Like most, I've been eagerly awaiting his call up to the seniors, just to see what he can bring, if anything, to the table.
But the cycle is...We see him listed amongst the best, occasionally, for the 2's....Then we see him listed as an emergency.....
Then someone else (last week B Jack) gets the nod ahead of him......Then he's back to the 2's playing OK, but not head turning, footy.
I hate to say it....But I smell yet another 1st round bust.
I sincerely hope I'm wrong.....Others thoughts?
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT
It's almost like where you are in the draft has jack to do with how your pro career goes.
I agree EK. I just don't reckon he does enough.
I think the most disappointing aspect is that he was drafted as a mature age recruit and therefore should have been at a more advanced stage than most after draftees who come in as raw 18 year olds. The Swans surely saw him as a depth player who could come into the side immediately if an opportunity opened up as opposed to a youngster who might not be ready for a few years. And there were numerous opportunities for him to slot into a halfback role due to the injuries to AJ, Shaw and Mattner last year but he was so poor he was instead shifted into attack in the reserves instead. Rampe has justifiably claimed one of those spots in defence and now it looks like Laidler is laying claim to another.
He has a tendency to go for long periods during a game where he has minimal impact on the match, then he might pop up and do something spectacular like take a high-flying mark or kick a long running goal which only serves the frustrate us even more because it shows us he has the ability to play well, he just has to do so on a consistent basis. I've yet to see him dominate a reserves match but I'll have to note that two of his best games have been away - one at Newcastle against Eastlake last year where he took 17 marks and kicked 3.4 - and the other was just a few weeks ago in Round 1 NEAFL where he earnt BOG against the Lions (although his raw stats weren't that impressive).
I think they are wasting him as a forward, mostly as a lead up forward but sometimes as a key forward if key personnel are missing for the reserves. Sure he'll kick a bag goals now and then, but that is to be expected when anyone decent is playing in a dominant team in a lower standard league. I don't think he's learning much by doing so and I certainly can't see him succeeding in that role at AFL level. Certainly he's struggled against bigger bodied defenders when we've come up against other AFL reserves sides. I'd try him again in defence, and for better or worse, stick with him until he learns how to contribute consistently in that role, or jettison him at the end of the year.
They should stick him in the midfield like they did with Membrey for a while last week. That should test him.
I have not seen him play as I don't see the reserves games. I think he needs an opportunity at senior level. I liked that first quarter he played in the practice mate against GWS.
Does he have the determination to succeed like a Brandon Jack? Jack chased, harassed, tackled, put pressure on and nailed his one opportunity against Fremantle! Does Towers do what Jack does in the reserves?
I think being called a bust is harsh especially for Towers - not sure what player picked after him would be getting a game in the current swans team - unless it is a pick in the top 10 I don't have expectations (always hope) from draft picks especially given the compromised draft of the past few years - there was probably a good reason why he was not drafted earlier and ended up in the VFL as we may be finding out - it's a lottery
I feel sorry for any young player that gets drafted by the swans/brisbane/GWS/GC and has to play in the NEAFL from a development perspective unless of course they completely dominate like you would say expect Gary Rohan to do when he is back there to get his fitness and confidence back ? - they may be part of a great club and and the culture and all of those sort of things and be well looked after but from a footy perspective would rather be playing VFL, WAFL and SANFL as part of my weekly footy development - will be interesting to see how the future roles out for the NEAFL - given the amount of players drafted out of neafl probably tells us a lot about the standard ?- reality is that the health of our list determines opportunities as we found out last year - when your replacing B Jack with Goodes how does Towers get a game and for whom - sometimes you just don't get the opportunity - extended list selections no doubt tease supporters and provide some hope for young players when they see their mates getting AFL games at other clubs because of who drafted them.
With all the talk of Towers not living up to his first round reputation, will people now acknowledge what a great draft pick Jesse White was! He was the 3rd last pick in the 2006 draft, and is now the Collingwood CHF.
The Swans even got a higher draft pick from Collingwood, than what he cost to the Swans.
I think Jesse will have a better career as a key forward in the AFL than Swans first round pick Lewis Johnston.
Players picked after him at the Swans in the 2012 draft....Cunningham- pick 107, Lloyd - rookie draft, Rampe - rookie draft, B Jack - rookie draft.Originally Posted by DA_Swan
I realise it's somewhat of a lottery but, my view is, any player taken in the 1st round who fails to make it at senior level, is a bust.
Hopefully Towers will come good. But he's already about 24 years old, and appears behind many other, younger, developement players.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT
To be fair here he was a first round pick at 20 something ( 22 ?). It's a bit of a lottery at that point. Secondly, he was mature aged but still very young - he was not like Michael Barlow or podsiadly who had been repeatedly very good at vfl level. Thirdly the view was that he had gone from not likely at youth level to a good player at vfl level and if that progression continued he would make it.
I have only seen him play preseason games and he clearly can get it in space and kick your long goal, but he really does look an outside carrier. Is he doing much worse than rohan ( who I love by the way) in playing a terrible position in our game plan ? If jetta does pick up sticks and goes home (I hope that's not a racist expression - I will look it up later) is he a possible wingman replacement ?
It wasn't a true first round pick in a clean draft. It was a seriously compromised draft and we were hoping for continued improvement. For whatever reason the coaches preferred him as a hff rather than a hbf. If he doesn't make it I'd be disappointed but it's not like a pick in the teens, or even first ten
I agree pick 22 is not a lock but as a player who has been around in VFL for a few years already, I would of expected him to of had a few games, considering last years injury list, by now.
Having watched a few of his games over the past 12 months. He just never dominates a game, and we're talking NEAFL.
He has patches where he may be dynamic, but it's few and far between. He's 24 and should be coming into his prime.
It appears at this stage, B Jack, J Lloyd, G Rohan, to name a few, would all get the call up before Towers.
BTW, Rohan may be struggling a little at present, but he still puts on excellent defensive pressure.
I've never seen Towers put on defensive pressure like Rohan does...ie chase down from behind, go in hard and tackle and harass etc.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT
Who will you drop to play him? Agree that he hasn't set the world on fire. However l understand that he played wing and we tried him as a hbf to replace marty then a forward and recruited buddy...
Not sure of where he fits at the moment.
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