Player Watch Ressies time.

[Espio]

Once upon a time it was not unusual to see players have 50 to 100 ressies games before they secured a senior spot.
Today the narrative after 2 years on the list is “x player is a bust”.
Is there recent examples of quality players who have had to bide their time?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[deck]

Once upon a time it was not unusual to see players have 50 to 100 ressies games before they secured a senior spot.
Today the narrative after 2 years on the list is “x player is a bust”.
Is there recent examples of quality players who have had to bide their time?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

To be fair a lot of these players started playing at 15 or 16 in the reserves. So they were a regular in the seniors by the time they were 20.

 

[HTT]

Kane Lambert played 4 seasons at Williamstown before being picked up by Richmond in the 2015 Rookie draft.
Is now a triple premiership player and may very well end up a 200 gamer.

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

Mick Barlow played plenty of VFL games. 3 odd years at Werribee and tried out with the Saints and Essendon in 2009.
Drafted in 2010 and had a big impact.
The sound when his leg busted was a thing I'll not forget.
He was never the same and went to play at the GC.

 

[La Dispute]

Took James Sicily a while to break into a strong (and then middle-of-the-road) Hawks team.

Stephen Motlop played VFL for 2 or 3 years IIRC before breaking into the Cats best 22.

 

[master bate]

He played 14 games in his second season so hardly had to wait all that long but I remember the fuss about Tom Mitchell getting 60 touches in the reserves in his 3rd year.

Gawn was in the 2's for a long time, but partly because he had 2 ACL's and a lot of other injuries. Still, he was behind Jamar and Spencer until it all clicked for him.

I reckon there's plenty of players especially at bad teams who don't ever get to truly dominate the state leagues. They come in, show a bit, get promoted up and then float around between the grades, with some stretches of good state league or decent role playing AFL footy but never really establish themselves.

With a lot of talented players you know pretty early they are far too good for the state league level but there's others who could really do with refining their game at a lower level and proving to everyone they are a class above before they get called up.

 

[Engimal v3]

Mick Barlow played plenty of VFL games. 3 odd years at Werribee and tried out with the Saints and Essendon in 2009.
Drafted in 2010 and had a big impact.
The sound when his leg busted was a thing I'll not forget.
He was never the same and went to play at the GC.

Barlow's first season was incredible before the injury. I couldn't believe he was playing at the top level for the first time.

 

[big_e]

Tim Kelly - 93 league games at South Fremantle
Marlion Pickett - 98 league games at South Fremantle
Sam Gibson - 102 league games at Box Hill

 

[Kappa]

Dane Swan played 30 games in his first 4 years, started slowly.

 

[Dez!]

James Jordon was drafted in 2018 and only made his debut (did miss time with injury) round 1 this season and looks pretty damn good.

Only 18 VFL games though thanks to the Covid season in 2020.

 

[Milanista28]

Collier Dawkins?

 

[Liam Boy]

Nick Larkey had to win the VFL goalkicking before North gave him a sustained run

 

[Hamingja]

Tim Kelly - 93 league games at South Fremantle
Marlion Pickett - 98 league games at South Fremantle
Sam Gibson - 102 league games at Box Hill

I think it should really be for players on an AFL list playing VFL etc. Pods would have played like 150 games I reckon if you make it open slather for state league players. Orren Stephenson too.

Not a star but someone that has played a heap of VFL at Geelong before becoming a "best 22" player would be Jed Bews. Don't know where you can get the games tally from.

 

[big_e]

I think it should really be for players on an AFL list playing VFL etc. Pods would have played like 150 games I reckon if you make it open slather for state league players. Orren Stephenson too.

Not a star but someone that has played a heap of VFL at Geelong before becoming a "best 22" player would be Jed Bews. Don't know where you can get the games tally from.

Not sure why you get to set the rules, but okay....

 

[Hamingja]

Not sure why you get to set the rules, but okay....

Well if you are playing state league and not on a list you are not really playing ressies are you because you can't be promoted to the seniors.

 

[Hamingja]

If you want to cheat and use state league players Ian Callinan played 204 between the Tassie Devils and Centrals.

 

[_Mike_]

Liam Picken

Played a couple of seasons with Williamstown before landing a rookie spot in 2009. Rest is history

 

[Lockyer24]

Lot of Victorian draftees need some ressies time this year. Problem is the games are on and off

 

[Aussie_boy]

Tom Doedee didn't play until his third season on the list.

 

[Topkent]

Bailey Fritsch, Ton Papley and Oscar McInerney or played at Casey for years before being drafted. Same with Mitch Hannan at Footscray