Very short training report - 1 April

[Urmoe]

Is your opinion based on personally seeing him play at Under 18 level?

I'm assuming you are asking about Tarrant. No, vfl level and I do keep a keen eye on him at training (not as keen as Mr R and The Zebra) as I see at least one session a week and regularly get in on a wednesday if all the planets align and they are training. I know its not much to judge as it isnt afl competitive standard but Ive formed an opinion based on how he moves, where he moves to and what he does when he gets the thing.

 

[shintemaster]

But if they decide that Tarrant is to be developed as a FF, then they've got to decide on what to do with Hale, Petrie, Goldstein, and McIntosh.

I think with Tarrant it's a luxury we can afford. He's not a 'ruckman' type. Definitely not lumbering. He's athletic, mobile and very good size. If he shoves Petrie out of CHF then that will be the least of our problems. Goldstein is a bigger issue I reckon. With Hale & Petrie in the team as well as Hamish we are simply too slow and tall to be adding a guy like him.

 

[Flawed Genius]

"You could see raw bone sticking through the flesh" is also a line I'm not fond of reading on a training report.

Never a fun one.

 

[Urmoe]

On tuesday noticed that Drew and Nathan O'keefe were doing some goal kicking practice together. At least for some of the light session they were wearing (sharing) earphones (not sure if connected to mp3 player or just the earphones and lead). Whoever had a shot on goal, would wear the earphones and hand them over when finished. Looked like they were O'Keefes but ???

I found it a little odd to see them lining up for goals with some earphones in.

 

[Carnthe]

On tuesday noticed that Drew and Nathan O'keefe were doing some goal kicking practice together. At least for some of the light session they were wearing (sharing) earphones (not sure if connected to mp3 player or just the earphones and lead). Whoever had a shot on goal, would wear the earphones and hand them over when finished. Looked like they were O'Keefes but ???

I found it a little odd to see them lining up for goals with some earphones in.

Can't remember where I heard this (think it was in an article not so long ago) but the earphones have loud crowd noise playing in them to simulate match day conditions!

 

[Urmoe]

Can't remember where I heard this (think it was in an article not so long ago) but the earphones have loud crowd noise playing in them to simulate match day conditions!

Thanks Carnthe...not so odd now.

 

[tw0kbydesign]

I think with Tarrant it's a luxury we can afford. He's not a 'ruckman' type. Definitely not lumbering. He's athletic, mobile and very good size. If he shoves Petrie out of CHF then that will be the least of our problems. Goldstein is a bigger issue I reckon. With Hale & Petrie in the team as well as Hamish we are simply too slow and tall to be adding a guy like him.

^^^^
Agree wholeheartedly. I do fear for Goldstein as he is improving at a rapid rate but there simply isn't room in our team for him.

In terms of team structure, Tarrant/Josh Smith are more likely to be the better option that Goldstein. There is a clear focus that the ruckman on our list are one of our biggest weapons, one which must be utilized. But having 4 in the team is plain ridiculous (well 3, Drew ain't a ruckman for shit, he just enjoys playing the Richo role)

Hamish and a chop out from Drew would more than suffice IMO, with both given free rein to push forward or back as they see fit.

I really like the idea of Drew as a permanent CHF, sexy is definately one way to put it.

I'll be honest I have never seen Robbie Tarrant play a game in my life, but from reading between the lines he is a better prospect for our side currently than say Goldstein. Am not sold on Josh yet but we have to give him more than 3 games to prove his worth. We should not have played Hale last week if he was so sick; should have just given the gig to Josh for the week at FF.

It would be great to see Robbie get a gig in the seniors within the next couple of weeks, especially if he can string some solid VFL form together.

 

[Rippednew1]

Reckon be heading to a crossroads at the end of the season with our talls.
A lot will be riding on Hamish if we trade Goldy for another Z.
If Tarrant, Josh, Grima hang around will create an interesting problem with Hale/Petrie, and H's around the ground work may not be needed as much.
A good tap ruckman is what we need, with all the quality talls around the ground.
We need to get some games into Goldy if he was to be traded.
Very interesting situation to say the least.

 

[blackshadow]

Can't remember where I heard this (think it was in an article not so long ago) but the earphones have loud crowd noise playing in them to simulate match day conditions!

It was in the Rohan Connelly article in The Age on Saturday.

 

[The Other Dean]

I should have added the following para to my report, apologies:

Shortly after I arrived at training, another roos supporter turned up smelling like a brewery. It was good to see CrazyQ make the effort to get to training though. TOD also arrived late, accompanied by a uniformed police officer. I can only presume this was part of his stringent new bail conditions.

She's actually a stripper....

.....that I, errr, just happened to bump into while coming in the entrance.

No, wait, the gate. Carpark...the carpark.

On Fogarty St, I observed our high performance manager, Donald McDonald, struggling to get a barbeque out of a car with one hand and hold his tracksuit pants up with the other….

As an avowed fan of Donald jokes, let me just say "LOL" to that particular visual image.

 

[KingyOrTheKing]

Goldstein is a bigger issue I reckon. With Hale & Petrie in the team as well as Hamish we are simply too slow and tall to be adding a guy like him.

Goldstein is a better 'pure ruckman' than Hamish. Anyhow, having too many quality ruckmen isn't really an 'issue' now is it? Not for us at least. For Goldy/Hamish/Hale...well yeah.

 

[sutcliffe's hotel]

I found it a little odd to see them lining up for goals with some earphones in.

Given North Melbourne fans do not turn up to watch matches, especially away games, I can only assume it was a looped recording of one hand clapping.

 

[The Zebra]

Hale will be Gold Coast gold at the end of 2010. Contracted or not, they will be offering anything they can for a 201cm, 26 year old very hard to defend ket forward who can also ruck and comes from the Gold Coast.

I will always want to keep Haley, but if Robbie comes good, we keep Goldy on ice and Haley fancies himself as being the pin up boy for the Illusion Shakers, then we could find our selves in a very good bargaining position.

Like ,two top 5 picks good.

 

[Urmoe]

Hale will be Gold Coast gold at the end of 2010. Contracted or not, they will be offering anything they can for a 201cm, 26 year old very hard to defend ket forward who can also ruck and comes from the Gold Coast.

I will always want to keep Haley, but if Robbie comes good, we keep Goldy on ice and Haley fancies himself as being the pin up boy for the Illusion Shakers, then we could find our selves in a very good bargaining position.

Like ,two top 5 picks good.

The bargaining position part isnt exactly in our hands, I thought an independant (?) arbitor will decide the value of any player poached by GC. I think I read that they will use a formula consisting of measurable values like age, club b&f results, brownlow votes, games played etc etc. I guess a good start for us would be to ensure our gc/queensland boys finish top 3 in our b&f for the next few years.

Rest assured I dont think the AFL would allow them to pay over the odds for a player.

 

[The Zebra]

The bargaining position part isnt exactly in our hands, I thought an independant (?) arbitor will decide the value of any player poached by GC. I think I read that they will use a formula consisting of measurable values like age, club b&f results, brownlow votes, games played etc etc. I guess a good start for us would be to ensure our gc/queensland boys finish top 3 in our b&f for the next few years.

Rest assured I dont think the AFL would allow them to pay over the odds for a player.

True, but someone said Hale is contracted until the end of 2011. If that is the case, then we have plenty of hand if he decides he wants to go home.

 

[Urmoe]

True, but someone said Hale is contracted until the end of 2011. If that is the case, then we have plenty of hand if he decides he wants to go home.

Good for us. So is the criteria only applicable for uncontracted players (which Gav will be in 2010)? Will we get compo for losing uncontracted players to the GC?

 

[The Zebra]

Good for us. So is the criteria only applicable for uncontracted players (which Gav will be in 2010)? Will we get compo for losing uncontracted players to the GC?

I think so.

And I wonder, if someone uncontracted wanted to leave at the end of 2010, but decided that they thought the compensation deal for the club they were leaving was unfair (say Reiwoldt said he was going to Gold Coast and the independent body found he was worth the number 1 pick only), could he then say if the Gold Coast do not offer a better deal, i am re-signing with the Saints - effectivelu overuling the draft pick arbitor?

That would mean it is the same as it is now, but if a player is hell bent on leaving, you can't get nothing in return.

 

[Urmoe]

I think so.

And I wonder, if someone uncontracted wanted to leave at the end of 2010, but decided that they thought the compensation deal for the club they were leaving was unfair (say Reiwoldt said he was going to Gold Coast and the independent body found he was worth the number 1 pick only), could he then say if the Gold Coast do not offer a better deal, i am re-signing with the Saints - effectivelu overuling the draft pick arbitor?

That would mean it is the same as it is now, but if a player is hell bent on leaving, you can't get nothing in return.

Not sure but with some shonky player manager activity, he will probably just use it as leverage to get more cash at his current club. eg. you are only going to get pick 20 so give me an extra $100k or Im out. my head hurts thinking about the potential shonky deals that will happen at the end of the year, hope we have our shit in order.

 

[Gazelle]

The sooner we get Tarrant in the team, the better. Will be a gun the way the modern game is played, has all the tools (apart from stable shoulders). It will benefit us greatly going forward to pump 10-15 senior games into him this season.

He wont play the way Smith does, but if they are willing to have Petrie and Hale share the second ruck duties, then Smith must make way for team balance.

And Im still a huge rap for Adams, seems like the little fella has recovered well from his injuries, all things being equal he must play a role this year.

I agree, Tarrant will be a great asset to the team, i heard he has been doing quite well in twos with strong leads and great delivery!