Player Watch #7: Ben Lennon

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theflea said:
Understand the core stuff, but haven't notice the big upper body of Cotch. I will try to take more notice today, but I don't think so. The reason I say this, is he will be able to handle taggers better.
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Oh he's not big, like say Buckley was.... but strong. That's what I was trying to say. Taggers well, he'll always need help!
 
Got a long way to go has Benny, but I certainly believe he has it in him. But you can see the difference IMO in getting kids with a tank and their ability to adapt to AFL level. BEllis, Menadue, CEllis and McIntosh have all done really well at AFL level. Vlastuin and Martin are the odd two out but Flossy had some tank and Dusty is a beast.

Lennon and McDonough I think have struggled more because they have played more as forwards and not come to the club with a good fitness base.
 

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It's all there though. He just hasn't worked out how to put it into a package yet.

Watching the VFL game on the weekend, the things he did do were borderline freakish. He just didn't get the rub.

He snapped a goal off his left foot from a tight angle only for it to be called out of the bounds, and he took and absolute screamer of a mark (that would have been a bread and butter goal) but was called not 15.

Sure his involvements are lower than they should be, but those two pieces of play would have taken his tally to three goals for the day and the world looks much peachier.

His tank needs work, but when he get's involved he is a class above. I think it would be hard for him to watch Connor and Corey playing so well, and hopefully it will push him on, but they are different players who will run all day. Ben is a power type player, similar to Lids in many ways and just needs to work his game out.

Games should not be gifted, but he needs to be given opportunity (not as a sub) over the course of the season, because he has all the instruments to succeed.
 
Ex Pies list manager on Ben Lennon

When watching him in TAC we never considered him bc
We doubted he would ever be an A grader
Looked like a very good b grader who had excellent skills and very clean with his possessions
Will never be a big possession winner of twenty or more a game on average
Was too much of an outside player for the modern day game. Another Shaun Grigg but with poor defensive skills and lack of gut run
Rejected early on mainly bc he was going to need a lot of work and time and the risks of getting up to a b grader would have been too high
Rfc could have a good footballer at best , but no guarantees
 
Its his 2nd year people...
The times of us needing to play young players is over. They need or earn it.
How many 1st or 2nd year players get games at the hawks, freo or the swans?
If he plays 10 games in the 2nd half of the year it will be a win.
Whats the point of him coming into the 1s and be the sub and only play 1 quater?
He is better off playing consistant football in the 2s.
He will be fine.
 
How long did it take McIntosh for a regular AFL game?
Its taken McIntosh 3 pre seasons to get his tank and body right for AFL football and he's now every chance for the rising star award.
Lennon will also take time given his physical similarities to McIntosh before he came to the club.
Having said that though, I wouldn't mind trading him because he's not really the type of player we need now or in 3 years. No idea why we picked him ahead of Cripps, McCarthey, Dunstan, Hartung, Crouch, Acres and Taylor. Our 2013 offseason was terrible. In quality bush-league players like Hampson, Lloyd, Gordon. Out: inside grunt and outside speed like Tuck, White, Nahas.
Thats what we should really be talking about. List Management. Not a 19yo.
 
TigerImposter said:
Ex Pies list manager on Ben Lennon

When watching him in TAC we never considered him bc
We doubted he would ever be an A grader
Looked like a very good b grader who had excellent skills and very clean with his possessions
Will never be a big possession winner of twenty or more a game on average
Was too much of an outside player for the modern day game. Another Shaun Grigg but with poor defensive skills and lack of gut run
Rejected early on mainly bc he was going to need a lot of work and time and the risks of getting up to a b grader would have been too high
Rfc could have a good footballer at best , but no guarantees
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I also spoke to a Pies statistician who I met in a pub, who was only mid-20s. He told me that Corey would be okay, but never an absolute star.

Which I think based on early games is a bit ridiculous. All clubs have different needs and estimations. Ben will be a good player, I have little doubt.
 
cairo tiger said:
similar to jack watts?
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Reckon, with the exception Lennon won't be gifted games. I must say watching a half live and then the last quarter on TV Saturday made me realise why certain players aren't in the team.

Lennon is the one we need to step up most because he has all the tools. I honestly don't blame Hardwick for not selecting him with maybe the exception of round 1 instead of Newman. He doesn't work hard enough and therefore doesn't fit into the senior team yet. If only he could borrow Arnots effort because he works really hard but has poor skills.

McDonough is similar has sublime skills but disappoints when he should be leading.

If Lennon gets his work rate up he will be a solid player at a minimum. McDonough probably needs to work even harder because he is not is athletic.
 
Bobby Sands said:
I also spoke to a Pies statistician who I met in a pub, who was only mid-20s. He told me that Corey would be okay, but never an absolute star.

Which I think based on early games is a bit ridiculous. All clubs have different needs and estimations. Ben will be a good player, I have little doubt.
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Which My source said a very good b grader
So were in the right area
 

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TigerImposter said:
Which My source said a very good b grader
So were in the right area
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Too be honest, I find the estimations of other clubs - I say other but in both instances it is Collingwood, as rather insulting.

The year we got Lennon they took Scharenberg and Freeman ahead of Lennon. Scharenberg has not played a game because of injury and nor has Freeman.
In Ellis's draft they took De Goey and Darcy F/S. Darcy is an absolute jet, who will probably captain the Pies in the next decade, but he was father son so that is another matter. Based on this season, has De Goey shown more than Ellis? Not by my watch. Duggan in WA looks arguably better than both - but it is such early days.

I will give it to Collingwood that they have done exceptionally well in the back end of recent drafts, but to knock first round talent as this or that is just ridiculous in my opinion and I doubt many clubs have their mentality.
 
To be fair, I'd rather watch a yellow cake meander down the urinal than spend time talking to a pie recruiter.

That said, the young fella worries me...and I'm not having a shot. He's mixing with a bunch of kids who want to show their wares...I spose I expected he would have have the leg up on the 2014 draftees.
 
Bobby Sands said:
Too be honest, I find the estimations of other clubs - I say other but in both instances it is Collingwood, as rather insulting.

The year we got Lennon they took Scharenberg and Freeman ahead of Lennon. Scharenberg has not played a game because of injury and nor has Freeman.
In Ellis's draft they took De Goey and Darcy F/S. Darcy is an absolute jet, who will probably captain the Pies in the next decade, but he was father son so that is another matter. Based on this season, has De Goey shown more than Ellis? Not by my watch. Duggan in WA looks arguably better than both - but it is such early days.

I will give it to Collingwood that they have done exceptionally well in the back end of recent drafts, but to knock first round talent as this or that is just ridiculous in my opinion and I doubt many clubs have their mentality.
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He wasn't knocking him
This was their opinion at the time. I think you will need to go back and read the original post
 
Tiger7374 said:
To be fair, I'd rather watch a yellow cake meander down the urinal than spend time talking to a pie recruiter.

That said, the young fella worries me...and I'm not having a shot. He's mixing with a bunch of kids who want to show their wares...I spose I expected he would have have the leg up on the 2014 draftees.
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That's pretty naive to ignore other people's views from a different walk of life.
 
Tiger7374 said:
Happy to ignore or be sheltered from a pie perspective of life mate...if I'm diminished because of it I will wear it.
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So your sister marries a magpie you will ignore his opinion or views. ?????? Sounds too simple to me
It's funny this dude I've known for ten years but never spoken to him and only ever seen him at Sunday Mass
This year his son is in the same prep class as mine. We bumped into each other at a local park and chatted for a few hours
I'm not saying he knows what he's on about , but I'm just providing his professional view at the time Lennon was in the TAC
 
Bobby Sands said:
It's all there though. He just hasn't worked out how to put it into a package yet.

Watching the VFL game on the weekend, the things he did do were borderline freakish. He just didn't get the rub.

He snapped a goal off his left foot from a tight angle only for it to be called out of the bounds, and he took and absolute screamer of a mark (that would have been a bread and butter goal) but was called not 15.

Sure his involvements are lower than they should be, but those two pieces of play would have taken his tally to three goals for the day and the world looks much peachier.

His tank needs work, but when he get's involved he is a class above. I think it would be hard for him to watch Connor and Corey playing so well, and hopefully it will push him on, but they are different players who will run all day. Ben is a power type player, similar to Lids in many ways and just needs to work his game out.

Games should not be gifted, but he needs to be given opportunity (not as a sub) over the course of the season, because he has all the instruments to succeed.
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Just my 2c. IMO maybe Ben has found footy too easy in his junior days, and didn't have to work too hard to get results. Now he has to be accountable he may be finding it a bit hard. When he figures it out in his head and gets his shit together he will be fine, hopefully sooner rather than later. Unfortunately not having full preseasons and getting injured doesn't help his cause.
 
Great post and an accurate description of where Ben is at. He needs to build his running capacity but he has qualities that demonstrate he has the class and skill to be a long term player for us. What was good to see in his game last weekend was his tackling around contests which needed improvement and he generally is a good decision maker when he has the ball.
 
jesus, give the kid a break. He tried hard at the weekend and was okay. He needs to put in some weight & strength, to develop into his potential. Remember Goddard didn't set the world on fire in his first four seasons, and he's that sort of size / position
 
Stitch said:
How long did it take McIntosh for a regular AFL game?
Its taken McIntosh 3 pre seasons to get his tank and body right for AFL football and he's now every chance for the rising star award.
Lennon will also take time given his physical similarities to McIntosh before he came to the club.
Having said that though, I wouldn't mind trading him because he's not really the type of player we need now or in 3 years. No idea why we picked him ahead of Cripps, McCarthey, Dunstan, Hartung, Crouch, Acres and Taylor. Our 2013 offseason was terrible. In quality bush-league players like Hampson, Lloyd, Gordon. Out: inside grunt and outside speed like Tuck, White, Nahas.
Thats what we should really be talking about. List Management. Not a 19yo.
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Kmac played eleven vfl games in three yrs due to chronic Injuries
He was basically a walk up start otherwise if you watched any of those 11 games
 

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Player Watch #7: Ben Lennon


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