Where is Ben Griffiths at??

[tigerz18]

mods please move if needed

I am an unabashed fan of him, but he has stagnated and is in big danger of being moved on due to the development of Elton and McBean.
His blessing and curse is that he can play any position and is yet to cement one.
I really thought this was the year that he would make ff/fp his own, but Dimma seems to continue to use him like Dustin Fletcher, which is not working.

Coming up to a third of the way through the season and he has had one poor performance in round 1 to show.
Not being in Melbourne i haven't been able to see or hear about many burg games - how's he going.
i really want him to be a big star at the Tiges, but is his time running out?

 

[Harmichael]

The wrong end of the ****in' ground.

 

[PUNTROADHAMMER]

It's plain to see he is not a backman. If Lukey McGrouse gets injured they should get Griffiths straight down forward. McGrouse is quite mobile so his defensive pressure is very good, whereas Griff might be found wanting in that regard. There you have it, my third sentence almost contradicts my second - so in answer to your question, i have no flipping idea???

 

[mcuzzy]

from half forward he could easily bang in goals from 60 off one step

 

[wallacekilledus]

at the mom- going no where. will quite likely be traded and then what he stars for another club. I would be playing him fwd and alternating with vickery on the pine.

 

[TerraTiger]

I really hope he makes it cause the upside looks to be huge. However, are we all getting a bit seduced by him being a long kick (of which there is no doubt - a major weapon)? I say seduced, because from what i've observed he looks like he lacks intensity, the most obvious trait being he only seems to have 1st and 2nd gear and totally lacks 3rd, 4th etc, etc..... Not sure that explains what I've seen well. Others noticed this at all? Or have other theories? Let's just hope it is due to lack of a sustained run at being injury free, but I'm having doubts about that.

 

[zipper12]

I really hope he makes it cause the upside looks to be huge. However, are we all getting a bit seduced by him being a long kick (of which there is no doubt - a major weapon)? I say seduced, because from what i've observed he looks like he lacks intensity, the most obvious trait being he only seems to have 1st and 2nd gear and totally lacks 3rd, 4th etc, etc..... Not sure that explains what I've seen well. Others noticed this at all? Or have other theories? Let's just hope it is due to lack of a sustained run at being injury free, but I'm having doubts about that.

I agree terra- I am a fan but he really doesn't chase the ball which is part of the reason that we've played him down back- at least there he has an opponent to lead him to the pill. His kicking is a thing of beauty and he's composed with ball in hand.

 

[Roachy8]

I'm very sad to say but I fear Griff might be Steamer Cleve Hughes mark 2....

Hope not though.

 

[wart101]

Where is he lol, good question and the simple answer is, being wasted as a backman when he is a born and bred forward.....................

 

[rfctiger90]

Sick of these threads. Especially the threads about Ben Griffiths because everyone invariably says the same thing - "should be played as a forward".

I doubt any of you know the kid personally, and I also doubt any of you know the coaches personally either. Perhaps there is a very valid reason that he is being played down there? And as much as it pains you, you won't know why. So, how about we stop making stupid threads like these for people just to answer that he should be played as a forward etc etc, and put some trust in the coaching staff. Do you honestly think you are the only people who can see that he has a big kick, is a big body and can take a grab? Do you think the coaching staff just happened to miss those facts???

How about you talk about how he's currently doing in the VFL, and what he can do AS A BACKMAN to earn a game?

 

[Dragonss]

Play him at the right end of the ground or trade him to the lions for a first rounder. It's a lost cause putting him in the backline.

 

[MR]

from half forward he could easily bang in goals from 60 off one step

Yeah... you can easily make that argument when he's playing deep backline aswell.

 

[Dragonss]

from half forward he could easily bang in goals from 60 off one step

has to get the ball first.

 

[Groupie_]

I thought he's been playing forward ?

 

[mcuzzy]

has to get the ball first.

also has to get out of bed, take a shit, have breakfast, take a shit, have a shower, brush his teeth, get dressed, drive to the ground, do the pre-game routines and warmups etc.

 

[Spluff]

He's in the big pile of athletic project players who never really showed anything, with JON and Dean Putt.

 

[mcuzzy]

He's in the big pile of athletic project players who never really showed anything, with JON and Dean Putt.

JON and Putt were not very good, VFL level at best. Griff has far more potential but has been held back by a poor decision to change him to a defender when he spent all his days leading up to the draft as a FF and HF

 

[Cotcho]

When's Dustin Fletcher coming out of contract? Given that the RFC want Griff as a back so badly and considering it is not possible to loan players to other clubs we should get Fletcher as a FA and pay him to give Griff an apprenticeship. Hopefully he comes on as well as Jake Carlisle has.

 

[Spluff]

JON and Putt were not very good, VFL level at best. Griff has far more potential but has been held back by a poor decision to change him to a defender when he spent all his days leading up to the draft as a FF and HF

He hasn't shown anything as a forward either. Sure, he's got all the attributes, but in terms of actually playing good games it's never happened.

 

[TheProwler]

all I can say if we aren't interested in him long term then FFS play him fwd in the burgers so we can get his value up. age is still on his side but another club may offer him a better future somewhere else which won't help us.

 

[mcuzzy]

He hasn't shown anything as a forward either. Sure, he's got all the attributes, but in terms of actually playing good games it's never happened.

When has he even been given a fair shot in the forward line? He was injured very quickly and then by the time he was playing again he was in the backline. Seems fair, but after all, we are Richmond.

Look at Luke McGuane, drafted as a forward and turned into a defender, that went well. What an absolute waste.

 

[Dragonss]

also has to get out of bed, take a shit, have breakfast, take a shit, have a shower, brush his teeth, get dressed, drive to the ground, do the pre-game routines and warmups etc.

aint nobody got time for that. balls before life.

 

[DrMike]

I thought he's been playing forward ?

Don't bring facts from Coburg into this thread!

 

[WATiger86]

Griff is finding out that we have more than 22 players on the books. He only really played at the start of the year because Grimes was out with injury.

A natural backman he is not, but it wouldn’t be the first time this coaching team has played someone down back to improve the defensive side of their game. I’ve read that he’s started training with the forwards and playing forward with the burgers – good news.

With regards to his future at the club, a place in the forward line is up for grabs over the next few years if and when Vickery spends more time in the ruck and the 3rd tall position opens up. Elton and McBean have been performing well in the VFL, it’s up to Griff to start stringing together a few bags at VFL level to force his way back in front of the selector’s minds.

Just because he's not best 22 at the moment doesn’t mean he'll be shown the door at the first opportunity. Conversely, if the powers that be deem Elton and McBean to be better options going forward, we’d be stupid not to shop him around to fill another hole in the list.

 

[Damo80]

Griff has far more potential but has been held back by a poor decision to change him to a defender when he spent all his days leading up to the draft as a FF and HF

As a 200cm under-ager with a booming kick... no wonder he dominated in 2nd gear in his junior days.

While you can argue it could be worth trying him more up forward, there's zero evidence that his lack of intensity wouldn't be just as much an issue up there now as it seems to be for him playing down back.

Other similar types have gone past him, and I think he's in a bit of trouble!