-
IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Pick 9 ND 2012 – Who should we pick?
- Thread starter AstuteTiger
- Start date
Ripplestick said:
Jake Stringer - Ok, I'll do a little write up on Jake Stringer. Firstly, I consider Jake to have the attributes which should translate beautifully to AFL football. He's a colossus of a man weighing in at an impressive 94kg and standing at 191cm. Now, remembering that Jake's season was marred by surgery, with the pins in his leg being removed in February, one may have expected his season to stutter into action as he adjusted to life back on the footy field. His first game back yielded a lazy 10 goals and 20 possessions in a display which shocked even his immediate family. He then followed that up with another 20 possession game and a further 4 goals. Unfortunately for Jake, his next 7 games would only yield 12 goals, and would be plagued with interruption as he attempted to manage the broken leg (which I'll get back to in a moment).
Now don't get me wrong but I think Stringer is a precocious talent, his marking can be pack busting at times and if there is anyone who can rival Jack Darling's feats at AFL level, it will be Stringer. My problem with him firstly stems around his ability to play as a midfielder, because that's ultimately where I believe he'll do most of his damage. Pre-injury, he was tipped to go in the mini-draft, that's how highly he was rated, but as we all know, the leg broke and no-one was willing to take the plunge. Since then he's a had a few runs in the middle but his output has been fairly inconsistent and his disposal numbers suggest he's not quite coping. Couple that with the fact that he's been seen limping around, and has what I consider to be a particularly stuttering approach to goal, I would be exercising maximum caution when weighing up his pros and cons.
The whole issue of broken legs and the impact it can have on a player can be seen in all it's glory when studying the career of Nathan Brown. His career was doomed once the leg snapped, his agility was severly impaired and the confidence to out bustle players went with it. It's one thing to get a medical clearance to play AFL, but that doesn't necessarily put you in a position to dominate and maximise your god given talents. With Stringer, I'm not so sure, he may well turn into the next version of Jack Darling or he may just become a so-so player that sits in the forward line and clunks the occasional contested mark. It's a big call and one which I wouldn't be inclined to use pick 9 on.
Thanks Bullus, respect your thoughts. Good luck to the kid whether he is in yellow and black or not.
Just a query regarding Stringers broken leg Bully. Newy broke his leg a couple of years back n hardly missed a beat on return. Vossy had a massive break against wet Coke and struggled for about a season from returning a bit early. Browny had a massive spiral shattering of the bone rather than a straight forward snap and never really recovered.bullus_hit said:
The big question with Stringer lies in the type of break and how much ongoing residual damage needs to be managed. Simply how much damage requiring ongoing maintenance was there in the leg. To me it's no surprise that a young kid would have a fluctuating year after having a broken leg so all that needs to be assessed is residual damage, if the repair is fine than there's only a rebuilding of belief in the injured area and a honing of the kids skills and ability.
TigerMasochist said:
These are all good points TM, as we know, a broken leg can take a couple of years to fully recover from. My concerns centre around his limp and the fact that he's been playing semi-injured for most of the year. He could be back to full fitness and running through the midfield or he could be limping for quite some time yet. I know he's seen fit to wear a shin guard and that seems to have had a postive effect on his confidence, but the question still remains as to whether the injury will impede his long term running ability.
From all reports, the recruiting fraternity are deeply divided, I have heard the Doggies have been making enquiries and Geelong have had him on their radar since last year. I will say this, his talent is befitting of a top ten pick, if not top 5. Hopefully he realises that talent because the club that lands him will get a rare type of player who can play anywhere on the ground.
Good job BH.
I would be just to nervous to pull the trigger on Stringer or Menzel at nine. Stringer has just started to kick on the other foot and is pulling up sore. His talent and size are there but we have to minimise risk at nine.
For me Jakson McRae or Sam Mayes.
I would be just to nervous to pull the trigger on Stringer or Menzel at nine. Stringer has just started to kick on the other foot and is pulling up sore. His talent and size are there but we have to minimise risk at nine.
For me Jakson McRae or Sam Mayes.
I'd be very happy to take Menzel with pick 9. Probably the most underrated player. He hasn't done an ACL in more than two years. This kid will be a genuine elite talent of the AFL, bookmark it. He kicked 15 goals in the first two games, but didn't finish off the Champs due to an injury problem. (Not the knees!)
He would have been talked up as a top 5 pick if he had played out the series, and don't be surprised if Port snatches him up with 7.
He would have been talked up as a top 5 pick if he had played out the series, and don't be surprised if Port snatches him up with 7.
Tigerdog said:
Kristian Jaksch - This draft is definitely lacking the KP players that have been prominent in the other drafts, namely 2006 if one was to set a benchmark for talls. The standouts this year are Jaksch and Plowman, both who would be seen as top 20 picks, and in the case of Plowman, possibly top 10. Jaksch's most notbable achievement at the national championships was when he and Jackson Macrae carved up Tasmania in a devastating display of forward work, his 6 goals being the result of some strong leading and contested marking.
Exactly where Jaksch might find himself on the football field is anyone's guess because he is capable of playing at both ends of the ground. His greatest asset is his contested marking and his reading of the ball mid flight is what really sets him apart. He always seems to mark the ball at the highest point, thus fully capitalising on his 194cm frame and is more than capable of doing that whilst sitting third or fourth in line in a pack situation. He's not your typical brute strength KP player at this early stage, but in time, could fill out to the point where his strength will only add to his already impressive marking ability.
Any club that picks him up will probably treat him as more of a third tall, and more than likely, slot him into the backline where he'll serve a bit of an apprenticeship. His footskills are generally good as well, and he's agile enough to play in a rebounding role. His finals form in the TAC probably wasn't at the standard that he set early on in the season but nevertheless, he's certainly got some fine attributes such as strong tackling which will ultimately bode well in the AFL.
For a player comparison, I'd say there are definite similarities with Harry Taylor, and the backline is where I see him in the long run. With his excellent reading of the play, good all-round skill set and fine defensive play and work ethic, that would seem a logical place to slot him in. Like Harry Taylor, he could have some stints in the forward line but this would be contingent on him increasing his playing weight by 8-10 kg.
Awesome write up bullus_hit, heres some vids on the players u mentioned plus i added in Wines...
Brodie Grundy
(not much in view of highlights at YouTube but at the AFL website their is a highlights package going for 3 mins 18 secs)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ_6ZfUz_T4[/youtube]
Nick Vlastuin (no 22 initially seen in the highlights package)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCfj63-xpQ[/youtube]
Sam Mayes (no 26 seen in the highlights package)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d-eb-0DOEM[/youtube]
Jackson Macrae (no 16 seen in the highlights package)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAYOhXVLN3s&playnext=1&list=PLUj5RZeZOvrh7D8fKhVAKoIeWbfvHaOFy&feature=results_video[/youtube]
Oliver Wines (no 33 seen in the highlights package) Added in Wines on the proviso that Melbourne lose their draft pic 4
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j5KXhssNEM[/youtube]
Brodie Grundy
(not much in view of highlights at YouTube but at the AFL website their is a highlights package going for 3 mins 18 secs)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ_6ZfUz_T4[/youtube]
Nick Vlastuin (no 22 initially seen in the highlights package)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCfj63-xpQ[/youtube]
Sam Mayes (no 26 seen in the highlights package)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d-eb-0DOEM[/youtube]
Jackson Macrae (no 16 seen in the highlights package)
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAYOhXVLN3s&playnext=1&list=PLUj5RZeZOvrh7D8fKhVAKoIeWbfvHaOFy&feature=results_video[/youtube]
Oliver Wines (no 33 seen in the highlights package) Added in Wines on the proviso that Melbourne lose their draft pic 4
[youtube=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j5KXhssNEM[/youtube]
Nothing like being a youtube expert, but Mayes is the cream. Very Ryan Griffen like. Would fit in beautifully to our starting 22.
iLoVeNeWmAn
RFC - can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em
CC TIGER said:
Likewise CC. I would be ecstatic with either of these two. Can understand why the club would prefer to take a zero risk approach but with these two, I reckon the risk is worth it. They both seem to have the extra bit of class that may separate them from the very good to A-grade players.
That highligh of Grundy on the previous page was abysmal. OK, took a mark, though not real cleanly, then missed from 35m with what looked like a very average kicking action.
Streak said:
I hope we do not go for him then but history is hard to ignore with the Tigers.
Having said this, the last few years we have been a lot better with our selections so we have to have confidence if he is chosen that he will be okay.
Troy Menzel - Much like Stringer, Menzel has a skill set which would appeal to most clubs searching for a medium sized forward who can take his turn in the midfield and back that up with some crafty forward work which can potentially cut a swathe through opposition defences. That Menzel is equally adept both in the air and at ground level makes him a particularly difficult match-up and to top it off, he exudes a type of arrogance that one might associate with the likes of Alan Didak in his heyday, or a fit and firing Steve Johnson.
Menzel had perhaps the most influential games at the u/18 championships where he obliterated both Tasmania and the Northern Territory, booting 9 & 6 goals, respectively. It was a performance so dominant that many were earmarking him as a definite top 5 pick, and at that point, he would have been odds on to claim the title of player of the carnival. Unfortunately for Troy and the recruiting fraternity, that is all we got to see of his onfield deeds, because a hamstring niggle forced him out of the competition and straight back to rehab.
Funny enough, Goin Back to Rehab might very well be Menzel's soundtrack. When playing for Central Districts, Troy sustained what appeared to be another serious injury to his knee and it really looked like he would be out of action for a minimum of 12 months. Thankfully for him, the doomsday predictions were a little premature and all his ligaments were intact and safe from the surgeons knife (for the time being).
Now there's very few people in the football world that are unaware of Troy's history with LARS surgery and the prospect of having more work done down the track. Couple that with his brother's weak knees, and you get what is perhaps the greatest conumdrum of the draft. On talent alone, Menzel is easily top 10 standard, and for all we know, some club may yet take the plunge. He's also had leading doctors come out in his defence and we've seen all sorts of contingency plans laid out in the event the unthinkable occurs. All things considered, one still has to ask the question as to whether he's worth the risk, it's a mighty big call and one which may end in tears or conversely, turn into a masterstroke.
From a purely footballing perspective, Menzel has all the tools to succeed. He can kick goals from on the run, he can take the big contested marks, he can run through the midfield and he can dance around opposition players as though they were witches hats. He didn't get to play the heavyweights at the u/18 carnival but he has performed strongly for Australia on the European tour, and has shown that if fit, he can comfortably match it with the players in the SANFL, and that includes some finals exposure.
So would I take the risk with pick 9? The answer is no. If there was a chronic lack of depth beyond the first few, then maybe. But all things considered, this is a talent laden draft with the first dozen or so picks, and there's plenty of players who have a clean medical sheet and skills to match. Menzel may well emulate the feats of Joel Selwood and brush aside the weak knees tag, or he may go the way of his brother. Having a sense of Francis Jackson's risk aversion however, I'd say there's very little chance of him landing at Punt Road.
Menzel had perhaps the most influential games at the u/18 championships where he obliterated both Tasmania and the Northern Territory, booting 9 & 6 goals, respectively. It was a performance so dominant that many were earmarking him as a definite top 5 pick, and at that point, he would have been odds on to claim the title of player of the carnival. Unfortunately for Troy and the recruiting fraternity, that is all we got to see of his onfield deeds, because a hamstring niggle forced him out of the competition and straight back to rehab.
Funny enough, Goin Back to Rehab might very well be Menzel's soundtrack. When playing for Central Districts, Troy sustained what appeared to be another serious injury to his knee and it really looked like he would be out of action for a minimum of 12 months. Thankfully for him, the doomsday predictions were a little premature and all his ligaments were intact and safe from the surgeons knife (for the time being).
Now there's very few people in the football world that are unaware of Troy's history with LARS surgery and the prospect of having more work done down the track. Couple that with his brother's weak knees, and you get what is perhaps the greatest conumdrum of the draft. On talent alone, Menzel is easily top 10 standard, and for all we know, some club may yet take the plunge. He's also had leading doctors come out in his defence and we've seen all sorts of contingency plans laid out in the event the unthinkable occurs. All things considered, one still has to ask the question as to whether he's worth the risk, it's a mighty big call and one which may end in tears or conversely, turn into a masterstroke.
From a purely footballing perspective, Menzel has all the tools to succeed. He can kick goals from on the run, he can take the big contested marks, he can run through the midfield and he can dance around opposition players as though they were witches hats. He didn't get to play the heavyweights at the u/18 carnival but he has performed strongly for Australia on the European tour, and has shown that if fit, he can comfortably match it with the players in the SANFL, and that includes some finals exposure.
So would I take the risk with pick 9? The answer is no. If there was a chronic lack of depth beyond the first few, then maybe. But all things considered, this is a talent laden draft with the first dozen or so picks, and there's plenty of players who have a clean medical sheet and skills to match. Menzel may well emulate the feats of Joel Selwood and brush aside the weak knees tag, or he may go the way of his brother. Having a sense of Francis Jackson's risk aversion however, I'd say there's very little chance of him landing at Punt Road.
