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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
Here's one that will send Evo's blood rushing.
While most Tiger supporters were wallowing in the "nightmare" from Dreamtime there was another game on the weekend that had very significant implications for national AFL recruiting. This was the Kangas v North game which was dominated by Andrew Swallow.
From an inside midfield role, Swallow amassed 21 disposals at 81% eff, of which 12 were handballs, 12 contested possies, 3 inside 50s, 6 clearances, 6 tackles, and kicked the winning goal.
Many of you may remember Andrew Swallow as the star centreman in the WA U18 team of 2005. (Yes, this is only his 2nd season in AFL.) He was chosen as the U18 All-Australian centreman that year. Many of us had Swallow down as a first round choice for the National Draft of that year. Personally, I would have loved to have had him at Richmond, although my first choice was Cleve Hughes who we, fortunately, got anyway in the 2nd round.
At the now famous Tiger Pre-Draft night, there were questions relating to the merits & priority that the Tiger recruiting staff placed on Swallow. It was explained to us that Andrew Swallow had short arms and for this reason was going to struggle to become an AFL footballer. The extension of the logic was that short arms meant that although he would gather the3 ball effectively, he would have problems disposing of it by foot. Short arms, low range of ball extension, dropping the ball too far to boot, inaccurate kicking. Get my drift.
Yet here we are less than 2 years after Swallow was drafted and he has already stamped himself as an up & coming junior midfielder with scope to become a major AFL midfielder.
The same can be said of Nathan Foley. At the time of his recruiting, nearly everyone was poo-pooing Foley's physiological profile, and even just last season scouts from both inside Richmond & outside, with other AFL clubs, were still only 50/50 about him.
So where does that leave the "popular" recruiting philosophy regarding inside midfielders. Personally, it shows that the Testing Camp is still yet to discover a means of predicting a Greg Williams, Nathan Foley or Andrew Swallow type.
And because of that, congratulations to the club that is willing to stick its neck out and pick a junior on the basis that he plays "most excellent" footy.
I hope you appreciated this post Evo.
PS: The Kangas did the same last year, 2006, by picking up Leigh Adams, Vic Metro U18 championship-winning captain, All-Australian, and another top inside midfielder. (Evo & I would have loved Leigh Adams at Tigerland.)
While most Tiger supporters were wallowing in the "nightmare" from Dreamtime there was another game on the weekend that had very significant implications for national AFL recruiting. This was the Kangas v North game which was dominated by Andrew Swallow.
From an inside midfield role, Swallow amassed 21 disposals at 81% eff, of which 12 were handballs, 12 contested possies, 3 inside 50s, 6 clearances, 6 tackles, and kicked the winning goal.
Many of you may remember Andrew Swallow as the star centreman in the WA U18 team of 2005. (Yes, this is only his 2nd season in AFL.) He was chosen as the U18 All-Australian centreman that year. Many of us had Swallow down as a first round choice for the National Draft of that year. Personally, I would have loved to have had him at Richmond, although my first choice was Cleve Hughes who we, fortunately, got anyway in the 2nd round.
At the now famous Tiger Pre-Draft night, there were questions relating to the merits & priority that the Tiger recruiting staff placed on Swallow. It was explained to us that Andrew Swallow had short arms and for this reason was going to struggle to become an AFL footballer. The extension of the logic was that short arms meant that although he would gather the3 ball effectively, he would have problems disposing of it by foot. Short arms, low range of ball extension, dropping the ball too far to boot, inaccurate kicking. Get my drift.
Yet here we are less than 2 years after Swallow was drafted and he has already stamped himself as an up & coming junior midfielder with scope to become a major AFL midfielder.
The same can be said of Nathan Foley. At the time of his recruiting, nearly everyone was poo-pooing Foley's physiological profile, and even just last season scouts from both inside Richmond & outside, with other AFL clubs, were still only 50/50 about him.
So where does that leave the "popular" recruiting philosophy regarding inside midfielders. Personally, it shows that the Testing Camp is still yet to discover a means of predicting a Greg Williams, Nathan Foley or Andrew Swallow type.
And because of that, congratulations to the club that is willing to stick its neck out and pick a junior on the basis that he plays "most excellent" footy.
I hope you appreciated this post Evo.
PS: The Kangas did the same last year, 2006, by picking up Leigh Adams, Vic Metro U18 championship-winning captain, All-Australian, and another top inside midfielder. (Evo & I would have loved Leigh Adams at Tigerland.)