Where to play Thurstans?

[nintiwirri]

I personally was disappointed a trade wasn't made to give Toby a chance at another club as I feel he has gone stale at Port and seems to lack interest and ability?
He has been a failure up forward the last couple of seasons and Damon White seems to have leapfrogged him in favourtism up forward .We are stuck with him on our list for at least another 2 years.Apparently no one was interested in him at all in trade week?That speaks volumes.So can he be used as a running bouncing defender in the Matthew Bishop mould?
I think I may heve read somewhere that Sturt play him as a defender more often?

 

[Powerstufff]

I personally was disappointed a trade wasn't made to give Toby a chance at another club as I feel he has gone stale at Port and seems to lack interest and ability?
He has been a failure up forward the last couple of seasons and Damon White seems to have leapfrogged him in favourtism up forward .We are stuck with him on our list for at least another 2 years.Apparently no one was interested in him at all in trade week?That speaks volumes.So can he be used as a running bouncing defender in the Matthew Bishop mould?
I think I may heve read somewhere that Sturt play him as a defender more often?

He started as a defender and did really well in a few games early after taking years to put some weight on and get out on the track. But surprise, surprise he was inconsistent and failed to cement his chance.
Up forward he is skillful, along with Mahoney and Lade probably one of our best set shots. But (sigh!) his endeavour is so, so patchy. White tries but lacks the skill. Thurstans is skilled but his head is often elsewhere. If only we could weld them together to make Doby Thite/Tamon Whirstans.
I don't care where he plays but as we have him for 2 more years I wish to God he'd pull his finger out. As for trading, he is untradeable.

 

[Macca19]

SANFL unless theres an injury. Should be backup next season with Tredders, White and Willits the main 3.

 

[portentous]

Let Rick MacGowan decide where to play him.

 

[Andre]

The SANFL. Up forward our options should be Tredrea, White, Willits and Pettigrew.
Down back Chaplin, C. Cornes, Carlile, Wakelin and Pettigrew. If he is played, I'd rather it be as the third tall down back, either with Chaplin at FB and Chad at CHB, or Chaplin at CHB, Wakelin/Carlile at FB, allowing Chad to be released into the midfield. Set a task to mind his man and immediately dragged if he starts being disinterested, is about the only chance of Toby pulling his finger out and playing to his potential.

 

[bringbackbucky]

Has there ever been a less interested footballer? Half the time he looks like he is asleep out there. With a little bit of intensity this guy could have been a player, but I dont hold much hope anymore.

Whoever was behind his contract extension a few years back has a lot to answer for...

 

[portentous]

I still remember Toby at Alberton, playing for Sturt, arguing with ParalowiePower over the fence DURING a match. Showed his intensity and concentration skills to a tee IMO.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Before the 2006 season I wrote his most important role was to be an insurance policy. Insurance if we lost a ruckman, insurance if we lost a KPP forward and to be there incase we lost a tall backman. In 2007 I see the same role. However Deluca should be given the first go if we lose a ruckman and other young KPPs given a go before him. Unless he pulls his finger out he will have to enjoy the SANFL.

 

[The Hobo]

Toby's a handy depth player. He's not too far from AFL standard, infact skillwise, he's up to it. So leave him in the SANFL, and he can replace anyone in the backline or forwardline, or even the ruckman.

Handy player to have in your squad.

As Danyle Pearce said, if you're not excited about playing AFL, nothing will get you excited (or somethin like that)

 

[domc]

Sturt.

 

[Lightning_Rod]

left right out

 

[thegossip]

way to much baggage for any other club to pick him up, i think most people would agree.

 

[Redline]

Like many I don't rate Thurstans very highly but I think its important for you to have a back up. Of course you give a younger player a spot ahead of him but they might not always be ready.

 

[Papa G]

way to much baggage for any other club to pick him up, i think most people would agree.

As a back up player. If White continues to improve and any 2 of Willits, Carlisle, DeLuca, Pettigrew come on as we hope they will, barring horrendous injuries Toby will be struggling to get another game.

 

[morell]

In the fringe.

People forget that you need fringe players on your list.

You cant have a starting 22 and then the rest of the list filled with developing kids.

Toby is the perfect fringe back up player as he can play in a lot of positions, so to answer the question, play him wherever we have a deficiency, which next year, I think will be in defence.

 

[Steve Dore]

Agree with the general sentiment here.

Toby is a handy backup player. Can play up forward, down back or in ruck. If all goes well in 2007 he will spend the entire season at Unley.

 

[Captain Wacky]

2007 B&f

 

[blackdiamond]

Toby can make it if he wants to, he is more than capable but he needs to fix whatever it is between his ears.

Im not sure that the backline is for him, if he plays down that end it would be more of a floating role - when comparing him to Bishop I don't trust his ground skills as much and I don't believe he has that burst of pace which Bishop lacked in his last two years.

I see him as more of a forward, with Tredrea back I think he will find it a little easier (especially closer to goal) and he's always a dead eye **** when it comes to kicking a goal.

 

[in and under]

do not rate him and havnt met anyone else that does either. Not up to AFL standards and only gets a game in SANFL because hes on an AFL list. If he was a no body and we were judging him on ability and not the fact that hes on an AFL list he wouldnt get a game. skinny slow gutless and mentally weak. step aside and let a younger more promising player take your spot.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

Thurstans has just about used all his nine lives IMO. I think the last roll of the dice for him is to see if he can play as the third tall but I think he'd have to put his hand up via good form in the SANFL.

I just find him so hard to get a fix on in terms of ability and attitude. Is he just one of these unfortunate guys like Mark Waugh who look like they're not trying but actually are?

 

[Andre]

I just find him so hard to get a fix on in terms of ability and attitude. Is he just one of these unfortunate guys like Mark Waugh who look like they're not trying but actually are?

The difference is Mark Waugh delivered consistently whilst looking laconic. You could even say he wouldn't have appeared so 'disinterested', if his twin didn't appear so intense. They made a sharp contrast.

I wouldn't care if Toby looked bored, IF he put the runs on the board. I wonder what his 1 %er's are like? (Tackling, shepharding, etc.). They tend to give a good indication if a player is trying their guts out (of course they can be good and the player still crap, but that's not what I expect to see with Toby).

 

[Toots Hibbert]

To back that line of thought up, when I was looking for images from the grand final for the Biship thread I came across bits of play featuring Toby and he definitely looked desperate. Unsurprisingly he had a pretty good game.

 

[morell]

The difference is Mark Waugh delivered consistently whilst looking laconic. You could even say he wouldn't have appeared so 'disinterested', if his twin didn't appear so intense. They made a sharp contrast.

I wouldn't care if Toby looked bored, IF he put the runs on the board. I wonder what his 1 %er's are like? (Tackling, shepharding, etc.). They tend to give a good indication if a player is trying their guts out (of course they can be good and the player still crap, but that's not what I expect to see with Toby).

He averages 2.3 1%ers a game. Port players average about 3 across the board per game, which is ranked 13th in the AFL.

In otherwords, he sucks at the 1%er side of things.

 

[Steve Dore]

He averages 2.3 1%ers a game. Port players average about 3 across the board per game, which is ranked 13th in the AFL.

In otherwords, he sucks at the 1%er side of things.

He is well below the team average in something that the team as a whole sucks in. 13th in the AFL

 

[swampygezza]

Everybody has commented about his 'perceived' lack of interest, and his p#ss poor stats.


I just wonder if he was left out of the starting 22 for so long from when he was originally drafted, that the commitment is not there? He got left in the developing paddock for so long, that all he developed were the wrong skills and ideas.


Was 2004 his year - and now he has gone off? If so, then cut the losses and pay out his contract. There should be enough flexibility in the salary cap to cover it...

Gezza