State League Footballers - 2014

[Greystache]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

So is your position that we should be looking at JR? Wood and JJ have shown vast improvement ofver the last 12-18 months. Darley gradual improvement in his first year here. Do you see JR in front or behind those players? If behind then i reinterate - what's the point of looking at him?

I think he's worth while considering. We have very few senior players on our list, and even fewer in defence.

If he's in front of them he should play, and if he is then that's a fair indication to those players how much they need to improve to forge a career.

[Ozza]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

I'm also a 'no' on Russell. I really like what he does for/and as a part of - our VFL side, however, at AFL he isn't able to play on his terms. He will be made to defend, and in his last handful of games for Collingwood, opposition clubs were getting him back deep into defence and exploiting him.

[GVGjr]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

So is your position that we should be looking at JR? Wood and JJ have shown vast improvement ofver the last 12-18 months. Darley gradual improvement in his first year here. Do you see JR in front or behind those players? If behind then i reinterate - what's the point of looking at him?

I don't have a firm opinion on Russell being added to the list or not but in essence the match committee pick the best players and if anyone isn't performing I'd like to think they are replaced with someone who can do the required job. Hard pressed for a decision I probably think he is a bit older than what we ideally need.

The positives might be that we add a good person to the list who's own form keeps the youngsters striving to improve.
While I get Russell's isn't in the right age profile we might otherwise prefer I'm not sure what the downside is.

We have moved on a lot of experienced guys who were well paid, maybe Russell is seen as an insurance that if Murphy was injured the back line could add an experienced player to work with the other defenders. He won't cost us much financially.

Most state league footballers are a bit older than taking a player from the TAC but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[azabob]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

I am neither here nor there on Russell, but what is the difference between him and Goodes?

[soupman]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

I am neither here nor there on Russell, but what is the difference between him and Goodes?

Number of VFL premierships won?

[Bulldog4life]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

An interesting character. Talk about muscles. Would it be someone we'd consider as a Rookie?

Country 'beast' should be a draft chance, ex-Hawk says

HAWTHORN premiership player Rick Ladson says AFL clubs would be "mad" not give country football star Jack Geary a shot at the big time next season.

AFL.com.au understands Geary, a teammate of Ladson's at Bendigo Football League club Golden Square, is on the radar of AFL recruiters.

The 23-year-old "beast" is the only bush footballer chosen to play for the VFL's International Rules side against Ireland at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday.

Ladson said if recruiters weren’t looking at Geary, then they weren’t doing their jobs.

"You don't come across them too often, the ones like Jack, that have the running capacity, the strength, the speed and the skill level to go with it," Ladson told AFL.com.au.

"His leadership quality, for a young guy, is something I haven't seen too often either in my time down in Melbourne.

"(Recruiters) aren't doing their jobs if they're not looking at him, put it that way."

Geary, who played TAC Cup for the Bendigo Pioneers, has long been a star of Victorian country football.

The strongly built, dreadlocked, six-foot utility also has a history of lifting his game up to higher levels.

In July, Geary was awarded one of Vic Country's two best afield medals for his efforts in defence in a loss to Metro.

Previously he has captained the Vic Country under-19s, won two best-on-ground medals during Square's run of five-straight flags and this year he skippered the BFL's senior interleague team to victory.

Geary's third quarter in Golden Square's fifth flag is already the stuff of folklore, after he inspired his side to turn a four-point half-time deficit into a match-defining lead at the final change - despite kicking into a breeze.

"A lot of people look at country footy and go 'If he hasn’t done it at VFL level then it's not worth even looking at'," Ladson said.

"If you look at the games where he's really stood out (such as) our Grand Final last year … I still thank him every day for it, his third quarter.

"It was one of the best 30 minutes of footy I've seen from someone his age."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-11-15/country-beast-a-draft-chance

[GVGjr]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

The Geary name is a strong one in the Bendigo Football League. Impressive physique and not a bad playing record. Not without a chance of being selected.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

The Geary name is a strong one in the Bendigo Football League. Impressive physique and not a bad playing record. Not without a chance of being selected.

I'd love us to take the chance on him if we believe he can play.

Country football is often ignored but there's some outstanding footballers in these leagues that would dominate VFL. Reality is they earn more money playing in country leagues with less physical demands. When you're 20-25 years old (for example) it's a no brainer, especially given how few stand alone VFL sides there are.

If he is as fit as projected, strong, fast, skillful and more importantly committed then a club like ours (or any club, really) would be doing themselves an injustice not to really consider him.

[anfo27]

Re: State League Footballers - 2014

What about Fogarty?

Was impressed with Fogarty in the games i'd seen him play, the kid has ability.