Stockpiling Key Position/ruck men

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Noel Gallagher

Noel Gallagher

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For the first time in a long long while, I'm really excited about the depth of KP players we are slowly putting together. Whilst teams like Geelong and Collingwood are struggling with ruck depth, our list of KP players/ ruckmen has never looked better.

Ruck men - big max is is starting to finally fire and his knees hold up could be anything. Hale is a competent backup who is a proven goal kicker. Grimley has come from clouds and is shaping up to be an athletic KP player. Luke Lowden is still a work in progress but could be anything. Jonathan ceglar looks ok and was worth a rookie spot.

KP players - like most I getting really excited by Kurt Heatherly looks like they are grooming him to be a full back or chb. If lake plays out the next two years, Heatherly may be able o come straight in an replace him.

Shoe. Have honestly loved him from day on and love how he is Really sticking It up those who have bagged him especially the so called hawk supporters on this board - hang you head in shame- will play for the next 8-10 yrs.

Tim obrien. Reminds me if a young roughy - great hands and a touch of class, again could be anything.

Brand. Highly speculative pick but at 198 cm, could play anywhere and has already shown something.

Angus litherland. Not quite KP but looks like he could play a Gibson/ Stratton type role down back, again is starting to show some promise.

Shem taptu. Highly highly speculative pick but If this tween monster develops a tank and is fair dinkum about playing afl - look out!

Still early days but well done hawks recruiting department, we are well placed to with talks in the years to come. P.s hope I haven't left anyone out!
 
My take...

Forwards
Buddy and Rough as key forwards, with O'Brien as a potential key forward. Brand is too speculative for me at this stage, as is Shem and I expect the rugby folks in Kiwi-land will work hard to ensure when he finishes school, he is encouraged to stay. I don't think Gunston will ever have the size to be a key forward, so third tall up forward is his role for mine.

Ruck/Forwards
Hale and Grimley. I am not as convinced on Grimley as others, but he has definitely improved. Hale can also play as a first ruck.

Key Defenders
Lake, Schoey and Spangher, with Heatherly as a potential key defender. Appreciate Spang can also go forward as required, which Schoey could possibly as well. Time will tell whether Heatherly has the frame to fill out and be a key defender. Fingers crossed.

Third Talls
Gibbo obviously and he can pinch hit as a key defender. Guys like Litherland, Boseley and Kelly are all work in progress.

Rucks
Bailey, Hale, Lowden and Ceglar. Not convinced Grimley will be any more likely to play as a first ruck than Rough.

Given this I think our depth is ok. A lot of question marks still over our younger KPPs, although expect we'll continue to clean our Pelchen's army of medium-to-third-tall defenders at the end of this year to add more KPPs and mids.
 
Some nice signs which is a major change. I recall a few years back watching BHH play a practice match V the dogs/Williamstown. We looked like dwarfs compared to the lanky Dogs. Now BHH's biggest problem will be balancing all our talls.

I struggle to see why Ceglar got booted from the Pyes. He is well balanced and would only have to develop a bit more strength to be genuine AFL standard. He is a definite upgrade on Broc.

Grimmers has come from nowhere. He did not ruck at all on Sunday and played pretty much as CHF. He still is skinny and plays like a flanker. In one play he made three big leads, he burnt off his opponent and eventually took an easy chest mark. Most of his marks were running rather than pack or strength grabs, given his lack of upper body strength that is the way to go for this season. Still reckon he is 5 kg off being an AFL player but more games like Sundays and he will go real close to getting a run in the ones this year.
 

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We're in a very good position.

Plenty of promising, young KP depth. Good chance at least a few will go on to become best 22 players in the coming years. And if we're lucky enough to get results with all of them then we'll be in the enviable position of being able to trade away some of that depth to bolster our weaknesses. Assuming of course they're not going via free agency, which would suck...
 
Collins-Langford-Ayres said:
My take...
I don't think Gunston will ever have the size to be a key forward, so third tall up forward is his role for mine.
Click to expand...

I agree that he'll likely never have the bulk to be a true first or second tall. That said, I don't see why he couldn't develop into a Chris Mayne like medium forward who "plays" like a top two forward. Obviously, he'd have to up his toughness. But he's already a pretty damn accurate set shot who's a little too agile for a traditional tall defender to handle.
 
The stocking up of these KPPs/Rucks will allow ud to address the most urgent issue over the next 2 drafts i.e. adding midfielders. Also covers Buddy's possible deprature whilst still be in a position to draft mids.
Rounds 1 and 2 in the 2013 and 14 drafts should be on midfielders.
 
itshissong said:
I agree that he'll likely never have the bulk to be a true first or second tall. That said, I don't see why he couldn't develop into a Chris Mayne like medium forward who "plays" like a top two forward. Obviously, he'd have to up his toughness. But he's already a pretty damn accurate set shot who's a little too agile for a traditional tall defender to handle.
Click to expand...

Mark Williams kicked 60 odd goals one year playing out of the square. Just sayin...

I see Gunners as a true FF type, the way he leads and marks, much in the fashion of one J. Dunstall, and I think he can hold that position down well. If Franklin goes awol, perhaps we can get the Enforcer* playing at CHF as his replacement. He can look after Gunners and practically everyone else. Give him number 23 and bring back the mongrel of the Scotts and Breretons. ;)

*Of course I'm talking about Shem. Did you really have to ask? :rolleyes:
 
Don't be too quick to criticise Geelong or Collingwood.

Geelong have plenty of Rucks, it's just they are all injured at the moment.
If Witts and Grundy turn out half as good as their reputations, the Pies will be just fine for a long time to come.

And yes, it is nice to see we have some depth and some promise for the future. :)
 
Rioli magic said:
Boseley is still around too, not sure how much size we can put on him but he has some talent.
Click to expand...

Interesting from 2011, how highly he was rated.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/mor...draft-contention/story-e6frf9jf-1226180833651

ANDREW Boseley was given a 10 per cent chance of lasting out the season.
The Geelong Falcons key defender suffered a tear in his right shoulder in Round 6 and was told he needed a reconstruction.

But his form in the early part of the season alone was not necessarily going to get him drafted.
If he could manage to play through to the national championships, and perform well on the big-name forwards, it would boost his chances.

So with his right shoulder heavily strapped, the gutsy full-back set about blunting the top spearheads in the country, sending his stocks soaring.

"The guys at the club said you might not get drafted if you pull the pin now, but if I could get through six more games, and just strap it up, it could help," Boseley said.

"Lucky enough I got through to the championships and just treated every game after that as a bonus, and by the end of the season I wasn't really worried about it (shoulder). My confidence grew."

The 19-year-old, who is commonly likened to a young Dustin Fletcher, enhanced his reputation significantly at the carnival, keeping Jonathon Patton, the likely No.1 draft pick, under wraps.

His closing speed, athleticism and ability to read the ball in the air makes him an expert spoiler, and one of the top key defenders in the draft.

Boseley, who starred up forward for South Barwon in last year's Geelong Football League under-18 grand final, also has the speed and nous to hurt the opposition on the rebound.

He put on 6kg in the off-season and focused on his defensive game and positioning in the aerial contests, under the tutelage of former Falcons coach Aaron Greaves.

"To have the season he did was a really good effort because he had the shoulder and we threw him some really big challenges," Falcons regional manager Michael Turner said.

"The challenges don't come much bigger than the likely No.1 pick in the draft, Jon Patton, who is bigger than Jon Brown at the same age. But he performed really well on him in the national championships. And he has still got a light frame so there is still a lot of development in him."

Boseley has now had the shoulder reconstruction in preparation for his selection, perhaps early in the second round of next month's draft.

Fremantle, with pick 29, seems to be in the box seat to secure the services of the 194cm stopper.

But Geelong has a penchant for picking red-heads from St Joseph's, (think Cameron Ling and Barry Stoneham) and could pounce if he slips through to pick 34.

At the Draft Combine, the tall's results put his running in the elite category for a big man. He ran 20m in 2.93sec, registered a 14.10 beep test and ran 3km in 10min 40sec. Boseley also spoke to officials from Sydney, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.
 

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The way I look at it:
KPF
Incumbents: Buddy, roughy, hale (ruck)
Depth/development: Spangher (also bck) O'brien, Grimley, Shem

O'brien looks like a likely prospect with his marking and if grimley keeps on this seasons rate of improvement could be a handy player with his athleticism and height and Shem the longshot. Given roughy and buddy have years left we look to be in good shape

KPD
Incumbents: Lake, Shoey, gibson (undersized)
Depth/development: Spangher (also fwd), Brand, Heatherly, Bosely

A vast improvement on recent years but could be light on when lake and gibson go. With the young forwards looking promising roughy could end up back up in a few years.

Rucks
Incumbents: Bailey, Hale, (Roughy)
Depth/development: Lowden, Ceglar, Grimley (fwd)

Again looks better than it has for years.

Given our midfield and other runner depth looks average at best we appear well placed to load up on mids in the next drafts and maybe a KPD prospect.
 

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Stockpiling Key Position/ruck men

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