Vez the second coming of Nick Davis? Discuss...

**DeadlyAkkuret** · 12th July 2010, 07:16 PM

@@@@ we have a habit of drafting kids with some pretty @@@@ issues. Johnston with his foot and Vez gets exhausted every 10 minutes, what's next?

**DeadlyAkkuret** · 12th July 2010, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by aardvark

With all the info available to recruiters these days you have to ask why did we recruit an unfit player or has he gone downhill since coming to the club? Sad waste of a No 11 pick if he doesn't make it.

Especially when Rioli was available. I don't want to hate on Vez, he's a talented kid but I want what's best for our future and what if he never gets his fitness up to scratch? It'll be very disappointing.

**Triple B** · 12th July 2010, 07:44 PM

Dew also mentioned at the aftermatch that Vespa was a bit crook and contributed to a quietish match yesterday. Possibly him and McV caught the same bug. Here's hoping they have been well and truly kept apart from the group if it's at all contagious.

**Lucky Knickers** · 12th July 2010, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by DeadlyAkkuret

Especially when Rioli was available. I don't want to hate on Vez, he's a talented kid but I want what's best for our future and what if he never gets his fitness up to scratch? It'll be very disappointing.

I thought there was talk that Rioli only wanted a Victorian club so he could be close to family. Not sure where that's from. Probably Big Footy so genuine source...

**Primmy** · 12th July 2010, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by DeadlyAkkuret

@@@@ we have a habit of drafting kids with some pretty @@@@ issues. Johnston with his foot and Vez gets exhausted every 10 minutes, what's next?

You have to take a chance sometimes; trust me LJ will be worth the wait (all of 18 months up to now by the way).

**liz** · 12th July 2010, 10:13 PM

Rioli also turned up to Draft Camp in not very good physical shape (he had been injured for much of his U18 year) and apparently did very poorly indeed on many of the tests.

**Bas** · 12th July 2010, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by Triple B

Dew also mentioned at the aftermatch that Vespa was a bit crook and contributed to a quietish match yesterday. Possibly him and McV caught the same bug. Here's hoping they have been well and truly kept apart from the group if it's at all contagious.

They got a bug getting drenched on Wednesday signing kiddies autographs. I didn't see Vez but when Jaryd Mc came down our line, the rain was dripping off his face and he was soaked.

**DST** · 12th July 2010, 10:56 PM

Hindsight is a great thing, but there were alot of doubters about Rioli before draft day.

Our very own Craig Bird took him to the cleaners at the U18 carnival in a match up head to head.

Hawthorn took a punt and it paid off, we also took a punt and at this stage it's still undecided but we know Vez can play if he gets his body right.

In some ways you have to congratulate the recruiting team as vez was a punt and a different type of player we usually take, much the same way we took Rohan and Jetta last year.

DST

**DST** · 12th July 2010, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by Go Swannies

At least we got a clear answer to the Vez question yesterday. If it's a conspiracy it's widespread. Stuey Dew at the MA Noble aftermatch said that Vez needs to improve his fitness and he knows that. "When a player can only play 10 minutes before he has to come off it's too disruptive of team structure during the game".

No different to Moore and it's taken him 5 years to get enough of a tank to play consistent football at senior level and do what is asked of him.

Vez can play no doubt about it, now up to him to knuckle down and get that conditioning that will allow him to fully show his talent on the field.

Also, it aint always about who gets picked and who doesn't from what they do on a Saturday. Every player now wears a GPS tracking device at training and the coaching staff know exactly who is coasting and who is training like they are playing. The specfic goals set for Vez probably have nothing to do with how he goes on a Saturday. it will be about how he prepares during the week and trains.

Get that right and then playing will follow.

DST

**Jewels** · 13th July 2010, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by DeadlyAkkuret

Especially when Rioli was available. I don't want to hate on Vez, he's a talented kid but I want what's best for our future and what if he never gets his fitness up to scratch? It'll be very disappointing.

Originally Posted by Lucky Knickers

I thought there was talk that Rioli only wanted a Victorian club so he could be close to family. Not sure where that's from. Probably Big Footy so genuine source...

The Rioli only in Melbourne talk came about from the book "The Draft" which was written about the trials and tribulations of five kids leading up to that seasons draft - Rioli and Vez just happen to have been two of the five.
In that book, it goes into details about the problems each kid faced and one of Rioli's biggest problems was dreadful homesickness, eased only by having some family close by in Melbourne.
I can only assume that this was taken into account by ALL interstate teams when they were deciding on who to pick.

**stellation** · 13th July 2010, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Go Swannies

At least we got a clear answer to the Vez question yesterday. If it's a conspiracy it's widespread. Stuey Dew at the MA Noble aftermatch said that Vez needs to improve his fitness and he knows that. "When a player can only play 10 minutes before he has to come off it's too disruptive of team structure during the game".

Craig Bird, come on down.