Rumour 2024 Rumours and Speculation (Rumours total 25, last 28th August)

[huludicidal]

On the Pedlar piece, he had been absolutely dominant in some junior games in a weird COVID season.

There was no version of him lasting to our next pick. GWS were taking him, as were other clubs.

1) those dominant games were mostly school footy for PA college. Not exactly a high bar

2) He didn’t even get an invite to the SA Academy Hub - these invites were issued before his injuries that year

3) it’s a good thing for GWS and those other clubs that we saved them from making that error

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Nicks hasn't played kids in the midfield because he doesn't have the young talent. He'd be the first person demanding for better mids. There's zero chance he's throwing away our one opportunity to bring in a decent mid to get some mediocre tall.

Soligo was preparing to play wing in preseason, Dowling is yet to attend a centre bounce 1.5 years. Taylor is the other hope.

Nicks is only willing to try things when it hits the fans and our kids are dozens of games behind on development

 

[Peter Doherty]

I brought up Holmes for that exact reason. If we were going to take a bolter, it might have been nice to take the one who is now in All Australian discussions, just turned down multiple million dollar per season offers to stay at Geelong, instead of the guy who can’t get a game ahead of Harry Schoenberg, Sam Berry, Lachie Murphy, present day Rory Laird or Ned McHenry, and apparently was Nicks’ idea of a Tom Stewart stopper (note: Stewart played arguably the best game any defender has played this season).

And look, player development is clearly a major issue for us so if we had taken Holmes he’d probably be 1/4 the player he now is at Geelong, but still, look at the speed and endurance he has. Pedlar looks horrendous, and if anything has gone backwards in the last 24 months. To say his 32 AFL games have been a tick is staggering. Maybe 8-10 of those 32 have been of an acceptable standard. And his injury history, before even being drafted, was a blood red flag. He’s now running around missing targets at will in the SANFL, and quite frankly doesn’t deserve an AFL call up to the injury-ravaged 15th placed side that has no midfield.

Bruhn - sure there was a major go-home factor, but at least we would’ve gotten something back in a trade. If we traded Pedlar now we might get pick 45-50 if we’re lucky. Personally I think he’s heading for the delist pile at the end of his current contract. The only thing that might save him is just how terrible the rest of our list is.


As for others that we could’ve taken…

Tom Powell - has shown far more than Pedlar at the top level, despite some flaws in his game. Has passed 50 AFL games, despite every player on North’s list being a mid. And is from SA. Would be a starting stoppage mid for us right now and absolutely shits on all of Schoenberg, Berry, Pedlar and Laird.


Heath Chapman - list management wouldn’t be discussing Petty as a defensive option right now if we had this guy on the list. Solid as a rock.


Oli Henry - again, go home factor. Again, the trade haul would’ve been far better than owning Pedlar.


Finlay MacRae - looks a far more accomplished mid than Pedlar.


Obviously Holmes


Reef McInnes - I’d take him over Pedlar in a heartbeat, and we were heavily rumoured to be into him at the time (AND Twomey thought the Pies wouldn’t match the academy bid). Can play forward or as a mid. Has height.



Pedlar was a swing for the fences, high risk, potentially high reward pick. Unfortunately it hasn’t panned out, just like every other midfielder Hamish has ever drafted in the first round of any AFL draft in history.

That's a whole lot of words, still not seeing a strong argument. We needed a mid. We took who we thought was the best available mid at pick 11, it's really as simple as that.

At the time my preference was to try and move up for Hollands, did we try for that? Was it impossible?

To suggest we should have looked at these 3rd tall forwards and a defender at pick 11 instead of addressing the midfield is just weird. We needed a mid.

 

[jackster83]

That's a whole lot of words, still not seeing a strong argument. We needed a mid. We took who we thought was the best available mid at pick 11, it's really as simple as that.

At the time my preference was to try and move up for Hollands, did we try for that? Was it impossible?

To suggest we should have looked at these 3rd tall forwards and a defender at pick 11 instead of addressing the midfield is just weird. We needed a mid.

Powell was the obvious, if slightly boring choice.

 

[huludicidal]

That's a whole lot of words, still not seeing a strong argument. We needed a mid. We took who we thought was the best available mid at pick 11, it's really as simple as that.

At the time my preference was to try and move up for Hollands, did we try for that? Was it impossible?

To suggest we should have looked at these 3rd tall forwards and a defender at pick 11 instead of addressing the midfield is just weird. We needed a mid.

How’s Pedlar tracking as a mid? Terribly. If we thought he was the best available mid at Pick 11, history will show we were unequivocally wrong.

 

[Peter Doherty]

How’s Pedlar tracking as a mid? Terribly. If we thought he was the best available mid at Pick 11, history will show we were unequivocally wrong.

You're not a Pedlar fan. I'm a Pedlar fan, just not a fan of how the club have developed him.

Thankfully though, he still has time.

 

[Mostyn]

How’s Pedlar tracking as a mid? Terribly. If we thought he was the best available mid at Pick 11, history will show we were unequivocally wrong.

Last year was his first run at it, and he improved a lot and looked really good at times.

This year, he can barely raise a gallop. It feels like fitness and confidence issues, but he might find it easier to be confident if he had elite standards.

 

[huludicidal]

Last year was his first run at it, and he improved a lot and looked really good at times.

This year, he can barely raise a gallop. It feels like fitness and confidence issues, but he might find it easier to be confident if he had elite standards.

He looked pretty decent as a half forward flanker at times last year. But as a mid? I don’t see any progression whatsoever personally. 2025 will ultimately decide if he has an AFL future or not. He is inexplicably contracted until the end of 2026 because we hand out deals like candy to anyone who wins a hard ball once.

 

[Peter Doherty]

Last year was his first run at it, and he improved a lot and looked really good at times.

This year, he can barely raise a gallop. It feels like fitness and confidence issues, but he might find it easier to be confident if he had elite standards.

Players do need to take responsibility, yes.

Let's not pretend the club doesn't have development issues though.

Campo last night was talking about Rachele, he then brings up Max saying he's going well, Josh needs to take responsibility.

There's always going to be some push button players like Max, the test of the development program is players like Pedlar and Rachele.

 

[huludicidal]

Players do need to take responsibility, yes.

Let's not pretend the club doesn't have development issues though.

Campo last night was talking about Rachele, he then brings up Max saying he's going well, Josh needs to take responsibility.

There's always going to be some push button players like Max, the test of the development program is players like Pedlar and Rachele.

Rachele was the most AFL-ready player we’ve drafted in years. Built like a brick shithouse. His very first AFL game was his best to this day.

Nothing to do with development. Everything to do with coaching, and potentially attitude.

 

[Peter Doherty]

Did Stengle become an All Australian because he started working harder at Geelong?

 

[Peter Doherty]

Rachele was the most AFL-ready player we’ve drafted in years. Built like a brick shithouse. His very first AFL game was his best to this day.

Nothing to do with development. Everything to do with coaching, and potentially attitude.

I'm including the coaches as part of the development program.

 

[huludicidal]

Did Stengle become an All Australian because he started working harder at Geelong?

He was already playing great footy here. You can’t be an All-Australian small forward in a non-finals team, that’s just not ever a thing (hence his poor season in 2023 when Geelong went down the gurgler). Despite us being a shitshow, he was performing consistently better than Rachele is now for instance.

If we had persisted through the personal issues, rather than dumping a kid who lacked guidance in his personal life, he’d be an excellent player for us right now.

 

[Danger in Texas]

He was already playing great footy here. You can’t be an All-Australian small forward in a non-finals team, that’s just not ever a thing (hence his poor season in 2023 when Geelong went down the gurgler). Despite us being a shitshow, he was performing consistently better than Rachele is now for instance.

If we had persisted through the personal issues, rather than dumping a kid who lacked guidance in his personal life, he’d be an excellent player for us right now.

I can’t exactly remember, were we active in putting the needed support around him after the first and second incidents? I know he got suspensions

If we weren’t, that would’ve almost certainly been our fatal flaw

 

[Scorpus]

It's incredible that we managed to take a goal a game half forward from last season and completely destroy his game

 

[Mutineer]

I can’t exactly remember, were we active in putting the needed support around him after the first and second incidents? I know he got suspensions

If we weren’t, that would’ve almost certainly been our fatal flaw

Didn't he actually move in with Tex for a stretch, I may be wrong but I seem to have that recollection

 

[Peter Doherty]

It's incredible that we managed to take a goal a game half forward from last season and completely destroy his game

Well you see he had a few drinks one night, so really it's his fault.

 

[PeterSalt]

Didn't he actually move in with Tex for a stretch, I may be wrong but I seem to have that recollection

Yes .. but that was in the period between when he and BCrouch were busted in the city and the photos published of Tyson with a saucer of white powder in front him in Pt Lincoln

 

[Mutineer]

Yes .. but that was in the period between when he and BCrouch were busted in the city and the photos published of Tyson with a saucer of white powder in front him in Pt Lincoln

Let's face it it was Eddie Betts and his partner Anna Scullie that were keeping Tyson on the straight and narrow and it's no coincidence since he's shifted to Victoria they again have a big presence in his life.

 

[PeterSalt]

Let's face it it was Eddie Betts and his partner Anna Scullie that were keeping Tyson on the straight and narrow and it's no coincidence since he's shifted to Victoria they again have a big presence in his life.

Thought it was pretty common knowledge Tyson generally spent more socialising with friends (who weren't a great influence on him) than his team mates after Eddie moved back to Melbourne.

Probably a shame the club didn't move him in with another player or mentor when Eddie left, who could've helped provide more balance and stability

Being the first year of Covid probably didn't help


Moving in with Tex post season was like shutting the gate after the horse had bolted.

 

[MRB37]

Didn't he actually move in with Tex for a stretch, I may be wrong but I seem to have that recollection

I believe that was the case.

Apparently he still spends weekdays in metro Vic with the Betts and only stays in Geelong 1-2 nights a week.

 

[Danger in Texas]

I believe that was the case.

Apparently he still spends weekdays in metro Vic with the Betts and only stays in Geelong 1-2 nights a week.

Eddie’s wife is even his manager

 

[Peter Doherty]

Eddie’s wife is even his manager

I've seen guardian mentioned.

 

[Mostyn]

He looked pretty decent as a half forward flanker at times last year. But as a mid? I don’t see any progression whatsoever personally. 2025 will ultimately decide if he has an AFL future or not. He is inexplicably contracted until the end of 2026 because we hand out deals like candy to anyone who wins a hard ball once.

When we pushed him into the midfield he was excellent for clearances. He seemed primed for it this year.

But came back a long way off the pace.

 

[George Kramer]

C'mon.

The ENTIRE football industry - every journo, every radio and TV reporter, every podcaster, every shock jock - are saying the same thing about us.

Our midfield doesn't have enough talent.

Because we want to just roll about in our pain, we want to invent things the club might do wrong.

Let's just focus on things that are remotely likely.

Nicks hasn't played kids in the midfield because he doesn't have the young talent. He'd be the first person demanding for better mids. There's zero chance he's throwing away our one opportunity to bring in a decent mid to get some mediocre tall.

Lol. He started the season defending his vanilla midfield of Dawson, Crouch and Laird.

He took games to introduce Rankine and Soligo.

He’s got drafted midfielders he won’t give a run in there. That’s not based on their ability because until they are tested in the AFL we don’t know how they’ll perform. It’s because he’s got to have a level of experience in the middle, they are the only players he’s trusts even when they don’t get the job done.