academicbowl
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- Oct 11, 2023
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Heeney, Petracca, Dunkley, Rozee, Butters all played predominantly forward for the first few years. Idk if Petracca was drafted as a mid though
Welcome Welcome to Freo Murphy Reid - pick 17 of the 2024 Draft
- Thread starter Tonga Bob
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I don't pore over players from other teams, but before you narrowed your criteria, I was going to say Hadyn Ballantyne. You may counter that 1) he was a mature age pick-up and 2) that he played forward in the year he was drafted. But to me that just strengthens the case for seeing potential for to succeed as a forward. Ballas was a midfielder who went on to have outstanding success as a small forward.
Was it only me that thought Murphy didn't look all that pleased to have been selected by Fremantle.
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- Oct 17, 2010
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Isn't it though. Even my children are way older!
True, but he has shown more positive signs since. It isn't surprising. Most of his mates ended up at Richmond (the club he supported) or a Vic club. He knew it was a possibility he would end up West or in Adelaide
Someone will get injured and Murph well be jumping out of his skin
Am I imagining it , or did he say when being interviewed that the club had spoken to him plenty of times
- Jun 30, 2011
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Come off it. Wherever he played in Colts hardly matters as he played three seasons of WAFL seniors as a forward and was drafted after winning the Sandover as a 174 cm Full Forward. He was drafted as a forward.
Aren't the only players tied to a position (forward/back etc) key position players. And even then that can be loose.
These days for everyone else it's more what they can bring to transition. The where is on team need. And that'll come to the flexibility and weapons of the player.
Read, exceptional decision making and incisive execution are as good as any to charge up the ability to turn any contested ball win into an aggressive (counter) transition. And those traits can be useful anywhere.
Of course any 18yo draftee ain't likely to be a major player in that next year for us. Unless they're exceptional...
These days for everyone else it's more what they can bring to transition. The where is on team need. And that'll come to the flexibility and weapons of the player.
Read, exceptional decision making and incisive execution are as good as any to charge up the ability to turn any contested ball win into an aggressive (counter) transition. And those traits can be useful anywhere.
Of course any 18yo draftee ain't likely to be a major player in that next year for us. Unless they're exceptional...
And given him the clear message that we wanted him...
If Richmond gave him the same message?
He bleeds purple now!
If you watch over it again - I’m sure the “Pick is in” alert came up for our selection well before the expired time. Many of the clubs waited the full allotment of 5mins. They panned to our Group in between the Bo Allan WC interviews and our mob and especially Walls looked very relaxed and content.
Piggy Smalls
Is it Friday yet?
- Nov 30, 2018
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We were no orphans turning it down though. They offered it to every team from St Kilda's first pick onwards.
Hopefully he does.
- Mar 2, 2007
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Ben Cousins played forward in his rookie season too.
Thanks for your irenic and informed response. I admit that I didn't watch every game of his career prior him being drafted, but was under the impression that he originally played midfield, before being moved forward in the year leading up to his Sandover win and selection at the ND.
A quick check of Wikipedia led me to feel that this was not pure invention ("Only 174 cm tall, Ballantyne started his career with Peel Thunder in the West Australian Football League in 2005 as a midfielder. In 2008, Ballantyne moved into the forward line with great success, kicking 75 goals to finish second in the Bernie Naylor Medal behind Subiaco's Brad Smith, and winning the Sandover Medal by 2 votes from Callum Chambers as the fairest and best player in the league"), but I should know better than to believe Wikipedia is in any way reliable, and I'm happy to stand corrected.
Heave Ho Bro
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- Dec 12, 2023
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Much rather have this guy as the 22nd player over Banfield JOM and the like. Will make good things happen in the forward half or could even be good off half back as a distributor with his skill and creativity.
He looks pretty "one-paced" to me, much like the rest of our midfield. That doesn't mean slow but he can't change gears. Coupled with his size I am sure this is why he slid so far. That said, he definitely has that Mundy-esque ability to slow time down and always make the right decision which is promising. He actually gives me Serong vibes too, which is a big rap considering he's my favourite player. Has 200+ gamer stamped all over him, let's hope the rumour about him being a flight risk is overblown.
He looks slick. Hands and movement of a Paul Haselby maybe?
Chris25
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- Oct 30, 2007
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Zac Bailey was a purely inside mid, scoreboard impact was one of his bigger weaknesses. Connor Macdonald was drafted as a mid, 3 years later and he’s averaged a goal a game. Rhylee West had very similar mid/forward times as Reid. Even Darcy Jones did his best work through the midfield, played forward largely out of necessity with his size.
I don’t see any reason why Reid can’t have an impact across half forward.
