The Blair "Which?" Project

[tigerjoe12]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

Any interest in Matthew Warnock? Behind Frawley in the pecking order, playing some good footy for Casey.
Personally i think he'd be an upgrade on Muscles but eventually would be overtaken by Grimes and possibly Rance

no way. we have plenty of defenders. what our backline lacks is quality.

there's no point adding m warnock to our list when we already have mcguane, thursfield, grimes, rance, gourdis, astbury etc.

if we target a key back it needs to be someone who is/can turn into an a grader. or someone who can play on the gorilla's ie. 195cm+

warnock would add no value to our list at all & would likely just be another senior listed player playing down at coburg...& a mature one at that

 

[Tigers of Old]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

& if we can get jackson trengove into our backline via a trade. we'd be starting to get somewhere with regards to plugging up our biggest holes...

Trengove is the one.

 

[French Tiger]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

Trengove is the one.

As in our no 1 target ?

 

[Tigers of Old]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

As in our no 1 target ?

No more so as filling a need an obvious requirement.

 

[TOT70]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

if we could get bellchambers to the club that would be the ideal result for us. maybe straight swap for our tambling compensation pick? not unrealistic given he is coming out of contract

& if we can get jackson trengove into our backline via a trade. we'd be starting to get somewhere with regards to plugging up our biggest holes...

keep browne & derickx in reserve, trade Gus to GWS for whatever we can get & keep working with our young existing KPP's

That would work.

Put another ruckman on the rookie list for the next couple of seasons and we would be right for ruckmen for a while.

Then our first two picks in the draft could be used on midfielders.

I'd also then go looking for a readymade player from the VFL/SANFL/WAFL. Someone who could slot right in and play every week like Barlow and Curnow have done. Maybe someone who figures prominently in the Liston/Magarey/Sandover medal and plays for a team that goes deep into finals. Surely, there would be someone who fits this bill available around the third or fourth round?

It would be nice to come out of the trade/draft season with all of that.

 

[K3]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

no way. we have plenty of defenders. what our backline lacks is quality.

there's no point adding m warnock to our list when we already have mcguane, thursfield, grimes, rance, gourdis, astbury etc.

if we target a key back it needs to be someone who is/can turn into an a grader. or someone who can play on the gorilla's ie. 195cm+

warnock would add no value to our list at all & would likely just be another senior listed player playing down at coburg...& a mature one at that

I hope the powers that be have a similar plan in mind Joe! And as TOT added, a top state league player, or tow, would be a great addition as well.

 

[SAF]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

no way. we have plenty of defenders. what our backline lacks is quality.

there's no point adding m warnock to our list when we already have mcguane, thursfield, grimes, rance, gourdis, astbury etc.

if we target a key back it needs to be someone who is/can turn into an a grader. or someone who can play on the gorilla's ie. 195cm+

warnock would add no value to our list at all & would likely just be another senior listed player playing down at coburg...& a mature one at that

I agree, we already have too many undersized average backmen. Jackson Tengrove is 197cm and 97kgs so he would certainly be able to play on the gorillas and potentally pinch hit in the ruck. I reckon we need to be looking at other options as well, such as Robbie Tarrant (NM), Shaun McKernan (Adel), Ryan Schoenmakers (Haw) or Mitch Brown (WCE) who were all fairly high draft picks that haven't yet cemented a spot.

 

[Leysy Days]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

That would work.

Put another ruckman on the rookie list for the next couple of seasons and we would be right for ruckmen for a while.

Then our first two picks in the draft could be used on midfielders.

I'd also then go looking for a readymade player from the VFL/SANFL/WAFL. Someone who could slot right in and play every week like Barlow and Curnow have done. Maybe someone who figures prominently in the Liston/Magarey/Sandover medal and plays for a team that goes deep into finals. Surely, there would be someone who fits this bill available around the third or fourth round?
It would be nice to come out of the trade/draft season with all of that.

Agree there TOT.

Jacksons done a good job of late but one area leysy would like to see is the one highlighted. When we go with mature age players we seem to go for fairly obscure types rather than the one's playing very well at the next level. Guys like Nason, Jakobi, Roberts, Webberley were all taken from well back in the pecking order of mature players. Looks like we arent going to be left with much to show for ir in a couple of years time. The best one we got was Nahas who interestingly was the best young player in the VFL.

Now leysy also knows enough that just because you are playing extremely well at the next level down doesnt mean that translates to AFL footy. But its also been shown over recent years that overlooking the obvious with some of these mature players hasnt been the way to go.

Leysy would like to see us cotton on to that theme with those types.

 

[TOT70]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

Agree there TOT.

Jacksons done a good job of late but one area leysy would like to see is the one highlighted. When we go with mature age players we seem to go for fairly obscure types rather than the one's playing very well at the next level. Guys like Nason, Jakobi, Roberts, Webberley were all taken from well back in the pecking order of mature players. Looks like we arent going to be left with much to show for ir in a couple of years time. The best one we got was Nahas who interestingly was the best young player in the VFL.

Now leysy also knows enough that just because you are playing extremely well at the next level down doesnt mean that translates to AFL footy. But its also been shown over recent years that overlooking the obvious with some of these mature players hasnt been the way to go.

Leysy would like to see us cotton on to that theme with those types.

King was a good pick up as well and he was a B&F winner in a reasonably strong Coburg team. Derickx played every game for Claremont who were runners-up last year and they were obviously going to pick up Casserley and he had been very good in a Premiership year.

Freo are doing really well out of this. They have cottoned on to the idea that standouts at the secondary level will do OK at AFL level, providing they have the tools like speed, decision-making etc.

It seems to me that most clubs fall for the trap of picking up 18 year old athletes and spend the next three years trying to teach them to play football while the natural footballers with the shorter legs and bigger backsides are dominating the State League games. They are right under their noses but have been pretty much invisible until recently.

Curnow was an obvious one last year. I’m sure that North Ballarat, Port Melbourne, Claremont and Central Districts all have a couple of 20-22 year olds who are ready to go.

 

[Tony Braxton-Hicks]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

So who are the VFL standouts this year? And are they any better than Carnell?

 

[Brodders17]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

no way. we have plenty of defenders. what our backline lacks is quality.

there's no point adding m warnock to our list when we already have mcguane, thursfield, grimes, rance, gourdis, astbury etc.

if we target a key back it needs to be someone who is/can turn into an a grader. or someone who can play on the gorilla's ie. 195cm+

warnock would add no value to our list at all & would likely just be another senior listed player playing down at coburg...& a mature one at that

agree with this. any tall defender needs to be young or pretty good. as you say we dont need more numbers.
having said that if thursfield and gourdis go at the end of the year as is more likely than not at this stage then we probably are 1 or 2 ready KPBs short. especially if doubts remain about moore.

 

[Leysy Days]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

King was a good pick up as well and he was a B&F winner in a reasonably strong Coburg team. Derickx played every game for Claremont who were runners-up last year and they were obviously going to pick up Casserley and he had been very good in a Premiership year.

Freo are doing really well out of this. They have cottoned on to the idea that standouts at the secondary level will do OK at AFL level, providing they have the tools like speed, decision-making etc.

It seems to me that most clubs fall for the trap of picking up 18 year old athletes and spend the next three years trying to teach them to play football while the natural footballers with the shorter legs and bigger backsides are dominating the State League games. They are right under their noses but have been pretty much invisible until recently.

Curnow was an obvious one last year. I’m sure that North Ballarat, Port Melbourne, Claremont and Central Districts all have a couple of 20-22 year olds who are ready to go.

Totally agree.

& as you say Freo are the benchmarks. Their rise from down & outers to looking like consistent finalists has been largely on the back of astute recruiting of experienced players.

Greg Broughton
Hayden Ballantyne
Michael Barlow
Nick Lower
Tendai Mzungu

Were all outstanding at the level below & a very good chance all will be key players for there club for the next 7-8 years. Excellent common-sense drafting.

 

[Disco08]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

And pretty simple too. If a player's too good for one level it makes sense to give them a shot at the next. Why this hasn't been standard practice for a while is a little baffling. How good a career might Podsiadly have had if someone realised how good he was?

 

[Baloo]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

We had a policy where we would rookie one Coburg player a year. From memory we got King, then the Cat, then that was it.

A lot of people hated the idea but I thought it was a good one. Not sure why it stopped.

 

[jb03]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

Port Melbourne are travelling well in the VFL - do they have anyone?

 

[Baloo]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

Port Melbourne are travelling well in the VFL - do they have anyone?

Isn'y that where Slumdog came from ?

 

[taztiger4]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

We had a policy where we would rookie one Coburg player a year. From memory we got King, then the Cat, then that was it.

A lot of people hated the idea but I thought it was a good one. Not sure why it stopped.

Jakobi last draft

 

[Scoop]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

Totally agree.

& as you say Freo are the benchmarks. Their rise from down & outers to looking like consistent finalists has been largely on the back of astute recruiting of experienced players.

Greg Broughton
Hayden Ballantyne
Michael Barlow
Nick Lower
Tendai Mzungu

Were all outstanding at the level below & a very good chance all will be key players for there club for the next 7-8 years. Excellent common-sense drafting.

TOT is so spot on. As is Leysy's.

Let's list some of the better WAFL, SANFL, VFL players under 25.

 

[Leysy Days]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

And pretty simple too. If a player's too good for one level it makes sense to give them a shot at the next. Why this hasn't been standard practice for a while is a little baffling. How good a career might Podsiadly have had if someone realised how good he was?

As you know they still need the requisite skills, decision making & athletic ability to transition up to the faster pace of AFL, so long as they do your exactly right why havent they is baffling Disco.

Apparently after Barlow tore it up last year Malthouse called for a meeting with his whole recruiting team berating them, asking how the hell could he be under there noses for so long & yet they didnt consider drafting him.

Port Melbourne are travelling well in the VFL - do they have anyone?

Leysy really liked a running player called Sam Dwyer 2 years ago. Did his knee at just the wrong time. From what leysy's seen has come back well this year. Havent seen enough to comment any more though. They must have a good stockpile of talent though.

 

[Disco08]

Re: The Blair Hartley Project

Similar to Barlow, the Western clubs must be kicking themselves over Taylor as well.