Valenti takes his chance

Named in the best for the second week in a row, look what happens when you give a player a chance.

Loved his efforts yesterday, really hope he can keep it up

But its going to be very hard to find room for him on the list.

We Must keep Valenti next year-He deserves a Full Season. He works hard, Real Hard.

Is not flashy but Every good side has a few "Blue Collar" workers-Shane deserves a Crack.

Edited August 17, 200916 yr by why you little

I wasn't completely convinced that he would get a spot on the list next year, but these last couple of weeks he certainly hasn't done his chances any harm.

He was fantastic yesterday and finally transformed his dominant VFL form into an AFL match. That said, Freo were not much better than a middle-of-the-road VFL or WAFL side, but credit must go to Valenti. 30 disposals and a goal is what it is, and that is an excellent game.

I would be surprised if Valenti was on an MFC list next year. Very surprised. I think the decision on Valenti has been made long ago and would not be influenced by a good game against Freo.

Interesting to note, however, that Valenti had 1 clearance for the day (as did Morton and Frawley) and just 5 contested possessions (a stat interestingly led by Cale Morton, who had 12). And he's not really the type of player we want to be playing the outside midfielder role at our club. Especially if the best two players in the draft are two high calibre inside midfielders (like Scully and Trengove).

I admire Shane, because he is short, slow and is not a particularly good kick however he works bloody hard and has given himself the best chance to play AFL footy. He has played AFL and should be congratulated for that. Unfortunately he is one of those players who needs to be a completely dominant inside clearance winner like Mitchell or Williams. Unfortunately he's just an honest player. But if I was able to give players talent then he'd be the first player I gave it to because you know that he'd make full use of it.

But I'd delist him.

.....

But I'd delist him.

and that may well happen, though I dont think the die is quite set in all minds within the FD. I think, if he gets thegames, that against Carlton and Sainters he wil get a real chance to step up ( or not )

Geez some days youd hate to be a selector and the decision making going into trade and draft weeks must be at times heart wrenching, but none the less decisions need to be made.

In some respects the experimentation may well have been for real in so far as to garner who might fit where next year as the incomings are sure to require a bit of a rejig of the current list. Havings two real and fair dinkum goers ( inside mids ) releases others to roles possibly better suited and balanced to talents etc. I dont think Valenti is alone in the conundrum of...is there enough room, but he's certainly in the thick of it.

Reckon he's played himself onto the list, assuming Melbourne is able to off load players like Bell and Newton for picks we don't use. If Melbourne have 3 retirements trade say Buckley along with Bell and Newton (purely to off load those 2) and delist 1 other player eg. Meesen then that would open up 7 spots. 4 picks in the ND, 1 in the PSD and then promote Valenti and Spencer. Big question will be if they can create that amount of rom.

it will all come down to trade week..and team balance....unfortunately there are always 'victims'

...

Wait for it...

he had a fair crack yesterday,if they delist him i hope the swans pick him up, i guy like paul roos would turn him into a good player.

Wait for it...

I for one am not going to indulge you this time around

it will all come down to trade week..and team balance....unfortunately there are always 'victims'

Spot on. More so than in other years, I feel that trade week will be a big factor in who is delisted. We may trade a couple of players, thereby opening up positions on the list. If not there will be some unlucky players who are delisted.

Spot on. More so than in other years, I feel that trade week will be a big factor in who is delisted. We may trade a couple of players, thereby opening up positions on the list. If not there will be some unlucky players who are delisted.

exactly my thinking... just depends which way a few cards fall. I have a gut feeling this will be a much more active trade week this year, if so there are a fwe possibilities that a few lucky lads might stay put.If not, its just a numbers game

We Must keep Valenti next year-He deserves a Full Season. He works hard, Real Hard.

Is not flashy but Every good side has a few "Blue Collar" workers-Shane deserves a Crack.

Agree with everything, but the bold text.

Reckon Valenti flashed thru the centre and along the wing many times yest and in the last few weeks..and seemed to hit a target every time.

He has picked up the game plan super-quick.

He's not that slow, or too slow like some people suggest imo.

Off the top of my head I'd say Valenti is as quick, or quicker than Jetta, Bruce, Green or McLean..

His possession is clean - Top 10 from our list, on what i saw yesterday- and he's ready-2-go.

As i said on another thread, i just get the feeling he is about ready to explode.. like the master Bate and even Dunn are starting to do. (Dunn just starting to do )

Keep him before: miller or newts or bell or meeson/spencer even! You Can't have too many good mids!! Should be J-macs' replacement..and deserves at least a year to find out.

(Edit: all the above IMHO of course!! )

Edited August 17, 200916 yr by DemonDan...

Agree with everything, but the bold text.

Reckon Valenti flashed thru the centre and along the wing many times yest and in the last few weeks..and seemed to hit a target every time.

He has picked up the game plan super-quick.

He's not that slow, or too slow like some people suggest imo.

Off the top of my head I'd say Valenti is as quick, or quicker than Jetta, Bruce, Green or McLean..

His possession is clean - Top 10 from our list, on what i saw yesterday- and he's ready-2-go.

As i said on another thread, i just get the feeling he is about ready to explode.. like the master Bate and even Dunn are starting to do. (Dunn just starting to do )

Keep him before: miller or newts or bell or meeson/spencer even! You Can't have too many good mids!! Should be J-macs' replacement..and deserves at least a year to find out.

Good post. Would keep him before a great many on the list. Many are looking at him having judged him already.

His disposal is good. His pace is not the worst but not great. He works well in traffic and is smart. He finds the footy and chooses good options.

The problem for Valenti is that his lack of height and pace make him far less adaptable than some players of far less capabilty and this may be his undoing.

I believe unlike many others that he will be a very good AFL player and a weekly inclusion, hopefully at the MFC.

Good post. Would keep him before a great many on the list. Many are looking at him having judged him already.

His disposal is good. His pace is not the worst but not great. He works well in traffic and is smart. He finds the footy and chooses good options.

The problem for Valenti is that his lack of height and pace make him far less adaptable than some players of far less capabilty and this may be his undoing.

I believe unlike many others that he will be a very good AFL player and a weekly inclusion, hopefully at the MFC.

If anything gets him over the line...it will be this. Better user of ball than quite a few of his comrades As a link man he is better than many.

Edited August 17, 200916 yr by belzebub59

I really hope the plan is to go with just a few picks in the draft, but keep them right at the pointy end. I.e. trade out 35 and a player for an advanced pick, or even a deal like Miller, 18 and 35 for Sydney's pick 7 (the magic pick, remember).

By any account I've read it's a shallow draft with solid talent up to mid second round and then a major drop off. Promoting Valenti would certainly be better than using the same slot for pick 50-something.

I think both Valenti and Spencer need to be promoted in order to keep other club's hands off them, since they can't be automatically re-rookied after the two years they have already had.

The first pick in the PSD is always handy. Gives us that extra time to consider it and come up with a secret gem (last two - Jurrah from the outback and Martin from the amateurs, not too shabby!)

So we've already accounted for the retirements of Whelan, Wheatley and presumably Robertson before we've even been into the main draft.

Some of the 'real' picks will have to be found from trading players like Miller, and from the delisting of unlucky young players like Bell, Bartram and Buckley. I'd love to know how many of these guys we might be able to re-list as rookies in the way that West Coast picked up Steven Armstrong. A two-year rookie contract to them might work as a nod to 'we'll give you time to get your body right and see if you can develop again'.

Because next draft and for a few after that, we'll be thrilled to have quality rookies we can promote when the draft for all the non-marketing-tool clubs starts at the second round.

No ones going to trade out a first round pick... late 2nds(if trade right) and thirds a possibility.. Ist round picks are gold..no....platinum this year !!

Agree with everything, but the bold text.

Reckon Valenti flashed thru the centre and along the wing many times yest and in the last few weeks..and seemed to hit a target every time.

He has picked up the game plan super-quick.

He's not that slow, or too slow like some people suggest imo.

Off the top of my head I'd say Valenti is as quick, or quicker than Jetta, Bruce, Green or McLean..

His possession is clean - Top 10 from our list, on what i saw yesterday- and he's ready-2-go.

As i said on another thread, i just get the feeling he is about ready to explode.. like the master Bate and even Dunn are starting to do. (Dunn just starting to do )

Keep him before: miller or newts or bell or meeson/spencer even! You Can't have too many good mids!! Should be J-macs' replacement..and deserves at least a year to find out.

(Edit: all the above IMHO of course!! )

A very accurate assessment Dan, well done.

If Bartram is uncontracted for next year then I would happily promote Valenti to fill his position. And I would much rather have Valenti on the senior list than take a kid in the 4th round or later of the ND.

Agree with everything, but the bold text.

Reckon Valenti flashed thru the centre and along the wing many times yest and in the last few weeks..and seemed to hit a target every time.

He has picked up the game plan super-quick.

He's not that slow, or too slow like some people suggest imo.

Off the top of my head I'd say Valenti is as quick, or quicker than Jetta, Bruce, Green or McLean..

His possession is clean - Top 10 from our list, on what i saw yesterday- and he's ready-2-go.

As i said on another thread, i just get the feeling he is about ready to explode.. like the master Bate and even Dunn are starting to do. (Dunn just starting to do )

Keep him before: miller or newts or bell or meeson/spencer even! You Can't have too many good mids!! Should be J-macs' replacement..and deserves at least a year to find out.

(Edit: all the above IMHO of course!! )

Spot on....

I love valenti so i would be pretty p'd off if we delist him.

How i see it is in the end it comes down to our last pic in the draft or Valenti?

In such a slim draft that decisioni s a no brainer shane valenti has proooved he is more than capable of playing great footy!

The firehydrant!!!

Dont no who called him that but i like it.

Edited August 17, 200916 yr by col=sk

The firehydrant!!!

Dont no who called him that but i like it.

Dennis Cometti.

I think both Valenti and Spencer need to be promoted in order to keep other club's hands off them, since they can't be automatically re-rookied after the two years they have already had.

The first pick in the PSD is always handy. Gives us that extra time to consider it and come up with a secret gem (last two - Jurrah from the outback and Martin from the amateurs, not too shabby!)

Let's not forget also Shane Valenti is ready to go. He has done his VFL time, By Round one 2010 Bails can give him a job and say "Do it" If we delist Valenti then we pick up another kid with potential who is still 2-3 years off playing Reguliar Senior Football.

I Hope he stays. He has Enthusiasm to do the in & under work, & i think he would really value his jumper, as he has had to work so hard for his selection.

This year is the first in a long, long time where our delistings/trades/retirements arent going to be clear cut and obvious, ie some player will get delisted who are perhaps considered unlucky to be cut.

That shows the different composition of our list nowadays, there's not too many out and out duds (ie.Weetra, Neville), still a couple of sadly now passed it vets (Ward, Holland etc in previous years are the equivalent of Wheatley, Whelan this year), or trade baits wether 'controversial' (Johnstone) or beneficial (Grgic etc).

By the week, Valenti is exponentially improving now that he's been given a couple of consecutive games to adjust to the tempo, and is showing the kind of form he does so regularly for Casey (and Sandy before that). Will he earn a permanent elevation? Difficult to say, we'll see how he goes in the heat of it against two finals bound teams rather than the dregs of the AFL cellar dwellars, but I for one would rather keep him than draft someone at pick 60-odd. I guess Spencer is in the same boat.

Outs: Whelan, Wheatley, Robertson, Buckley, Bell and/or Newton