Spriggs: In the best 22

[ROK Lobster]

Having seen Spriggs for the first real time (in 2006) yesterday I would say that he would have to be close to knocking on the door of the best 22. He is a much improved player - or in better form - than any time in 2005. It was not so much how he got the ball - though he did always seem to have plenty of space but that is not that hard in the ACT league - but what he did with it. His disposal by foot was generally very good, and the more pressure he was under the better it seemed to be. He placed some lovely weighted kicks in front of running midfielders, and gave the forwards the sort of disposal Hall would love. I thought his disposal by hand was even better. His timing as improved out of sight so that running players were hitting the passes hard, and streaming through. Davis and Mathews were clearly in another class yesterday, and Spriggs was right up there with them. Injuries to Bucky, McVeigh, Ablett or Fosdike and he would have to be in contention. He is wasting his time in Canberra. If he can't crack a game for the finals with us, gee I hope he manges to find himself a club who will play him in 2007.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
Having seen Spriggs for the first real time (in 2006) yesterday I would say that he would have to be close to knocking on the door of the best 22. He is a much improved player - or in better form - than any time in 2005. It was not so much how he got the ball - though he did always seem to have plenty of space but that is not that hard in the ACT league - but what he did with it. His disposal by foot was generally very good, and the more pressure he was under the better it seemed to be. He placed some lovely weighted kicks in front of running midfielders, and gave the forwards the sort of disposal Hall would love. I thought his disposal by hand was even better. His timing as improved out of sight so that running players were hitting the passes hard, and streaming through. Davis and Mathews were clearly in another class yesterday, and Spriggs was right up there with them. Injuries to Bucky, McVeigh, Ablett or Fosdike and he would have to be in contention. He is wasting his time in Canberra. If he can't crack a game for the finals with us, gee I hope he manges to find himself a club who will play him in 2007. I think it would have a lot to do with confidence.

After doing his knee in 2004 and returning for the last couple of games, then moving to a new club, he may have tken time to settle in to the new environment and to also trust his knee, and the pressure of just fitting in. His fitness was obviously not a problem as he set the bench mark in a lot of the fitness trials/tests. So maybe that is what he needed a good stint in the 2's to regain his composure.

Now, when will we see him in the seniors.

[bigswan]

Spriggs will not play in the firsts because his disposal is suspect.

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by bigswan
Spriggs will not play in the firsts because his disposal is suspect.

So what is Kirk doing there?

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by bigswan
Spriggs will not play in the firsts because his disposal is suspect.


His disposal by foot was generally very good, and the more pressure he was under the better it seemed to be. He placed some lovely weighted kicks in front of running midfielders, and gave the forwards the sort of disposal Hall would love. I thought his disposal by hand was even better. His timing as improved out of sight so that running players were hitting the passes hard, and streaming through.

[Xie Shan]

This is the most detailed report I've seen on Spriggs' form, and it's good enough for me to agree that he's good enough to at least be given a go in the seniors, if not this year but in 2007. Who knows, if Roos doesn't plan to give him a game with us, maybe we might actually get something decent for him in a trade now he's seemingly gotten his confidence back after his knee reconstruction.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by Xie Shan
This is the most detailed report I've seen on Spriggs' form, and it's good enough for me to agree that he's good enough to at least be given a go in the seniors, if not this year but in 2007. Who knows, if Roos doesn't plan to give him a game with us, maybe we might actually get something decent for him in a trade now he's seemingly gotten his confidence back after his knee reconstruction. Don't read too much into it. While I am not bull@@@@ting, the reserves did win by over twenty goals yesterday against very much a 'bush league' team. There was very little intensity after the first 20 minutes and Spriggs has pace, and fitness, to burn. And also, by now most of these kids have played nearly two seasons with him - maybe they read the ball well off the side of his boot - and know pretty much how to read each other's games. That said, the quality of his disposal was as high as that of Davis, better than Willoughby or Schmidt, an noticably better than Benny's (although Benny did put a nice one in the path of Davis in the 3rd term). I thought he looked good enough. He is certainly fit enough. But then, I don't get paid the big bucks to select footy teams - the leadership clique does.

[barry]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
Don't read too much into it. While I am not bull@@@@ting, the reserves did win by over twenty goals yesterday against very much a 'bush league' team. There was very little intensity after the first 20 minutes and Spriggs has pace, and fitness, to burn. .

That would be the question mark on spriggs. Is he up to AFL footy, or is he another reserves wonder. He's at an age where he needs to make a mark in AFL pretty soon, or else he's seen as holding a position a young guy should have.

I dont think he'll get a senior game this year. The finals squad will come out of players who have played senior footy this year, or in the last few months (cutoff about at Vogels).
If he's still on the list next year, I hope he gets a few games to prove himself. He had big wraps as a junior.

[hammo]

I thought Spriggs should have been brought back mid season to show what he had to offer.

His form in the reserves appears to have been excellent all year, given he is always listed as one of the best.

The fact that he hasn't been brought in and is now off contract would indicate to me that Roos has made up his mind about him and that he won't be wearing red and white next year.

I doubt we'll get a trade for him either.

[liz]

I am slightly surprised that Spriggs hasn't got a senior game yet this year. He'd have been ideal for Subiaco, where I reckon the Swans were done for fitness in the end, and I then I thought he was a monty to cover for Fosdike when Fossie was injured for the Port game.

My thoughts (that I and other regular reserves watchers have already posted this year) echo the Lobsters. I can only think that the club decided at the start of the year that he didn't have a place on the list beyond this year. Only explanation I can think of for why he hasn't got a look in when his form has clearly warranted it.

[NMWBloods]

Seems bizarre though as his form must be much better than it was when the club spied him out at Geelong and traded for him. Perhaps they decided last year he wasn't good enough (and he was poor) and now refuse to change their mind.

[barry]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Seems bizarre though as his form must be much better than it was when the club spied him out at Geelong and traded for him. Perhaps they decided last year he wasn't good enough (and he was poor) and now refuse to change their mind.

We got spriggs when our midfield was called the "drab four". He, along with players like McVeigh, Malceski, Ablett and Buchanan were seen as alternatives to be tried out to improve the midfield. The later 4 seem to have moved past Spriggs, and our midfield is quite well regarded now.
Also Spriggs was a bit of speculative trade IMO, and provided a level of depth should he only live up to guarded expectations.

[NMWBloods]

Our midfield needs some pace and outside running.

[stellation]

I could provide that.

Edit: Wait, wait- no I couldn't. Sorry.

[barry]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Our midfield needs some pace and outside running.

True. Even though Willo's contribution wasnt huge the last couple of years, he provided enough outside running for was is a team game plan of in-and-under at all costs.
Possibly Malceski's inability to get a lot of the ball at the moment, is not covering Willo's retirement.

[SimonH]

I haven't actually seen Spriggs live this year, but was thinking about him yesterday; because for the first time in ages on Saturday, we looked slow and played without any consistent ability to break the lines and go for a run once we had the footy.

And a bigger ground like Homebush suits the runners.

So you'd say that if D. Spriggs is ever going to play another game for Sydney, it will be this week.

Sydney has over the last 5 years shown a marked reluctance (in fact, call it refusal) to keep mid- or late-career players who are not getting a regular game on the list for reasons of 'depth'. And by and large, this is the right decision; otherwise ultimately you wind up looking like one of those lumbering Victorian-club lists where your 2nds/VFL team looks like a pension-plan team for players who are well past their prime, where of course it should be a breeding ground for your future.

Then there's the below-average 2006 retirement quota (one player only plus MO'L on 2007 veterans' list), compounded by the fact that (at least) Phillips is more likely than not to get a promotion from rookie to senior list, means that things are going to get pretty tight. So while Spriggs' form this year would justify a one-year extension to 2007, it isn't likely.