The Improvers!

[Demon 16]

A sneaky one - Ryan Lester from Brisbane. I know he's been injured, but I actually know the guy (mates with his brother) and he's pumped and seriously ready to go, high expectations of himself after he was really disappointed with his foot injury. Played some good games before he did his foot, too (played really well against us if I remember right).

For all the 'crazy Vossy' recruiting jibes.. Brisbane are quietly assembling a decent set of young players.

 

[Grockadoc]

Jay Schulz is my interstate tip. Is your standard lead, mark, kick forward who offers little else, but when he gets it right, he can become a very damaging player.

For the Tigers, I think it will be Grimes, Derickx and Ben Griffiths who will step up in 2012.

All three were struck down with injuries, Grimes after a promising month of football. Derickx was handy in the VFL until he injured himself, and if Griffiths gets everything right, he will be an absolute beast.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

How am I not on topic? Jack Watts fits the OP perfectly, no idea why you try to chuck his name in alongside some young guys that already are good/great footballers when Watts is anything but.

Watts has struggled with the hack tagged, somewhat unfairly, he is maligned and the incredible optimist in me says he might evolve into a semi-decent player next year. GG topic.

Isn't that the 2010 off-season perception of Watts?

He showed plenty this year, and is currently a good AFL player.

I'm pretty sure I said in the OP that recent high draft picks and players who are already good/are expected to become good players shouldn't be mentioned... and even used Watts as an example of the type of player not to pick.

To be fair you probably only watched him against Collingwood.

Might not have paid attention to him since the 09 QB clash even.

 

[Slattery_20]

Myers. If he stays fit for a year he'll be very, very solid.

 

[Sin City]

jarrad redden
dan stewart
jasper pittard to make a name for himself not just be one we talk about
jarrad irons
matt broadbent
mitch banner

Yep to both of them

From my club I think Zac Tuohy and Kane Lucas will establish themselves as good players in Carlton's best 22 and I hope Ed Curnow can rediscover his form from before he injured his shoulder this year as he could really be a star player for us.

 

[Tulip]

Dawson Simpson for me. I expect him to be better than West

 

[Slattery_20]

Jay Schulz is my interstate tip. Is your standard lead, mark, kick forward who offers little else, but when he gets it right, he can become a very damaging player.

If you ask me, he could find himself playing twos every week if Butcher shows anything at all!!

 

[who knows]

i think ppl will see what an injury free stephen hill can do in 2012 . . we'll probably see a bigger ability to win the hard ball as well as the explosive running and he'll become elite.

 

[Yabba]

For all the 'crazy Vossy' recruiting jibes.. Brisbane are quietly assembling a decent set of young players.

'Crazy Vossy' isn't a bad coach, he stuffed up in one trade week (probably didn't have good enough people around him TBF), but at least he tried to win. The recruiting up there has been pretty good.

 

[Cynic]

Maligned - Schoenmakers
Unheralded - Shiels
Unknown - Stratton

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Brisbane are in a very good position.

Need some more KPP prospects for mine; with picks 8 and 12 they should probably go best available then Paine/Elton.

But a midfield of Rich, Rockliff, Redden, Polec, Leuenberger = very promising.

 

[cotter101]

i think ppl will see what an injury free stephen hill can do in 2012 . . we'll probably see a bigger ability to win the hard ball as well as the explosive running and he'll become elite.

If he can break a tag he will be very good.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Alex Rance to continue his improvement.

 

[Schulzenfest]

If you ask me, he could find himself playing twos every week if Butcher shows anything at all!!

Nah, Schulz is clearly our second best key forward at least. It would take either a massive form drop from Schulz or something miraculous from Daniel Stewart or Daniel Webb for him to be out of the side.

 

[Spluff]

Nah, Schulz is clearly our second best key forward at least. It would take either a massive form drop from Schulz or something miraculous from Daniel Stewart or Daniel Webb for him to be out of the side.

The problem is that Schulz cannot play as a second option. He just can't do it. Look at his record when Tredrea was in the team.

 

[StringyDog]

The problem is that Schulz cannot play as a second option. He just can't do it. Look at his record when Tredrea was in the team.

He was still being de-richmondfied then, now that is out of his sytem he is a much better prospect and could work well with Butcher.

 

[Haggard H]

Callum Bartlett, assuming his knees hold together. *touch wood*

Likewise Lindsay Lohan.

 

[Schulzenfest]

The problem is that Schulz cannot play as a second option. He just can't do it. Look at his record when Tredrea was in the team.

He certainly has had a lot of trouble with it in the past. I'm hoping the Essendon game where Butcher kicked 4, Schulz kicked 3 and both were in our best players is a sign of things to come though, although that may be optimistic.

On the other hand, if Butcher does his knee and misses the season or something and Schulz is left as the No. 1 target for 22 games, a 50 goal season could very well be coming up.

 

[Funkalicous]

Boring when people just list the young players on their list. I guess from last year if we just look at "unexpected improvement", and not just young talent coming of age:

Bret Thornton
Mike Pike
Ben Johnson
Quintin Lynch
Daniel Kerr, Andrew Embley, Dean Cox, Darren Glass (basically the entire WCE senior players) - not maligned, but some were written off
King and Nahas

 

[Liam Boy]

Boring when people just list the young players on their list. I guess from last year if we just look at "unexpected improvement", and not just young talent coming of age:

Bret Thornton
Mike Pike
Ben Johnson
Quintin Lynch
Daniel Kerr, Andrew Embley, Dean Cox, Darren Glass (basically the entire WCE senior players) - not maligned, but some were written off
King and Nahas

Drew Petrie could possibly fit into this, I don't think anyone expected him to make the AA Side.

 

[I bleed Blue]

Speaking from a Carlton point of view there are quite a few blokes who I think are going to improve.Russel- I think he can bounce back from injury and regain his 2010 form.Henderson- Already showed alot with his first half season down back and with a preseason working with the defensive unit I am expecting him to improve alot.Kruez- It feels like everyones almost forgotten about the big man and just how much potential he has. Big preseason into him and we will see him up and firing in the next year or 2.And got my fingers crossed Hampson can step up as FF, but time will tell.Ive got high hopes for the boys this season.

 

[Slattery_20]

Nah, Schulz is clearly our second best key forward at least. It would take either a massive form drop from Schulz or something miraculous from Daniel Stewart or Daniel Webb for him to be out of the side.

He is, as of Port 2010-2011.
I am throwing it out there: Port 2010-2011 model may not be exactly the same set-up you'll want to go on with, it ain't working.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Our forward line is working fine. It's the rucks, midfield and defence that's the reason we're near the bottom of the ladder.

 

[Slattery_20]

I don't think he's the problem per se but it'll come down to who they think is the solution or, rather, the long-term bet.

 

[Viney]

How am I not on topic? Jack Watts fits the OP perfectly, no idea why you try to chuck his name in alongside some young guys that already are good/great footballers when Watts is anything but.

Watts has struggled with the hack tagged, somewhat unfairly, he is maligned and the incredible optimist in me says he might evolve into a semi-decent player next year. GG topic.

Watts as a skinny, bottom aged kid still completing high school was unfairly thrown to the wolves in his first season, played a handful of games and people expected as the # 1 pick he'd burst on to the scene

2010 was learning with his 1st pre-season (albeit injury interrupted)

He struggled a bit at the beginning of this year, was sent to the HB line for a couple of games to get his hands on the ball, and then moved back to the forward line where he showed his obvious class and made huge leaps in improvement

To say he merely picked up cheapies of half back is ignorant

Took some great contested grabs in the forward line, kicked come very nice goals, all while playing to a crappy gameplan that clearly didn't reward forwards

21 goals off the HB line, good effort