A current thread on Valenti got 123 posts in less than 4 days. Discussion was/is quite polarised. So I thought I'd put up this poll.

I for one rate him and like Clints comment:

From what I have seen so far he has all the promise of being a very good footballer. Good skills (especially in close), good decision making and what really impresses me is that he always seems to be in space no matter how congested the situation. That is something that can be seen after just nine games and cannot be taught.

Sums up my thoughts nicely.

sorry mono

I reckon a third (fence sitters) option indicating that we haven't seen enough yet might be an idea.

great idea!

sorry mono

I reckon a third (fence sitters) option indicating that we haven't seen enough yet might be an idea.

I am a fence sitter on this one too

I reckon a third (fence sitters) option indicating that we haven't seen enough yet might be an idea.

Use the null vote option.

So he is important or cut?!

Can we leave the polling options for better topics, the captaincy was a good one to start, player appraisals can be kept in a thread as opinion.

So he is important or cut?!

Not sure, waiting and watching = don't vote.

Can we leave the polling options for better topics, the captaincy was a good one to start, player appraisals can be kept in a thread as opinion.

Read this thread and you see some very strong and polarised views. So in this case, I thought a poll might bring some levelling ie without the shouting by a few.

Difficult poll, either back him to the hilt or right him off right now. Too extreme a difference.

However given your options I'll back him & his endeavour is huge. But his size & pace will hinder him, but we got to give him every chance to develope his game to as high a level & then we'll know the truth.

This is probably not dissimilar to how Greg Williams started out, who knows whats around the bend.

Yeah. You need to redo this poll, having some sort of 1-5 type option... i.e.

1 - Gets delisted at end of 09.

2 - Plays a handful of games over the coming few years, maybe with a good patch or two, but never cracks 100, never plays in a premiership, and is basically just another rookie that makes it to the AFL but doesn't do much more than that.

3 - Cracks 100, is a good ordinary player.

4 - Becomes an important player in our revival, like the new JMac...

5 - Sam Mitchell Version 2.0.

Personally I'd say it's somewhere between 2 and 3 at this stage. Given his deficiencies (which everyone has gone into at GREAT length) he shouldn't be playing at all. It's his endeavour, footy brain and sheer determination that got him to where he is. The only question is how far can his heart take him?

And as far as that's concerned... how long is a piece of string?

This is probably not dissimilar to how Greg Williams started out, who knows whats around the bend.

Who Valenti? Not so sure about that one.

Who Valenti? Not so sure about that one.

Then HT, tell us how Greg Williams started his career?

Greg Williams won a best & Fairest at Geelong in his first year of VFL in 1984 before being cut for being too slow, you think that is similar to Valenti do you mo64?

Greg Williams won a best & Fairest at Geelong in his first year of VFL in 1984 before being cut for being too slow, you think that is similar to Valenti do you mo64?

Wrong on 2 counts. Williams started his career at Carlton playing reserves footy, and was cut because he was thought to be too slow. After being picked up by Geelong and after winning the b&f, he was poached by the Swans during Edelsten's recruiting blitz. He wasn't cut by Geelong.

Wrong on 2 counts. Williams started his career at Carlton playing reserves footy, and was cut because he was thought to be too slow. After being picked up by Geelong and after winning the b&f, he was poached by the Swans during Edelsten's recruiting blitz. He wasn't cut by Geelong.

So what's the point talking about Williams?

So what's the point talking about Williams?

None here. This is repeating much of the posts in the other thread. Please take the discussion back to that thread.

None here. This is repeating much of the posts in the other thread. Please take the discussion back to that thread.

I guess it's probably run it's course anyway. I'd had a bad week and felt like an argument, better with Mo than my partner!

Wrong on 2 counts. Williams started his career at Carlton playing reserves footy, and was cut because he was thought to be too slow. After being picked up by Geelong and after winning the b&f, he was poached by the Swans during Edelsten's recruiting blitz. He wasn't cut by Geelong.

I thought thats how it was.

Yeah. You need to redo this poll, having some sort of 1-5 type option... i.e.

1 - Gets delisted at end of 09.

2 - Plays a handful of games over the coming few years, maybe with a good patch or two, but never cracks 100, never plays in a premiership, and is basically just another rookie that makes it to the AFL but doesn't do much more than that.

3 - Cracks 100, is a good ordinary player.

4 - Becomes an important player in our revival, like the new JMac...

5 - Sam Mitchell Version 2.0.

Option 3.

I null voted BTW.

Option 3.

I null voted BTW.

I would have thought anyone who has played 100 games is an important player for us.

Shane Valenti is not and never will be Greg Williams. That is all.

Yeah. You need to redo this poll, having some sort of 1-5 type option... i.e.

1 - Gets delisted at end of 09.

2 - Plays a handful of games over the coming few years, maybe with a good patch or two, but never cracks 100, never plays in a premiership, and is basically just another rookie that makes it to the AFL but doesn't do much more than that.

3 - Cracks 100, is a good ordinary player.

4 - Becomes an important player in our revival, like the new JMac...

5 - Sam Mitchell Version 2.0.

Personally I'd say it's somewhere between 2 and 3 at this stage. Given his deficiencies (which everyone has gone into at GREAT length) he shouldn't be playing at all. It's his endeavour, footy brain and sheer determination that got him to where he is. The only question is how far can his heart take him?

And as far as that's concerned... how long is a piece of string?

I'm with you Dappa, between 2 and 3 on your scale at the moment. I get the feeling a lot of people on this forum rate him out of optimism and hope. From what we've seen there's nothing to suggest he'll become a great player. That's not to say he won't, just that after only a handful of games he hasn't set the world on fire.