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Thread: Round 18: Sydney Swans Reserves v Brisbane Lions Reserves

  1. #13
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    I agree with those who have picked out Hewett as the outstanding player yesterday. A strong pre-season to add a little strength and improve his endurance and he could certainly come in and make an impact next year.

    I thought the team took a quarter to work out how to move the ball into the forward line without a proper target to aim at - with Membrey not there and Nankervis not quite presenting as he has earlier in the year. BJ was the one who realised they need to do things a little differently and started using his pace to break through the half forward line. There were a few occasions where he tried to do the difficult rather than the straightforward, and his work rate has room for improvement, but, along with Hewett, he stood out as being a class above most of the rest.

    Biggs was another to have a good game. He was very effective bringing the ball out of defence and lively on the wings. My main criticism of his game (and this has been the case for most of his time at the club) is that when he delivers the ball forward he rarely seems to even try to pick out a target. It seems like he thinks his job is just to kick the ball into the 50m arc and then it is up to the forwards to be in the right place. it's one thing to try and hit a target and miss but I don't think he generally even looks.

    Marsh did some good things but, as with most weeks, he didn't do enough of them to suggest he's close to senior footy. Robinson looks like he's at the end of a longish season. He worked hard but not to the same effect as earlier in the year when there wasn't much to choose between him and Lloyd. Lockyer is still to do anything that says to me he is destined for senior footy.

    LRT looked like he can't wait for the season to come to an end so he can retire with the honour he has earned. And while I respect ROK's desire to seek another club so he can extend a career, I am not sure he's still got another season in him. He doesn't stand out at this level as being the class above that he should.

    I think Mitchell just played the first half. Did some good stuff but also looked like he was feeling the effects of his most recent injury lay-off.

    Jackson Kelly looks like he knows where to run, and his skills look reasonable. He's also not scared to get in and tackle when he needs to be, but he is tiny. I mean tiny. I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to his height but he's certainly a far bit shorter than his father. He is also skinny as a twig. I know PK was skinny when he first arrived at the club but I can't believe he was quite that slight. And while JK looked reasonably quite, he didn't display the express speed of Dad. My guess is he's probably never going to be quite big enough for AFL, but then his father was told that. Benny McGlynn was told that. Kieran Jack was told that. So who knows, in a year or three.

  2. #14
    pr. dim-melb; m not f
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    Thanks Liz, Primmy and others for comments. Nice to keep track of the talent.
    He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)

  3. #15
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    Great effort by the RWO reserves match reporting team. No Ugg, no worries.

  4. #16
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    Thanks Ressie reporters. It would be good to know how you rate Matthew Dick. He seems to have been in the best players most weeks and has racked up points on the Best Players' table but rarely gets mentioned here as a stand out player. Is he going to be a keeper or is he a bit like Jordan Lockyer, good but not good enough?

  5. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by wolftone57 View Post
    Sorry folks but I am having withdrawal. I have waited all day for Ugg to post the Ressies preview. I am not going to attempt to do an Ugg preview, it would be impossible. Thank you Ugg you are marvellous. But I wanted to get the Ressies going ASAP as we play in a few hours.
    Ugg is currently enjoying a well-deserved break holidaying in Europe and will be back before the finals.

    Thanks for the reports everyone, I just couldn't get away from work in time to catch the reserves yesterday.

    A couple of people on BigFooty were wondering about Mitchell too after he came off at half time, I guess it's not that surprising that he only played a half coming off a few injuries.

  6. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by rojo View Post
    Thanks Ressie reporters. It would be good to know how you rate Matthew Dick. He seems to have been in the best players most weeks and has racked up points on the Best Players' table but rarely gets mentioned here as a stand out player. Is he going to be a keeper or is he a bit like Jordan Lockyer, good but not good enough?
    It's a good enquiry into these 2. They fall into the category of player in terms of size and pace, like Rampe and Rohan, that make for the kind of footballer that can potentially play any part of the ground. They are both still very young at 19 and 21. The thing that I like about both is that they have made good improvement over last year. Lockyer has been getting an education by playing in defence, on the wing and has gone into the middle as well this year.

    It's hard to find big key position backmen that can match forwards like Tippett and Hawkins for size, because they like to turn them into forwards. But there has been a fair amount of success of shorter 'key' defenders, like Steven May (190 cm), doing a good job on big forwards.

    We are a bit lean on KPDs, so I would certainly persist with both and hopefully they can continue their improvement into next season. I think it's possible to have dynamic backline with just one true tall. Like in our case, there could be a future in a backline featuring Reid, Rohan, Rampe, Lockyer and Dick. All quick and athletic, although slightly on the short side from a traditional viewpoint. If you have a good midfield, which we do, that can keep clean ball coming into the forward line too often, this sort of arrangement might be a goer.

  7. #19
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    Thanks Ludwig. So with AJ, Jones and Aliir also in the wings we don't really need to stress about replacing our backline oldies. What about training Derickx up for the back line!!!

  8. #20
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    Lockyer is a "see ya later" for me. He's shown none of the ability of a Bolton (Craig), Barry, or even a Campbell Heath, to defend above his size. He is pretty much playing on the wing now and receiving (rather than winning) a decent amount of ball. But his disposal is "just OK", and his marking as a taller mid isn't a particular strength. He has an annoying habit of dishing of handballs to team mates standing less than five metres away that land on their toes or bounce off their knee caps. He's coming to the end of his third year on the list and isn't close to getting a senior call up.

    I am agnostic about Dick. He is improving, but it is a very slow and steady improvement. He does have genuine pace and I think he's a decent defender against players his height, but I've not seen him regularly beat taller guys in the air. He does have genuine pace and seems to have slightly more of an idea how to use it than, say, Marsh. He could slot in and play a Malceski type role, but by this stage of his career, Malceski was absolutely carving up the reserves, despite having missed his first year with a knee reco. Dick might earn himself another year but it's probably touch and go. Indeed, I think maybe he and Marsh might be competing for one last throw of the dice. They both show something but I don't think it has clicked with either, yet, how much more running they need to do, even if much of it is unrewarded in terms of gaining possession.

    Robinson is another we might lose at the end of this year. I think he probably is just about good enough to play senior footy but not sure if he'll get the chance at the Swans. None of our current midfield incumbents is close to the end of their career - McVeigh is the oldest but I think he's got several years left yet if he wants them. Robinson is behind Hanners, Mitchell, Jones and Hewett of those currently not in our senior team, and though they are different players, almost certainly BJ too. Lloyd has grabbed his opportunity with both hands, clearly edging ahead of Robinson as a result. With Perris still lurking (and guaranteed a spot next year) and, outrageous bidding conditions permitting, Heeney shortly to arrive, it's hard to see where Robinson is going to get a game. If Bird gets lured away by bigger dollars, he might keep a spot but otherwise I think he might need to look elsewhere. There is a limit to how many of the current rookie listed players can be retained, and I'd be sticking with X and Naismith ahead of Robinson, not because they are better or more developed players, but because they project to filling roles where our need is far greater.

  9. #21
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    THanks Liz.

    What 's the outlook for Hewett? Is he a midfielder which means he'll be competing against Heeney, Lloyd and Mitchell, or is he being groomed for some other role?

  10. #22
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    Hewett is a midfielder, though he's been playing a little at half forward too. Most of our mids are expected to be competent in the forward line and Hewett is no different.

    McVeigh is probably the closest match currently on our list to Hewett. He isn't a bull-at-a-gate type like Parker (or Heeney - though Heeney didn't really show that in the U18s this year). He's not a see-ball, get ball, burrowing type like Mitchell. He's not a bullocking beast like Kennedy. He doesn't have the pace or agility of Jack, nor (at this stage) the gut running ability of Hanners. Mind you, McVeigh did have that at the same age. Endurance was a major strength from the start. So in that respect he's not quite where McVeigh was. Where they are similar is their ability to weave through traffic while always keeping an eye on what is happening ahead of them, and in making smart disposal decisions.

    In other words, he's a good complement to our existing midfield mix. Indeed, I think what makes our midfield good is not so much the individuals within it, though most of them are fine players but any measure, but their differences and the way they complement each other so nicely.

  11. #23
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    We havent brought up X Richards. He did some great things, and crap ones too. However, his brother took a long while to shine, and the kid is always alert, always. Like Peb was when he first started. I believe he has an enormous amount of up side.

    I wasn't too sure if 49 was JK or not. He has a better developed backside than his father, and I was on the lookout for a non existent one, but I agree with liz, he is tiny. Then again so is Benny. Wait and see game. He was born at end 1996, so he is about 17 now. Still growing?

    Anyone know if we have seen Mitch Wright play before? Wide shoulders, skinny waist, good arse (core strength for running), and short. Quick and short. Better build than Bulldog, and faster, alert, but you get the picture.
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  12. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by liz View Post
    Lockyer is a "see ya later" for me.
    I think your assessment is fair, but a bit harsh, particularly on Lockyer. He's only 21. Where was Rampe at that age? When you see players coming through like Lee Spurr and Hibbert, getting drafted late and making it big time, I would prefer to be more patient with young players, so long as they are showing reasonable improvement.

    I think the chances of Lockyer and Dick making it to AFL level is far greater than the 5th round or rookie pick that would take their place on our list.

    It's unfair to make comparisons to Malceski, who is and out and out star, and as you say, it was obvious from the start; only derailed by those awful knee injuries. What I am looking at is whether someone like Lockyer can potentially play at a level like a Laidler, nothing flash, but a decent solid player. I would give him another year.

    Our deep midfield will be a challenge for Robinson to crack into, as well as a host of others, and the possibility of trading out to make some space has been discussed at length. I don't see the harm in keeping Robinson for a third year on the rookie list and reassess at the end of next year. Again, I don't see the point of filling the list with some unknown quantity when we already have someone who is doing pretty well.

    I suppose we will see how things pan out with retirements and trades before determining who stays and who should go.

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