Players you thought were going to be good but?.

[josie]

What are the players that you thought had a good chance of forging a reasonable AFL career, but unfortunately didn?t? I?m thinking moreso of players that were not high draft picks or big name trades. Perhaps you first saw them at junior level, in the VFL, or another AFL club. And what do you think was the missing ingredient(s) in them not quite making it? Preferably dogs players but can be other clubs too.

Here?s mine:
I thought Ben Cavarra would make it after watching him at VFL level, both at clearances and as a small forward. I thought he was quick thinking, natural player with very good hands and a decent kick. I was so convinced he was going to make it with us that I bought his badge. With benefit of hindsight he was perhaps too slow for small forward role, which is where we played him in his few AFL games with us, too small for clearance role (and enough top midfield types back then), but part of me also thinks he wasn?t gifted the opportunities others were at senior level.

Also thought Fergus Greene had good goal sense and moved pretty well from his VFL form. Injuries ruined his chances with us. He is lightly built so perhaps his chances of making were and still are not high. I was happy to see Hawks give him a go. Hopefully he has a few more opportunities at AFL level and he can grab them. From the 1 or 2 Hawks games I?ve seen him play in I?d say his chances of making it are a bit slim now.

[SonofScray]

Christian Macri would be my number one pick. Looked every bit the classy player, but didn’t really get near it.

I’m still convinced Tim Walsh was going to make it, until he got injured down at Geelong and then busted a finger.

[josie]

Christian Macri would be my number one pick. Looked every bit the classy player, but didn’t really get near it.

I’m still convinced Tim Walsh was going to make it, until he got injured down at Geelong and then busted a finger.

And Walsh kicked a goal with his first kick in AFL IIRC. He did look good. I asked Eade and Cameron about him at a function back then and they said he just couldn’t get in the park due to injuries.

What position did Macri play and was it the 90’s?

[The Doctor]

Adrian Campbell is my pin up boy. I thought he would be the player Chris Grant turned out to be. Injuries destroyed him.

then there were

Ben Sexton
Justin Charles
Jon Ballantyne
Shannon Corcoran
Tyson Lane
Darren Collins
Stuart Nicol
Andy Nichols
Mark West

[Go_Dogs]

Farren Ray - was still probably good, but I thought he could become a genuine top liner.

Can Faulkner - the new McLeod.

King Tutt - would probably make it in the game right now.

[GVGjr]

For the older group on here, Hugh Reimers should have been the answer to our lack of taller defenders but sadly he couldn't stay fit enough and struggles with injuries. In his 2 years at the club he couldn't crack it for a senior game and got a leg injury early on at the Kennel. Lesson learned, never trust a highlights package.

I'm with GD on Cam Faulkner, really looked close to making the mark but couldn't quite get there.

Michael Martin was another that I had high hopes for but he didn't grasp his chances.

[Grantysghost]

Tyson Lane.

Was at school with him, played school footy (Melton tech) and I've never seen a more talented footballer. I'll never forget a mark he took in a game at Melton South in school footy (as I was under it) he ascended the earthly realms and broke the bonds of gravity that day!

Shame he didn't make it further.

[azabob]

Patrick Bowden. Seriously talented but appeared seriously lazy.

I remember one game he was first emergency and he got the call up but couldn't play as he sighted a hang over, the next player they called said he could play and just happened to be who Bowden was out drinking with the night before.

[lemmon]

Andrejs Everitt - I remember he played 12 or 13 games at the back end of his first year and looked an absolute star coming off half back. Pace, height, lovely kick, real dash. I think he made a charge for the Rising Star and was given Grant's number three on the back of it. Seemed like his pace dropped off really quickly.

The other one for me was Ayce Cordy. Some of those clips of him playing school footy were terrific.

[bulldogtragic]

Jarrad Grant. My number one.

Others Stevie Tiller, Tom Williams when he destroyed Buddy is Tassie, Daniel Bandy after half a season, Josh Hill, Stringer before 2016, Birss, and any player we sunk high picks into (ie Jackovich, Winnar, Street, Koops, Rawlings as I had misplaced faith for a while that the club would invest high picks only for good players).

[Scorlibo]

The very early signs were that Jayden Schofield could have played a lot of AFL footy. Had the mongrel in him to become a great defensively-minded small defender. Still don’t know why exactly he gave his opportunity away, but was never seen in the system again after just one year.

[Go_Dogs]

Everitt and Williams are great nominations.

Josh Hill still had a very solid career, although perhaps didn’t quite hit the highs he could’ve.

[angelopetraglia]

I second Andreas Everitt. Really thought he was going to be a star.

[bulldogtragic]

Everitt and Williams are great nominations.

Josh Hill still had a very solid career, although perhaps didn’t quite hit the highs he could’ve.

With Hill I was thinking with us. Like Ward. Could’ve been something great for us, but, asked to be traded out.

If Jordan McMahon could’ve kicked well, he would’ve been a player.

[SquirrelGrip]

I thought Kieran Collins was going to be our defensive pillar for the next decade.