- Dec 22, 2006
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Good call, but potentially an over ambitious call.
I really like Boyd. He was once he got into the swing of things a better option out of the BP than Williams was; he matched Saad and Docherty better, as he locked down harder than Docherty and freed Saad up from being the most defensive running defender, as well as being genuinely fast, a fierce tackler and a genuinely scything kick. But while those attributes marry well with a wing position, to be a wing needs two other attributes; game sense (knowing where the ball will be and when to get there) and knowing how to find the ball.
Boyd isn't a natural at finding the ball. He gets led to it, and beats his opponent once there; it's why his first few games were a little trying, as he didn't trust himself to win those moment to moment contests. He's also not a reader of the game, in the same way Cuningham isn't a reader of the game.
If the development coaches are brilliant, he could absolutely be developed as a winger; make him the defensive winger and teach him where to be and when to get there, and chuck a ball magnet (Walsh/Acres) on the other wing. He chugs along getting 10-20 disposals, but provides run and quality whenever he goes near it whilst ruining opposition run and filling a hole down back.
I'd like to think our coaches are that good, but that's something I'd see Sydney or Geelong do rather than us.
Premature call, although i think the coaching group we have assembled are as good as any.. With reference to Boyd and wing, i would hope that they have identified that our needs to develop a genuine lock down medium/small defender is just as critical as our deficiencies on the wing, so if they are giving him coaching, I hope it is in defensive play, particularly against dangerous explosive medium forwards which tend to chop us up repeatedly.
One of our draftees will play round 1, probably Cowan but could be any. GC/BC?