Anyone for a Mature Age Draft Pick?

[G-Mo77]

While watching the local footy show that's aired on Southern Cross refreshed my memory. There is a guy who plays in the BFL for Golden Square named Grant Weeks kicking huge amounts of goals for a while now. Kicked 21 goals on the weekend and has 130 for the year. Big step to AFL or even VFL, still.....

[Hotdog60]

Magic moment: Golden Square forward Grant Weeks out marks his opponent Lachlan Maltby during the match where he kicked his 100th goal for the season. Picture: Deborah Parker

GOLDEN Square’s Grant Weeks kicked a career-high 21 goals as the Bulldogs thrashed Kyneton by 162 points in the Bendigo Football Netball League’s round 15 clash on Saturday at MyJet Oval.

Weeks had another day out against the Tigers, as his previous best in the BFNL was 18 in last season’s home game against the yellow and black.

Having kicked 130 goals at an average of 8.67 per match, Weeks is well on track to surpass the league record of 163 goals, kicked by Eaglehawk’s Frank Crapper in 1933.

Golden Square’s star, who has won the Ron Best medal as the competition’s leading goalkicker the past two seasons, also set a record that will take some beating as 21 is the most kicked in a senior game on the Bulldogs’ turf in Wade Street.

After kicking 124 goals for Colbinabbin in the 2009 season where he was runner-up to North Bendigo’s Aaron James, 130, for the league award, Weeks has gone on to boot 417 goals for the blue and gold.

It was a remarkable individual and team performance by the Bulldogs as their run toward a fourth consecutive premiership is gaining pace at a rapid rate.

Bulldogs’ coach Mark Lloyd, who has a slight hamstring injury, watched the “Weeks Show” unfold from the sidelines.

A hat-trick by Weeks in the early minutes of the contest was a sign of things to come.

Kyneton hit back with goals by Robert Townsend and Rhys Ellis to trail 18-12 before the Bulldogs took control.

Although the quarter-time score was 43-16 in Square’s favour, the inside 50m tally was 10-9 as the Tigers worked hard through midfield and across half-back.

Weeks had kicked six goals, with Jason Griffin the other goalscorer.

In the second, Ellis was on the end of an Ethan Foreman pass and goaled, while Weeks (three) and Levi Moss were on target for Square.

The second half was to become one-way traffic as Square added 18.10 and kept the Tigers to just four points.

Christian Carter marked his 200th senior game for the club by booting three goals, while Griffin and Callum Sharp joined in the spree.

The fourth quarter was to be Weeks’ best as he kicked eight goals in a row.

As Bulldogs’ fans lapped up the show the focus was on how many goals Weeks would kick and if so, the last, of which keen supporter Jim Aughey held the ticket.

For Aughey it was not to be as Nathan Manuel soccered the team’s 29th and final goal.

Although outgunned by a formidable opponent, Michael O’Brien, ruckman Kris Davis, key defender Harrison Huntley and onballer Ben Saliba never stopped trying for the Tigers who went into the match without full-forward and co-coach Nathan Thompson, the classy Shane Page, and full-back Jayden Dole.

At match end, Lloyd praised a superb team effort in every quarter.

“To play at that level is what we’ve been striving for,” Lloyd said of the run to September that includes matches at Kangaroo Flat, at home against the ladder-leading Gisborne, and Maryborough in the 18th round.

Lloyd said he was amazed by Weeks’ brilliance, not just in the air, but at ground level.

“He didn’t lose too many contests today.”

The first-year coach praised the work of all the forwards to create space for Weeks to lead to and the pinpoint passes from a midfield and onball brigade led by the likes of Aydin Pratt, Jack Geary and Simon Rosa.

Lloyd said restricting Kyneton to just three goals was a superb effort.

“Our back six is settled and teaming well, and the midfielders and onballers put on a lot of pressure which made it hard for Kyneton to hit targets inside 50.”

LINK

What age is he and could he be worth a rookie spot?

[Hotdog60]

Some stats but I don't know how accurate they are.

Previous Seasons

Competition Season M Gls GlsAv HS

2012 Seniors 2012 15 130 8.67 21

2011 Seniors 2011 18 130 7.22 18

2010 Seniors 2010 20 157 7.85 14

[G-Mo77]

He's 22 I think Hotdog. We took Redpath straight out of Kyneton and rookied him, although he did have some VFL experience. I wouldn't object finding a rookie spot for Weeks to be honest.

[Hotdog60]

If he could find the ball at a higher level I think he brings something we lack.

Someone who can kick a bag of goals.

[Sockeye Salmon]

From memory he's only about 186cm.

Let's put it in some kind of perspective - "where he was runner-up to North Bendigo’s Aaron James, 130, for the league award"

Perhaps we should concentrate on the guy who won the goal kicking, that Aaron James bloke

[Greystache]

23 years old
189cm
98kg's

[G-Mo77]

From memory he's only about 186cm.

Let's put it in some kind of perspective - "where he was runner-up to North Bendigo’s Aaron James, 130, for the league award"

Perhaps we should concentrate on the guy who won the goal kicking, that Aaron James bloke

Closer to 190 I think Sockeye so not overly tall for AFL.

2009 was his first year of open age football I think and that was in HDFL, which is a step below the BFL maybe 2. Aaron James dominated that league, as he should. BFL is a pretty good standard.

Bendigo should be trying to sign Weeks for their VFL team, don't think that will happen though.

[stefoid]

Plus he looks like WIll Ferrel

[stefoid]

If Lee is going so well, then target him, why not? WE have low draft picks so if nobody is prepared to pull the trigger with a second rounder, we can get him with one of our early thirds maybe.

[GVGjr]

If Lee is going so well, then target him, why not? WE have low draft picks so if nobody is prepared to pull the trigger with a second rounder, we can get him with one of our early thirds maybe.

Tom Lee? Where would you see him playing?

[Mofra]

Tom Lee? Where would you see him playing?

He's killing it as a FF in the WAFL by all accounts

[GVGjr]

He's killing it as a FF in the WAFL by all accounts

But I doubt he is anywhere near as good as Jones and Williams. If we continue to play 2 and 3 ruckman where could we slot him in?

[Mofra]

But I doubt he is anywhere near as good as Jones and Williams. If we continue to play 2 and 3 ruckman where could we slot him in?

If he helps us kick more than 2 goals in the second half of a game of football I'd certainly make room in any case.

Some BF "experts" rate him a second rounder, but despite that I think we should consider all options. Harry Taylor was a mature aged first round pick wasn't he, picked up when Egan's foot became chronic?

[azabob]

Harry Taylor was a mature aged first round pick wasn't he, picked up when Egan's foot became chronic?

Yes he was. I recall reading an article on him and basically due to his size he was play wing and not really impacting the game but then his body developed so he started playing as a key back.

Plenty of success stories about mature age recruits, its all about finding a hole in your list and finding the right mature age fit for it.