Player Watch Pick #49 (2020) - Ollie Lord

[RossFC]

 

[JimmyBC]

I see the best mix up forward as Marshall, MG & Finlayson tbh & we've already screwed with that via Dixon returning plus dropping Hayes & taking Finlayson out of position.

I'm not sure where Lord fits at present as MG is the best forward talent currently out of the side & needs to come back in.

 

[Rising Power]

Point taken.

If he's happy to be a swingman for the length of his career, then fine. But needs to be elite at at least one end of the ground.

 

[PJ Power]

I love what Lord’s showing and hope and believe that he can become something special at AFL level. I agree that we need to get Georgiades back in the AFL side first, and suspect they’ll do that starting with this week.

I’d be happy with Lord playing this year out at SANFL level to become more and more confident and ultimately dominant. First opportunity - form or injury to Marshall, Dixon, Finlayson, Georgiades - he should get a chance at the top level.

 

[Chewy316]

I found out a few weeks ago Ollie has an aunt and some cousins who live in Adelaide. Spoke to one of the family members and apparently he was very close to being selected (not just a token emergency). His development has been a real bright spot this year in the Magpies.

 

[RangaInTeal]

If we lose to the Swans this week, put Dixon, Gray and Jonas on Ice, play Ollie Lord, Dyl Williams and Lachie Jones in their places.

 

[PowerLil]

If we lose to the Swans this week, put Dixon, Gray and Jonas on Ice, play Ollie Lord, Dyl Williams and Lachie Jones in their places.

Dixon is Hinkley's pet. There is no way he'll be put on ice. We've been told by our master coach not to expect too much from Charlie

 

[PJ Power]

Dixon is Hinkley's pet. There is no way he'll be put on ice. We've been told by our master coach not to expect too much from Charlie

“Doesn’t matter how many goals he kicks, he just needs to compete and bring the ball to ground” - for which crumbing small forwards I have no idea.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Ollie Lord's upward trajectory has been clear this year. It's been great to see him taking the next step from flashes of ability and general awkwardness to real mobility and sticky fingered marking. He is patrolling the forward line and brings aggression and competitiveness to each contested situation.

 

[PJ Power]

Ollie Lord's upward trajectory has been clear this year. It's been great to see him taking the next step from flashes of ability and general awkwardness to real mobility and sticky fingered marking. He is patrolling the forward line and brings aggression and competitiveness to each contested situation.

Yep - it’s the consistency and reliability of his efforts in both aerial and ground contests that stand out. Best possible trait for any player, especially a CHF.

 

[Lefti93]

Ollie Lord's upward trajectory has been clear this year. It's been great to see him taking the next step from flashes of ability and general awkwardness to real mobility and sticky fingered marking. He is patrolling the forward line and brings aggression and competitiveness to each contested situation.

love sticky fingers mmmmm

 

[Loony Juice]

If we lose to the Swans this week, put Dixon, Gray and Jonas on Ice, play Ollie Lord, Dyl Williams and Lachie Jones in their places.

WTF? Make the realistic, positive, long term, team and player developing type coaching moves that are obvious to anyone with a shred of footy knowledge???

Bailey Smith your account will be suspended in the interim

 

[snozulu]

I know Lord is currently playing in defence and would be interested to know how he looks from those who have seen him play there. With our current depth of KF is Lord better off trying his hand down back long term to get a game at AFL level or is that a waste of his development as a natural KF prospect?

 

[Bennie the Nurse]

I know Lord is currently playing in defence and would be interested to know how he looks from those who have seen him play there. With our current depth of KF is Lord better off trying his hand down back long term to get a game at AFL level or is that a waste of his development as a natural KF prospect?

I think developing Lord as a key defender is a very good idea ….. we have been a little undersized in defence for a long time. I think another summer in the gym and Lord will be physically matured enough to hold his own. At the least it’s a pathway for him into the senior team.

 

[JUSTWORK]

I know Lord is currently playing in defence and would be interested to know how he looks from those who have seen him play there. With our current depth of KF is Lord better off trying his hand down back long term to get a game at AFL level or is that a waste of his development as a natural KF prospect?

I haven't seen him play a single game in defence, but up forward we have Marshall, MG, Finlayson & Dixon up as well as young rucks Visentini & Teakle who could play as a second ruck spending time up forward.

In defence we have 1 gun defender in Aliir. Undersized but more than handy defenders when they are on in Clurey & McKenzie and a very undersized Jonas. Outside of that there is the untested Pasini who is also undersized.

A genuine big key defender is one of our biggest needs at the moment and Lord at 197 has the height and has shown to be a pretty handy contested mark. He probably needs to put on some size and strength, but its definitely in the team interest to see if we can turn him into a AFL standard key defender.

 

[Portwon]

Have seen a bit of him for th Maggie's and he is my buddy. In my opinion he is a natural forward and I think was just getting his body close his ability to complete. I would have selected him.

Don't mind it short term as you learn but I think it is a waste of his considerable talent as a forward. He would get there but would be another season and a bit at least to be a really effective backman ( as opposed to a tall that plays back).

What do I know though. I would play a ruckman in my football team.

 

[PJ Power]

I think Lord would/will develop into a fine AFL level forward, but necessity will make us develop him as the big marking defender we desperately lack. I’m ok with that given that Marshall has developed so well as the go-to key forward and that Georgiades still promises to be a star tall forward. The recruitment of both Teakle and Visentini also gives us two young athletic rucks who can play as mobile, resting forwards.

We still need to recruit more height up forward and in defence, but Lord’s pathway to AFL selection could easily be as a tall defender to replace Clurey/McKenzie while Pasini, health permitting, can replace Jonas.

 

[Macca19]

I like him a lot, but lets face it, he'll be another Mason Shaw. Have a great run of form, not get a look in, lose form, delisted.

 

[PJ Power]

I like him a lot, but lets face it, he'll be another Mason Shaw. Have a great run of form, not get a look in, lose form, delisted.

I reckon we rate him more highly than we ever rated Shaw, but yeah, we should have already backed him in for an AFL debut by now.

 

[philthy05]

Regardless of our lack of tall defenders or depth of tall forwards needing to be addressed, moving lord back halfway through a year where he has just established form and shown something is dumb as dog s**t and is much more likely to end badly than pay off.

I think he’s much more likely as a kf / 2nd ruck type, and question his mobility and speed off the mark, especially his speed off the mark to play in defense… but even if I’m wrong switching him this early when he’s just shown something forward is absolutely a bad call. Even if it paid off it’s a bad call, cause it will fail 2 dozen times before it works once.

When a player starts to show something don’t pull the ******* rug out from under them and be surprised when they fall down.

Idiots.

 

[PJ Power]

Regardless of our lack of tall defenders or depth of tall forwards needing to be addressed, moving lord back halfway through a year where he has just established form and shown something is dumb as dog s**t and is much more likely to end badly than pay off.

I think he’s much more likely as a kf / 2nd ruck type, and question his mobility and speed off the mark, especially his speed off the mark to play in defense… but even if I’m wrong switching him this early when he’s just shown something forward is absolutely a bad call. Even if it paid off it’s a bad call, cause it will fail 2 dozen times before it works once.

When a player starts to show something don’t pull the ******* rug out from under them and be surprised when they fall down.

Idiots.

Agree with you, inspite of the fact that I hope it works

 

[RossFC]

I like him a lot, but lets face it, he'll be another Mason Shaw. Have a great run of form, not get a look in, lose form, delisted.

That's my feeling as soon as they moved him down back. They did the same thing with Mason Shaw as well.

 

[Blinky Nyland]

That's my feeling as soon as they moved him down back. They did the same thing with Mason Shaw as well.

I think it is worth a try to see how he goes down back. Greg Philips started as a half forward flanker, I'm hoping Lord follows his pattern and not Mason Shaws. Lord will need to work on a couple of things, such as maintaining his balance in body on body contests and when changing direction, to make a success of the position.

 

[1954]

I reckon some posters are drawing a very long bow with Mason Shaw, I used to attend most Alberton games at that time and in my opinion he showed a lot less ability than Ollie Lord at the same stage of their careers, he simply wasn't strong enough to take the pack marks Lord has, and the Maggie's team back then was arguably a fair bit better than the current one.

I thought he was moved to the backline because he wasn't doing a lot up forward, and I don't believe he did anything special when he returned to the wafl either, but I don't take a lot of notice of that comp so that opinion could be wrong.

I can also recall comments along the lines of him being a bit aloof and not particularly popular with his team mates, which may or may not have had any credence, but there were times in after game celebrations where he didn't appear to show a lot of interest in singing the Maggie's song.

I suspect his mother ringing 5double crow and complaining about the club wouldn't have helped his chances of being redrafted by another club either.

 

[Powerage]

Regardless of our lack of tall defenders or depth of tall forwards needing to be addressed, moving lord back halfway through a year where he has just established form and shown something is dumb as dog s**t and is much more likely to end badly than pay off.

I think he’s much more likely as a kf / 2nd ruck type, and question his mobility and speed off the mark, especially his speed off the mark to play in defense… but even if I’m wrong switching him this early when he’s just shown something forward is absolutely a bad call. Even if it paid off it’s a bad call, cause it will fail 2 dozen times before it works once.

When a player starts to show something don’t pull the ******* rug out from under them and be surprised when they fall down.

Idiots.

So moving Chad Cornes to CHB in 2004 after kicking a career high 29 goals in 2003 was a bad call? Or Shaun Burgoyne to a rebounding defender after kicking 39 goals in 2003? It's not uncommon, it can pay off big and if it doesn't work they can always move him back. Right now he is more likely to get a game as a tall defender if he shows anything there as a tall forward so chances are he is just as happy playing back.