List Mgmt. White X and Ellis

[TAITA]

......
Whitecross can't be rushed the bloke has had 9 months off.....

I think X has had almost about the same time off as well to be honest, it would be ironic if Whitecross finds himself on the park before Ellis.....

Not really - Whitecross would have more training miles in his legs over their respective time at Hawthorn.

 

[Baz_hawk]

I suspect they will give WhiteX a game or 2 at Box Hill before he comes back into the senior side. He's got plenty of training miles under his belt but he'll need some match fitness and at least one game to get himself back into full swing. I don't think bringing him straight into the senior side would be the right move (maybe as the sub it could work) since he hasn't played an actual game in 9 months

 

[lyger]

Honestly I can't see Xman breaking into our best 22. He may get some time later in the year when we want to rest someone for the finals. We have White X, Cyril and Anderson, who in my opinion will all be higher on the pecking list than Xavier.
We have plenty of selection headaches ahead.

Agree, I would want Ellis in the seniors only when at peak fitness and in dominant form via Box Hill.

 

[PenAndPaper]

Ellis for me needs to get at least 5-6 games in at Box Hill before even thinking of playing him in the seniors and with him still a couple weeks away, i doubt this year he will get a real chance. I would say that he play out the season at Box Hill, if he is injury free by the end of it offer him a one year deal with an extension clause if he plays X amount of games, hopefully get a full preason into him at the end of this year too

 

[jpzhawk]

For me, Ellis is no longer in our top 25 and is now Boxhill at best.
Whitex was in our best 22 before injuring his knee. No need to rush him back. We are traveling well, we play the 3 bottom teams and have a bye. In a few weeks, start giving him a run with Boxhill just to get some touch and build some match fitness. Slowly slowly and then BANG !!!!! We have ourselves a fresh gun who has hardness leading straight into September.
You put Whitex and Goo in our granny team from last year instead of young and Ellis and we win the granny, I have no doubt.
So Whitex should be given another few weeks or so rehab, then a run at Boxhill, maybe a couple of half games, then a fully then look at him returning in about round 16 or 17. That will give him 6 or 7 games and hitting some good form come finals.

 

[Yuley95]

We've shown form being cautious with experienced players such as Osbourne and Lake coming back via Box Hill. And while we are up and about there is no need to rush people back.

We will continue to have injuries/niggles/form slumps to manage so they will both get their chances. Would expect WhiteX to cement his spot as soon as he comes back in but Ellis will be interesting. Coaches obviously rate him and he has shown to be a good footy player but, as we all know, way too prone to injury.

Surely Ellis will be given every opportunity to play 10 games this year to prove whether he stays on the list or not.

 

[Hodginator]

I can't wait to have WX back in the side but he'll probably need a game or 2 at Box Hill before coming back in.

Ellis can probably help out as WX's personal assistant.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

A fit X is better than anyone at BHH, by a fair margin. We rushed Hodge back last year and it did not work. I'd give X and Whitex at least five games at BHH then see if we can fit them in.

 

[vinnay]

Has Ellis ever dominated in a BH match?

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Both need to spend alot of game time at Box Hill before getting gig in the ones.

This.

I'd want Ellis showing he can survive 4 - 5 full games at BH before being considered. The last thing we need is to select him for the seniors and have him break-down in the first quarter.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Has Ellis ever dominated in a BH match?

Never been on the ground long enough! ho Ho

Fair point. Watch the Willi game from last season. X was killing it, then bunged his knee up in the last minute.

 

[Glacier]

I would think Ellis would be very lucky to even be on the radar, much prefer Hill, Duryea, Anderson and any number of other young blokes to be in front of him
Whitex back will be immense for our midfield strength come finals time, and there is a certain Rioli fella to come back too...

 

[Yuley95]

Never been on the ground long enough! ho Ho

Fair point. Watch the Willi game from last season. X was killing it, then bunged his knee up in the last minute.

Was going to say this one. He was killing it and showing his class but, as always, copped and injury...

 

[WWSD]

Cant wait to see Whitecross back in the side. Underrated player.

 

[Badesumofu]

Whitecross and Rioli into the current side is a tantalising prospect. Is it too much to ask that we get no more serious injuries this year?

 

[Jak!x]

Whitecross should come in as the sub/sobbed off when ready until he's match fit and dependable, but I don't think X is a part of our best 25 anymore, with Anderson playing as well as he is, maybe swapping with Osbourne depending on form?

 

[cryptor]

I'm also skeptical that Ellis could be best 22 any more but I feel that as long as he's on our list we might as well give him every chance to prove himself. Like others have said, that would involve stringing together half a dozen consistent, incident-free performances at Boxhill. Effectively he has to be 100% fit and his form must be such that he can't not be in the team. Ball's in his court.

 

[Taskmaster]

Whitey will come back through Box Hill. The club wont rush anything though. As for Ellis, he is done, he is no longer in our best 25 or 30 for that matter. Sick of hearing people pump up this blokes "potential" He has played 1 reasonable game for the club in 7 or 8 years he has been at the club.

Ellis is DONE!!!!!

 

[realhawk]

What Xavier Ellis needs is a Full Season OFF to focus on the GYM! Some protein shakes to put some weight on & (As the tradies would say) A spoon-full of concrete to Harden The Fu#k-up!

As 4 WhiteX, Can't wait to see him back...Looks to be in great shape...Is, as far as I'm concerned, the Next Captain of our club!

Ellis is definately injury prone, but one thing he is not is soft, for a skinny bloke he is very tough, he always puts his head over the ball and is usually getting the ball out to the " outside " players.

 

[Steven Tyler]

Chris Fagan said X will have 2 weeks of training and then be ready for game time at Box Hill
He has run well at training and will do full skills this week and next

 

[dipper86]

I have had it up to my ears with Ellis, his will for the contest and reading of the play is sound but his body is not up to AFL standard in almost every facet, his body can't do what his mind wants too, his body composition has not changed since being drafted, that's unacceptable. If he cant put on weight then he should be toned, but he isn't he's just skin with no muscle tone or hardened muscle tone.....So I ask this question what the hell is doing down at the club.

 

[Steven Tyler]

I have had it up to my ears with Ellis, his will for the contest and reading of the play is sound but his body is not up to AFL standard in almost every facet, his body can't do what his mind wants too, his body composition has not changed since being drafted, that's unacceptable. If he cant put on weight then he should be toned, but he isn't he's just skin with no muscle tone or hardened muscle tone.....So I ask this question what the hell is doing down at the club.

Yeah, it is staggering
I think everyone agrees that his footy smarts, skill and courage is excellent, it's just his body is still the same as when he was drafted.
You can't continue at the highest level with a 18 year old body, which he STILL has!

 

[AC for PM]

Ellis needs to hire The Weapon as his personal trainer for 12 months.

Maybe he needs to buddy up with Majak Daw for a few months and copy his routine.

 

[vinnay]

We shouldn't even let him play BH and instead lock him up in the gym and try get some size into him.
(Players rarely put on size while regularly playing VFL/AFL)
Then perhaps if successful, let him play VFL/AFL near the end of the season to see if he is worth persisting with.

 

[Max Powers]

This is a re-creation of what really happened to Xavier Ellis