North, Adelaide and West Coast Are All Sides With Very Limited Upside

[Adam Selwood]

I watched all three sides play so far this week and I've been left feeling that all of them are fighting an uphill battle.

I wish I could be positive about my Eagles (and the Crows as I am from Adelaide) but their lists are just not cut out at this point in time to go anywhere. North Melbourne as well.

No genuine superstars (save maybe Boomer Harvey, Kerr), teams full of one-pace plodders with little flair or speed, coaches with overly negative gameplans.

Without an overhaul of their lists, their recruiting strategies, none of them will get close to a GF for a fair while I would imagine.

I hope I am proven wrong though

 

[thejester]

Not sure what else you'd expect from Adelaide and West Coast - they're in the middle of rebuilding phases. All have plenty of young talent that have shown flashes of excitement in the last 18 months...at the moment it's about tweaking the lists, filling the last few positions and getting games into the core group of players.

North - criticism is perhaps more valid. You get the sense they're having the kind of year Geelong had in '06 or the Dogs had in '07. Have got some gun players but are looking a bit stagnant at the moment.

 

[krustyman]

roos look like they lack speed and are probably tanking.

adelaide and wce have a lot of young players and will probably come good at some point of time.

 

[AG]

Adelaide have a very good young list coming through. Bernie Vince is one of the most underrated players in the AFL. Porplyzia is already a gun. Van Berlo, Douglas, Tippet, Otten, Walker, Symes, Dangerfield and Petrenko.
Rutten and Bock are one of the best defence combos and have a few more years left. McLeod, Goodwin and Edwards seem to have at least one more year in them. Scott Thompson has the potential to be a superstar, just needs the consistency.
In my opinion Adelaide will start to challenge for the premiership around 2011.

Also in regards to the so called lack of starts from the 3 teams I'd classify Cox as a superstar. I've always rated Edwards and McLeod as stars but they only have a few years left.

 

[Adam Selwood]

Adelaide have a very good young list coming through. Bernie Vince is one of the most underrated players in the AFL. Porplyzia is already a gun. Van Berlo, Douglas, Tippet, Otten, Walker, Symes, Dangerfield and Petrenko.
Rutten and Bock are one of the best defence combos and have a few more years left. McLeod, Goodwin and Edwards seem to have at least one more year in them. Scott Thompson is a good player.
In my opinion Adelaide will start to challenge for the premiership around 2011

Of those young players though, only Dangerfield and maybe Tex Walker will be anything more than handy players IMO

West Coast are lacking players with leg speed who can break lines and players with genuine good skills. Was really evident today against the Dockers

 

[Chinners100]

i reckon adelaide are bringing in great youngsters! they have a good balance of youth and experience and they know how to win games, even though it may be in not the greatest of fashion. Although they played pretty shabbily today, they'll get in the 8 at season's end IMO. West Coast are going through a rebuilding phase and these losses will occur with an inexperienced side. got some guns in mckinley and masten.

It is safe to say that North are playing like shit. Theyre much better than this! doesnt look good for them atm

 

[Riggy1]

You got me interested with North, Adelaide

The thread only turned out to dissapoint

 

[VolgaBoatman]

I wouldn't be too despondent if I was a West Coast supporter. They dominated the first half - also Adam Cockie played pretty well, and he has some zip.

 

[NMFC ALWAYS]

I watched all three sides play so far this week and I've been left feeling that all of them are fighting an uphill battle.

I wish I could be positive about my Eagles (and the Crows as I am from Adelaide) but their lists are just not cut out at this point in time to go anywhere. North Melbourne as well.

No genuine superstars (save maybe Boomer Harvey, Kerr), teams full of one-pace plodders with little flair or speed, coaches with overly negative gameplans.

Without an overhaul of their lists, their recruiting strategies, none of them will get close to a GF for a fair while I would imagine.

I hope I am proven wrong though

You don't count Dean Cox as a superstar ?

 

[Elite Crow]

Of those young players though, only Dangerfield and maybe Tex Walker will be anything more than handy players IMO

West Coast are lacking players with leg speed who can break lines and players with genuine good skills. Was really evident today against the Dockers

Otten has played 7 games and your not impressed with what hes done so far?

He has shown composure of a 100 game+ player and only needs to develop some strength and he will become a very good player.

Tippett has played about 50 games of football in his life and is playing ruck and key forward. He has been very good this year. How many other players in the AFL are playing this role as well?

 

[Quinz]

I wouldn't be too despondent if I was a West Coast supporter. They dominated the first half - also Adam Cockie played pretty well, and he has some zip.

The thing I'm most disappointed about is that we could be having a much better season than we are having.

We've been in front in the last quarter of 5 games, but only won two of them. We're going alright, but the results aren't on the board- it's very frustrating.

 

[bigburger]

Wow this is an extremely good troll. Considering Masten, Hurn, Cockie, MacKenzie, Brown, Lecca and McKinley were some of our better players today I'd say hes unfortunately though not surprisingly (as they are a troll) quite wrong.

 

[Lach72]

The thing I'm most disappointed about is that we could be having a much better season than we are having.

We've been in front in the last quarter of 5 games, but only won two of them. We're going alright, but the results aren't on the board- it's very frustrating.

Choking? *Freo 2008*

 

[__aria__]

Not sure about Adelaide and West Coast but North have 5-6 of their most talented players injured so there is at least some kind of upside there. I think the list is in good shape and they will improve as soon as Laidley is gone and a new game plan is introduced.

 

[Arecsa]

Plenty of upside left for us. Woosha has been playing the senior blokes in an effort to scrape into finals, that's gone now and they aren't performing, so we should start seeing that dead weight cut. Got a lot of young talent to come into the team, plenty of which are in great WAFL form.

 

[Quinz]

Choking? *Freo 2008*

I'm beginning to understand how Freo fans felt last year.

It's worse sometimes than being completely outclassed- you can accept when you get beaten by a better team, but when you're in the hunt during the forth term and let it slip, it's very painful.

 

[nobbyiscool]

i'm not typically one who comes into this type of thread to defend my club.

but as an eagles supporter, i think west coast have a massive upside coming through, and i'm excited for the future.

kerr is still young, cox still has a lot to give. but past that, looking at the next few years, mackenzie has been very good this year. masten continues to show glimpses. if rosa can improve his disposal a bit he could become a great player. we know that s selwood and ebert are good chances at becomming very good players if they can builk up and stay on the field long enough. and those who get to wafl games are already excited about swift and nicnat.

yes, the fade outs and lack of fitness have been disappointing. but we're a young club with kids who just don't quite have enough fitness to run out four quarters. (we're also a club with a coach that continues to select proven hacks like hansen and staker).

i guess it's perhaps an uneducated view to suggest that there is no upside to west coast.

 

[Stiffy_18]

As a Crows supporter this is the first year in a very long time that I feel confident about the future.

In 2 years time Bernie Vince will be one of the premier midfielders in the competition. Easily our BOG tonight with 29 touches and 2 goals. Always lifts in big games and has great skills.

Kurt Tippett is a fast learner. He would have played about 50 games of footy in his life and is already one of the best contested marks in the game. His ruckwork is very very good, his field play when in the ruck is very good. His major weakness is kicking for goal.

Patrenko will be as good as Graham Johncock which is a very fine AFL player.

Walker has the potential to be an absolute star key forward but needs to work harder.

Dangerfield is only 19 but he will be an absolute superstar. He has all the tools to be a genuine superstar. Strong body, elite pace, toughness and is exception at contested possesions. He stands up in tackles. He will be a star.

Otten has played 7 games and he has consistently been in our best players this year. He has great poise, skills and footy nous. He needs to get stronger but he has been great this year.

Another player who is showing exceptional signs in the local comp is Shaun McKernan. His development and rise in performance in the SANFL season so far has been remarkable.

We now have a great deal of pace in the side. Dangerfield has elite pace, so has Petrenko. Cook is as quick as a bullett.

I am more confident about our future now than I was 12 months ago. I think we will be fine. We have a LOT of young talent on the list and with a bare few years in terms of drafts with GC getting all the good picks, I think we are one of the clubs that are in a great shape going forward.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

No 'upside' for the Eagles?!?

Mitch Brown
Adam Cockie
Brad Ebert
Shannon Hurn
Josh Kennedy
Mark Le Cras
Eric Mackenzie
Chris Masten
Paddy McGinnity
Nick Naitanui
Tony Notte
Scott Selwood
Ash Smith
Luke Shuey
Tom Swift

You're right, its not as though we have any decent young players...

Those in bold are assured of being terrific players, IMO...the others will all be serviceable at worst.

 

[legitimatic]

No 'upside' for the Eagles?!?

Mitch Brown
Adam Cockie
Brad Ebert
Shannon Hurn
Josh Kennedy
Mark Le Cras
Eric Mackenzie
Chris Masten
Paddy McGinnity
Nick Naitanui
Tony Notte
Scott Selwood
Ash Smith
Luke Shuey
Tom Swift

You're right, its not as though we have any decent young players...

Those in bold are assured of being terrific players, IMO...the others will all be serviceable at worst.

Whilst Le Cras and Mackenzie are obvious, the other 3 haven't even played a game yet, just because they were high picks doesn't mean they are "assured" of becoming terrific players.

 

[PAFC_1870]

Adelaide have finally found the KP strength for another 5 years, however, their on-ball brigade will suffer during that time.

It's very 1 dimensional, but it's something that can be fixed easier then finding a Tippett/Wlker/Bock/Griffin etc etc

 

[juddy_Like]

If you ask me, Adelaide's batch of 20-21 yr olds are looking scary. That blonde brigade in the middle do have some class to them.

As for my mob, were about a year or two behind them considering our rebuild only started 3 years ago in the superdraft.



As for North.... All their classy players are injured. Jesse Smith & Lachie Hansen are probaly their 2 future 'elite' players and these two are the ones that are always injured for some reason.

 

[purple hater]

West Coast are lacking players with leg speed who can break lines and players with genuine good skills. Was really evident today against the Dockers

We drafted Natanui, Swift and Shuey last year, all in the top eight for the sprints at draft camp.

65% of our list is under 22, and there are eleven players on the list who haven't played a game yet, so how are you so sure we have no upside?

 

[Forget the Stats]

We drafted Natanui, Swift and Shuey last year, all in the top eight for the sprints at draft camp.

65% of our list is under 22, and there are eleven players on the list who haven't played a game yet, so how are you so sure we have no upside?

Add Ash Smith to that list.He was the fastest at the camp I think.

 

[AGC]

I'd actually be saying that all three of the teams have a lot of upside.

Adelaide's young midfield is unheralded- Vince, Van Berlo, Dangerfield and Douglas to mix with established guys like Thompson and even Edwards is very impressive. Their defence is still one of the best in the comp- and their forward line is developing. Walker looks a very good player.

The Eagles seem to have a good idea about their rebuilding- as they've got some exciting KP players like McKenzie, Mckilney, and LeCras who has to be the most underrated player in the comp.

As for North- well we've really been crippled by injuries. We look incredibly slow through the midfield- as our 3 best carriers in Harvey, Wells, and Smith are injured. Our best defender is also out- and now Pratt is also injured- not to mention Campbell- and youngsters that were expected to push through like Liam Anthony, Robbie Tarrant and Matt Riggio.
We definately have some very good young talent coming through- and I believe that once we get our coach out- and draft a premuim midfielder with a likely high pick- we'll be definately a challenger once more.
There are a lot of players down on form- and whilst I don't think we'll do a 'Geelong of 07' and dominate the comp- I believe we may have a ressurgance like that of Port this year.