Training Pre-Season 2024

[AFC979810]

Ballenden is one of the better rucks in the SANFL that's not even up for debate.

Final West End State Squad​

PLAYER	SANFL CLUB
Jez McLennan	Central
Connor Ballenden	Eagles
Mitch Hardie	Eagles
James Rowe	Eagles
Joe Sinor	Eagles
Matthew Allen	Glenelg
Darcy Bailey	Glenelg
Lachie Hosie	Glenelg
Liam McBean	Glenelg
Max Proud	Glenelg
Brett Turner	Glenelg
Cameron Craig	North Adelaide
Mitch Harvey	North Adelaide
Harrison Magor	North Adelaide
Keenan Ramsey	North Adelaide
Frank Szekely	North Adelaide
Harry Boyd	Norwood
Eamon Wilkinson	South Adelaide
Will Coomblas	Sturt
Martin Frederick	Sturt
Josh Hone	Sturt
Tom Lewis	Sturt
Connor McFadyen	Sturt
Casey Voss	Sturt
Josh Ryan	West Adelaide

He wasn't in 2022 when he was pantsed by ROB.

And c'mon its the bloody SANFL. This list is full of players that would (and should) get pantsed by AFL quality footballers.

 

[Vader]

Equal bottom for 100+ gamers too. Wonder if we even mathematically go backwards if Sloane and Walker retire year end? (Hoping Walker goes again)

We have Murphy on 98 games, Milera on 96, Keays on 83, Fogarty on 79, and Jones on 76. All could potentially join the 100+ club this season, though Fog & Jones would need a bit of luck to get there.

 

[Vader]

Lock in Keays for 22 games

Was that ever in doubt?

 

[ABAB]

Keays, ROB and Murphy in the leadership group.

I see this as confirmation that the higher ups at the club absolutely read this board and are now trolling it as hard as they can Surprised they didn't name Ned as captain

You don't view high training standard and professionalism as leaders?

 

[MsTopG]

Keays, ROB and Murphy in the leadership group.

I see this as confirmation that the higher ups at the club absolutely read this board and are now trolling it as hard as they can Surprised they didn't name Ned as captain

Keays. I hope they don't follow his kicking. I would have Dawson, Tex, Laird, Rankine, Murray as the leaders.

 

[AFC979810]

What exactly is your argument here?

My argument is that its stupid to bring up what ROB did the last time he played SANFL. ROB should absolute dominate the lower levels as they SANFL is shit in comparison to the AFL.

ROB is a perfctly serviceable AFL ruckman, nobody that I know considers he's in the top echelon of AFL rucks, it all comes down to if you believe a ruckman should be the highest paid player on your list. Make no mistake English will demand around the $1Million possibly more and a long term deal, that's if indeed he wanted to come to the Crows, and isn't he a RFA not a FA so the Dogs won't make it easy and that's without getting in a bidding war with other clubs with interest.

I agree with you here. If you read my other posts - I am all for avoiding English. I think ROB is overpaid, but we are stuck with that contract so we need to ride it out. Wouldn't mind seeing Strachan get a run of games to see what he has at AFL level.

I do understand the logic behind other posters wanting English, even though I disagree. Why not replace a serviceable 28 year old ruck man who is the 5th highest paid player at the club with the All Australian Ruckman who is 2 years younger even if he becomes the highest paid player.

 

[ABAB]

My argument is that its stupid to bring up what ROB did the last time he played SANFL. ROB should absolute dominate the lower levels as they SANFL is s**t in comparison to the AFL.



I agree with you here. If you read my other posts - I am all for avoiding English. I think ROB is overpaid, but we are stuck with that contract so we need to ride it out. Wouldn't mind seeing Strachan get a run of games to see what he has at AFL level.

I do understand the logic behind other posters wanting English, even though I disagree. Why not replace a serviceable 28 year old ruck man who is the 5th highest paid player at the club with the All Australian Ruckman who is 2 years younger even if he becomes the highest paid player.

ROB's contract end next year, how much do you think he is on?

 

[Gtowncrow]

Strachan is a far worse ruck than ROB, but not the worst 2nd ruck rolling around.

So it probably just depends on how little impact you think rucks have to winning games (Stachan has been involved in 1 AFL win from 5 games, winning against North in 2021. ROB 39 wins from 100 games)

So...
20% for Strachan
and
39% for O'Brien

I'm not convinced that tap work alone is the sole determinant of a "match winning" ruck. Seems a bit 20th century.

 

[WetCrow1991]

Murphy must show really amazing immeasurable leadership because he does sweet **** all otherwise. Admittedly he did kick a couple of great goals on the run in 2023.

Edit:
Honestly the leadership is probably there in the sense that Murphy is lacking in various areas that makes an ideal footballer, but he gives 100%.

 

[ABAB]

Murphy must show really amazing immeasurable leadership because he does sweet * all otherwise. Admittedly he did kick a couple of great goals on the run in 2023.

Edit:
Honestly the leadership is probably there in the sense that Murphy is lacking in various areas that makes an ideal footballer, but he gives 100%.

You forgot the game he played against Geelong in Geelong last year?

 

[FR0GGY]

I wouldn't worry too much.

Nicks dropped ROB in 2022 despite him being in the leadership group.

Months late

 

[FR0GGY]

That was in reference to Strachan comments, nothing else, if Strachan is the answer they're asking the wrong question because ROB is clearly the superior ruck at both levels.

This sounds like people saying the grand final works best in Melbourne.
The other states (until Covid) don’t get a chance to show what they can do, other than minor round games.

 

[FR0GGY]

Impressive interview by Fog, obviously maturing nicely.

INTERVIEW: Darcy Fogarty - 20 February 2024 - The FIVEAA Sports Show

omny.fm

He speaks well. As did keays today on SEN.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

The sounds like people saying the grand final works best in Melbourne.
The other states (until Covid) don’t get a chance to show what they can do, other than minor round games.

Some amazing judgements of players ability at AFL level... when the said player doesn't get a decent run at AFL level.

Some players lift at AFL level, whilst others don't make it... but we never really know until they are given a fair go.

 

[FR0GGY]

I'm not sure what your point is here but Strachan when matched up on ROB on Friday got absolutely outpointed in almost all contests and that's obviously the pattern the coaches see when they're matched up at training. Strachan is reasonable AFL back up and that's it.

Not sure why you’d compare in a trial game. You look at the few afl games he’s played and didn’t look out of place.
How did Rob look sub 5 games in the afl?

 

[FR0GGY]

Some amazing judgements of players ability at AFL level... when the said player doesn't get a decent run at AFL level.

Some players lift at AFL level, whilst others don't make it... but we never really know until they are given a fair go.

He didn’t look out of place in the afl games and he was up against some of the best there were at the time.
I wonder how Rob looked in his first 5 games?

 

[Big Dub]

So...
20% for Strachan
and
39% for O'Brien

I'm not convinced that tap work alone is the sole determinant of a "match winning" ruck. Seems a bit 20th century.

Which assumes there is such a thing as a "match winning" ruck . . .

 

[1970crow]

Can you just imagine the Nicks hate if Burgess forced himself into the team at the expense of one of Tex, Fog or TT.

That said, in the snippets I've seen of him, he looks a good mover for a big guy. Maybe we sacrifice the ruck slightly and use TT and Burgess as 2 mobile rucks who would be ideal to rest forward.

This is pure speculation but it's caught my imagination for a while now. Although I originally started this thinking to get Gollant into the team, using Burgess works even better as it won't require TT to ruck all day.

Thoughts???

The likelihood of ROB not starting the season is pretty much zero.

 

[1970crow]

Only 8 in the leadership group. So more than 1/3 of our best 22 are the leadership group. Seems too small. I would have gone for 11 in the leadership group so that every player on the field could have a leadership buddy.

I can't be arsed going back to the post, can you remind which players aren't in it again.

 

[1970crow]

Aside from Dawson it's a pretty uninspiring leadership group

Fog I think is a genuine up and comer.

 

[1970crow]

It's player voted.

of course it is

 

[1970crow]

Murphy must show really amazing immeasurable leadership because he does sweet * all otherwise. Admittedly he did kick a couple of great goals on the run in 2023.

Edit:
Honestly the leadership is probably there in the sense that Murphy is lacking in various areas that makes an ideal footballer, but he gives 100%.

coaches don't drop the more senior guys easily and he was dropped latish in the year. Only to be saved by a couple of illnesses.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Leadership group announced:

Again led by Captain Jordan Dawson who was crowned Club Champion and All Australian in his first year in the role, the group will include three Vice-Captains in Brodie Smith, Ben Keays and Reilly O’Brien.​

​

The four additions to an expanded leadership model for this season are forwards Darcy Fogarty and Lachlan Murphy and defenders Wayne Milera and Mitch Hinge.​

Don't think we have ever had 4 left footers in out leadership group before...

 

[Mostyn]

. Make no mistake English will demand around the $1Million possibly more and a long term deal, that's if indeed he wanted to come to the Crows, and isn't he a RFA not a FA so the Dogs won't make it easy and that's without getting in a bidding war with other clubs with interest.

The Bulldogs salary cap is tapped out. Their own supporters think it's likely he'll get an offer they won't be able to match.

 

[WetCrow1991]

coaches don't drop the more senior guys easily and he was dropped latish in the year. Only to be saved by a couple of illnesses.

It kinda is a joke that he actually a senior guy, shows where the club has been since 2017. Just shy of a 100 games he is.