Who will improve?

[MightyMark]

If that was directed at my Mitch Brown and Adam Varcoe suggestions, I think these 2 guys are our best young prospects. If we can 15 senior games into each of them next year then we are looking at 2 very good players the year after.

Couldnt agree more, I have been waiting for Brown to get on the park, the kid shows alot of promise. And after watching Travis step up his game this year, one can only hope that Adam can replicate his brothers achievments a become a required player. I was just pointing out the fact that because neither has played a senior game yet, they dont have much to improve on.

 

[MachoRandySavage]

If that was directed at my Mitch Brown and Adam Varcoe suggestions, I think these 2 guys are our best young prospects. If we can 15 senior games into each of them next year then we are looking at 2 very good players the year after.

no offense, but honestly, no one has any real idea about what they are going to be like. They have played VFL footy. MASSIVE step up to AFL. Tenace looked good at VFL level.

 

[maxy87]

Theres only one way to find out

 

[Pure_Ownage]

the problem with that logic though is it implies that an improving gillies is better than a declining scarlett

Well, despite his disappointing year, assuming he goes back to 09 form, there will be a point when a Gillies (or another good young defender) will be better than Scarlett. Whether that point is reached in 2011 or takes more time, is another matter.

However the logic in general holds...people fail to take account for the fact that the way footy is going now, 'lesser' players right now, but who are physically more capable than older players, who can run and carry and apply pressure, will improve the side by replacing said players. Collingwood, and other ageing sides, have shown that this theory about replacing the old with the young holds true.

Now to be fair, this doesn't apply to Scarlo, because he and Wojo are probably our two older players whose bodies are still in good nick, but it certainly does apply to some of our older players, and the side certainly will fall in 2011 unless they are replaced. Now it may fall anyway if they are replaced, but the longer term benefit will still be there. It's just reality that the Ling's, and the Otten's, and the Mooney's etc, aren't going to get any better, so there is much more upside to putting a young player in that spot, providing the young player has earnt it through hard work and good VFL form, than there is in letting those old blokes hang on too long.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Mitch Brown

Adam Varcoe

Will be spending most of 2011 in rehab from his knee reconstruction.

But yes, I think he will be a good player in 2012, and hopefully play some senior footy.

 

[maxy87]

Huuuuuge boots to fill at full back for Tom Gillies. He'll take a while to fully hit his straps being only 19-20. Give him a break. Second year blues are common, especially in key pisition players. As a point of comparison, how good was Scarlo in 2000? Same applies for Tomahawk, though he's approaching the window where he should peak..

People here are starting to sound like crows supporters/coaching staff that demand that taylor walker and kurt tippett kick bags every week otherwise they get dropped. Its rubbish just give the younger players time to develop FFS

 

[winty]

Huuuuuge boots to fill at full back for Tom Gillies. He'll take a while to fully hit his straps being only 19-20. Give him a break. Second year blues are common, especially in key pisition players. As a point of comparison, how good was Scarlo in 2000? Same applies for Tomahawk, though he's approaching the window where he should peak..

Don't think that's a good comparison, since 2000 was Scarlo's 3rd year, considering he debuted in 1998.

 

[MachoRandySavage]

For a bloke who has done very little and went backwards this year, Gillies gets a lot of props on here. Im thinking that Between Lonners and Taylor and even Drum, he is gonna struggle to get game time and will be trade bait in 12 months.

 

[maxy87]

Don't think that's a good comparison, since 2000 was Scarlo's 3rd year, considering he debuted in 1998.

Well 1999 then. Whatever... He wasnt a star..

 

[MightyMark]

For a bloke who has done very little and went backwards this year, Gillies gets a lot of props on here. Im thinking that Between Lonners and Taylor and even Drum, he is gonna struggle to get game time and will be trade bait in 12 months.

In his defence he has shown alot of promise. Most of the props he gets are based on his potential, of which he has plenty. But I do agree that he will struggle to earn his place amongst other players unless he can step up. As for trade bait, we will have to see what Scott's assessment is. I get the feeling that he wont tolerate passengers and that potential will mean sfa unless it looks to be reached.

 

[Cats408]

For players still on our list who have played a senior game (green - expect to improve, red - expect to worsen, orange - expect no significant change):

3 Jimmy Bartel
4 Andrew Mackie
5 Travis Varcoe
6 Brad Ottens
7 Harry Taylor
8 Josh Hunt
9 James Kelly
10 Daniel Menzel
11 Joel Corey
12 Trent West
13 Tom Lonergan
14 Joel Selwood
16 Dawson Simpson
17 Shannon Byrnes
20 Steve Johnson
21 Cameron Mooney
22 Mitchell Duncan
23 Marcus Drum
24 Mark Blake
25 Tom Gillies
26 Tom Hawkins
27 Mathew Stokes
30 Matthew Scarlett
31 James Podsiadly
32 Steven Motlop
34 Simon Hogan
35 Paul Chapman
38 Taylor Hunt
39 Darren Milburn
40 David Wojcinski
44 Corey Enright
45 Cameron Ling

I agree with this pretty much.