List Analysis Potential v Reality

[Bombay Airconditioning 5,850]

14 minutes ago, Deeoldfart said:

I'll nominate Petracca.  I''m confident that he has the tools, but does he have the desire and dedication?  Genuine question, but no reason to believe otherwise.

Beat me to it, just got home from work.

[stinga 473]

On 11/4/2017 at 11:09 AM, Skuit said:

Interesting OP (with the naturally expected quibbles as to player catergorisation). I keep a similar mental list concerning an overall idea of expected improvement - divided by individual gains, holds and decreases in form (based somewhat on proven potential and previous form). If the majority of the following occurs we'll be sitting very pretty.

Players who it's not unreasonable to expect an increased output on last season (including effectively 7 top-ten draft picks with quite a number of combined years in the system):

Lever

Viney

Hogan

Petracca

Oliver

Gawn

Salem

Brayshaw

Hunt

Omac

Frost

Maynard

J.Smith

Hannan

Vanders

Players who it's not unreasonable to expect will hold their most recent form:

Jones

Hibberd (AA)

Jetta (AA)

Tyson

Garlett

Pedo

Tmac

Melksham

ANB

Bugg

Harmes

That's 26. Plus some wild-cards like Weeds and Balic as well as our draftees.

Go Dees!

 

 

I agree but there's another way at looking at improvement.  We had many who hardly played a game due to injury so they all have to make a huge % improvement on such a low base.  Both Smiths, McKenna, ANB, Brayshaw and Hogan

[hells bells 2,022]

12 hours ago, Skuit said:

Nice work P-man. I would argue three of four assessments but this is a great model of categorisation and you've fairly well nailed the majority of slots.

Agree. 

[jnrmac 18,913]

On 11/3/2017 at 2:08 PM, It's Time said:

Players who are top 22 and have reached their potential

 

What about players whose form will slide? The above assumes everyone will stay the same or get better. That just doesn't happen....

[Skuit 9,108]

9 hours ago, stinga said:

I agree but there's another way at looking at improvement.  We had many who hardly played a game due to injury so they all have to make a huge % improvement on such a low base.  Both Smiths, McKenna*, ANB, Brayshaw and Hogan

That was essentially my point. We finished 9th this year by a narrow few percentage points. We can't account for injuries next year, but there's serious scope for improvement (to whatever degree) from the majority of the list on this year's output - with the hope that a handful will hold their form and only few will slide (with those not massive contributors this year anyhow). Upside is huge. The improvement of other teams is of course a factor, but I think we have most of the league covered in this regard. 

*I forget McKenna exists on our list. I have no idea what he even looks like.

[Skuit 9,108]

21 hours ago, P-man said:

Cheers. Interested to know what changes you'd make/who you'd slot differently,

i realised I left out Filipovic and Tim Smith but can't edit posts after a certain time.

Very minor changes from a personal perspective and almost not worth bringing up (in the hopes of avoiding a pointless derailment) But, personally, I think:

Viney has some serious development still to come (forget perceptions of a limited skill-set - with a clear run at it this kid will be Brownlow material - the question being will he ever get a clear run at it?) - High Scope

Oliver - ditto on the Brownlow material. Despite how great he has already been, and how I don't actually give a toss if he handballs or kicks it, I think when he does kick it more often, and when he starts moving forward a bit more, he's going to have a massive impact akin the the very upper elite of the comp - High Scope

Hunt - is more of a gamble but he strikes me as just a kid still - a late starter with some serious and unique weapons. Can also see his role potentially changing over time to make the most of his abilities - High Scope

Frost - Somewhat similar to the above - Medium Scope

Omac - I don't believe is set for great heights but I would be happy if keeps improving - Medium Scope

Vanders - I have somewhat blinded vision for based on one live pre-season sighting where he looked ready to bust open the comp - Medium Scope

Kent, Stretch, and JKH are all hovering very close to the divisional margins for me, but - Low Scope

[Skuit 9,108]

8 hours ago, jnrmac said:

What about players whose form will slide? The above assumes everyone will stay the same or get better. That just doesn't happen....

Who are you expecting to slide jnrmac?

[P-man 13,154]

50 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Very minor changes from a personal perspective and almost not worth bringing up (in the hopes of avoiding a pointless derailment) But, personally, I think:

Viney has some serious development still to come (forget perceptions of a limited skill-set - with a clear run at it this kid will be Brownlow material - the question being will he ever get a clear run at it?) - High Scope

Oliver - ditto on the Brownlow material. Despite how great he has already been, and how I don't actually give a toss if he handballs or kicks it, I think when he does kick it more often, and when he starts moving forward a bit more, he's going to have a massive impact akin the the very upper elite of the comp - High Scope

Hunt - is more of a gamble but he strikes me as just a kid still - a late starter with some serious and unique weapons. Can also see his role potentially changing over time to make the most of his abilities - High Scope

Frost - Somewhat similar to the above - Medium Scope

Omac - I don't believe is set for great heights but I would be happy if keeps improving - Medium Scope

Vanders - I have somewhat blinded vision for based on one live pre-season sighting where he looked ready to bust open the comp - Medium Scope

Kent, Stretch, and JKH are all hovering very close to the divisional margins for me, but - Low Scope

All reasonable calls. 

I think we've seen what Viney's best looks like already, as in individual games. It's a matter of him stringing 15-20 of them together in a season or consecutive seasons. In that sense he does have another level to go to, but I think we know what his best or certainly close to his best football looks like.

Oliver is difficult to place because it begs the question, how much better can he actually get given he's performing at such a ridiculously high level already? I'd be happy placing him in high scope, but God help the rest of the comp if he's only tickling the surface now.

Hunt can and will improve but needs to further tidy up his kicking and I'm unconvinced of the extent to which he can do that. He's a weapon no doubt but I have him medium as I think he will always be dangerous, but untidy. 

O Mac is still very raw. He frustrates like only a McDonald can do, but if he continues on the developmental arc he's on I think he'll become an A grade defender. Just needs time. More size. More awareness. More confidence.

i like the romance around Vanders and as a fellow Canberra product I'd love him to turn into Clint's vandenFyfe or Ox 2.0, but at this stage I think it's unlikely. He has improvement in him no doubt, and he has assets which should see him remain on the list.

Kent I would possibly change to low scope in retrospect. That said, he is capable of much better than what we saw this year. And I doubt we've seen his best.

Stretch was a major disappointment in 2017, but he's still young. I place him into medium partly because the kid has the drive to be great. When you're a mentor for Oliver at his age, you've got something going.

I'm a JKH believer. We're a dying breed but there's still a few of us left

[jnrmac 18,913]

4 hours ago, Skuit said:

Who are you expecting to slide jnrmac?

Haven't really thought about it but I imagine that Vince and Lewis would be at the top of the list given their age, possibly Jones whose output has been prolific but his body taken a beating in the past few years. I could also imagine Oliver performing lower than last year's stellar performance as he gets tagged more often. Similarly with Hunt given the oppositions focus on him in the second half of the season and his lower output as a result. We might have also seen the best of Vanders - think it would be hard for him to improve given his age and injury history. I know some here love OMac but I haven't seen much that says to me he'll be an 'A' grade player as P-Man above suggests and in fact could well see him stagnate or go backwards as the overall team improves. His average votes of 2.5 out of 10 from the coaches in 2017 games suggests to me he isn't tracking as some here seem to think. 

No doubt some will surprise on the upside and the downside. I just don't believe we will take 2017 as the baseline and everyone automatically stays the same or gets better.

Edited November 6, 2017 by jnrmac

[Skuit 9,108]

13 hours ago, P-man said:

All reasonable calls. 

I think we've seen what Viney's best looks like already, as in individual games. It's a matter of him stringing 15-20 of them together in a season or consecutive seasons. In that sense he does have another level to go to, but I think we know what his best or certainly close to his best football looks like.

Oliver is difficult to place because it begs the question, how much better can he actually get given he's performing at such a ridiculously high level already? I'd be happy placing him in high scope, but God help the rest of the comp if he's only tickling the surface now.

Hunt can and will improve but needs to further tidy up his kicking and I'm unconvinced of the extent to which he can do that. He's a weapon no doubt but I have him medium as I think he will always be dangerous, but untidy. 

O Mac is still very raw. He frustrates like only a McDonald can do, but if he continues on the developmental arc he's on I think he'll become an A grade defender. Just needs time. More size. More awareness. More confidence.

i like the romance around Vanders and as a fellow Canberra product I'd love him to turn into Clint's vandenFyfe or Ox 2.0, but at this stage I think it's unlikely. He has improvement in him no doubt, and he has assets which should see him remain on the list.

Kent I would possibly change to low scope in retrospect. That said, he is capable of much better than what we saw this year. And I doubt we've seen his best.

Stretch was a major disappointment in 2017, but he's still young. I place him into medium partly because the kid has the drive to be great. When you're a mentor for Oliver at his age, you've got something going.

I'm a JKH believer. We're a dying breed but there's still a few of us left

And all reasonable responses.

I think we have just set our scopes a little differently. The jump up to the absolute top eschelon for me is a huge one in terms of both making that leap into rarefied territory and then the level of impact generated from such a player - so it in a sense from my perspective distorts the categories - a potential 100% improvement from Oscar would constitute a high scope but in my mind so would 20% from Viney and Oliver.

I'm probably one of the few that thinks Viney is capable of more than the best we've already seen from him (not just in terms of achieving his best consistently - which would be massive in itself if he can). 

I'm also probably one of the few who believe Hunt's poor disposal is overstated (although he did nothing for my argument in a couple matches toward the end of the year).

As to Vanders, I'm aware of my own likely delusion, but I am rock-solid in my thoughts on JKH simply not having the physical attributes to make it. I won't mention Oscar as we all know where that discussion leads.

Lastly though, I should clarify my thoughts on Stretch:

2017 was a genuine disappointment and I do think he has a decent scope for improvement as an AFL player - but I've come to the conclusion that he may not have the speed of decision-making and disposal required for the Goodwin Hot Potato Game-plan (and the pressurised frantic atmosphere it creates along with the unorthodox movement when the opposition seeks to break our press in response). I think that it may ultimately hamper his development and limit the scope of his improvement with us.

 

[wobbleguts 17]

This is the future right here.

[Skuit 9,108]

6 hours ago, wobbleguts said:

This is the future right here.

Red hair or white pants and black loafers without socks? Either way the future looks bleak.

[Dee Dee 1,038]

3 hours ago, Skuit said:

Red hair or white pants and black loafers without socks? Either way the future looks bleak.

Gad Sir, The chap in the centre of the photo wouldn't be allowed in to the members reserve let alone the long room dressed that way - sockless.

Let's hope the trend doesn't extend to match day wear!

[Its Time for Another 4,051]

2 hours ago, Dee Dee said:

Gad Sir, The chap in the centre of the photo wouldn't be allowed in to the members reserve let alone the long room dressed that way - sockless.

Let's hope the trend doesn't extend to match day wear!

You missed the headlines in the press last week about the VRC agreeing to allow men to attend the Cup with no socks. Was discussed in the papers and on tv. Personally I can't stand wearing shoes with no socks. Too uncomfortable. 

It's a magnificent looking trio of potential. If they all reach that potential next year watch out. 

Personally I'm not going to feel the bloke in the middle is truly a Dees player till he makes more of a long term commitment. Have had that feeling in my guts since the day he was drafted. I understand all the players including him and T Mac had reason not to commit long term in the past years but that era should be gone now. 

[Uncle Fester 2,833]

55 minutes ago, It's Time said:

You missed the headlines in the press last week about the VRC agreeing to allow men to attend the Cup with no socks. Was discussed in the papers and on tv. Personally I can't stand wearing shoes with no socks. Too uncomfortable. 

It's a magnificent looking trio of potential. If they all reach that potential next year watch out. 

Personally I'm not going to feel the bloke in the middle is truly a Dees player till he makes more of a long term commitment. Have had that feeling in my guts since the day he was drafted. I understand all the players including him and T Mac had reason not to commit long term in the past years but that era should be gone now. 

i'm more worried about the plaid jacket

[monoccular 15,985]

13 hours ago, wobbleguts said:

This is the future right here.

Jesse is clearly angling for a pay rise as he can’t afford socks, or a jacket that fits him. 

[Deemania since 56 6,119]

Gosh, fellas, Jesse is Jesse and that is a great thang. I rather admire his casual attire choices - it obviously puts the shakers up the spines of the uninitiated - how esoteric do you wish to be? He is not long from Perth and if you knew the town well, realise, at least, that fashion is not a big achievement over there. The Sandgropers are three hours behind and a generation or two out of whack attempting to catch up a light speed with some very abstract effects. Good on yer, Jesse. I reckon you are one of the smartest players on the field with your MFC jumper and Demon scowl. Set your own pace - and make history in what you do best. 

[grey wolf 226]

I’m not much of a believer in reality, last I looked it was 1967, but ..pardon while I exhale...I am a big fan of incremental development. Given the club’s resources in coaching staff et al, I would be astounded if every player wasn’t expected .. no demanded that they improve deficiencies, black spots, skill sets, aerobic targets... I expect Bernie Vince to keep improving or else his time is up and he can go make a fortune selling real estate with that cheeky grin. The blue sky of my rainforest has no limit like Jesse, Olly, Gus, Track, Maxwell, Oscar, Lever, Viney.........

in saying that and lighting another cheroot the big gain in ‘18 has surely got to be the game plan. The plan must demand improvement of players and coaches as it gets refined to the millimeter.... i’ll blow away now.. see ya..

[Its Time for Another 4,051]

On 04/11/2017 at 4:40 PM, P-man said:

Players who are best 22 and have reached their potential (7)

Jones

Lewis

Hibberd

Jetta

Pedersen

Garlett

Melksham

 

 

Players who are best 22 and have not reached their potential (15)

 

Low Scope for Improvement (5)

Gawn

Viney

Tyson

Frost

T Mac

 

Medium Scope for Improvement (6)

Oliver

Lever

Hogan

Harmes

Hunt

Neal-Bullen

 

Large Scope for Improvement (4)

Brayshaw

Petracca

Salem

O Mac

 

 

Players who are not best 22 and have not reached their potential (12)

 

Low Scope for Improvement (2)

Bugg

vandenBerg

 

Medium Scope for Improvement (6)

Hannan

Kent

Stretch 

JKH

King

Johnston

 

Large Scope for Improvement (4)

Weideman

Balic

Maynard

J Smith

 

 

Players who are not best 22 and have reached their potential (2)

 

Vince

Wagner

I like what you've done here. It's interesting to go a step further and discuss what people think the players need to do to reach their potential. 

Players who are best 22 and have not reached their potential (15)

 

Low Scope for Improvement (5)

Gawn   Needs to stay uninjured. Has shown form in all areas of play. Could kick more goals. 

Viney   First of all has to get his foot right. We don't want another Trengove. Still plenty of upside development on decision making and disposal efficiency. Even for his position.

Tyson  Has to fix disposal. If he does that he's an A grader. If he doesn't he could be out the door in a  couple of seasons as others pass him. 

Frost    Complete drop of form is a real worry. Before that I thought he was showing good development in  reading the play and playing one on one. Obviously needs to improve decision making and disposals.  

T Mac   Showed he has the complete package to play in the forward line. Great leading patterns, very strong contested pack marking, accurate kicking. Just needs more time there. 

 

Medium Scope for Improvement (6)

Oliver     Obvious one is kick to handball ratio. Otherwise more of the same but natural improvement for such a young player. 

Lever     Probably one on one contests as he builds a stronger body. Plus perhaps decision making and disposals although I'm not as critical as others on this. 

Hogan    Running at the ball instead of trying to out muscle defenders. More time in the forward line and less roaming too far up the ground. Getting a good of games in a row to build up consistency and form. 

Harmes  Skills and consistency. Showed improvement in both but hopefully there is more to have him cement his place in the 22. 

Hunt        Fix the final kick into the 50. Look up and find targets to deliver low accurate passes to instead of running in and blazing away with high kicks that aren't effective. There was definitely improvement with this at different stages. I'm confident he's already shown he can do this. 

Neal-Bullen Skills. Cut out the turnovers. Keep using his elite endurance to get into space. 

 

Large Scope for Improvement (4)

Brayshaw No injuries. Also needs to improve his final kick inside the 50 so it is low sharp passes to leads not blazing away. He also showed improvement with this.

Petracca   I really hope he drops at least 4kg's so he can build his tank and improve the consistency of his involvement and give himself the chance to play more onball.

Salem        Improve attack on the ball. Build his tank. Play more upfield so we get more of the benefit of  his razor sharp kicks as last kick into 50.

O Mac       Build mass so can compete better one on one. Less brain fades although I think his general game improved quite a lot this season. Needs to have a natural progression of improvement in everything. No reason for that not to happen.

 

 

Players who are not best 22 and have not reached their potential (12)

 

Low Scope for Improvement (2)

Bugg  Agree with others that he is probably underrated however we've probably seen his best and in time is likely to be a depth player.     

vandenBerg   I don't think he's had a chance to show his best yet. Hasn't had a full preseason and is still starting in rehab this pre season. Fully fit I think he has a higher scope for improvement as a tough defensive forward.  

 

Medium Scope for Improvement (6)

Hannan  Needs to lift his involvement and consistency. Has the makings of a great package with speed, contested marking and good goal scoring (although I expect this to improve with more experience) I think he could be Large Scope for Improvement. I suspect he's a big reason why Watts is gone. 

Kent    Needs to be injury free and move beyond his previous best level. Main improvement if he  gets back to that is consistency for 4 quarters and goal kicking accuracy. His forward       pressure at his best has been missed and made him an integral weapon.

Stretch   Needs to be able to compete more strongly, improve defensive pressure and decision  making. Some say he's bulked up from those first photos but if you look at the photo where  they are putting their heart rate monitor straps on he doesn't look like he's bulked up that much. He still needs to.

JKH Has to improve his level of involvement in games and his decision making. Doesn't seem to know where to run in AFL games but can in VFL games. Personally I think at his height he    has to have speed or an ability to read the play so he doesn't need it. I don't see it. 

King  Hasn't even played a game yet so too early to tell his upside. Has apparently bulked up    over  the summer which was his major issue. He's only 200cm so not going to challenge          Gawn as the no. 1 ruckman but hopefully will develop into a Forward/second ruck. 

Johnston  Haven't seen enough of him to know. Worry for me is that like JKH he is short but lacks speed so therefore needs to be an elite reader of the play. Don't know if he is or not.        Apparently great forward pressure but don't know about goalkicking. 

 

Large Scope for Improvement (4)

Weideman    Firstly needs to continue to bulk up. Secondly seemed to have less of an idea where to run this season than last season. Not sure if that's a drop in confidence or confusion trying to learn his role in the wider forward structure. Hopefully the later and hopefully he'll fix it.  Hopefully gets his confidence back in front of goals. Dropped off this season. Is very      important for the future forward line structure. Especially if you know who goes back to Perth.

Balic  Not sure why you've put him here. I'd say medium at best. Has had 2 seasons and although had injuries and homesickness hasn't shown a great deal to show he'll be elite.

Maynard Haven't seen enough to know. I have a feeling given his age there will be a lot of pressure to come in and start performing early. Showed a bit in his baptism of fire v GWS but also looked a bit lost.

J Smith  Showed glimpses in his first game that he could be a freak combination of height, speed, skill. Looked loss in his second stint. Hopefully he can come back and develop his confidence. 

Edited November 8, 2017 by It's Time

[Deemania since 56 6,119]

Great list of messages, well stated and realistic, It's Time (above). Some hard truths, some complimentary but all valid and these are the things that supporters like to consider and dwell upon. With this accurate analysis, improvements can be measured. Strongly agreed with your analysis. 

[M_9 1,595]

3 hours ago, It's Time said:

 

....

Petracca   I really hope he drops at least 4kg's so he can build his tank and improve the consistency of his involvement and give himself the chance to play more onball.

....

Looking at Monday night news clip I reckon you've got your 'hope' (wish). The comment was made by the reporter that Trac has slimmed down somewhat.

[Deemania since 56 6,119]

1 hour ago, M_9 said:

Looking at Monday night news clip I reckon you've got your 'hope' (wish). The comment was made by the reporter that Trac has slimmed down somewhat.

Maybe a short lifetime eating Mama's pasta can be run, worked and dieted off the lad ... a weight reduction would enhance his speed, agility, reducing a future propensity for injury and to enable more blistering centre clearances. Just maybe ... he has to kick at least fifty goals this coming season, as well. 

[P-man 13,154]

19 hours ago, It's Time said:

I like what you've done here. It's interesting to go a step further and discuss what people think the players need to do to reach their potential. 

Players who are best 22 and have not reached their potential (15)

 

Low Scope for Improvement (5)

Gawn   Needs to stay uninjured. Has shown form in all areas of play. Could kick more goals. 

Viney   First of all has to get his foot right. We don't want another Trengove. Still plenty of upside development on decision making and disposal efficiency. Even for his position.

Tyson  Has to fix disposal. If he does that he's an A grader. If he doesn't he could be out the door in a  couple of seasons as others pass him. 

Frost    Complete drop of form is a real worry. Before that I thought he was showing good development in  reading the play and playing one on one. Obviously needs to improve decision making and disposals.  

T Mac   Showed he has the complete package to play in the forward line. Great leading patterns, very strong contested pack marking, accurate kicking. Just needs more time there. 

 

Medium Scope for Improvement (6)

Oliver     Obvious one is kick to handball ratio. Otherwise more of the same but natural improvement for such a young player. 

Lever     Probably one on one contests as he builds a stronger body. Plus perhaps decision making and disposals although I'm not as critical as others on this. 

Hogan    Running at the ball instead of trying to out muscle defenders. More time in the forward line and less roaming too far up the ground. Getting a good of games in a row to build up consistency and form. 

Harmes  Skills and consistency. Showed improvement in both but hopefully there is more to have him cement his place in the 22. 

Hunt        Fix the final kick into the 50. Look up and find targets to deliver low accurate passes to instead of running in and blazing away with high kicks that aren't effective. There was definitely improvement with this at different stages. I'm confident he's already shown he can do this. 

Neal-Bullen Skills. Cut out the turnovers. Keep using his elite endurance to get into space. 

 

Large Scope for Improvement (4)

Brayshaw No injuries. Also needs to improve his final kick inside the 50 so it is low sharp passes to leads not blazing away. He also showed improvement with this.

Petracca   I really hope he drops at least 4kg's so he can build his tank and improve the consistency of his involvement and give himself the chance to play more onball.

Salem        Improve attack on the ball. Build his tank. Play more upfield so we get more of the benefit of  his razor sharp kicks as last kick into 50.

O Mac       Build mass so can compete better one on one. Less brain fades although I think his general game improved quite a lot this season. Needs to have a natural progression of improvement in everything. No reason for that not to happen.

 

 

Players who are not best 22 and have not reached their potential (12)

 

Low Scope for Improvement (2)

Bugg  Agree with others that he is probably underrated however we've probably seen his best and in time is likely to be a depth player.     

vandenBerg   I don't think he's had a chance to show his best yet. Hasn't had a full preseason and is still starting in rehab this pre season. Fully fit I think he has a higher scope for improvement as a tough defensive forward.  

 

Medium Scope for Improvement (6)

Hannan  Needs to lift his involvement and consistency. Has the makings of a great package with speed, contested marking and good goal scoring (although I expect this to improve with more experience) I think he could be Large Scope for Improvement. I suspect he's a big reason why Watts is gone. 

Kent    Needs to be injury free and move beyond his previous best level. Main improvement if he  gets back to that is consistency for 4 quarters and goal kicking accuracy. His forward       pressure at his best has been missed and made him an integral weapon.

Stretch   Needs to be able to compete more strongly, improve defensive pressure and decision  making. Some say he's bulked up from those first photos but if you look at the photo where  they are putting their heart rate monitor straps on he doesn't look like he's bulked up that much. He still needs to.

JKH Has to improve his level of involvement in games and his decision making. Doesn't seem to know where to run in AFL games but can in VFL games. Personally I think at his height he    has to have speed or an ability to read the play so he doesn't need it. I don't see it. 

King  Hasn't even played a game yet so too early to tell his upside. Has apparently bulked up    over  the summer which was his major issue. He's only 200cm so not going to challenge          Gawn as the no. 1 ruckman but hopefully will develop into a Forward/second ruck. 

Johnston  Haven't seen enough of him to know. Worry for me is that like JKH he is short but lacks speed so therefore needs to be an elite reader of the play. Don't know if he is or not.        Apparently great forward pressure but don't know about goalkicking. 

 

Large Scope for Improvement (4)

Weideman    Firstly needs to continue to bulk up. Secondly seemed to have less of an idea where to run this season than last season. Not sure if that's a drop in confidence or confusion trying to learn his role in the wider forward structure. Hopefully the later and hopefully he'll fix it.  Hopefully gets his confidence back in front of goals. Dropped off this season. Is very      important for the future forward line structure. Especially if you know who goes back to Perth.

Balic  Not sure why you've put him here. I'd say medium at best. Has had 2 seasons and although had injuries and homesickness hasn't shown a great deal to show he'll be elite.

Maynard Haven't seen enough to know. I have a feeling given his age there will be a lot of pressure to come in and start performing early. Showed a bit in his baptism of fire v GWS but also looked a bit lost.

J Smith  Showed glimpses in his first game that he could be a freak combination of height, speed, skill. Looked loss in his second stint. Hopefully he can come back and develop his confidence. 

Interesting read, cheers.

Re Balic, I've placed him as High scope for a few reasons.

First is the amount of football he's missed due to a wrist injury which wiped out his entire first year. Talent aside, he has played just the four games in two years so he's barely scraped the surface as an AFL player. His first run around the oval trailing the rest of the pack shows he is yet to acclimatise to an AFL environment and standard.

Second is how highly he's rated by pretty much anyone familiar with him. Phantom drafters. Fremantle fans (granted they were sorry to lose Michie as well, but they seem more sorry about Balic ). Mahoney has said the club has always rated him very highly since the 2015 draft. 

Finally he has the look of a good player in the making. His basketball background shows with his spatial awareness and smooth moving. Even with limited opportunity he has shown he's a goal kicker.

Ovviously it is still speculative, but when you combine those three factors I'm comfortable placing him as High scope. 2018 will tell us a lot more about the player we have acquired.

[Its Time for Another 4,051]

13 minutes ago, P-man said:

His first run around the oval trailing the rest of the pack shows he is yet to acclimatise to an AFL environment and standard.

Must be following Clarry as his mentor. He started the same way last pre season and ended up going all right. They need a congo line of Billy followed by Clarry and now followed by Harley (Wonder what his nickname will be. Any suggestions.)

[rjay 23,843]

21 hours ago, It's Time said:

Kent    Needs to be injury free and move beyond his previous best level. Main improvement if he  gets back to that is consistency for 4 quarters and goal kicking accuracy. His forward       pressure at his best has been missed and made him an integral weapon.

Kent needs to play good consistent pressure football...

Injuries haven't helped his cause but to date he has been a lazy player who picks and chooses.

His set shot kicking is a real liability.

Very one sided and doesn't seem to posses any real weapons.

So far he has been over rated by many on minimal performance...lucky to be on the list.

Make or break year for him.