Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

[Bornadog]

How exciting was it last night to have an exciting bunch of young tall players all playing their part. When was the last time we ever had a group like Grant, Roughead, Everitt and even Tommy who is still only 23. Minno has just turned 25, so he has years ahead of him as well.

Add to these guys Cordy, Jones and Boumann, who all have potential, and the dogs future looks exciting.

Gee, maybe we need more runners, I think we have gone too top heavy

[mjp]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

Gee, maybe we need more runners, I think we have gone too top heavy

I wish this wasn't true.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

I wish this wasn't true.

I think a lot of AFL lists are a little top heavy at the moment, as sides are scrambling to unearth their next batch of 10 year KPP's before the ability to draft them becomes a lot more difficult.

We know we have a couple of mids coming through in this years draft, as well as having added a couple in the 2009 ND, and history suggests that identifying and developing small/running players is easier than doing so for KPP's.

So yes, we are currently a little top heavy, but I think with good reason - and it should hold us in good stead over the coming seasons. I think it's getting safer to say that Everitt, Williams, and to a lesser extent, Roughead, Grant and Jones all have reasonable or better chances of making the required level.

As these players start to reach their peaks, we'll be able to add younger midfielders who (usually) develop more rapidly, and should really create a very strong, well positioned, and balanced list.

*fingers crossed*

[GVGjr]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

How exciting was it last night to have an exciting bunch of young tall players all playing their part. When was the last time we ever had a group like Grant, Roughead, Everitt and even Tommy who is still only 23. Minno has just turned 25, so he has years ahead of him as well.

Add to these guys Cordy, Jones and Boumann, who all have potential, and the dogs future looks exciting.

Gee, maybe we need more runners, I think we have gone too top heavy

At the moment we have the numbers but not the quality because we have a few that are works in progress.
Cordy, Jones, Boumann, Mulligan (you forgot him) and even Roughead still have so much to learn and it will be a while before they are ready for an extended run at the senior level.

I think our list is just a little imbalanced at the moment. We have a lot of older guys, a lot of physically raw players and a few guys that might be lucky to be on a senior list. Due to a few injuries we are down on genuine midfielders with a bit of toe plus I would have thought we should have had another ruck prospect on the list a bit further advanced than Roughead

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

I wish this wasn't true.

Yes we clearly have an imbalance of talented young players coming through who are tall KPP/ruck vs speedy smalls. This is very exciting and bodes well. KPP's are so hard to get. They may look promising when young but may not make the grade for various reasons but ours look like they will be outstanding. Speedy smalls are much more prevalent and hopefully our future recruiting will address this.
Paradoxically, remember when we recruited Higgins we were actually after a KPP, which that draft had a lot of, but because Higgins was expected to be taken higher, he was seen as too good not to take so we grabbed him. What a good decision that has proven to be, even if he is strangely down on form ATM, making uncharacteristic errors and misreading the play.
If we can recruit some good smalls in the interim, 2016-2020 looks like a good era for the club.

[Bornadog]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

At the moment we have the numbers but not the quality because we have a few that are works in progress.
Cordy, Jones, Boumann, Mulligan (you forgot him) and even Roughead still have so much to learn and it will be a while before they are ready for an extended run at the senior level.

I think our list is just a little imbalanced at the moment. We have a lot of older guys, a lot of physically raw players and a few guys that might be lucky to be on a senior list. Due to a few injuries we are down on genuine midfielders with a bit of toe plus I would have thought we should have had another ruck prospect on the list a bit further advanced than Roughead

Yes, I did forget Mulligan. I don't agree with your statement on an imbalance. I think we have the most balanced team we have had for a long long time. Yes, we can always improve on what we have, but generally overall (forgetting injuries), the team is looking pretty good.

With the rucks, we have Hudson, (31), Minson (25) and then the young guns. Maybe we should have had a ruckman around 21, 22 years old and that would have been the ideal, but I think we are in a good position.

[Mofra]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

Gee, maybe we need more runners, I think we have gone too top heavy

If you take into account our first two picks this year will be midfielder/flankers I don't think the balance is as bad as some suggest.

I would like a decent CHB/FB back-up though - Mulligan & Boumann don't seem ready, and Marcovic not getting a NAB cup game doesn't fill me with confidence.

[Scorlibo]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

I disagree with some saying that we need more midfielders, IMO if we drafted any more out and out midfielders, we would be condemning their careers to fail. As it stands already, we have Cooney, Griffen, Higgins, Ward, Liberatore, Reid, Boyd, Cross and Wallis all on our list next year and all are predominantly midfielders. Libba and Wallis won't play until Boyd and Cross are nearly done, and that looks like being a smooth transition, although it is a long way off.

We know that Cooney, Griffen, Higgins and Ward are going to be mainstays, and knowing the quality of those players, I'm not too concerned with our midfield stocks to be honest, and if we were to draft any more midfield types I reckon they should be in the Gia mould - able to play in a number of positions so that they can fill in for others like Gia does and did exceptionally well for Boyd on Friday night. Perhaps that's the line of thought on Tutt and Howard.

[Bornadog]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

I disagree with some saying that we need more midfielders, IMO if we drafted any more out and out midfielders, we would be condemning their careers to fail. As it stands already, we have Cooney, Griffen, Higgins, Ward, Liberatore, Reid, Boyd, Cross and Wallis all on our list next year and all are predominantly midfielders. Libba and Wallis won't play until Boyd and Cross are nearly done, and that looks like being a smooth transition, although it is a long way off.

We know that Cooney, Griffen, Higgins and Ward are going to be mainstays, and knowing the quality of those players, I'm not too concerned with our midfield stocks to be honest, and if we were to draft any more midfield types I reckon they should be in the Gia mould - able to play in a number of positions so that they can fill in for others like Gia does and did exceptionally well for Boyd on Friday night. Perhaps that's the line of thought on Tutt and Howard.

Well maybe we need to start thinking about replacements for Hargrave, Morris, Gilbee, Hahn, Aker and Johhno in the next three years or so, ie HBFF and HFF

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

Well maybe we need to start thinking about replacements for Hargrave, Morris, Gilbee, Hahn, Aker and Johhno in the next three years or so, ie HBFF and HFF

Yes spot on IMO we need to get 2 Gilbees that can cut you to bits coming of 1/2 back. That said, I didn't think Harbrow would be as good as he is down their.

I'm more than happy with the list management at the moment.

[Scorlibo]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

Well maybe we need to start thinking about replacements for Hargrave, Morris, Gilbee, Hahn, Aker and Johhno in the next three years or so, ie HBFF and HFF

Yes absolutely, I think this was the intention in the 2006 draft, but from that draft Lynch has been delisted and Stack is still yet to prove his worth.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

We know that Cooney, Griffen, Higgins and Ward are going to be mainstays, and knowing the quality of those players

If they stay

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

Honestly, we just need to look at covering blokes as they retire as a priority. Our list is great.

[chef]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

Honestly, we just need to look at covering blokes as they retire as a priority. Our list is great.

It is pretty healthy.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Exciting Bunch of Young Talls

Yes we do but as they are young, the debs may well taper off as the season goes on.

As for being unbalanced, I think we are in need of one Cryril Rioli, someone with genuine speed. Those wanting Addison in the forward line forget that he lacks pace. Higgins seems to have lacked pace recently. Hahn and Akermanis are slowing up. Eagle gets caught on his wrong side. Genuine speed past the contest to take the handball and open up the forward line is down compared to a team like Collingwood. Collingwood are very quick to give and go and to get free from the contest. In reverse they are very quick to get to contests in numbers and crowd out oppositions, forcing them to become slow to get away from the pack.

To be good at this, you need to keep your feet, think quickly, act instinctively and accurately, and quickly get to the next position and be on the move at speed. Sometimes we have ended up handballing to stationary targets or got corralled into crowded or unfree positions. Because...there were not enough getting across the turf to help out at contests. Slow? Tired? Unbalanced? Are our talls going to add to this?

I can't see how more talls can work unless we have a pacy link player at half foward. We may well end up being tall but slower from contested situations against pacy sides like Collingwood. Front and centre, give and go, free running goal, snap goal.

To offset this, we will need everyone blocking and putting their hands in to stop the ball getting free from stoppages and centre ball ups. It will be interesting to see if we can do this against the Saints.