Team Mgmt. Laverde, Langford or Fantasia

[eDPS]

I'm suprised I never put my opinion on this but I've always thought Laverde would be the best of the 3 if played in the midfield just waiting for bloody Woosha to pull the trigger. Was super stoked that we got these guys at the draft and still very happy with what we got.

 

[Jade]

Dodoros hit rate for the first two picks at the last few drafts is stupidly good.

Seriously, our first two picks at the last three drafts have been:

Parish, Francis, Langford, Laverde, Zerrett, Fantasia.

 

[The Fact]

Laverde he will be a stevie j like HFF... book him in for 30 plus next year

 

[DHepp21]

The first couple of pages are seriously funny now.

 

[Vindicater]

Fantasia has gone bey0nd these two for the moment which I never saw coming.

Laverde will come good though with more game time. The disrupted start to the season really hurt him but I expect a massive 2017.

Langford concerns me due to his weak defensive efforts.

 

[YEMOC NAYR]

Still think Laverde will be best out of them at the end but boy oh boy has fantas stocks risen ridiculously. What a gem.

 

[quotemokc]

Orazio should be ahead since he was drafted a year earlier.

 

[yodellinhank]

Dodoros hit rate for the first two picks at the last few drafts is stupidly good.

Seriously, our first two picks at the last three drafts have been:

Parish, Francis, Langford, Laverde, Zerrett, Fantasia.

and before that Joe, Ashby, Kav and Jerrett... oh.

 

[Its Manbearpig]

Currently
1. Fantasia
2. Laverde
3. Langford

But I think Laverde will overtake Fantasia in future.

 

[Ambrosia]

and before that Joe, Ashby, Kav and Jerrett... oh.

Take out Ashby for Gleeson and it looks a lot better.

 

[eth-dog]

Take out Ashby for Gleeson and it looks a lot better.

That draft outside of those two was a bit of a disaster. Could have seen:

10: Joe Daniher
34: Mason Wood
51: Martin Gleeson
53: Mark Hutchings
73: Lewis Pearce
88: Sam Colquhoun

 

[Ambrosia]

That draft outside of those two was a bit of a disaster. Could have seen:

10: Joe Daniher
34: Mason Wood
51: Martin Gleeson
53: Mark Hutchings
73: Lewis Pearce
88: Sam Colquhoun

The one I'm annoyed that we missed is Rory Atkins.

 

[eth-dog]

The one I'm annoyed that we missed is Rory Atkins.

Eh, win some lose some.

 

[citizen-erased]

I'm suprised I never put my opinion on this but I've always thought Laverde would be the best of the 3 if played in the midfield just waiting for bloody Woosha to pull the trigger. Was super stoked that we got these guys at the draft and still very happy with what we got.

i knew little of Fantasia when we got him
But the draft where Langford slipped and we landed Laverde (had him going a good 5 spots earlier) was one of the happiest I've experienced.

 

[BrunoV]

Obviously I've got Laverde at 1. As has already been said a few times, he is the complete package of athleticism, game sense and skill. It just goes to show that miracles do happen on draft day. How were 19 players taken before him?

While Merrett took off as a player this year I'd still keep him in this discussion. By the end of 2016, maybe it will be half way through 2017, it will be beyond any doubt that the footy gods finally did actually cut us a few breaks between 2013 and 2015. It will be a commonly held view that we could not have hoped to pick up 4 better players with the four live picks we had in 2013 and 2014 (there should be a 5th player drafted during this period who should have been a real player but the gods can also be campaigners).

I am not concerned at all by Langford. I think he could genuinely challenge Merrett as the second best player of this little but important crop. The doubt is where he will end up playing his best footy and how that will impact on him fulfilling his potential. He's is a superb athlete with genuine speed, agility and a Ryder like bounce to his movements. There is something about the way he moves and finds the ball that oozes "forward" (it could be that he played a lot of basketball as a kid, but I am speculating). He then spent a lot more time in the middle in the second half of the year and racked up possessions in the middle at will while showing real ability in traffic (that was surprising).

As a forward I'd want to see him used as a flanker because I have doubts that he is big enough to handle the modern key defenders to be dangerous enough to kick 40-50 goals. I think he will likely end up as a Gunston/Breust type mid sized forward who will be seriously important to the team and a vital cog in the forward line. It would ultimately mean that he does not scale the heights he could, I can seem him being Pendlebury like in the middle. While he would be a big midfielder, he is not the brute that Laverde is, he tends to slide through traffic and rely on really good vision.

Merrett is basically already our best midfielder. The thing that sets him apart from everyone else is that he really has no deficiencies in his game. He finds the ball inside and out and has the strength through the hips and a burst of speed and power to be a weapon in the roles. Add a ridiculously good kick and a defensive side to his game that is only rivaled by Hocking and Myers and he is a special player.

I really rate Fantasia as a player too. There is no real deficiency in his game either. His problem was clearly that he was the runt of the pack on draft day. If he was 180cm and normal weight he'd probably have been taken inside the top 20 because there is nothing that he doesn't do very well (even his attack on the footy and tackling is that of a much bigger guy).

Fantasia is another whose career will be impacted by whether the position that is the best fit for the team is the position that gets the most out of him as a player. Time will tell whether he can bulk up to another 5 to 7 kilos (or get to about 78-80kgs) and retain his speed and endurance because I don't think he is an outside player (and he'll need to be a nugget to be effective on the inside). He is actually a very similar player to Zac Merrett. I would like to see him spend the majority of his time forward with stints on the ball as I don't like really small players at half back (because they are necessarily average over head and intercept marks and spoils are an important part of that role).

Ultimately there are a few more uncertainties about Langford and Fantasia than the other two (who will be 2 of our best players for their careers) so I vote:

1. Laverde
2. Z. Merrett
3. Langford
4. Fantasia

The only thing that I might change is swapping Langford and Fantasia. Strange as that might seem, I already thought of Merrett as our best midfielder by the end of last year so his ridiculously good 2016 does not really change much if we are ranking players on potential.

Laverde's seasons has been frustrating. I'd expected to see him lining up in centre bounces by now. I'm still smitten to the level of creepy middle-aged stalker of teen pop queen. He is just so clean with the ball and so powerful (hardly ever loses his feet - even after kicking that left-footed goal against Adelaide his opponent did not get him off his feet). He already plays adult football and we either really love his forward play or he's struggled with fitness following a bad run with injury at the start of the year, which is why he has not seen midfield time on his second return (while both are probably true I'd say that fitness is the reason he is not playing in the middle).

Given their respective games, bodies, attributes and the way they will fit into a best team there will always be a need to discuss Langford and Laverde together (which brings back good memories of Lloyd and Lucas). I suspect that Langford has suffered this year due to Laverde's absence. It would have been a whole lot easier, and would have played to their respective strengths, for Langford to have spent more time forward with Laverde in the middle. While Langford has hardly been disappointing the lack of midfield support has taken its toll on a really young guy whose still got a lot of physical developing to do.

Fantasia has been seriously impressive. Racked up the plenty of the ball when in the middle and is having a large number of shots on goal while forward. When I had him below Langford it was because it was hard to see him as an "elite" small forward but he's gone most of the way to showing that he can be as dangerous as any other small forward in the game.

 

[Zach Package]

Laverde's seasons has been frustrating. I'd expected to see him lining up in centre bounces by now. I'm still smitten to the level of creepy middle-aged stalker of teen pop queen. He is just so clean with the ball and so powerful (hardly ever loses his feet - even after kicking that left-footed goal against Adelaide his opponent did not get him off his feet). He already plays adult football and we either really love his forward play or he's struggled with fitness following a bad run with injury at the start of the year, which is why he has not seen midfield time on his second return (while both are probably true I'd say that fitness is the reason he is not playing in the middle).

Disagree actually. With the way the game has progressed with scores out the back becoming so prolific I'd argue that someone with his physical and athletic profile is best suited to playing deep, turning his defender inside out and then going back towards the goals.

Like you I seriously rate him so you could probably put him anywhere and expect genuine production but I think there's potential for him to play genuine full forward in the near future, and if we can get him the ball he's probably good for 2 a game.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Still trying to find out what type of players Laverde and Langford will become. I just hope one becomes a mid and the other a forward that can kick 40 odd goals. I can only see Laverde becoming the mid but stranger things have happened.

I'm hoping he gets more midfield minutes in these last few games to learn a thing or two. I'd say to him you are playing on Dangerfield this week for a half, see what you can do.

 

[scanlon]

Think it's pretty obvious that the club have plans for Langford to become a midfielder

 

[The Bomb]

i knew little of Fantasia when we got him
But the draft where Langford slipped and we landed Laverde (had him going a good 5 spots earlier) was one of the happiest I've experienced.

My fav was Conca allowing us Heppell.
Everyone knew Richmond just stuffed it yet again.

Also last year all I wanted was Francis and it happened, was very pleased.
Now want McCluggage and Graham , probably wont get Graham but McCluggage will do.

Worst moments for me were Steinberg over Parker, everyone at the time knew we stuffed it and also seeing Blakey fall to Freo in the 30s a few years back, I really wanted Blakey.

 

[citizen-erased]

My fav was Conca allowing us Heppell.
Everyone knew Richmond just stuffed it yet again.

Also last year all I wanted was Francis and it happened, was very pleased.
Now want McCluggage and Graham , probably wont get Graham but McCluggage will do.

Worst moments for me were Steinberg over Parker, everyone at the time knew we stuffed it and also seeing Blakey fall to Freo in the 30s a few years back, I really wanted Blakey.

Steinberg was an odd choice, esp given parkers wraps as a strong mid/hf and we were missing quality in that position. Oh well.
and the Aylett/Edwards pick (which gws didn't end up using) could have been Sicily. Thought it odd in a draft we were suspended from, we traded a mid-round pick that GWS didn't need

 

[eth-dog]

Steinberg was an odd choice, esp given parkers wraps as a strong mid/hf and we were missing quality in that position. Oh well.
and the Aylett/Edwards pick (which gws didn't end up using) could have been Sicily. Thought it odd in a draft we were suspended from, we traded a mid-round pick that GWS didn't need

Steinberg I can sort of forgive because he's a different type of player to Parker. Aylett/Edwards should have worked.

 

[BrunoV]

Disagree actually. With the way the game has progressed with scores out the back becoming so prolific I'd argue that someone with his physical and athletic profile is best suited to playing deep, turning his defender inside out and then going back towards the goals.

Like you I seriously rate him so you could probably put him anywhere and expect genuine production but I think there's potential for him to play genuine full forward in the near future, and if we can get him the ball he's probably good for 2 a game.

I definitely see the potential as a forward.

The way I look at it we'd get those goals from Langford who does not have the same potential as a midfielder.

With Redman looking a very likely prospect as a mid-sized leading forward, as well, I'd rather develop Laverde as a midfielder in the long term.

 

[mick4]

I remember a similar thread was set up quiet some years ago with who would be the best player between Stanton, Dyson and Gus. 2 out of 3 would have been better than 1 out of 3! I'm hoping that it's 3 out of 3 this time.

Toin Coss at the moment. Lav would have been the pick before the season, injury may have held him back a bit. Fantasia looks like a 150+ game player, can't wait to see him and Coyler and Tippa in the same side. Langford looked lively across HF against North. Has some wide shoulders for a 19 year old.

 

[Kong]

I reckon Laverde will be a star; Fantasia flashy but inconsistent; Langford delisted within 4 years.

Still confident with my calls.

Would love for Laverde to put a full season together, though.

 

[Rack Watts]

The one I'm annoyed that we missed is Rory Atkins.

I remember so many of us being surprised when we passed on him.