5. O'Rourke
6. Menzel
22. O'Brien
I'd be happy with this. Even happier if they picked up Spencer White with our next pick.
5. O'Rourke
6. Menzel
22. O'Brien
I'd be happy with this. Even happier if they picked up Spencer White with our next pick.
There is suggestion Toumpas could slide to us.
It would be a massive coup if we landed O'Rourke and Toumpas.
Still, I find it difficult to believe.
I think its a chance, I've heard Menzel talked about as the second most talented player in this draft, but also some clubs rating Wines at 2 based on their needs.
On a needs basis Toumpas and ORourke suit us well
It all comes down to GWS - realistically, they can afford to wait on Menzel and be patient - unless the Dees dont take Wines but he seemingly fits their needs nicely and with Viney would instantly create the new core around which to build
As others have mentioned, the player's age is a big consideration, but also the fact that he had LARS surgery as opposed to the traditional ACL repair.
There is still a lack of long-term evidence into LARS, and there is basically an expectation that it will break down in the near future (not immediate, but the odds would favour it happening during his career). If that happened he would need another reconstruction, using either LARS or the traditional method.
Malceski is one who (after another LARS) has come back reasonably strong. Rodan an example where it didn't work so well. I'll certainly be interested to see how it holds up, and what the approach is.
Personally I hope GWS relieves us of the To Menzel, or Not to Menzel dilemma.
While there may [ or may not] be a greater likelihood of recovery from ACL than from a compound leg fracture, there is not much doubt as to which is more likely to recur. While you rarely [ and I can't think of one instance] hear of players getting multiple occurrences of compound leg fractures, you regularly see guys repeatedly doing ACL's.
Personally I have had a number of broken, cracked and fractured bones, I have pretty much recovered from them all. My one and only joint injury has never really come good, and decades down the track still causes regular difficulties for me, including subsequent re-operations.
Seconded PaulV.
Man I feel for the kid. But we are playing catch up after Grant, Howard, Skinner and some other picks that haven't quite come off.
Like to avoid doubling up on Hunter and get someone a bit different.
You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ― Epicurus
Having to choose two out of Toumpas, Menzel and ORourke would be a good problem to have, and would severely lessen the sting of losing the race for Martin.
Based on 3rd hand info I have read on footy forums (!) I would go for Toumpas and Menzel I think, just for the sheer class.
Perhaps a good question to ask is which is the top 10 players we would least likely want to draft that might be available?
Not saying they are bad or we don't won't them, rather looking at it as a needs basis, which are the players we would prefer or least prefer to be available come our picks.
I would of thought Wines as he's similar to what we have already. If GWS and the Dees don't pick him, do we automatically pick him as he's best available? or do we look at someone else?
I can't see us picking Grundy, but i would think that we would love to have O'Rourke, Toumpas, Menzel and maybe Stringer if any were available.
If I'm not crazy for being partial to Bate joining the club (if we don't select Membrey who seems to play a similar role), maybe I am crazy for, the more I think of it, wanting Grundy.
Seems like a kid who just needs to be taught to be a genuine star. I would normally say not to choose rucks in the first round and follow the Sydney model, but if he's a once in a decade chance to be a real superstar in the middle he'll improve all of the midfielders around him when he plays which is a rare skill to have.
I'm not going to break out the razor blades if we don't select him, but an awesome athlete who beats his opponents one on one seems to fit the B-Mac mantra and with Cordy & Roughy playing as bookends we have Minson and his prime, Campbell as an honest trier, and that's it for our ruck stocks.
Western Bulldogs: 2016 Premiers