Premier A - 2013

[pazza]

Any stand outs for the teams at all Pazza?

Caulf any chance of getting back up to A Grade? Aware it's still early days.

Hard to tell except to say Caulfield have a very young list and that new coach O'Shaughnessy has a job on his hands to keep them up in Prem B. Xavs on the other hand seem primed for another good year - even though the match was very scrappy, the size difference was telling and the forward options at Xavs disposal would concern other clubs.

 

[flat footy]

Hard to tell except to say Caulfield have a very young list and that new coach O'Shaughnessy has a job on his hands to keep them up in Prem B. Xavs on the other hand seem primed for another good year - even though the match was very scrappy, the size difference was telling and the forward options at Xavs disposal would concern other clubs.

P, what your saying is quite right. The body size is something a lot of people tend to disregard. Seasoned 25 - 26 year olds can be daunting to a young U19.
Anything new in Xavs forward line from last year. Towards the end of last year they were battling to kick winning scores? D Lynch was spending more and more time down back ie : the Grand Final.......

 

[pazza]

P, what your saying is quite right. The body size is something a lot of people tend to disregard. Seasoned 25 - 26 year olds can be daunting to a young U19.
Anything new in Xavs forward line from last year. Towards the end of last year they were battling to kick winning scores? D Lynch was spending more and more time down back ie : the Grand Final.......

Whoever #12 is kicked about 5 of the 16 goals on the day...but, they had many options.

 

[Brissel]

Bernard's are rumoured to unveil one last big recruit

watch this space

 

[darwinderwin]

Bernard's are rumoured to unveil one last big recruit

watch this space

And one of my students is telling me that Uni Blacks have an ex AFL premiership player signed up and ready to go. The wrong side of 30 but apparantly still goes around rather nicely. Supposedly to add more grunt to an engine room lacking size. I've been told the 2000 premiership which would make sense given Mark Boltons connections with the UBs.

Look forward to seeing who the Bernards have picked up. It seems that they and Scotch have been the big winners around the recruiting table.

 

[IT Man]

With all this talk of former AFL players or high profile players from state or local leagues entering amateur ranks this year, I have been trying to think of the last team that was truly successful by a mass influx of these type of players.

I think Haileybury in '06 won with ex AFL people in the team, i.e. Stewart Leowe, Paul Corrigan, Carl Steinfort. But those guys had a connection with the school and the team was already very accomplished in previous years.

Collegians had a "super team" in 2008 with quite a few ex AFL players all coming in at one time but eventually lost to St Bedes, who were all home grown from the school and local area. Collegians won a few years later back-to-back with almost all who went to the school or had been at the club for more than one year, i.e. Jack Bull, Barclay Dixon, Troon.

And so to this year... I do wonder whether the former AFL players Scotch have recruited (Gilbee, Ed Barlow) will be enough to get them over the line, or when it gets tough in big games that these players don't have enough care for the club, and won't push to the same level that the home grown players will. I think Barlow is a Scotch guy though.

Uni Blues the same. Ross Young an exception of course.

My feeling is that the AFL players, or other high profile players brought in, can only ever be the cream on top of an already very good football team but not the nucleus.

Thoughts?

 

[flat footy]

And one of my students is telling me that Uni Blacks have an ex AFL premiership player signed up and ready to go. The wrong side of 30 but apparantly still goes around rather nicely. Supposedly to add more grunt to an engine room lacking size. I've been told the 2000 premiership which would make sense given Mark Boltons connections with the UBs.

Look forward to seeing who the Bernards have picked up. It seems that they and Scotch have been the big winners around the recruiting table.

Keep things in perspective re: Scotch and Bernards recruiting. Just because no one else is talking up the other clubs recruiting efforts doesnt mean they(the clubs) have been asleep over summer. Dig a little harder, you maybe surprised what you find.

 

[darwinderwin]

Keep things in perspective re: Scotch and Bernards recruiting. Just because no one else is talking up the other clubs recruiting efforts doesnt mean they(the clubs) have been asleep over summer. Dig a little harder, you maybe surprised what you find.

I don't have a spade, so am relying on others to do the digging! All will be revealed in a few weeks time I guess.

 

[go_nodders]

With all this talk of former AFL players or high profile players from state or local leagues entering amateur ranks this year, I have been trying to think of the last team that was truly successful by a mass influx of these type of players.

I think Haileybury in '06 won with ex AFL people in the team, i.e. Stewart Leowe, Paul Corrigan, Carl Steinfort. But those guys had a connection with the school and the team was already very accomplished in previous years.

Collegians had a "super team" in 2008 with quite a few ex AFL players all coming in at one time but eventually lost to St Bedes, who were all home grown from the school and local area. Collegians won a few years later back-to-back with almost all who went to the school or had been at the club for more than one year, i.e. Jack Bull, Barclay Dixon, Troon.

And so to this year... I do wonder whether the former AFL players Scotch have recruited (Gilbee, Ed Barlow) will be enough to get them over the line, or when it gets tough in big games that these players don't have enough care for the club, and won't push to the same level that the home grown players will. I think Barlow is a Scotch guy though.

Uni Blues the same. Ross Young an exception of course.

My feeling is that the AFL players, or other high profile players brought in, can only ever be the cream on top of an already very good football team but not the nucleus.

Thoughts?

Carl Steinfort was a Mazenod boy so no school ties there.
Speaking to a mate of mine who is still involved at club level and the topic of Heath Black playing at Mazenod came up. He said something very interesting about the recruiting of ex AFL players - they are only worth getting if they buy-in to the club and its success.
I never thought of it like that before and its very true. If they are not completely in it (poor training ethic, coming and going when they please) then it can work in reverse.
I agree IT Man, getting right with ex AFL player or hired guns is extremely hard and very rarely comes off.

 

[flat footy]

With all this talk of former AFL players or high profile players from state or local leagues entering amateur ranks this year, I have been trying to think of the last team that was truly successful by a mass influx of these type of players.

I think Haileybury in '06 won with ex AFL people in the team, i.e. Stewart Leowe, Paul Corrigan, Carl Steinfort. But those guys had a connection with the school and the team was already very accomplished in previous years.

Collegians had a "super team" in 2008 with quite a few ex AFL players all coming in at one time but eventually lost to St Bedes, who were all home grown from the school and local area. Collegians won a few years later back-to-back with almost all who went to the school or had been at the club for more than one year, i.e. Jack Bull, Barclay Dixon, Troon.

And so to this year... I do wonder whether the former AFL players Scotch have recruited (Gilbee, Ed Barlow) will be enough to get them over the line, or when it gets tough in big games that these players don't have enough care for the club, and won't push to the same level that the home grown players will. I think Barlow is a Scotch guy though.

Uni Blues the same. Ross Young an exception of course.

My feeling is that the AFL players, or other high profile players brought in, can only ever be the cream on top of an already very good football team but not the nucleus.

Thoughts?

I just want to make it clear that those ex AFL players" IT" refers to for Collegs were all ex school. Ben Robbins was earlier again. He is correct, Bulls, Troon and Dixon came later. I guess what Im getting at is ex AFL players going back to their school are more likely to succeed than complete "ringins" with no sentimental connections.

 

[youlike]

I couldn’t agree more re the ex-AFL players, they are great if they have ties to the club or a lot of other mates playing there but if not you find a lot of them play for a year or 2 then move on. I’d much rather have an old boy come back from playing VFL or EFL etc than focus on recruiting ex AFL. There are of course exemptions from this like Houla from OS who I don’t believe had any ties to the club but fit in, enjoyed it and has hung around (which is F**king great for Ammo footy)

 

[flat footy]

I couldn’t agree more re the ex-AFL players, they are great if they have ties to the club or a lot of other mates playing there but if not you find a lot of them play for a year or 2 then move on. I’d much rather have an old boy come back from playing VFL or EFL etc than focus on recruiting ex AFL. There are of course exemptions from this like Houla from OS who I don’t believe had any ties to the club but fit in, enjoyed it and has hung around (which is F**king great for Ammo footy)

"Youlike," your correct on every count!!!!

 

[BlueJet]

With all this talk of former AFL players or high profile players from state or local leagues entering amateur ranks this year, I have been trying to think of the last team that was truly successful by a mass influx of these type of players.

I think Haileybury in '06 won with ex AFL people in the team, i.e. Stewart Leowe, Paul Corrigan, Carl Steinfort. But those guys had a connection with the school and the team was already very accomplished in previous years.

Collegians had a "super team" in 2008 with quite a few ex AFL players all coming in at one time but eventually lost to St Bedes, who were all home grown from the school and local area. Collegians won a few years later back-to-back with almost all who went to the school or had been at the club for more than one year, i.e. Jack Bull, Barclay Dixon, Troon.

And so to this year... I do wonder whether the former AFL players Scotch have recruited (Gilbee, Ed Barlow) will be enough to get them over the line, or when it gets tough in big games that these players don't have enough care for the club, and won't push to the same level that the home grown players will. I think Barlow is a Scotch guy though.

Uni Blues the same. Ross Young an exception of course.

My feeling is that the AFL players, or other high profile players brought in, can only ever be the cream on top of an already very good football team but not the nucleus.

Thoughts?

Good post.
I have limited knowledge of the Ammos but in regards to other local footy leagues this rings true as well. Quite often the players who have grown in a particular environment are the ones more likely to put that extra 5% effort to get the side over the line, whilst quite often the big names, they come play a role and bugger off again without really caring one way or another what happens to the club.

 

[AM]

There’s a link to the weekend practice matches here.

 

[Privateye]

St Bede's very busy picking up a number of other VAFA club's players - some pretty useful players too from Ormond, Oakleigh and Hampton. Interesting to see how many of these line up in their seniors.

 

[Bumbles]

Heard Blacks and Xavs was a very competitive hit out on the weekend, with Xavs getting over the line by a couple of goals. No doubt both sides would have had several players missing, however looks as if Blacks will be highly competitive this season if nothing else. From what I hear about Kempton, it would be silly to expect anything less.

 

[darwinderwin]

Heard Blacks and Xavs was a very competitive hit out on the weekend, with Xavs getting over the line by a couple of goals. No doubt both sides would have had several players missing, however looks as if Blacks will be highly competitive this season if nothing else. From what I hear about Kempton, it would be silly to expect anything less.

Yes, was a very competitive hit out for both seniors and reserves. Blacks up in the reserves by a goal and Xavs in the seniors by two. Looks as though Xavs benefited from having already played a game the week before as they jumped the Blacks in the first half. The uni certainly finished the game the stronger team although the entire game lacked polish. I guess thats preseason footy though. No 'marquee' players for either club. Looks like recruiting talk may just be that, all talk.

Any other reports from the weekend?

 

[flat footy]

Yes, was a very competitive hit out for both seniors and reserves. Blacks up in the reserves by a goal and Xavs in the seniors by two. Looks as though Xavs benefited from having already played a game the week before as they jumped the Blacks in the first half. The uni certainly finished the game the stronger team although the entire game lacked polish. I guess thats preseason footy though. No 'marquee' players for either club. Looks like recruiting talk may just be that, all talk.

Any other reports from the weekend?

From what I hear, wasnt there, but Collegs accounted for Uni Blues with relative ease. Players out from
both sides of course and it was only a pracca game. Collegs first match, Uni Blues second..

 

[Max Leader]

Must have been Registration Day at Uni Blacks yesterday. Registered a gazillion players.
Are Xavs keeping their card close to their chest, as they have only signed two players year to date.
Or are they waiting for the resurrection of christ to register 2 gazillion players.

 

[You Heard Me]

Joel Rice comes back home and goes to Carey. Thought Marcellin would be the go.
Great pick up, great bloke and has been a top WAFL player for the last 8 seasons. Probably 27-28 y/o so still plenty to offer.

 

[flat footy]

Joel Rice comes back home and goes to Carey. Thought Marcellin would be the go.
Great pick up, great bloke and has been a top WAFL player for the last 8 seasons. Probably 27-28 y/o so still plenty to offer.

Marc arent in A Grade and at this point in time, dont look like it in the near future either.

 

[darwinderwin]

Must have been Registration Day at Uni Blacks yesterday. Registered a gazillion players.
Are Xavs keeping their card close to their chest, as they have only signed two players year to date.
Or are they waiting for the resurrection of christ to register 2 gazillion players.

Noticed a registration for Adam Pattison for the Blacks. That is a good pick up. Had strong form in the VFL last year (when he played). Im surprised Hawthorn let him go.

 

[Dk#1]

Surprised no one here has said who the new Bernard's recruit is.
Half of Essendon know by now.

 

[darwinderwin]

Surprised no one here has said who the new Bernard's recruit is.
Half of Essendon know by now.

Who might it be DK?

 

[Chris Griffin]

Who might it be DK?

DA... DA DA... DA DAA... DA... DA DA... DA DAA

The VAFA can only benefit having those skills off a half back flank!