News Rucci: Travis Boak may or may not renew contract at Port Adelaide (Part 2)

[Honeyboy Wilson]

How are they better than him? Too early to say but I doubt any of your players have performed as well in their first 20 games as he did.

Kid will be a star and your not getting near him

Travis Boak has averaged 22 touches, 4 marks and 4 tackles a game over his career, while copping a hard tag a majority of the time, winning Port Adelaide's best & fairest last year and also has a top 10 Brownlow finish under his belt.

Robbie Gray is a small forward who can also play as an excellent midfielder, being our leading goalkicker last year. A small forward who can kick bags of goals (6, 5 and 4 numerous times) is rare as -insert something rare here-. He's averaged 15 touches, 3.8 marks, 1.5 goals and 3 tackles per game. In his first 21 games, he also kicked 32 goals, just like Menzel.

Daniel Menzel is 5cm taller than both Boak and Gray, so can play as a marking forward, yet only averages 4.4 marks per game, barely more than either of Robbie or Trav. For primarily a forward (as he only averages 11.9 touches per game), his goalkicking average is the same as Robbie Gray (1.5 goals per game), even though Robbie spends far more time in the midfield. His 1.7 tackles per game also suggest that he isn't the king of forward pressure either.

So you might have fall in love with Menzel's potential, as a lot of people have (I think he has the talent to be a star if his knees don't screw up), but Robbie Gray and Travis Boak are both far more proven and far better players than Menzel at this stage.

Edit: Basically, you just proposed we give up two of our Top 5 players for a player that isn't in your Top 10 currently.

 

[Macca19]

I don't know why I bother posting sometimes. I mean, let's say Boak says he wants to leave and his only option is Geelong. I say I'd prefer we take the risk and go for a supreme talent rather than a fringe player. Suddenly I'm ridiculous and the fringe player calls are where it's at. I even identified it'd be a huge risk.

Im a big fan of Menzel but it is a risk considering he'd be out for most of next year. In any case, if it was 1st round + compo pick (which I think Geelong would laugh at personally), Menzel would end up the cherry as opposed to the cake.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I honestly don't get why everyone rates Menzel that highly. Hasn't shown anything at AFL level that Brett Ebert hasn't shown, and I don't want the Brett Ebert we already have. Sure, he has potential, but we could get someone with a first rounder who has the same potential but who hasn't had two knee reconstructions.

 

[Jabsy]

I honestly don't get why everyone rates Menzel that highly.

Everyone = Geelong Supporters.

Everyone else realises he is a cripple.

 

[squinto]

I don't know why I bother posting sometimes. I mean, let's say Boak says he wants to leave and his only option is Geelong. I say I'd prefer we take the risk and go for a supreme talent rather than a fringe player. Suddenly I'm ridiculous and the fringe player calls are where it's at. I even identified it'd be a huge risk.

Joel Selwood slipped to pick 7 because he had four knee operations in two seasons at junior level. Geelong have been hating themselves for taking the risk ever since.

It wasn't just Selwood's past injury history that let him slip to pick 7. Apparently he did a 'Cyril Rioli' and interviewed poorly and made it very clear to recruiters he would only ever play for Geelong. This was discussed on 5AA a few months back.

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

It wasn't just Selwood's past injury history that let him slip to pick 7. Apparently he did a 'Cyril Rioli' and interviewed poorly and made it very clear to recruiters he would only ever play for Geelong. This was discussed on 5AA a few months back.

Well then, case closed.

Him coming out after the draft and saying he expected to be taken by Collingwood with their pick and was surprised that Geelong picked him has no merit whatsoever, but 5AA is gospel.

 

[ploppy]

It wasn't just Selwood's past injury history that let him slip to pick 7. Apparently he did a 'Cyril Rioli' and interviewed poorly and made it very clear to recruiters he would only ever play for Geelong. This was discussed on 5AA a few months back.

If its possible to get kids to say they will only play for one club at draft interviews we should be doing it flat out. Especially sa kids that already barrack for port..number 1 tactic to get in there ear and sound disinterested to all other clubs..we dont cheat enough everyone else is doing it.

 

[squinto]

Why do a lot of hypothetical trades here involve SA players when we don't look to draft SA players in the first place? I think we should try and draft as many homegrown players as possible so the go home factor doesn't occur in the future.

Freo did well from SA again! Lachie Neale and Cameron Sutcliffe have performed pretty well for them in the early stages so far.

 

[Jmac2225]

I honestly don't get why everyone rates Menzel that highly. Hasn't shown anything at AFL level that Brett Ebert hasn't shown, and I don't want the Brett Ebert we already have. Sure, he has potential, but we could get someone with a first rounder who has the same potential but who hasn't had two knee reconstructions.

Watch either game against Collingwood last year and tell me that. The kids a match winner. Will be better than Stevie J

 

[Macca19]

Well then, case closed.

Him coming out after the draft and saying he expected to be taken by Collingwood with their pick and was surprised that Geelong picked him has no merit whatsoever, but 5AA is gospel.

I've heard elsewhere that Selwood did what he could within the rules to ensure he fell to Geelong. Him saying he expected Collingwood could just be covering his tracks.

I remember Wilbur after he won the Norwich Rising Star in his interview said that he was disappointed that noone had picked him up prior, despite plenty of interest from some clubs....despite the fact Port had paid him not to enter the draft.

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

I've heard elsewhere that Selwood did what he could within the rules to ensure he fell to Geelong. Him saying he expected Collingwood could just be covering his tracks.

I remember Wilbur after he won the Norwich Rising Star in his interview said that he was disappointed that noone had picked him up prior, despite plenty of interest from some clubs....despite the fact Port had paid him not to enter the draft.

Hell of a risk for him then, considering Geelong were widely expected to take Travis Boak and we apparently jumped the gun to take him earlier than them.

 

[Selective Retention]

Selwood trained with Geelong before he was drafted as part of the AIS program.

Combine that familiarity with being a big Geelong supporter and I'm sure Geelong was his preference.

Geelong obviously rated Boak, whisper is they gave him a Geelong polo the night before the draft, but that could easily have been with the expectation Joel was already going to be off the table.

If Selwood was foxing at interviews it wasn't really a risk for him at all. Gibbs, Hansen and Gumbleton were a cleat top 3 at the time so putting off interstate interest (Brisbane and Port) when the next picks were Hawthorn, Geelong, Collingwood, St Kilda, Collingwood sounds like a good plan to me if he wanted to stay in Vic.

 

[cortez]

Watch either game against Collingwood last year and tell me that. The kids a match winner. Will be better than Stevie J

No one doubts his talent, most would doubt his future because of the injuries and the Stevie J call is just highly doubtful... Geelong would be extremely lucky to find a forward as skilled as Stevie J in the next 10 years.

 

[Wargreymon90]

I have a relative who spoke with Troy selwood and said that Joel thought he was 100% coming to port up until draft day.

Bit of a fun fact for you

 

[PatientMental]

Imagine if Selwood came to Port, completely different situation we would be in.

He would be a struggling midfielder who is currently at the end of his contract with the entire Victorian media on his back to come home.

 

[El_Scorcho]

You forgot wrecked by injury PatientMental.

Sliding doors and all that

 

[DonDraper]

Boak would also be a 3 X Premiership player

 

[FishingRick04]

I have a relative who spoke with Troy selwood and said that Joel thought he was 100% coming to port up until draft day.

Bit of a fun fact for you

He would have played the flanks anyway

 

[Zahara]

I must admit this piece from Rucci put me in a bad mood... (I should know better):

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...-move-to-geelong/story-e6freck3-1226420307085

Port Adelaide star Travis Boak all but certain to move to Geelong​

So he's everything except a certainty to move?
So he's essentially certain to stay?
That's fine

 

[tryonthis]

Watch either game against Collingwood last year and tell me that. The kids a match winner. Will be better than Stevie J

You're basing your argument from only a handful of matches. Heck, even Ryan Fitzgerald (Fitzy) had an amazing debut game/season.

 

[strauchnyy]

You're basing your argument from only a handful of matches. Heck, even Ryan Fitzgerald (Fitzy) had an amazing debut game/season.

Yeh, nah..

Menzel is the best young player on geelong's list. Better than Duncan, Christensen, motlop n the like. Easy to use the whole "oh he's injured he won't be the same player" etc but tell that to selwood, judd, Hayes n the list goes on. I can't 100% say he will be uneffected but I can say that he was on fire in his comeback game before he went down, he heeled quicker than others, n the reports r that the surgery has actually strengthened his knees.

Would not even trade menzel for boak n I'll bet most cats fans would think the same way. But all this talk is irrelevant because
even if boak decides to leave, Menzel would not be involved in a trade.

It would probably be picks

 

[QPower]

It would probably be picks

Not unless the Cats get their hands on a much higher pick. They will be laughed out of the room with teens picks.

 

[Wargreymon90]

Yes menzel is very very talented. But bottom line is, boak is still worth more at this stage

there is no way menzel would be offered and there is no way port will accept a straight swap

 

[Waspy79]

What were Boak's reasons for delaying announcing his decision other than the obvious?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

What were Boak's reasons for delaying announcing his decision other than the obvious?

He hasn't delayed his announcement. He never put a timeframe on it. He said he would make a decision after he spoke to his family during the break. He didn't say how long that would take. Any time limit has been manufactured by the media.

PS this thread is about Boak not Menzel. Any more Menzel onanism by Geelong supporters will be deleted.