Toast Welcome to St.Kilda - Matthew Allison

[SaintsSeptember]

Do you know if he was expecting to go as high as he did?

Looking at where some Phantoms had him.
We had Twomey as a possibility at 30. Foxsports 36. Knightmare 31 and Chris25 at 38. Some predicted him to go in the 60s.
With no-one predicating him to go earlier it looks like we did actually target a forward rather than best available. Proof will be in the pudding a few years down the track.

 

[Connorn99]

Do you know if he was expecting to go as high as he did?

North guaranteed to him they were taking him at 30

 

[Ads734]

He was in the mix .....they would’ve taken Cook if he was available .

My boy was looking fantastic at Training today....easily accounted for all the 1- 4 lads in running sprints today.

Is actually lighter this year but top half all muscle , will be criminal if doesn’t play a lot of games.

What time was training / is it on today ? tried going yesterday but nobody was there

 

[Significant]

Matt Balmer from Fox Footy had him going at 21 to Richmond, and I saw a few phantoms with him in the 20s.

Don't think it was out of the realms of possibility that it was in the ball park for where he would be picked.

Hopefully in a few years time we are saying how lucky we were to pick him right before his sweet spot, where we wouldnt have had a chance...

 

[Significant]

Also, those talking about his lack of production are looking at his stats from his underage year where for a KPP (2 goals for the year, avg less than ten touches, etc.), means your production is right down when taking into account top age and even overage KPP talent that Calder would have been wanting to show.

His two pre-season matches this year where he averaged 13.5 touches and 7 marks was said to be at a really high level across a variety of positions.

I like him in that his athletic testing has been phenomenal (7th best nation wide in 2k time trial, sub 3-sec 20m sprint) for a player of his height, whilst he is also quite agile for his size also watching him move. On top of all that, a solid citizen by the sounds of things who is going to get the best out of himself and others, with incredible pedigree also.

It may have been a reach for position, but it wasn't that big of a reach when compared to where other clubs had him, and I for one am excited to have Matty on our list!

 

[snails13]

Matt Balmer from Fox Footy had him going at 21 to Richmond, and I saw a few phantoms with him in the 20s.

Don't think it was out of the realms of possibility that it was in the ball park for where he would be picked.

Hopefully in a few years time we are saying how lucky we were to pick him right before his sweet spot, where we wouldnt have had a chance...

True,a few had Matt in the 20's and Tom was as high as 30 in another Phantom Draft

 

[StCicatriz]

Agree .

Personally would have taken Poulter .

Clearly taking a punt on the kid but who knows in 2 years could be a gun .

Another acres ewwwww

 

[StCicatriz]

I think the issue the recruitment team had is that the alternative options still on the board had far greater concerns over the ability to transition to AFL.

Some of these guys had questionable disposal. Questionnable ability to play inside even at U18 level. Questionable athleticism. Didnt have the versatility to play multiple positions.

I genuinely think this was their best available selection on their board. At pick 26 theres always going to be a much higher bust rate than say pick 5 when we took King.

Theres risk with this pick you cant escape it. Just the speculative nature of taking a guy at pick 26. Hell even if we still had our original pick I think its still pretty speculative and you could throw a blanket over pick 20-26.

Super excited to see what the guy can do over the next two pre seasons.

Like that he has the flexibility to play multiple positions.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

North guaranteed to him they were taking him at 30

That's fair enough, he seems a nice kid and i'd hate him to be forced to play for Norf.

 

[Armoooo]

North guaranteed to him they were taking him at 30

ITK status granted for sure now!!

 

[L_W_P]

The thing is, Allison doesn't need to be a super star here.

If he can develop into a Tom Lynch (Adel) or Bayley Fritsch

31

Bayley Fritsch

Age

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

10.4

4star

HB

5.2

4star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

9.5

2star

K

7.7

3star

HB

1.8

1star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.0

2star

G

1.3

5star

D

11.8

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.4

5star

(Melb) style of hit up half forward then he's more than paid his way.

I initially thought he could be our Carlisle replacement at CHB but I have a sneaky feeling that Highmore is going to find a way into this team.

2023 Saints

FB: Paton - Howard - Highmore
HB: Coffield - Wilkie - Long
C: Billings - Steele - Hill
HF: Gresham - Allison - Higgins
FF: Butler - King - Membrey
R: Marshall - Crouch - Clark
I: Battle - Bytel - Jones - Sinclair/Ross/Hannebery/Lonie/Kelly/Taranto

 

[SaintsSeptember]

ITK status granted for sure now!!

We drafted Brad Howard

Brad Howard

Age

37

Ht

180cm

Wt

71kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

3.0

1star

K

1.5

1star

HB

1.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

No current season stats available

D

3.0

1star

K

1.5

1star

HB

1.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

for the same reason.

 

[gringo2011]

Or you can look at it the other way.

In a season with reduced lists and little if any vision of player development, we've followed this blokes progress, interviewed him a few times and then jumped at the chance to take him in the draft rather than wait to see what happens next year.

Looks like they rate him to me.

He reminds me of D-Mac in the great kid with amazing athletic traits who testing made him jump up the order. It's a real lucky dip this draft so hopefully we pulled some luck.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

He reminds me of D-Mac in the great kid with amazing athletic traits who testing made him jump up the order. It's a real lucky dip this draft so hopefully we pulled some luck.

It seemed to me that some of those traits had been a shortcoming a year ago, and recruiters were impressed at the work he'd done on it.

 

[gringo2011]

Looking at where some Phantoms had him.
We had Twomey as a possibility at 30. Foxsports 36. Knightmare 31 and Chris25 at 38. Some predicted him to go in the 60s.
With no-one predicating him to go earlier it looks like we did actually target a forward rather than best available. Proof will be in the pudding a few years down the track.

He's only kicked 2 goals in a whole season and averages under 2 marks a game playing as a high half forward. I hope he's playing as a sort of link up like Kent where he's more a mid style deliverer than an undersized marking forward. At least he seems like he'll be a great clubman and seem a ripping kid.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

He's only kicked 2 goals in a whole season and averages under 2 marks a game playing as a high half forward. I hope he's playing as a sort of link up like Kent where he's more a mid style deliverer than an undersized marking forward. At least he seems like he'll be a great clubman and seem a ripping kid.

He has stick arms even now though, Gring. Imagine him two years ago. It’s at least positive that he seems to have played really well in two early games in 20.

 

[pebblesofsand]

He's only kicked 2 goals in a whole season and averages under 2 marks a game playing as a high half forward. I hope he's playing as a sort of link up like Kent where he's more a mid style deliverer than an undersized marking forward. At least he seems like he'll be a great clubman and seem a ripping kid.

Why are you so caught up on last years averages - he was a short skinny kid playing on the wing - he'll be a gun - as good if not better than the last player we drafted from the Calder Cannons.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

He has stick arms even now though, Gring. Imagine him two years ago. It’s at least positive that he seems to have played really well in two early games in 20.

Don't underestimate stick arms, others have , and regretted it.

 

[austinnn]

Also, those talking about his lack of production are looking at his stats from his underage year where for a KPP (2 goals for the year, avg less than ten touches, etc.), means your production is right down when taking into account top age and even overage KPP talent that Calder would have been wanting to show.

His two pre-season matches this year where he averaged 13.5 touches and 7 marks was said to be at a really high level across a variety of positions.

I like him in that his athletic testing has been phenomenal (7th best nation wide in 2k time trial, sub 3-sec 20m sprint) for a player of his height, whilst he is also quite agile for his size also watching him move. On top of all that, a solid citizen by the sounds of things who is going to get the best out of himself and others, with incredible pedigree also.

It may have been a reach for position, but it wasn't that big of a reach when compared to where other clubs had him, and I for one am excited to have Matty on our list!

True. All things considered, we were likely in a position where we HAD TO use a first round pick, even though our targets were predicted to go a little later. Being that we had the very last pick of the first round, we couldn't have traded down for that reason and didn't have enough currency to trade up.

That meant grabbing a player which, while being most suitable for our team, might not have been most suitable for that pick, if you get me.

And at the end of the day it's the team which counts to us, not an A-F grade from a bunch of nuffies concerned with Reaches, Smokies and Bolters.

I still wanted Poulter, but I think wherever he was drafted Matt Allison is going to give us great service in the post Membrey forward line with him, King & Battle zooming around clunking everything between midfield and the goal line. Mobility, agility and marking strength in abundance from those 3.

 

[Palantine]

Maybe it’s sensible that in a year with limited evidence to work off, that by selecting just one 18 year old, with what picks we had, has merit.
Our second pick was a 22 year old with a sizeable portfolio available to satisfy at the drafting table. No other picks national, no rookies, only some possible older blokes to come in?
Matt looks like he might have some elite attributes, which seems to me the current prerequisite across the board.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[George]

 

[George]

 

[Remboy]

The thing is, Allison doesn't need to be a super star here.

If he can develop into a Tom Lynch (Adel) or Bayley Fritsch

31

Bayley Fritsch

Age

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

10.4

4star

HB

5.2

4star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

9.5

2star

K

7.7

3star

HB

1.8

1star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.0

2star

G

1.3

5star

D

11.8

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.4

5star

(Melb) style of hit up half forward then he's more than paid his way.

I initially thought he could be our Carlisle replacement at CHB but I have a sneaky feeling that Highmore is going to find a way into this team.

2023 Saints

FB: Paton - Howard - Highmore
HB: Coffield - Wilkie - Long
C: Billings - Steele - Hill
HF: Gresham - Allison - Higgins
FF: Butler - King - Membrey
R: Marshall - Crouch - Clark
I: Battle - Bytel - Jones - Sinclair/Ross/Hannebery/Lonie/Kelly/Taranto

You've left out Cripps.

 

[maanco]

True. All things considered, we were likely in a position where we HAD TO use a first round pick, even though our targets were predicted to go a little later. Being that we had the very last pick of the first round, we couldn't have traded down for that reason and didn't have enough currency to trade up.

That meant grabbing a player which, while being most suitable for our team, might not have been most suitable for that pick, if you get me.

And at the end of the day it's the team which counts to us, not an A-F grade from a bunch of nuffies concerned with Reaches, Smokies and Bolters.

I still wanted Poulter, but I think wherever he was drafted Matt Allison is going to give us great service in the post Membrey forward line with him, King & Battle zooming around clunking everything between midfield and the goal line. Mobility, agility and marking strength in abundance from those 3.

You bring up a good point has the requirement to use a first round pick hindered our ability in this draft?

I.e. we had to use a first round pick and could not downgrade it.

 

[sunny3193]

If this kid’s enthusiasm and ability to communicate is a reflection of his ability to play, we have got an absolute bargain.