Talls, talls and more talls....

[MISFITS]

Talls and KPP's are not going to solve Collingwoods onfield deficiencies..
That Magpie team was more skiled than Geelong and realistically got beaten by a tougher team.
We need a few hard bodies running throught the midfield..!

 

[lenny&carl]

One thing I am concerned about based on our drafting is Keeffe. He will now be denied (I assume) 'ruck development minutes' AND 'key forward development minutes', meaning he will largely be destined to be a key defender or nothing (and I question whether he will ever be good enough to be a stand-alone key back). I was hoping he could be given a chance at playing key tall forward / second ruck at times in the seniors this year if Wood didn't grab it, but that appears slim now.

Is there such a thing as a 2nd ruck/key defender? 2nd ruck/key forward is all the rage, (because of Lee Brownlol, or maybe Roughead.) Can the defender version of this make sense instead? I don't immediately see why not, but i haven't thought it through.

 

[noideaatall]

interesting thread.
to me it highlights the lack of key forwards. I would assume there has been considerable thought at the club put into dealing with 2 possible scenarios in 2012: injury to one of dawes/cloke or injury to both. Personally I can't see what it might be tho - keeffe last year didn't do much for anyone IMO. wood and jolly together, resting in the forward is a possibility but yeah not likely to set the world on fire.
I've trolled this forum and yet to see any suggestion that resolves either of these scenarios in a way that sounds capable of winning premierships.
Have I missed something, apart from Fev.

 

[Ed D]

I think it's too early to say Keeffe won't make it as a forward. He spent all his time in the VFL as a defender and then he suddenly gets thrown forward in the AFL. It's going to take any player a while to get used to playing in a position they've never played before. In saying that he's done well as a defender so who knows where the club will play him in the future.

 

[Jelly Bean]

I think it's too early to say Keeffe won't make it as a forward. He spent all his time in the VFL as a defender and then he suddenly gets thrown forward in the AFL. It's going to take any player a while to get used to playing in a position they've never played before. In saying that he's done well as a defender so who knows where the club will play him in the future.

But he won't get all that many VFL minutes forward either to develop his game, as A) we have very few KP defenders in the VFL (assuming Brown is in the seniors) and B) we know have a number of players looking for key forward spots in the VFL (including the long list of ruckmen), i.e. Paine, Gault, Witts, Ceglar, Mac, that VFL full forward we signed up, etc, along with possibly a Macaffer as a marking option down there as well.

 

[noideaatall]

I think it's too early to say Keeffe won't make it as a forward. He spent all his time in the VFL as a defender and then he suddenly gets thrown forward in the AFL. It's going to take any player a while to get used to playing in a position they've never played before. In saying that he's done well as a defender so who knows where the club will play him in the future.

Keeffe, like a lot of modern recruits, seems to have been selected on the basis of physical attributes rather than footy skills/nous and those types tend to slot more easily into defensive positions.

Surely if the club saw him as a forward they'd play him as a forward in the 2's - thats the whole point of having our own vfl side

 

[Ed D]

But he won't get all that many VFL minutes forward either to develop his game, as A) we have very few KP defenders in the VFL (assuming Brown is in the seniors) and B) we know have a number of players looking for key forward spots in the VFL (including the long list of ruckmen), i.e. Paine, Gault, Witts, Ceglar, Mac, that VFL full forward we signed up, etc, along with possibly a Macaffer as a marking option down there as well.

That's what has been stupid. If we want to play him as a forward we need to develop him in the VFL as one, we can't expect him to just pick it up in a few weeks, when it takes most KPF years to master. I think he's developed well as a defender as well, but it's just down to where the club wants to play him. He does seem to have the talent to make it, but time will tell.

 

[noideaatall]

That's what has been stupid. If we want to play him as a forward we need to develop him in the VFL as one, we can't expect him to just pick it up in a few weeks, when it takes most KPF years to master. I think he's developed well as a defender as well, but it's just down to where the club wants to play him. He does seem to have the talent to make it, but time will tell.

Maybe its driven by the reality that all players must now be capable of good defense first and nearly foremost. Or something to do with MM's obsession with defense.

 

[Jelly Bean]

Maybe its driven by the reality that all players must now be capable of good defense first and nearly foremost. Or something to do with MM's obsession with defense.

I think it is more driven the fact that, even though the club sees him as a defender, there was a need for a tall forward in the AFL side, and there wasn't really any better options than Keeffe to plug the hole.

 

[Ed D]

I think so, otherwise we would have had to change our structures too much.

 

[otfc42]

Ok, I'll bite......what's a James Stewart?

And yes I know he's father/son....at the moment some are placing him as the next great white hope.

So, if possible, some more info on the boy please.

Cheers

 

[JOELY]

I'd also like some info. I think a lot of the hype on here comes from commernts in this article.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/clubs-strike-it-rich-on-early-calls-20110414-1dg07.html

It's not much to go on and and as we know things can change in the time till draft day. People who've seen him rate him though, and he got selected for the AIS squad, so he can obviously play. I reckon next year we'll get a tonne of info on him coming through, and a better idea of his prospects.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

I cannot find the thread in AFL or draft and trade where James Stewart is described but the poster stated that he is regarded as the best KPP in the grammar schools competition. I gather he is a CHF and somewhat quicker than his dad.