Guy O'Keefe

[GVGjr]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

That said he is already achieving pretty good results and is not as fit as he needs to be.

It just seems to me that he has been made the scapegoat by the Dogs coaching staff when the Willy coaching staff seem to have had a lot of respect.

I think the kid is a player, and I wonder if our senior coach can be too stubborn at times with the Gen Y guys about who fits into, and who doesn't fit into their plans

O'Keefe was close to getting a senior game about round 14 but then fell right out of favor with the coach. FWIW, if Eade can get over some of the misdemeanors that Reid has done plus Lynch's questionable work ethic then he probably adapts to the quirks of the young guys fairly well.
If O'Keefe is really out of favor as we have been been hearing it sounds like he should be getting shopped around this week.

In the latter part of the season his form dropped and it could be either a poor fitness base that found him out or a realisation that his good performances weren't going to get rewarded.

The ball is in his court to prove his doubters wrong.

[Topdog]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

It just seems to me that he has been made the scapegoat by the Dogs coaching staff when the Willy coaching staff seem to have had a lot of respect.

A scapegoat for what exactly? I really struggle to understand what you mean here.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

I have no idea about GOK but I know Williamstown is a long way from AFL standard.

Thats debatable whether he has performed better than others considering they play in different positions and we are looking for the ones that could play AFL not VFL.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

No, having a footy brain means knowing what to do when you get your hands on the pill and also knowing what to do when you don't have it.

If your definition of having a footy brain were true ES, then Farren Ray would be a Brownlow medallist by now. Knows how fit he needs to be to play at the level he wants, still a terrible footy brain.

Well if the opossite was true then we would footballers playing til their death (60+).
I never said it was the main factor in having a football brain nor did I say you have to extremely fit. I just believe part of having football smarts is the need to know your body.

[Big_Willba]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

I have no idea about GOK but I know Williamstown is a long way from AFL standard.
Thats debatable whether he has performed better than others considering they play in different positions and we are looking for the ones that could play AFL not VFL.

We all know this, everyone knows this.

But what more can he do???? he's asked to perform at that level and he has better than some that have been awarded oppurtunities.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

We all know this, everyone knows this.

But what more can he do???? he's asked to perform at that level and he has better than some that have been awarded oppurtunities.

We don't know what goes on behind closed doors between Rocket & GOK, most of us only see what happens between 2pm & 4.30pm on a Sunday. I'm sure there's plenty we don't know about.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

I would have thought the pretty good results were straight forward:

4th in the Willy B&F 2009
Willy Coaches Award 2009
And when given the chance at preseason 2008 AFL level he acquitted himself well

I'm not by any means suggesting that he doesn't have room for improvement, but over 2 season at VFL level he has performed far better than Wood, Reid, Boumann and Grant who were drafted in the same year and better than Everitt, Stack and Lynch who've had more time.

Our Gen Y kids seem to need a bit of nurturing. I wonder why given OKeefes relative performance to his peer group he appears to be the one singled out. Boumann and Reid have had issues, and even Ward drew the coaches ire when he presented for the 09 preseason out of shape.

I just think the kid is young, and the penny drops at different times for different players.
It's not like Cooney or Griffen really understood what it took when they arrived either. When they came to the club my impression was that Ward and OKeefe were the most serious about becoming league footballers, and they also seemed to be pretty good mates. Clearly they know more than I do but I guess I thought the coaching staff would be pushing and coaxing OKeefe to become an elite runner, rather than just trading a guy who already seems a pretty handy player.

Great accurate post i agree on all points.You have hit the nail on the head BR Guy should be given a specific tailored pre-season running program & paired up with a Boyd or Cross & he shouldn't leave their sides! That's if he doesn't want to be traded! In fact Boyd & Cross are the perfect reason we should try & keep a player like Guy pound for pound he would probably be more talented.Lucky we persisted with both of them i'd say!

[Bornadog]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

We all know this, everyone knows this.

But what more can he do???? he's asked to perform at that level and he has better than some that have been awarded oppurtunities.

WEll he can get his fitness level up. As GVGjr pointed out, he fell a way after round 14.

[GVGjr]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

WEll he can get his fitness level up. As GVGjr pointed out, he fell a way after round 14.

It fell away sometime after that round. When I mentioned round 14 that was roughly the time he started being named on the extended benches for the seniors. I thought his performances dropped a little much later in the season.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

A scapegoat for what exactly? I really struggle to understand what you mean here.

Scapegoat is perhaps the wrong word to describe it

Perhaps easy target is a better description

[chef]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

Great accurate post i agree on all points.You have hit the nail on the head BR Guy should be given a specific tailored pre-season running program & paired up with a Boyd or Cross & he shouldn't leave their sides! That's if he doesn't want to be traded! In fact Boyd & Cross are the perfect reason we should try & keep a player like Guy pound for pound he would probably be more talented.Lucky we persisted with both of them i'd say!

I don't agree with that.

We persisted with both those guys because they were willing to work on their deficiencies and get better. Yet to be seen if GOK can do this, but hopefully he can.

[The Underdog]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

I understand the arguments about his deficiencies as well as those in favour of keeping him.
It was apparently the case that we kept Lynch last year because he was better and more advanced than whoever we would pick up in the 4th or 5th round (as may well be the case this year).
Could the same argument not be made for O'Keefe? Surely he's at least fitter and more chance of contributing than someone we pick up at pick 60+. I'm pretty sure he won't be with us next year but I think the argument can be made that he should be given a chance.

[Bornadog]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

Scapegoat is perhaps the wrong word to describe it

Perhaps easy target is a better description

Why would he be an easy target? What is to be gained from picking on him?

I don't believe there is any personal vendetta against him or any other player.

I think you will find the coaches and development team are not happy with his progress. He has most likely asked why he was not getting a senior game, and was told he is competing against other players in the team and a few home truths.

I think we have to trust the club on this.

[Desipura]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

Also having a footy brain means you know what fitness you need to play at the level you want.

Not true, so Derek Kickett did not have a footy brain because he did not know what fitness he needed to play at the level he wanted? Funniest thing I have heard in a long time.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Guy O'Keefe

Not true, so Derek Kickett did not have a footy brain because he did not know what fitness he needed to play at the level he wanted? Funniest thing I have heard in a long time.

Yes sorry, I was trying to up you with something more funnier than getting Jesse White in a trade this year.