WC youth: how do you rate them?

[Visro]

Just wondering how everyone rates our young players. Stumbled across this article on the AFL website:

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Travis steps on the gas
By Guy Mckenna

Sunday, February 27, 2000

ANOTHER pre-season gone and for some at the club you could count the ones remaining on one hand.

However, for our recruits and rookies they have just completed one of hopefully many pre-seasons.

The average career of an AFL footballer is four years.

Looking at our new chums, I think we could see their faces around the club for a lot longer.

Travis ''Gas'' Gaspar is a 195cm version of John Worsfold. Whatever he does on or off the training track, he does at a hundred miles an hour.

I haven't seen much of him during the summer due to injury, but when he gets fit, look out. He's got the physical make-up, but more importantly he's got the grey matter to back it up.

Darren ''Glassy'' Glass is agile, quick and gives the handball of a first time centre-half-back.

He is someone we've been waiting to recruit since Murray Rance retired.

Glass has shown enough in the Ansett Cup to suggest a bright future.

For a big man (192cm), he's very good when the ball hits the ground.

David ''Desmond'' Haynes is like the first two boys in that he has good size and can run like the wind.

Though tall and strong enough to hold down a key position, he's fit and quick enough to play on a wing.

Adam ''Hunts'' Hunter will be a monster when he fills out.

He's shown a liking to kicking bags of goals in scratch matches and hopefully when he gets his chance, he can repeat the dose.

Is balanced and clever and can take a strong mark.

Kane ''Fatty'' Munro must have felt like the odd recruit, standing at 180cm.

For his size he is a very good mark and is now just realising his running ability.

Along with Dezzy Haynes, he's from interstate and both have settled in well and have enjoyed our summer.

A midfield or forward role is where Fatty will make his mark.

Chris ''Lula'' Lewis is back after a horror run with foot injuries.

We all know Lewie's value on match day, but it's training where he maintains that standard.

He's constantly offering voice and direction to young or old on how to get the best out of themselves.

If we see just a glimpse of that magic only Lula can produce, I think it will be worth waiting for.

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I've come up with the following rating system:

N/A - no opinion yet
* - hack, cant play
** - in and out sort of player
*** - good player
**** - very good player
*****- star of WC
****** - star of the competition

Dean Cox - ***
Travis Gaspar - *****
Darren Glass - ****
David Haynes - ****
Jeremy Humm - ***
Adam Hunter - N/A
Daniel Kerr - *****
Andrew McDougall - N/A
Kane Munro - N/A

None of these player should be delisted at the end of this season unless the club is really unhappy with their efforts. They are all in the first or second year and I think show heaps of potential and talent.

Vis

 

[iceman]

Personally, i think Daniel Kerr is heaps better than Travis Gaspar at the moment,

i know that Gaspar has been injured and in his couple of games this year has shown some good form, but against the Tigers we were lamenting the fact that Kerr wasnt playing

you dont realise how important a player is till you lose him, and we found out what Kerr meant to us yesterday

 

[Visro]

Added to that we have some damn good picks at the end of the year in what is reputed as a good drafting year:

#3 - better use it bloody well!
#6 - provided we dont win again
#22 - fairly good talent
#38 - hopefully turns out good
#54 - doubt the club will use this pick

Those are basically the minimum numbers we can get provided we dont trade any of them which I hope we dont. If there are penalties again and clubs are forced to forfit draft selections we could get even better picks. Surely we have the makings of a strong young team?

Vis

 

[Visro]

Originally posted by iceman
Personally, i think Daniel Kerr is heaps better than Travis Gaspar at the moment,

i know that Gaspar has been injured and in his couple of games this year has shown some good form, but against the Tigers we were lamenting the fact that Kerr wasnt playing

you dont realise how important a player is till you lose him, and we found out what Kerr meant to us yesterday

True, but I was more rating them on future performances. I think Gassy will be a great CHF or CHB. Kerr will just be a very good midfielder which are more abundant in supply.

Vis

 

[iceman]

One Question:

Will the club actually use the picks or will we trade them off for players from other clubs??

If KJ stays then i have no doubt we will use the picks but if he leaves, whos to know what the new coach will do??

And not to forget that we have a lot of youngsters at the moment...

 

[iceman]

Originally posted by Visro


True, but I was more rating them on future performances. I think Gassy will be a great CHF or CHB. Kerr will just be a very good midfielder which are more abundant in supply.

Vis

If he turns out anything like his brother, then we've done alright

 

[Visro]

I would be very pissed off if the club were to trade those picks. We should get the youngsters now for the future and not just take quick fix options. We still have the senior players in the squad and and trading those pics would just seem a waste to me.

 

[iceman]

Dont worry Vis, if KJ stays as coach for next year, we'll use those picks...

Do you really want to get rid of him now??

 

[Visro]

On the topic of those draft selections, what type of player do you think would be ideal to pick up with them:

#3 - key backman
#6 - key forward
#22 - midfielder
#38 - midfielder

I dont think we should use our very best picks for midfielders even though we are lacking in the deparment. Kerr was picked up at #18 and Humm at #36, Kerr looks to be a very good player and Humm a good worker so surely we can do that again this year?

 

[Visro]

Originally posted by iceman
Dont worry Vis, if KJ stays as coach for next year, we'll use those picks...

Do you really want to get rid of him now??

Well yes, I do want to get rid of him but I still want the club to use the draft selections well by picking young players and not some player who will play for us for at max, 4 seasons.

 

[iceman]

Originally posted by Visro
On the topic of those draft selections, what type of player do you think would be ideal to pick up with them:

#3 - key backman
#6 - key forward
#22 - midfielder
#38 - midfielder

I dont think we should use our very best picks for midfielders even though we are lacking in the deparment. Kerr was picked up at #18 and Humm at #36, Kerr looks to be a very good player and Humm a good worker so surely we can do that again this year?

No doubt, a defender to compliment Glass, Collica and Carroll

In regards to a key forward, isnt Busznan supposed to be the next big thing for us in the forward line?? Along with Gasper at CHF?? Maybe if we throw Gasper in that position it'll be of benefit to the club in the future

Im not sure what type of player to pick up with the #6 pick and so on...depends on what players are delisted, traded etc

 

[Frodo]

Dean Cox - ******
Travis Gaspar - ******
Darren Glass - ****
David Haynes - *****
Jeremy Humm - ****
Adam Hunter - ****
Daniel Kerr - *****
Andrew McDougall - N/A
Kane Munro - ****
Kris Miller- ****
Andrew McCarrey N/A
David Antonowitz - **
Dean Buszan -*****
Callum Chambers -****

Basically I believe we have a tremendous crop of young players.

We have such a big group of 23 and unders. Even Wooden is only 22. By the time they are 25/6 they will all be stars. Cox and Gaspar are my picks to be all Australians from the bunch.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

We have very good youngsters, and once they get some experience under their belts they will for a formidable spine.

This is how i rate them:
Dean Cox - ****
Travis Gaspar - ******
Darren Glass - ******
David Haynes - ****
Jeremy Humm - ***
Adam Hunter - **
Daniel Kerr - *****
Andrew McDougall - ******
Kane Munro - *

I don't rate Hunter and Munro much, and from what i've seen both will get delisted end of 2002, especially if the eagles can have an injury free year.

McDougall at CHF, Glass at FB and Gaspar at CHB will be a hell of a combination in the future. Cox will forever be Gardiners backup. Kerr will be a great player for WC, but is more of an in & under player rather than a classy midfielder(ala Cousins). Haynes will be a decent contributor on the flanks(Mitch White style).

Very good list of young players, and if we draft key position players with our low picks we will do just fine in 2003+. Now all we need is another Ben Cousins in the midfield.

 

[Voice of Reason]

I'm really tempted to say that on this voting system they should nearly all be N/A because they're young and haven't proved much yet, but anyway, my preliminary assessment is:

Dean Cox - ***** 1st or 2nd ruck, may free Gardy to CHF
Travis Gaspar - ***** CHB or CHF, good pedigree!
Darren Glass - ***** has the odd shocker, but mobile & good
David Haynes - *** good in flashes
Jeremy Humm - *** potentially good and still young
Adam Hunter - *** potentially good
Daniel Kerr - ***** on this year, closest to that extra star, but must maintain it - remember Shane Bond?
Andrew McDougall - N/A
Kane Munro - ** skinny - may be ok
Kris Miller- **
Andrew McCarrey N/A
David Antonowitz - *
Dean Buszan -*** has the odd shocker, eg yesterday for East Perth (I was there) out on the full, play man not ball, sucked in , not mobile enough on the lead, etc.
Callum Chambers -** seems to run forward of the play and make the same mistakes week in week out.

Of the above, I am happy with the progress of Cox, Gaspar and Glass and super happy with Kerr.

Now I confess to maybe being a bit harsh (by one star on each player), but I have a big problem with the attitude of a lot of the young players - and you probably see it best at EP. Too cocky, cliquey, take it for granted and don't work hard enough.

I would love to be proved wrong and discover that they're all stars, but I don't get the impression fron the "experts" and my own observations that such optimism is justified. Yet. Come on guys, prove me wrong!!

 

[jod23]

A lot of you are putting Gasper, Cox and McDougall as the best of our younsters but i strongly disagree. I think the three standouts are Kerr no question, Haynes and Glass. Glass has consistently beaten proven players this year and i think he could be the cornerstone of our defence in years to come. Haynes looks great at Half Forward, taking strong grabs and kicking goals. Then theres Kerr who wont just be a star at our club but will be a star in the league. Could be the guy to compliment Cousins in the middle. I also rate Green, although nobody mentioned him.