Player Watch Ben Crocker (Delisted 2019, Pies VFL 2024)

[didaksrightfoot]

Right now I would rate Crocker as similar to an early Caff- probably a bit better offensively, but not as good defensively.
Showed enough in season one to suggest he has a future at least as a decent small-med fwd, but will be battling with a few others for spots in the fwd line.

If healthy - Moore, Elliot, Fas and Mayne (more than likely) will be locks in the fwd line.
We may also use an extra big (White/Cox) depending on what role we want Mayne to play. (Personally I'd rather go with just Moore and Mayne as a pseudo-big, and go with a much more mobile fwd line - and most are marking targets anyway... just need to sort out the extra 10-20% of ruck time to spare Grundy).
WHE and Howe (more likely defence IMO) could also be med-fwds who play taller.
Broomhead (hopefully healthy enough to get, and keep, his spot) and Blair (will this finally be the year others push him out of the rotation) could be regular smalls... with likely draftees Daicos & Brown probably getting a handful of games each here as well.
And then with our rising group of mids, likely to see all of Varcoe, Pendles, Wells & Sidey spend plenty of time rotating through as well. (I intentionally am not listing JDG here - because I want him in the guts all year as our hard nut, allowing Adams to spend more time behind the ball)

I reckon Crocker gets at least 5-10 games this season as a minimum. What happens beyond that depends on so many factors with both him and all the guys above. I don't think he will be ready to cement himself as a "must pick" this year (if ever) but could easily get to a point where he's consistently one of the next guys picked. (16-25 range)

 

[MarkT2]

I could say the Same about Elliot and Fas at they are really only Smell/Medium Forwards

Think you missed the point Dave. Elliot and Fasolo have more pace and more tricks.

 

[mike123]

We don't need more back flankers.

We have allot of back flankers just not good ones.

 

[bucksisbest]

Very limited trick bag for a small/medium forward, below average athlete.

 

[Lestat]

Unfortunately he doesn't have enough weapons. Not great over head, below average set shot...and has no pace. No stand out attributes at all.

Look he's still young so still has some development but atm looks nothing more then depth for a couple of seasons before being delisted.


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[Kappa]

Still trying to work out what AFL relevant attributes he has.

...leadership?

 

[CFC2010]

He needs to learn how to stick a tackle before he comes back to the AFL.

Another weird move why he was used as the primary forward target so many times.

 

[jackcass]

Not sure today is a game to judge him on, 1/2 the team were very ordinary, and a lot of them more experienced than Crocker.

 

[MarkT2]

Missed another relatively easy goal. Another of the can't kick well enough, shouldn't play squad. He's early in his career so I hate to make the call but he's one on the lust that won't be part of our next premierhship IMO.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Ben second best thing you can do is work on nailing each chance.

Ben best thing you can do, is not read these threads

 

[domus]

Right now I would rate Crocker as similar to an early Caff- probably a bit better offensively, but not as good defensively.
Showed enough in season one to suggest he has a future at least as a decent small-med fwd, but will be battling with a few others for spots in the fwd line.

If healthy - Moore, Elliot, Fas and Mayne (more than likely) will be locks in the fwd line.
We may also use an extra big (White/Cox) depending on what role we want Mayne to play. (Personally I'd rather go with just Moore and Mayne as a pseudo-big, and go with a much more mobile fwd line - and most are marking targets anyway... just need to sort out the extra 10-20% of ruck time to spare Grundy).
WHE and Howe (more likely defence IMO) could also be med-fwds who play taller.
Broomhead (hopefully healthy enough to get, and keep, his spot) and Blair (will this finally be the year others push him out of the rotation) could be regular smalls... with likely draftees Daicos & Brown probably getting a handful of games each here as well.
And then with our rising group of mids, likely to see all of Varcoe, Pendles, Wells & Sidey spend plenty of time rotating through as well. (I intentionally am not listing JDG here - because I want him in the guts all year as our hard nut, allowing Adams to spend more time behind the ball)

I reckon Crocker gets at least 5-10 games this season as a minimum. What happens beyond that depends on so many factors with both him and all the guys above. I don't think he will be ready to cement himself as a "must pick" this year (if ever) but could easily get to a point where he's consistently one of the next guys picked. (16-25 range)

If this is the case we won't be playing finals footy for a long time. He is a skinny Collingwood six footer who averages 7 or 8 possessions and a goal or so a game. He applies zero defensive pressure and is not a particularly good contested mark. He is not overly quick and is easily outbodied. No thanks. When we were struggling in the eighties a player by the name of Mark beers used to get a regular gig. Crocker reminds me of those bad old days.

 

[Seedsfan]

If this is the case we won't be playing finals footy for a long time. He is a skinny Collingwood six footer who averages 7 or 8 possessions and a goal or so a game. He applies zero defensive pressure and is not a particularly good contested mark. He is not overly quick and is easily outbodied. No thanks. When we were struggling in the eighties a player by the name of Mark beers used to get a regular gig. Crocker reminds me of those bad old days.

Crocker has a good set of hands and had a strong year last year as a first year player. He had zero preseason this year and I was surprised when he got the AFL call up as he had only played one decent game in the VFL this season. There is no way I would be throwing the baby out with the bath water just yet

 

[Linda_Lovelace]

Just another NQR type Hine has recruited. Not tall enough to be a KP, not good enough to be a mid, just a no where man.

 

[robertg22]

He isn't offering a lot at the moment. I would personally pick Mayne ahead of him now and that says a bit! Wouldn't be considered if Elliott was fit, but here we are. His pressure isn't up to it, he doesn't crumb and he can't hold a grab.

 

[THATSGOLD]

He's simply not ready. Time will tell but he's a vfl footballer right now.

 

[nahnah]

His brother was a better footballer and got cut after one season with the saints

 

[Matt_352]

 

[Buckley is my hero]

Instead of judging him after a loss, look at what he can do and does do at times rather than the numbers of possessions that he gets. He has a good set of hands, can create goals out of nothing and is a good shot at goals. Now compare him to the guy he has been competing with lately for a spot in the forward line, Greenwood. Greenwood is an unreliable shot at goal, is slow off the mark and is poor below his knees. If we were playing Geelong and we needed someone to play against Selwood, I would play Greenwood. If we needed someone at the legs of Moore in the forward line, I would play Crocker instead of Greenwood. Keep playing Crocker in the seniors and in time his possessions will improve and more goals will come. However, play Greenwood instead, or bring Blair back into the side, then we continue to deteriorate as a team. Easy choice for me and for any coach wanting to keep his job.

 

[CasuallyDressed]

He's a second year player who offers more than a good chunk of the experienced guys.

If he's vanilla, then all our young players are, he's not doing any less than Moore.

 

[Buckley is my hero]

His brother was a better footballer and got cut after one season with the saints

His brother was cut for good reason for being too slow as an AFL footballer. Ben is at the start of a promising AFL career. How you can say otherwise baffles me.

 

[legendstatus]

Watching Crocker live yesterday, he is a footballers shoes lace!


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[nahnah]

His brother was cut for good reason for being too slow as an AFL footballer. Ben is at the start of a promising AFL career. How you can say otherwise baffles me.

He does next to nothing, his brother got delisted because he didn't train hard and had no desire.. he was the better footballer

 

[adammania9]

Has no special attributes - isn't tall, isn't strong, isn't quick, isn't a great marker, isn't an accurate set shot. Needs to go back to the reserves to find some decent attributes because right now, he's wait for it...

..

..

..

VANILLA

 

[TW Sherrin]

In hindsight it is a strange pick by Hine.

A medium marking forward with ave pace, hands and below ave mobility.

he appears a good kid but I am struggling to see how he plays 100 games.

 

[HFF]

I'm starting to have big concerns for him.