feel like that for the most part when we've had highly-talented kids they've got their opportunity. eg LMac, Simpkin, Dumont, LDU (but he was obviously struggling), Ahern. The problem is that we just haven't had that highly talented youth, but that seems to be changing now.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

EVW has pretty much always played when he's been fit. It's not Scotts' fault that he's been injured so often. Agree on BMac though. And I seem to be one of the few that likes Durdin and still believe he's got the talent, but I'm not sure he's ever belted the door down.

I feel like that for the most part when we've had highly-talented kids they've got their opportunity. eg LMac, Simpkin, Dumont, LDU (but he was obviously struggling), Ahern. The problem is that we just haven't had that highly talented youth, but that seems to be changing now.

My issue is not necessarily that they were banging the door down, it's that equivalent players in the seniors were stinking it up.

 

[Passmore]

EVW has pretty much always played when he's been fit. It's not Scotts' fault that he's been injured so often. Agree on BMac though. And I seem to be one of the few that likes Durdin and still believe he's got the talent, but I'm not sure he's ever belted the door down.

I feel like that for the most part when we've had highly-talented kids they've got their opportunity. eg LMac, Simpkin, Dumont, LDU (but he was obviously struggling), Ahern. The problem is that we just haven't had that highly talented youth, but that seems to be changing now.

If we were definite on McKay being a defender, the only way he gets a game last year is in place of Daw.



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[Hatchy1992]

I think if McKay is to make it, it's at CHF. He's got proper size and speed about him, and good overhead.

 

[GarnerSmash]

McKay and Durdin should have played more games than they have. EVW also.

We used 31 players last year. The lowest in the league.

Who would Durdin and McKay replaced? And yeah, EVW was a lock pre injury. Gonna be a gun.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Who would Durdin and McKay replaced? And yeah, EVW was a lock pre injury. Gonna be a gun.

Thompson was putrid for a few weeks on end. There's one.

Taz was clearly hampered for a lot of the season. He continued to play.

There is no dropping of players who aren't performing. Unless you're on the fringe.

 

[Firestarter]

WC played the second fewest players.

So... that's not the problem on its own.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

WC played the second fewest players.

So... that's not the problem on its own.

Two more than we used and they were sitting pretty.

We played some awful football and no one was dropped.

 

[Pykie]

EVW has pretty much always played when he's been fit. It's not Scotts' fault that he's been injured so often. Agree on BMac though. And I seem to be one of the few that likes Durdin and still believe he's got the talent, but I'm not sure he's ever belted the door down.

I feel like that for the most part when we've had highly-talented kids they've got their opportunity. eg LMac, Simpkin, Dumont, LDU (but he was obviously struggling), Ahern. The problem is that we just haven't had that highly talented youth, but that seems to be changing now.

He tends to give high picks a taste and a chance right off the bat. IF they don't impress they are usually in and out.

I'm not going to piss in his pocket too much with Ahern, he probably spent 3-4 weeks longer in the VFL than he should of and only came in because of an injury.

The same with Murphy and a few others, a decent amount have debuted as emergency's and tend to do well and stay in the team, that's probably even more of an indictment on him tbh, as they only get opportunities when he has no other option than to play them.

He's very resistant to drop out of form players, "he backs them in" to the point some are delisted at the end of a contract despite playing a major chunk of the year they are delisted in, which in turn means he doesn't turn the list over anywhere near as much as he should.

As was said earlier, we used the least amount of players in 2018, which is bad, considering the games averages of the u/23's was a real problem even leading into 2018. I don't abide to the line that they weren't ready, even guys like Higgins etc have said retrospectively that someone like McKay could of played all of 2018 as he was ready.


I don't have as many issues with Scott as a coach as some on here, but this is by far his biggest weakness as a coach.

 

[Waussie]

Not sure how strong WW is over head, but he makes good position for a HF. Hayden I know can take on the big guys over head, saw him take a screamer over WC Liam Ryan at training for the WAFL. No big players so play smaller player that can play big.

 

[RobZombie]

Also Wood not making this mock team makes me worried he's Aaron Black 2.0

Or that you can't really pick 25 year olds for a 23-and-under team.

Was drafted as an overager.

 

[Black2Blue]

EVW has pretty much always played when he's been fit. It's not Scotts' fault that he's been injured so often. Agree on BMac though. And I seem to be one of the few that likes Durdin and still believe he's got the talent, but I'm not sure he's ever belted the door down.

I feel like that for the most part when we've had highly-talented kids they've got their opportunity. eg LMac, Simpkin, Dumont, LDU (but he was obviously struggling), Ahern. The problem is that we just haven't had that highly talented youth, but that seems to be changing now.

I'm with you on this. See him as a slow burn. One of the chase down tackles in the VFL said enough to me that he is committed to the gig. And the stretch of games the McKay-Durdin defensive combination had in the VFL might start to pay dividends. I could see both of them potentially playing round 1 if they put together a solid pre-season.

 

[Clarke is King]

He tends to give high picks a taste and a chance right off the bat. IF they don't impress they are usually in and out.

I'm not going to piss in his pocket too much with Ahern, he probably spent 3-4 weeks longer in the VFL than he should of and only came in because of an injury.

The same with Murphy and a few others, a decent amount have debuted as emergency's and tend to do well and stay in the team, that's probably even more of an indictment on him tbh, as they only get opportunities when he has no other option than to play them.

He's very resistant to drop out of form players, "he backs them in" to the point some are delisted at the end of a contract despite playing a major chunk of the year they are delisted in, which in turn means he doesn't turn the list over anywhere near as much as he should.

As was said earlier, we used the least amount of players in 2018, which is bad, considering the games averages of the u/23's was a real problem even leading into 2018. I don't abide to the line that they weren't ready, even guys like Higgins etc have said retrospectively that someone like McKay could of played all of 2018 as he was ready.


I don't have as many issues with Scott as a coach as some on here, but this is by far his biggest weakness as a coach.

I really feel this has been our a achilles heal in going to that next level. I understand that as a small club we can't afford to bottom out but we have never had that group of 22-25 year olds with > 50-100 games played together, it always seems to be a lot of old blokes and a couple of really young blokes (normally the high draft picks) with not much in between. So many players have had shocking form patches but like you said Scott has "backed them in", which for mine is not right. While it might knock a players confidence around a bit being dropped that is not a reason to deny good form. Praying this year things are different.