Re Wicks, shouldn't that be true of any player? Or are you saying that if you are a Robbie Fox or Wicks the club has no patience for you, but if you are a Blakey or a Hayward there is all the time in the world.Originally Posted by Bangalore Swans
Re Wicks, shouldn't that be true of any player? Or are you saying that if you are a Robbie Fox or Wicks the club has no patience for you, but if you are a Blakey or a Hayward there is all the time in the world.
He will be a different player when his body matures. At present he has the smallest shoulders in the club !!
Did Blakey have a bad game in round 1? Did I miss something?
Agreed Ludwig. I thought Blakey was a handy contributor in the first game. He is still developing as a player and possess some great potential and attributes.
I reckon you'll again be shown to be miles off - just like you are with your radar on Rowbottom.
Whether he is 'best 22' in a purely objective world could in theory be in question. But barring injury or a huge drop off in form (i.e. doing absolutely nothing and putting in multiple stinkers) he will be in the team week in, week out. Patience is a virtue, and there is little doubt, even if you don't rate him, that those that matter in the club do.
"You get the feeling that like Monty Python's Black Knight, the Swans would regard amputation as merely a flesh wound."
Well we will see. For mine neither are dynamic enough and Blakey definitely doesnt work hard enough - we have some handy young players on our list and it will reach a point where we cant fit them all in the same team. There will be some unlucky ones and i reckon those two will be squeezed out in favour of the more naturally talented players like Warner, Mcinerney and Stephens.,
I agree with TB that it is going to be a tight squeeze to fit players into the team. Of the team for R1, as has already been stated, there is only one you could possibly drop and that is unlucky for him, for he deserves a chance to build on his so far scattered games. But we have to fit Bud in. So if you want to give Stephens or McInerney a chance who is going to go out (providing RB is okay to play)? At the moment Blakey does float in and out of games doing the occasional great thing, a bit like Hayward, but Blakey has a huge amount of development in him as has been said, and is capable of doing amazing things, so on those grounds he should stay in. So who is going to go out for either Stephens or McI? Flo? Warner? Braeden? You wouldn't think so. Stephens and McI are probably just going to have to wait, along with Sincs, Hayward, Melican, COR, Ronke, ... and Ling and Gould are probably feeling a bit forlorn for Fox is also in the wings!
Sam Wicks will be one of the first picked each week. Anyone who doesn't rate him or understand his value, seriously doesn't get football.
Blakey was very good on the weekend in patches. He's looking more physically capable this year. His ball use is elite. He comfortably got the better of Mitch Robinson on the weekend.
I'd be surprised if they moved Hewett to the middle this week. He's clearly being developed to replace Mills, and they were always so hesitant to move Mills. More likely they bring Stephens in.
Hewett wont be in midfield, like him in defence shutting down a hf.
Warner should get RBs inside minutes , he will star
Just wait until we lose a few games. People will be calling for Lewis Taylor and Sam Gray to save the season because the kids aren't ready yet.
I'm unsure what your measure is of naturally talented players. Is it skill level, footy smarts, some arbitrary measuring stick? And what excludes Rowbottom and now Blakey? They've both shown remarkable skill at different times, scored goals, assisted goals, passed the ball with precision on the inside and out, laid hard tackles etc. They are young players. So too are Stephens, Warner and McInerney.
I think there's room for them all and that is the great challenge we have. How to squeeze them all in, to get full games into the young brigade, and to keep them together for years to come.
I can only speak for myself, but I think we have A grade talent in the making with the kids. I'm optimistic about the direction our club is heading in, but think a little patience is needed as they will take time.
Hayward was on the bench on Saturday night while Wicks gathered kicks.
As for Blakey he has elite capability and is versatile. Blakey is an upgrade on a winger like a Issac Smith. Gives more power in the air than Issac and has similar running and kicking ability.
Wicks is not as versatile as Blakey, Florent, Stephen’s or Warner and will be vulnerable as a small forward unless there are many injuries or he’s playing at Papley level.
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