welcome knobel and kirkby

[rota69]

Draft gloom for McKEE
12 December 2004 Sunday Herald Sun
By JON RALPH


RICHMOND has told former Collingwood ruckman Steve McKee it will not select him in the pre-season draft and is seeking clarification with the league about fitting Trent Knobel's contract into its AFL-approved budget.

The club told McKee yesterday it did not feel his troublesome groin could stand up to the rigours of the AFL and it would look elsewhere in Tuesday's draft.

The Tigers expect an AFL decision by tomorrow, which would clear the way for them to draft Knobel to the last spot on their list.

The club is well within the salary cap, but after the AFL had its accountants scrutinise its vastly scaled-back projections for 2005 it is keen to run any variations by the AFL.

Knobel has put a price on his head, but his two-year contact is only slightly above what the Tigers would have paid McKee.

If, as expected, the AFL approves Richmond's offer to sign Knobel for two years, it will swoop in before Carlton, which has flagged its intention of drafting the former Lion and Saint.

The Tiger move leaves McKee in limbo, with the majority of clubs having pledged to sign particular players.

With first selection in Tuesday's rookie list, Richmond is expected to take Ruory Kirkby, a key position player from Echuca desperately unlucky to be overlooked in the national draft.

 

[Cogs]

good news, he's like getting a free top 20 pick

 

[madtiger2005]

great . Is Kirkby a key defender or forward? We kind of needed one more young key defender and a ruckman. Everything is falling into place nicely

 

[cairo tiger]

good pick ups more good kids in the mix

 

[mellowyellow]

Kirby sounds okay from what i've read, although you'd wonder what the reasons were by other clubs for not picking him up in the draft.

But Knobel, FFS..... i know we need another backup ruckman but i cant understand why we would be chasing after this guy who is done bugger all at the saints.

Should have looked to the long term and invseted in a promsing junior.

 

[madtiger2005]

How has Knobel done bugger all? He would be one of the only ruckman who in the league would match ottens at the centre bounce. Everyone is rating him on his last 2 games for St Kilda where he hardly had a posession. You can't rate a player from just 2 games and he probably didn't get many opportunities to get many possesions in those 2 games anyway. Everyone has a bad game too. I wouldn't be surprised if St Kilda's game plan was to let the small midfielders take possession and let the big midfielders just do the ruckwork. Thomas doesn't rate ruckman highly, so he wouldn't have given Knobel much chance to get a kick I'd say. He actually had about 20 hit outs in both those games anyway, but he is capable of taking a decent mark. He is athletic and fairly mobile for a 202cm player. He has a good long kick. How about giving him a chance. I think he has alot to offer and is a very good pick up. He will take over Stafford in the future as a swapping ruckman with Simmonds. I'm sure Knobel will look good once he gets the oppurtunity. I've seen him take a good strong mark and kick a long drop punt, which is enough to prove he is mobile and skillfull enough. He was good enough to play 20 games this season in one of the best teams going around

 

[Tambo]

Kirby sounds okay from what i've read, although you'd wonder what the reasons were by other clubs for not picking him up in the draft.

he seems to be good when he plays but did not stand out in the draft camp... thats what i read in tdays hun (sunday)

 

[Free Willy]

How has Knobel done bugger all? He would be one of the only ruckman who in the league would match ottens at the centre bounce. Everyone is rating him on his last 2 games for St Kilda where he hardly had a posession. You can't rate a player from just 2 games and he probably didn't get many opportunities to get many possesions in those 2 games anyway. Everyone has a bad game too. I wouldn't be surprised if St Kilda's game plan was to let the small midfielders take possession and let the big midfielders just do the ruckwork. Thomas doesn't rate ruckman highly, so he wouldn't have given Knobel much chance to get a kick I'd say. He actually had about 20 hit outs in both those games anyway, but he is capable of taking a decent mark. He is athletic and fairly mobile for a 202cm player. He has a good long kick. How about giving him a chance. I think he has alot to offer and is a very good pick up. He will take over Stafford in the future as a swapping ruckman with Simmonds. I'm sure Knobel will look good once he gets the oppurtunity. I've seen him take a good strong mark and kick a long drop punt, which is enough to prove he is mobile and skillfull enough. He was good enough to play 20 games this season in one of the best teams going around

Another Ben Marsh........

I hope the Blues take Kirkby with pick 3 if you do take Knobel.
KNOBEL - He represents a backup / insurance ruck plan for any club who picks him up.

Lets all be honest here, no player in the draft makes you fell stiffed that you missed out on them.

Last year Stevens & Rawlings were two players of high value.

This year the pool is mediocre at best.

Everyone rated him as a dud at the Saints & rightly so, if he turns up at carlton I hope he is there as insurance to Barnacle until we develop or secure a ruckman of quality- Knobel is poo.

 

[madtiger2005]

he's better than Ben Marsh in every department of the game. When he gets the chance u will see . I think Carlton fans are upset they will miss out. I prefer Knobel over Barnaby French I'll tell u that. lol

 

[Free Willy]

he's better than Ben Marsh in every department of the game. When he gets the chance u will see . I think Carlton fans are upset they will miss out. I prefer Knobel over Barnaby French I'll tell u that. lol

They are both as inadequate as each other.
knobel is absolutely shocking around the ground, Barnaby actually took some grabs in the F50 this year & kicked goals at crucial stages (lets be honest here, for us tiger & blue supporters crucial stages is at any stage of the game these days....)

But dont take it the wrong way, all i'm saying is that knobel is no white knight coming to save the day, he's a plodder & looking at some of the more recent 1st picks in the PSD one of the lesser quality players going around.

Saying that Barnaby is ordinary also, but i dont want to see 2 plodders at Carlton in the same side at the same time.

But I can understand that the current situation facing both clubs & their rucking stocks porbably mean that this battler of the highest order is a lot more crucial to clubs like Carlton & Richmond than probably 8 other sides.

oh ps - The value that this guy represents is the fact he played a full year in the No #1 ruck position.............poorly, but he played none the less.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: bugger all?

I can only assess he's worth on what i've seen of him, which isn't a great deal and what i glean from the media and the opinions of saints supporters who are the ones most likely to know his strengths and weakness . Even the more astute saints supporters on these boards& others dont hold him in high regard as a ruckman and value the aquistion of ackland as a much better replacement. (I guess time will be the judge of that tho.)

The other reason Im apprehensive is that he comes with an asking price that dosn't match his output or ability & how many times in the past have we gone down this path.

My preferred choice would have been to see us take the long term view and acquire a developing junior, but maybe the depth isn't there at this stage to warrent the gamble? so we have gone down this track.

If the club picks him up which looks more then likely, i wont be there hoping he fails, infact i hope he proves all his knockers wrong but at this stage Im of the opinion its could another $$ decision that dosn't payoff.

 

[sante]

Knobel is average and will be a good pickup for us and Kirkby should be a really good player

 

[Hammerfire]

I know Knobel isn't GREAT, but comparing him to Ben Marsh is an insult.

Infact, comparing anyone to Ben Marsh is an insult.

 

[Stevens is Grouse]

I don't think Knobel is as bad as a lot of people say. He is still young and has room for improvement and imo will be a good player for the Tigers if use take him. I hope this means that Carlton don't take McKee otherwise I will be very p!$$ed off. Hopefully we go for a kid and I wouldn't mind Kirkby as he seems to get good reviews.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

You beauty.. nice pickups.

Very happy indeed.

 

[sante]

You beauty.. nice pickups.

Very happy indeed.

Haven't got them yet

 

[Benno_900]

You may get Knobel but you can't guarantee you'll get Kikby. Maybe Carlton will trump you and take Kirkby.

 

[BlueBoy83]

part of me hopes carlton get knobel and part of me kinda hopes we dont ... i mean he is better at centre bounces than barnaby, but barnaby improved a lot this year and hopefully can stand up next year as well ... and barnaby is a fair bit better around the ground.

kirkby must be crap no offense ... top 20 pick my arse!!! while all i can tell is that he lacks agility etc may have kept him from being drafted there has to be other reasons!!! i mean all 16 clubs passed on the bloke!!!! maybe psychologically he's not up to it ... or he wont be able to fill a position at afl level?

ps: i hope we take either eddie betts/sharp/jesse d smith ... i am very skeptical about kirkby for some reason? and hope to god we dont pick up a dudd like porter/mckee!!!

 

[Hammerfire]

You uh............. don't want Sharp!

 

[Tigerland]

Wouldn't mind this. Simmonds No1 ruck with Knobel helping. Stafford's body is failing him so he can be a damaging forward and hard to match up on. Richo/Morrison at CHF/HF with the speed of Deledio around them. Kraks/Campbell/Tambling feeding off Stafford's crumbs. Throw in Schultz and occasionaly Simmonds to mix it up and we suddenly look dangerous and unpredictable.
Getting the ball down there might be a problem though....

 

[tigertime]

We passed on one of our picks in then national draft.

If they wanted kirkby, why wouldnt they have taken him then???

 

[Weaver]

We passed on one of our picks in then national draft.

If they wanted kirkby, why wouldnt they have taken him then???

We wanted to maintain a vacancy so we could shop around for a guy to take with pick in the PSD.

We only got the 2nd list vacancy when they dumped Zantuck.

 

[tigertime]

Forgot about Zantuck going.

Still in denial.

We wanted to maintain a vacancy so we could shop around for a guy to take with pick in the PSD.

We only got the 2nd list vacancy when they dumped Zantuck.

 

[golly]

can someone send a truck load of tissues to optus oval quick!! and someone get the cops, apparently we're 'steeling' knobel. i myself was under no illusion that number 3 pick meant number 1 !!??

 

[sante]

golly you did mean 'stealing' not 'steeling' right?