Tom Boyd 2016

[1eyedog]

Tom had a good year by my standards and did what was required in his 14 games. He took some cracking marks and with another preseason will become fitter and stronger.

What are your expectations of Tom for 2016? Will he play more a stand and deliver forward or will we see the development of more leading patterns? Can he displace Redpath as our number one key forward and can he start to have an impact on games or is it too early too expect much more than what he achieved in 2015?

[Remi Moses]

Needs a little bit more mongrel and agility for me.
Tom sounds and acts like a young man who will leave no stone unturned .

[boydogs]

I think watching Tom develop will be a lot like what we have seen with Stringer

Stringer wasn't fit enough early on, he would give us glimpses but fade out of games and try for cheapies out the back instead of presenting. This year he was able to produce good footy more consistently from week to week and throughout games

I hope to see Tom bring more energy to the contest, leading more, chasing more, using his strength more

[ledge]

Needs to crack in harder and demand the footy, seems a bit timid at times, not sure if that's his personality but I am a tad worried.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Needs to crack in harder and demand the footy, seems a bit timid at times, not sure if that's his personality but I am a tad worried.

He's 19. He's learning how to cope with his big frame against seasoned footballers, I am confident his aggression will come in time because I have no doubt he's very hungry internally to be the best he can be.

He's a big puppy dog right now, but he'll develop into a mountain soon enough. The comparisons with Hawkins are very fair IMO - perhaps not statistically - but certainly in how they play/move and external expectations.

[Ghost Dog]

The club seem very pleased with how he is tracking.

[F'scary]

I think watching Tom develop will be a lot like what we have seen with Stringer

Stringer wasn't fit enough early on, he would give us glimpses but fade out of games and try for cheapies out the back instead of presenting. This year he was able to produce good footy more consistently from week to week and throughout games

I hope to see Tom bring more energy to the contest, leading more, chasing more, using his strength more

I think the Stringer development curve comparison is very valid. Tom has certainly shown glimpses of what he can do. He has a great pair of hands, good goal kicking technique, uses his height to bring other players into game, is very professional in his approach. I think because of the type of player he is, he may take a year more than Stringer to really start making his mark. I expect that he will play around 16 games in 2016 and average 1 to 1.5 goals a match. 2017 will be the year, though.

[westdog54]

I had this conversation with a mate of mine who is a cats supporter.

We need to show the same patience that Geelong did with Tom Hawkins.

Let him learn to use his big frame. The talent is clearly there.

He'll be fine.

[Go_Dogs]

I'm very optimistic about what he may be able to achieve in 2016.

He certainly needs to continue to build his fitness and strength, and that will come with time, but I'm looking forward to seeing him after another pre-season, with coaches better positioned to coach and direct and work out how he best fits in our structure. He's shown he can take a mark, he can kick the ball well and isn't afraid to spend some time in the ruck.

The latter is why I'm not too concerned about the aggression. Any 19 year old bloke who spends considerable time in the ruck at VFL level and a bit at AFL level all whilst being a forward first has a bit of moxie.

[1eyedog]

If Hawkins wasn't a father-son selection can anyone remember where he potentially would have went in that draft?

[Templeton31]

If Hawkins wasn't a father-son selection can anyone remember where he potentially would have went in that draft?

No 1.

[LostDoggy]

Yep. There were big wraps on him as the outstanding prospect of his year.

[bornadog]

I want to see Tom getting stronger but at the same time shedding some weight and playing FF and not in the ruck. We have been craving for a big strong FF for many years, and Tom is the man. This will push Redpath to CHF which I think he is suited to play.

[LostDoggy]

I want to see Tom getting stronger but at the same time shedding some weight and playing FF and not in the ruck. We have been craving for a big strong FF for many years, and Tom is the man. This will push Redpath to CHF which I think he is suited to play.

Agree with all of this. Curious question is on Redpath. Some reckon CHF is an option, some reckon he should be trialled as a KPD. Looking at his attributes, I can see merit in both proposals. Would like to see some experimentation in the off season.

[1eyedog]

Agree with all of this. Curious question is on Redpath. Some reckon CHF is an option, some reckon he should be trialled as a KPD. Looking at his attributes, I can see merit in both proposals. Would like to see some experimentation in the off season.

Agreed. If we don't land the key back we are after, if Roughie does play game time in the ruck and if we lose Talia, which almost certainly appears to be the case, I think Redpath at full back is worth a try. He kicks the ball well, is tough at the contest and is big and strong enough to match the power forwards.

I don't see Boyd and Redpath playing in the same forward line I like the flexibility of the Boyd, Stringer, Crameri set up.