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Welcome Tom Brown
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Still burned by that one. I was sure I could see the bones of an absolute rip-snorter. As Stephen Fry might have said, "the wish was the father of the thought."
Since the 2021 draft we’ve finished 7th and 13th. There were no shortage of opportunities for Brown and co. if they were good enough.
I'm not sure. Our defence has been the hardest part of our side to break into and in general has been our strength for years. We've had weaknesses and opportunities to break into our midfield and our forward line, but our defence hasn't changed much over the last 5 years or so. Astbury went out and we balanced KD positions with Miller for a bit, and then into Young (but thats not a position that Brown could play), so who out of the smalls / medium sized defenders have been down and form so he could usurp them? Short? Rioli? Broad? Vlastuin? Grimes even as he's floated between smalls and talls. Which of those 5 does Brown take out over the last few years?
For the type of player he is, he’s up against Broad and Vlastuin imo. Pretty tough to beat those two out of the side, especially when you’ve not had a full pre-season until this one, as well as pretty decent long term injuries in season too.
Dimma was only interested in necessary, unavoidable glimpses of the youngsters fully in dynasty flag chasing mode, as most of us were at the time. Mature multi premiership heroes were always given priority over scrawny, inconsistent injury prone kiddies.
Gibber was probably the only outlier to that process as there was a massive hole appearing, if he hadn't destroyed the hammy he'd easily have 30 plus games under the belt n we'd all be dribbling over his up n coming super stardom.
What about Baker, Stack, Higgins, Balta, Bolton and Graham? All of them were given games during our premiership years and all of them had shown much more ability at the same point in their careers.
The only thing keeping our current kids from getting a game is ability. If they are good enough they will be played. The problem is that to date, too many of them have not been good enough.
%100 agree. If you don't earn the right you make a mockery of the jumper....
Great footballer but reckon MM was more fast twitch, dynamic.
Matty Knights was nonchalance par excellence.....except in that Bulldogs game.
Not quite true mate.
Grimes was clearly crap last year for example. Graham was in before our run. I'd say he's not improved a lot since we got him. He came in ready, but had pretty much not improved significantly since then.
Bolton was held out for a while, despite frustration from PRE, due to some kinks in his game. The talent was there. But he wasn't exactly establish in his first 2 years. Higgins and Baker, came in on the back of a decline in performance by other smalls like Butler. If Butlers form hadn't dropped, do you really think they would have played before him?
Balta came in via necessity due to the Rance injury leaving us too short.
Of our young guys, I'm probably most disappointed in Banks and Clarke. I think our wings and small forwards last year were under performing. Ross was probably our best wing and I don't think that's his natural spot, despite liking him as a player.
Sonsie was kept out of our midfield whilst we toyed with going again, and his lack of fitness. Did the club overall get a benefit out of stretching Cotch to 300, when it could have gotten games into Sonsie for example etc?
As for Brown, his gig will be in defence from what I'm told. His spot would be taken in the 22 by Vlastuin and/or Broad. He wasn't a player we needed to draft for immediate returns. I think he's got AFL quality and a future, but he's doing an apprenticeship. I agree though, if he were an electrician, I'd like to see him doing more than wiring up PowerPoints and light switches by now.
But we were trying to eek out another finals run last year. I can confirm we're trying to do the same this year too. One last dice roll, before a "retooling of the list". If there's an established player from that era, unless the unpick themselves, they're going to have first dibs.
You could put Towner in that list as well. Couple arsed a spot through injury to more regular senior players, some developed into and out of the side at various times as our dynasty was starting and evolving into it's peak. Bolton's just pure outrageous talent n even he had to grow through some failures to start with.
Different scenario for the 21 draftees in that the club was looking to maintain it's place at the top of the heap with the existing multi premiership mob, not trying to test the untried in an effort to find a gem. So those kids got way less opportunity to establish themselves, some were hindered by ongoing injury niggles, they were all covid interrupted in their development as well.
It'll take this year and next year to fully show us what we got out of the 21 draft, hopefully more good than not, but there will be failures in among that squad.
The league is littered with first and second year players coming in and making an impact. So let’s not use being young or can’t break into a strong line up as an excuse. Further to that, Grimes and Vlastuin missed games through injury and Broad missed 4 weeks through suspension. Brown wasn’t deemed good enough to come in for them until the season was well and truly done and dusted.
Requiring ability is a given, but physical and mental development can obviously be variable factors.
Darcy Wilmont is a half back flanker that Brisbane recruited in the same draft a pick before ours and has flourished and played regular senior football, including finals, as an example.
I can see McCauliff getting plenty of opportunities this year.
Let’s just hope Brown is a slow burn because you usually hope that a player picked earlier in the draft is more ready made than one taken later.
Requiring ability is a given, but physical and mental development can obviously be variable factors.
Darcy Wilmont is a half back flanker that Brisbane recruited in the same draft a pick before ours and has flourished and played regular senior football, including finals, as an example.
I can see McCauliff getting plenty of opportunities this year.
Let’s just hope Brown is a slow burn because you usually hope that a player picked earlier in the draft is more ready made than one taken later.
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It is very clear with so many players out of contract at the end of 2024 we are rolling the dice this year while we still have Lynch.
The reset will happen either when this year is lost or at the end of the season....it will happen.
Players that don't fit the reset will be traded or desisted.
If we are no chance for finals after 8 rounds we should play the kids and position ourselves for the best draft hand possible. 2028 - 2030 should be our goal.
The reset will happen either when this year is lost or at the end of the season....it will happen.
Players that don't fit the reset will be traded or desisted.
If we are no chance for finals after 8 rounds we should play the kids and position ourselves for the best draft hand possible. 2028 - 2030 should be our goal.
You do know that Brown missed the 1st half of the season through injury? And that neither Vlastuin or Broad missed a game in the second half of the AFL season?
Look up a player named Matt Coulthard.
Selected with no preseason whatsoever.
Brown had a broken wrist but was able to run the entire preseason of 23.
Hope he makes selection for Round 0 as everyone will run out of excuses
Which begs the question why draft Brown when you already have the cattle in his position? Why wait 5 years before the opportunities start to present themselves for him - especially as a half back that shouldnt have to wait so long to develop? that could be half of his career gone by then and other gaping holes left open.
No preseason? At Glenelg? I am pretty sure Glenelg would do a preseason.
He also played his first game in the Richmond VFL in rd 11, same as Brown.
He plays in a position we were lacking and is 2 years older than Brown.
Im not sure your point, other than deflecting from your previous post that said Brown should have been picked to replace Broad when he was suspended (except Brown had a broken wrist) and that he should have been picked to replace Vlastuin and Broad for all the games they missed (except neither of them missed a game once Brown was fit.)
