Melbourne Wanting

[JACKATTACK 17]

From my understanding Mitch Thorpe avenue was explored and turned out to be a cul de sac.

I'm not advocating it but the fact we looked at him last year doesn't preclude us from lokoing at him this year. For all we know the club was very close to taking him in the PSD before Macdonald bobbed up, they might be interested to see if his injury/commitment problems remain at VFL level (to which I don't have an answer). If I were desperate for a forward, and was compiling a list of potentials he would be on it, but it would be a long list and he wouldn't be near the top.

[Steamin Demon 370]

How about putting games into these guys

1. Jack Watts

2. Liam Jurrah

3. Ricky Petterd

4. Danny Hughes

5. Matty Bate

I think we have bases covered in this department.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

PAH!

These players all carry question marks next to their name.

That's because any player you are likely to get in a trade will. Otherwise they'd be retained.

We're looking at a very speculative pick here, no matter where we look. If we are serious about trading for a serious superstar KP forward, we'd have to look at players around the 21 age bracket. Young enough to be of value with upside, but old enough to have had time to show us he has what it takes. In which case we'd have to part with a 1st rounder.

IMO, someone like Astbury would be pretty handy. 195cm, good skills, heart... Unfortunately that means he'll be pricey... and he plays at the Toigs who aren't exactly struggling to fit players in their cap. (used to love the dees as a kid, though that's not really relevant)

Could we perhaps do something a bit craftier. Maybe offload a small forward or two, with our first rounder, to get an earlier first round pick? Maybe something around the 6 mark? That would likely nab us a decent KP forward you'd think?

Oh well. At least no-one's suggesting Hansen.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Dappa Dan

[Red Sox 2]

Chris Dawes.....PLEASE!!!!

Surely there is enough possible talent with us already...Watts, Jurrah, Pettered, Hughes add in Fitzpatrick as a project, why would we need to add MORE project players - Walker, Westhoff...CMON!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Thorpe was explored and was training with us then got injured, i think broken foot and so was our for 2 months and so went home to tassie.

....where he is now playing with Werribee.

From an ex senior employee of the Hawks, the issues with Thorp at AFL level.

1. Poor attitude to training.

2. Injury riddled with questionable attitude to rehab.

3. Significant off field disciplinary and behaviour issues.

4. Lack of character maturity

How about putting games into these guys

1. Jack Watts

2. Liam Jurrah

3. Ricky Petterd

4. Danny Hughes

5. Matty Bate

I think we have bases covered in this department.

Too much sense there Steamin'.

[Red Sox 2]

How about putting games into these guys

1. Jack Watts

2. Liam Jurrah

3. Ricky Petterd

4. Danny Hughes

5. Matty Bate

I think we have bases covered in this department.

Hello Steamin....someone with a bit of sense......these 5 players seem to me to have as much potential and 3 out 5 have proven that they will be good at this level (Jurrah, Rick and Jurrah), Watts will be better than anyone mentioned above and Danny has similar potential.

Taylor Walker....give me a break. None of the players mentioned are any better than the 5 steamin mentions here!!

Should Rick P decide to go home to GC then maybe look at an option....wasted enough time on this thread!

[e25 5]

Danny Hughes has similar potential to Watts?

Give me a break.

Walker would be a much better bet than Hughes.

Not that we are any chance to get him. At all. Ever.

[Red Sox 2]

Danny Hughes has similar potential to Watts?

Give me a break.

Walker would be a much better bet than Hughes.

Not that we are any chance to get him. At all. Ever.

Danny has similar potential to any of the names listed above (from Casey games AND ONLY 2 AFL GAMES).....not Jack Watts (sorry maybe not that well written but it's a blog not english literature).....can take a great grab....is good at ground level....is a good kick for goal. If all of this transfers to AFL level consistently his potential will be proven to be as good as any of the above....Beau Dowler? Fair dinkum! Mitch Thorp? Danny has more going for him than them.

Taylor Walker?!!! 25-30 games up now? What is it with him? Nothing much that I can see...yes can take a great mark, very limited with agility IMO and kicking not that great........Watts and Danny will show more in their first 30 games IMO.

[Demonator 93]

C'mon, really, have another look at Taylor Walker. He's built up a little. You might be pleasantly surprised, I was.

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/2009_swimsuit/images/fronts/dancer-taylor-walker.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009_swimsuit/dancers/taylor-walker/&h=565&w=815&sz=243&tbnid=lo258au0DEKJiM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=144&prev=/images%3Fq%3DTaylor%2BWalker&usg=__B2_49FdVDkTelUbFRnjJjLWNLdA=&ei=aUPyS-7pG46OkQWEmejWDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=5&ct=image&ved=0CCwQ9QEwBA

No need to mate - seen enough of him and not impressed much at all! if he cant get a gig at adelaide in their present state, how will he go with us next year and beyond?

[dee-luded 2,958]

Agreed.

I think the fascination with this kind of speculation is mainly due to a lack of patience. But in reality, all of these suggested either require a great deal more patience or have been demanding much patience from their respective fans already. No quick fixes here. Better players of own to come on/back.

I'm not looking for a quick fix, just a couple of goals a week. Taylor Walker is just a kid & will develop. He's be 2 years more developed than if we draft a kid from the national draft.

[dee-luded 2,958]

No need to mate - seen enough of him and not impressed much at all! if he cant get a gig at adelaide in their present state, how will he go with us next year and beyond?

I think you missed the Joke.

[pm24 451]

Todd my friend

we already tried Thorp out pre season and decided not to take him in the PSD for free.

Your source hasn't got much of a clue as to talent identification either those named players

fall into 3 categories. Showing something for the very first time, are an unknown quantity or are no good.

Plus we're in competition witha cashed up Gold Coast

Plus we have plenty of our own forward line talent to develop already

Diablo, my understanding is that we didn't take Thorpe for two reasons: (a) he reaggrevated his injury that has been haunting him for a couple of years; (B) Joel McDonald became available and we had to re-pick Meesen and Juice because we had them contracted for this year.

I would like to see us pick Thorpe up in the rookie draft, given that he's apparently starting to play very well in the VFL for Werribee, has good height for a KPF (195cm or 6'5" - not much shorter than Jack), and he's still young (22 years old). A guy doesn't get drafted with pick 6 if he has no potential either.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

A guy doesn't get drafted with pick 6 if he has no potential either.

A guy doesn't get dumped after 3 years by a Club who spent pick 6 on him and then gets overlooked by 15 other clubs. Hmmm

Meesen was pick 8 in the 2004.

Oakley Nicholls was pick 8 in 2005.

Picks 6 to 10 in the 2003 have not been AFL successes either.

[Demonator 93]

I think you missed the Joke.

oh right - possibly....didnt look at the link?! sorry!

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,533]

I'd have a nibble at Taylor Walker. Has the most upside of all the above.

A three-headed monster of Jurrah, Watts and Walker could cause heart-ache for a lot of defenders.

I hope the club trades for a forward at the end of the year. We bloody well need them, considering we have a 3rd word forward line (and 3rd worst stats wise in the AFL). Having Fitzpatrick is great but we need more 'ready to go' weapons, considering Miller and Newton are gone at the end of the year.

Edited May 19, 2010 by Bring-Back-Powell

[Keyser Söze 0]

I'd have a nibble at Taylor Walker. Has the most upside of all the above.

A three-headed monster of Jurrah, Watts and Walker could cause heart-ache for a lot of defenders.

I hope the club trades for a forward at the end of the year. We bloody well need them, considering we have a 3rd word forward line (and 3rd worst stats wise in the AFL). Having Fitzpatrick is great but we need more 'ready to go' weapons, considering Miller and Newton are gone at the end of the year.

Walker?

To be honest? Not far from being Juice Newton Mk II

[H_T 2,941]

Walker?

To be honest? Not far from being Juice Newton Mk II

Far from it, based on the link dee-luded provided.

[Doggo 32]

Wouldn't touch Taylor Walker with a ten-foot-pole. His defensive efforts are about as good as our old #24's were. Not sure we need another defensive passenger in the forward half, ever again. (Don't get me wrong, I loved Robbo, but i'm glad as anyone that we no longer have to put up with his pathetic half-hearted attempts at chasing and tackling. Walker brings that with him.).

The other issue i have with Walker- and i'm basing this solely on what i've read and heard about him and nothing else- is the perception that he has attitude problems, i.e. thinks "his sh*t don't stink" and that he feels he should be a walk up start to the team, based on talent alone. Have read and heard several times that Neil Craig and his FD have wanted him to lift his work-rate at SANFL level as he has ample talent to be a real quality player, but instead he has always just 'done enough' rather than really tried to lift himself to the next level. No thanks.

Rhys Stanley at the Saints looks a really good prospect. Is he injured at the moment? I'm completely baffled as to why he isn't getting a game with Riewoldt out and Kosi doing sweet-FA. He looked quite impressive at the NAB cup this year with his marking and competing, is 200cm, young, agile and fast (won the GF sprint last year) and can take a contested mark in a pack and one-out. His kicking needs some work, and needs to add a few more kilos to his frame, but the 20-year-old has the tools to make it as a KPF and can help pinch hit in the ruck. Is yet to debut and was taken pick-47 in 2008 - Saints would be unhappy to lose him but he may be coming out of contract at years end.

Jesse White at the Swans is the other i'd want from that list. Can play forward and is an adequate 2nd ruck, is only 22 and already has had some good games at league level, as well as a couple of 10-goal bags in the Swans reserves. Would probably cost a bit though.

Dawes would be good, but unlikely.

[jacey 333]

I have been hearing from a source at the Melbourne Football Club that we want one of the following players as a key forward in our forward line next year;

Taylor Walker (Adel)

Chris Dawes (Coll)

Jesse White (Swans)

Mitch Thorp (VFL)

Justin Westhoff (Port)

MCKINLEY, Ben (WC)

DOWLER, Beau (Hawks)

Rhys Stanley (StKilda)

Ryan GAMBLE (Geelong)

Some good players on that list.

Walkers not the big hulking FF but will be a fine athletic power forward. Tough get.

Dawes has excellent hands and strength. Easily better then John Anthony. Tough get.

White. Gun. Flat out gun. No chance.

Thorp. VFL.

Westoff. Skinny 3rd tall

Mckinley makes Green look like KPP.

Dowler. Not much chop.

Stanley. Like him. Not sure how saints rate him.

Gamble. Small forward.

Verdict: Put games into Watts, Jurrah, Petterd, Bate, Morton, Aussie combo.

[Red Sox 2]

Verdict: Put games into Watts, Jurrah, Petterd, Bate, Morton,, Aussie combo...add in a consistent Sylvia as well as Green for bit longer.

Why on earth would we need to go searching anywhere else at this stage?

There are many positives and negatives for all of the players mentioned above, the exception I believe would be Stanley from the Saints, yes been there since 2008 and in that time with Big Nick would find it hard to get a game, especially as has been proven the last few week the entire 'Saints Footy' (which equals SH!T Footy in my mind!) game plan revolves around Nick, I find it hard to believe that he hasn't got a game in Nick's absence.

He looked super in pre-season, hasn't been given much of a chance as others mentioned above here, knows that he may struggle for the game time he wants while Nick is around... he seems a candidate that could possibly look to move or be traded if the saints want to trade for a final push at a cup?

Stanley would be hungry and Rick P wants to go home (which is debatable) then maybe we could look at that trade and somehow get Stanley out of a three way deal.

Again, having said all that I would be most pleased to leave the forwards we have and give them some time together.....the backline has proven what time together and stability can achieve (and getting rid of the peanut Carroll).

[DaveyJones'sLocker 601]

I have been hearing from a source at the Melbourne Football Club that we want one of the following players as a key forward in our forward line next year;

Taylor Walker (Adel)

Chris Dawes (Coll)

Jesse White (Swans)

Mitch Thorp (VFL)

Justin Westhoff (Port)

MCKINLEY, Ben (WC)

DOWLER, Beau (Hawks)

Rhys Stanley (StKilda)

Ryan GAMBLE (Geelong)

cant be bothered readin wat anyone else has written because this thread is pri much a waste of time but for wat its worth

Taylor Walker and Ben Mckinley are the only really tallented players on ur list that could possibly be recruited if we got lucky.

dawes is good but no chance

Edited May 19, 2010 by DaveyJones'sLocker

[Steamin Demon 370]

Danny Hughes has similar potential to Watts?

Give me a break.

Walker would be a much better bet than Hughes.

Not that we are any chance to get him. At all. Ever.

Read the post enforcer, Try and test our own instead of say a Walker who has one thing over Hughes, GAME TIME. I said nothing about simialr potential. Give me break.

[H_T 2,941]

Read the post enforcer, Try and test our own instead of say a Walker who has one thing over Hughes, GAME TIME. I said nothing about simialr potential. Give me break.

Enforcer 25 was referring to Demon Jack 16's post I believe. Give him a break.

[GIRO 63]

straight swap Rivers for Walker

[e25 5]

Read the post enforcer, Try and test our own instead of say a Walker who has one thing over Hughes, GAME TIME. I said nothing about simialr potential. Give me break.

what HT said

But I'm not sure about either Walker or Hughes.

Hughes has been on our rookie list for how long..?

I know he's had injuries but he has had a lot of time to show significant improvement and he is still 8th choice as a forward when we've had injuries.

I hope he proves me wrong; won't hold my breath.

I've also been hearing for years about Walkers poor attitude and application.

Looks like his body has developed, but not much else has changed.

Craig is hesitant to play him for a reason.