2011 Player Review - # 21 Lucas Cook

[Deestroy All 14,262]

He actually did start playing some good footy at Casey, then injured his hip and that was that.

I like what I've seen.

He was the under 18 AA CHF, he clearly knows how to play. He needs size, time and patience from trigger happy supporters.

In the Mitch Clark presser, Tim H or Mark Neeld mention that this trade allows them space to properly develop other players, I'm sure Cook is one they were referring to.

You don't draft KP's then just offload them. You have to put time into them to get any value out of them.

Trading a KPP after 1 injury interrupted development season is a ridiculous notion.

[Goat 98]

no fev at casey now so we might start to see him as the major forward now

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

This thread is worse than that cat one over on the main boards.

You say by all reports he has been unimpressive, yet we should have traded him. You understand he's only had a year on the list and has the muscle density of my left calf.

Actually forget it. Why am I bothering with a response. You can't let yourself get sucked in like this Sloonie. If you need me I'll be doing something more constructive. There's a brick wall with my forehead's name on it..

Edited October 18, 2011 by SloonieMcFloonieloone

[Fitz Fitzpatrick 886]

its hard enough to get hold of KPP , let alone get rid of them before they mature. The club will show a lot of patience with the big fellas. i think we are in for a good strong era in regards to the tall timber department.

[PartyTimeJohnny 533]

yeah, anyone who believes his Casey work was poor is pretty misinformed.

He's going to be a force in my opinion.

To be honest, all this speculation is a direct result of the Fevola recruitment, you could visually see his development being stunted

[Demon Disciple 11,066]

Are you serious??? Trade Lucas Cook. And here i was thinking that kids had gone back to school for another term.

You put Martin in your list of talls (not exactly the longest of lists either). IMO, Martin will never hold down a KP position other than the ruck. He is not a FB/CHB/CHF/FF. He is just a Mr Fix It, a good substitute, whether that be giving players a breather from ruck, kpf or kpb.

Cook on the other hand, is extremely raw. But he is a very good thinker with good disposal and can take a grab. Not as good as Watts will become, but not far behind either. He, like Watts, could easily slot in at CHB or CHF among numerous other positions on the ground. Both need time to put on more muscle.

Any suggestion of getting rid of Cook after one season which has been injury interrupted, as well as still being very skinny, is ludicrous. He needs to be given time to develop into his body.

Imagine if we did what you are suggesting to Jamar! Talls take time, and if there are many talls pressing for a spot, competition is only a good thing.

[mordja 187]

Green has 1-3 years to go dependent on form. Cook has about that to develop before we will really need to fill gaps and maybe be threatening for a flag.

Why on earth are you trying to push a young bloke who is growing , while we have no idea of his potential in his first year FFS.

[Jordie_tackles 354]

Firstly, let it be known that I am very happy with our signing of Mitch Clark. He is exactly what we need in a big bodied key forward.

My queries lie with what such a signing means for young Lucas Cook. By all reports he has not exactly set the world on fire down at Casey. Considering our abundance of talls with the likes of Watts, Clark, Martin and Jamar cycling through the forward line, will Cook get a look in?

Is trading him the best option and one that we may have missed out on? We could have approached a trade with Cook in a Josh Caddy-like manner. Whilst largely unproven at the AFL level his currency would be quite high as he was an U/18 AA CHF and does have some upside for teams looking to rebuild. We could surely offer him up as a trade and target a established midfielder in return.

Given what has been offered to Clark it seems that he will be our long term key forward player and Cook may simply not fit into our team. Making such a courageous trade and landing an established midfielder would cement MFC a finals position imo.

Worst post in ages.

[mauriesy 6,820]

This thread would have been stupid when the draft was still going. It's even more irrelevant now.

[Tim 2,884]

Will Cook get a look in? Is trading him the best option?

G'day BS - is the clue in "Favourite player: Chopper Carroll", or your initials....????

[H_T 2,941]

.......is in good hands.

[Deeoldfart 7,800]

..................................................

You don't draft KP's then just offload them. You have to put time into them to get any value out of them.

Trading a KPP after 1 injury interrupted development season is a ridiculous notion.

Exactly.

[Redleg 37,891]

Firstly, let it be known that I am very happy with our signing of Mitch Clark. He is exactly what we need in a big bodied key forward.

My queries lie with what such a signing means for young Lucas Cook. By all reports he has not exactly set the world on fire down at Casey. Considering our abundance of talls with the likes of Watts, Clark, Martin and Jamar cycling through the forward line, will Cook get a look in?

Is trading him the best option and one that we may have missed out on? We could have approached a trade with Cook in a Josh Caddy-like manner. Whilst largely unproven at the AFL level his currency would be quite high as he was an U/18 AA CHF and does have some upside for teams looking to rebuild. We could surely offer him up as a trade and target a established midfielder in return.

Given what has been offered to Clark it seems that he will be our long term key forward player and Cook may simply not fit into our team. Making such a courageous trade and landing an established midfielder would cement MFC a finals position imo.

Sheesh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jnrmac 19,174]

If I could be fagged searching for a triple face palm photo I would put it here:

[HERE]

OMG!

[Freak 100]

Not sure how people can say that Lucas Cook won't be as good as Watts etc. I worked at every casey game during Watts first year and he was WAY OFF! Lucas Cook is far ahead of Watts at the same age so there is no way we would dream about trading away Cook.

Cook is similar to Watts in many ways. A great mark and kick and exactly the same height. Watts is more athletic but Cook reads the game a bit better i believe.

[sylvinator 96]

Cook, like pretty much all 196cm skinny KPPs, is not going to be fully ready for AFL before he is 21. He probably won't be a force at AFL level before 23.

He is currently 19. He needs to keep developing his game, just like he did this year at Casey (preferably playing Key Position without scum fevola).

We will enter our window in 2-3 years. At that stage we will have Cook, Watts and Clarke as 196cm+ KP forwards. That can only be awesome for our club

[dee-luded 2,958]

Dee-luded I believe you have missed the point of my post. Nice comprehension skills

I am not questioning "Cooky's" abilities. Rather I am asking how do you fit 'Cooky' into our team?

Is he best value to the MFC as a traded player where we can get good compensation from a team who needs a key position player?

Sorry, I thought you were serious about offloading a talented genuine Tall Key Position Player that we need,,, after but one year of service?

The boy IMO will be able to be a Top CHB.

He will also be able to play tall forward when needed. With Jack W, maybe wing/CHB next year? And Watts starting to push into CHF/FF 2013,,, that time frame IMO is perfect for Cook to force himself on a Key position role from 2013?

I think he'll get to build his body this Pre season and learn more Key role play @ Casey next year, obviously, and will get a 'Taste' next year some time.... Another Pre season @ end 2012, before we see him start to emerge. Hopefully staying fit.

Similarly for Fitz.

[Guest KingDingAling]

Cook is going to be a gun, silly to even think of trading him.

[nutbean 8,837]

It has been said before and it will be said again - ohhh the folly of judging 19 year old skinny underdeveloped KPP's. For every Darling and Franklin who have matured early, there are many more examples at clubs of the Cooks and Fitzpatricks who are learning the trade and more importantly growing into their bodies.

He has shown some nice glimpses of talent at Casey but I will have a definitive opinion in a couple of years - Old Dee - as frustrating as that may sound - thats the reality.

[old dee 22,946]

It has been said before and it will be said again - ohhh the folly of judging 19 year old skinny underdeveloped KPP's. For every Darling and Franklin who have matured early, there are many more examples at clubs of the Cooks and Fitzpatricks who are learning the trade and more importantly growing into their bodies.

He has shown some nice glimpses of talent at Casey but I will have a definitive opinion in a couple of years - Old Dee - as frustrating as that may sound - thats the reality.

I understand the principle Nutbean and now we have Clark who can play round 1, 2012 I am a bit ambivalent about cook.

Now seems too far off too worry about.

From someone who does not have an avatar whats with the cat?

Prefer the previous one.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Is he best value to the MFC as a traded player where we can get good compensation from a team who needs a key position player?

What trade value?? Young unproven with significant development ahead of him. Possibly 2 to 3 years away from nailing a KPF role.

[Samsara 65]

I was thinking that we should trade Clark, is it too late to do so?