The Butcher Shop

[Ho Chi Dee 0]

Yep Kicked another 4 goals today.

I truly believe its out of him and Morabito for our second pick.

After todays saints game it just solidified my belief our current midfield is on the up and am happy with many of them, add scully and we are set i think.

The point our about our midfield being about set is optimistic, however I share your enthusiasm for Butcher. It was a wasted opportunity that we didn't have the first 2 picks last year when there were so many gifted / exciting prospects. After Scully this year, the top end looks good, but not like the last few years. Whilst I'd like all of Butcher / Trengove / Morabito, each seems to be a little closer to looking like they'll be "good" players rather elite (we need plenty of good players btw).

With that in mind I find it tempting to take the best tall route. As much as we desperately need an increase in quality of ball winners and users in the middle, our forward structure is also in need of further quality and options. With Watts' range of abilities, he'll spend plenty of time further up field and as good as Jurrah looks like being, a good big target should make life easier for him (and he will also be used further up field given the quality of his use).

I don't think Butcher would've been touted as highly in 05, 06 and 08, but he still looks a good prospect and one that we are in need. We wont have an opportunity to expolit the pointy end of the tall prospects for a long time again, unless one of the next few years is unsually tall laden. Being realistic, with the concessions next year we are likely to have a pick somewhere in the region of 8 - 16. Promising midfielders with good speed and ball usage are usually easier to find around this mark.

Trengove and Morabito are exciting for different reasons, but neither scream almost definite A grader to me. Though I'll be happy with any of the 3 options, I'll also be nervous - we'll not have this opportunity again and this draft does seem "good" rather than "great". Our list is taking shape, though there is still plenty of space for better quality footballers if we want to make the ultimate in the coming 6-7 years. If we nail this draft we could be on the way, but this one will be harder than recent others to do so. This November will be crucial to the next decade. The club has a hell of a responsibility to get it right.

[Ryan Dee 140]

He struggles to run more then 5km a game, weak. With todays game being less about contesred marks he will not offer much benefit to our team.

A player who does not run run run and lead lead lead will not make it at AFL level. Butcher does not do this even at the level he is at atm. You can improve a players fitness, but changing a mindset is a lot harder.

[StevenStretch 1]

There is a few easy ways to teach him workrate - Next year you tell him he has the job on Reiwoldt or Franklin and he can learn to work hard from how hard they work. Don't be too put off by my comments on his lack of work rate although he is not running the mega km's an elite AFL star is I don't think you will find any forwards in the TAC cup or under 18 level covering lots of km's. It will change as he matures, Fev wouldn't cover much a game.

At the end of the day we have to trust that we are a bunch of hacks and the club pays people good money to make these big calls and if they were to get it wrong then we make a thread about them and go down that path :-)

IMO we will either get Trengrove or Butch with number 2 and I will be happy with either, another quality mid will make any of our forwards look good (ie Hansen, Lynch, Hunter, 3 massive spuds that looked dangerous a few years ago because of a good midfield), or we get a good pacey forward like butch who will make our midfield look good by getting to balls he shouldnt...

[Bates Mate 4,467]

He struggles to run more then 5km a game, weak. With todays game being less about contesred marks he will not offer much benefit to our team.

A player who does not run run run and lead lead lead will not make it at AFL level. Butcher does not do this even at the level he is at atm. You can improve a players fitness, but changing a mindset is a lot harder.

struggles to run 5km a game?? would like to know how you know this info, do you have his gps data Mr Morton?

Ben dickson on Future stars on Sunday said the most impressive thing about butcher is his repeated sprint leading up the ground and his presenting at CHF not just FF.

I am warming to the prospect of Butcher as we get get closer to D Day a 197cm forward who can mark and kick goals do not come around every day. Could be our Kurt Tippett.

I will support the club 100% with who we take with pick 2, they have recruiters watching every game, not just snippets on you tube

[StevenStretch 1]

struggles to run 5km a game?? would like to know how you know this info, do you have his gps data Mr Morton?

Ben dickson on Future stars on Sunday said the most impressive thing about butcher is his repeated sprint leading up the ground and his presenting at CHF not just FF.

I am warming to the prospect of Butcher as we get get closer to D Day a 197cm forward who can mark and kick goals do not come around every day. Could be our Kurt Tippett.

I will support the club 100% with who we take with pick 2, they have recruiters watching every game, not just snippets on you tube

He may have got that from a point I made earlier in the thread, based on information from someone in the know at Gippsland Power.

[furious d 463]

It's way too early to be setting our picks in stone. I still favour Trengove atm but there's plenty of time for that to change before d-day.

Butcher had no preseason apparently as was playing injured during the champs according to some. I think it's important to remember that he made his reputation last year as an underage player playing against a draft pool rated for it's KPP strength. He seems to be running into form now which would be consistent with the injury/no preseason reports.

With TAC finals and draft camp still to come there's plenty of time for opinions to change. I think it was draft camp that finally made Watts the overwhelming favourite last year.

[e25 5]

It's way too early to be setting our picks in stone. I still favour Trengove atm but there's plenty of time for that to change before d-day.

Butcher had no preseason apparently as was playing injured during the champs according to some. I think it's important to remember that he made his reputation last year as an underage player playing against a draft pool rated for it's KPP strength. He seems to be running into form now which would be consistent with the injury/no preseason reports.

With TAC finals and draft camp still to come there's plenty of time for opinions to change. I think it was draft camp that finally made Watts the overwhelming favourite last year.

Yeah, I've ignored this until now, but if I can make excuses for Brock, I can do the same for Butcher.

His recent form can't be denied - the TAC Cup finals will be a determining factor for where he goes in the draft a la Sidebottom last year.

[jacey 333]

I think it was draft camp that finally made Watts the overwhelming favourite last year.

Watts was on the radar big time after the carnival.

The draft camp just made people realise that Watts was just as good as Nicknat athletically.

I'll still give Butcher till Draft day to prove himself. Even though I'm well and truly on the Trengove bandwagon, Butcher's positives cannot be overlooked lightly.

Great hands, he gets in good positions and very good at protecting the space and marking it in the last second.

Tough call and I would think the FD are switching names weekly.