This kid is on the fringe on the Eagles best 22. Cannot get a go in their midfield.

He is tough, a good stoppage player, a good tackler, skilled and "muscled". A boy from Gippsland. Pick 25 in 2009 draft. He would be cherry ripe for our midfield and help the core Jones, Trengove, Grimes, Viney (a nice fit IMO).

Thoughts?

here was his Under 18's recuitment bio & spec.

KOBY STEVENS – GIPPSLAND POWER U/18'S

> Good all-round ball winning skills– 18.6dpg at 2009 U18 Championships level, 25dpg at 2009 TAC Cup level – he can play both inside (get 1^st hands quite frequently) and out, but I don't think he stands out at either (mainly due to his middle of the road decision making and disposal) – he will most likely become a genuine workhorse hard ball getter with no frills or possibly even a big bodied defensive midfielder that can get the ball ala Ling (this would be the role he should be developed in IMO)

> Very strong, well balanced and keeps his feet well - rarely brought down in a tackle

> Good height for a midfielder/flanker and strong body – large, lean build for an U18 – definite AFL ready (if fit) next season

> Good level of production and consistency both throughout a game and game by game – has the ability to step it up in the bigger games/rise to the occassion

> Good overall work-rate in both directions – is a ferocious tackler that will ground opponents in close, but doesn't possess the pace to run down players – I think he has good running capacity when at full fitness

> Reports suggest he has very good leadership potential

Weaknesses

> Pace-wise off the mark is not in the elite class. This may be ok at under 18's but will need further aerobic pace at AFL

Other

> He is a good kick, with power and decent penetration behind the ball – although watching his U18 Championships games on tape it seems his current technique could be tightened up a bit – I'm not sure maximise his extension through the footy – he does lack hurt factor with his passing due to his somewhat high trajectory kicking, modest decision making (tends to go long and straight to contests too often) and having only a reasonable accuracy and reliability at best

> He is an OK DM at best, but in no way creative/damaging or very reliable- inside traffic he doesn't seem to possess great vision to open up the play as you would want from a midfielder without pace or evasive ability, outside traffic he seems to play mainly in straight lines - on occasions he can be caught out for lack of quickness (doesn't seem to have sharp reflexes)

Overall

Stevens is an old fashioned, no-nonsense footballer that plays a team orientated brand of footy with a good-very good level of production and consistency as a strong inside midfielder..

I like this kid. He's got some real scope.

Always a difficult decision to leave a club that's on the brink of premiership success. Fringe player or not.

He's a young bloke, so we should definitely be interested.

Can he hit the side of a barn from 20m.....Get Him!

i actually wanted this bloke instead of gysberts but yes we should throw bit of coin his way.

why not? he's not getting a gig in WA so we could bring him over for cheap. Gotta be better than what we've got atm...

Bate and a pick we weren't going to use, otherwise no thanks.

A question to the posters who would like to see Koby in red and blue. What would it take, realistically, to get a deal done with the Eagles? I know very little about him.

Edited June 15, 201213 yr by Spirit of 39

Weaknesses

> Pace-wise off the mark is not in the elite class. This may be ok at under 18's but will need further aerobic pace at AFL

Other

> He is a good kick, with power and decent penetration behind the ball although watching his U18 Championships games on tape it seems his current technique could be tightened up a bit I'm not sure maximise his extension through the footy he does lack hurt factor with his passing due to his somewhat high trajectory kicking, modest decision making (tends to go long and straight to contests too often) and having only a reasonable accuracy and reliability at best

> He is an OK DM at best, but in no way creative/damaging or very reliable- inside traffic he doesn't seem to possess great vision to open up the play as you would want from a midfielder without pace or evasive ability, outside traffic he seems to play mainly in straight lines - on occasions he can be caught out for lack of quickness (doesn't seem to have sharp reflexes)

Overall

Stevens is an old fashioned, no-nonsense footballer that plays a team orientated brand of footy with a good-very good level of production and consistency as a strong inside midfielder..

Seems we have enough of this type already, no thanks.

A question to the posters who would like to see Koby in red and blue. What would it take, realistically, to get a deal done with the Eagles? I know very little about him.

Realistically if I was West Coast I'd be looking at our early second round pick and maybe swapping our 13 for their 22? In other words not cheap enough.

Realistically if I was West Coast I'd be looking at our early second round pick and maybe swapping our 13 for their 22? In other words not cheap enough.

Bit rich for someone who cannot get a game for them. This will come down to him being out of contract and wanting more opportunity.

No thanks, has kicking skills like the rest of our list!

A question to the posters who would like to see Koby in red and blue. What would it take, realistically, to get a deal done with the Eagles? I know very little about him.

Straight swap for Gysberts????/ May or may not happen

The bit about lacking pace off the mark would be the concern, if still true. A very difficult attribute to improve on if it doesn't come naturally.

We need a couple midfielders with burst speed over the first 5 - 10.

It's very strange to me that Trengove, who apparently topped the charts in this area at his draft camp, appears to have lost some of this acceleration.

Edited June 16, 201213 yr by Range Rover

Brock McLean is now called Koby Stevens ?

Edited June 16, 201213 yr by Ben-Hur

Straight swap for Gysberts????/ May or may not happen

gysberts is the better player though

Straight swap for Gysberts????/ May or may not happen

You would have to be joking, I'm not sure if this thread is serious am I missing something here.

Why is he not getting a game?

There must be some reasons.

Anyone from WA on here may have heard..

Why is he not getting a game?

Kerr, Priddis, Selwood, Shuey

4 reasons

Kerr, Priddis, Selwood, Shuey

4 reasons

Fair enough, and how faraway is he from displacing any of them?

Pretty much he isn't at this stage as good as Kerr, Priddis or Scott Selwood for a starting midfield gig, he isn't as good outside as Gaff or Rosa and he doesn't have the ability as a forward that Masten and Shuey do which therefore makes him out of a spot in the team. They've played him as the sub a couple of times but you can understand why they don't want to use him in that role every week.

I haven't followed him closely enough to tell you if I think his weaknesses of disposal and pace are in my opinion rectifiable or not. But then again I can't even tell with our own players.

Oh and he isn't displacing any of those guys soon. His best hope is that he plays so well that he can fit into the midfield rotation or can develop an ability to play forward or back as well.

We have Couch who seems to have the same attributes not getting a game, McKenzie, Magner, Moloney, Bate, why do we need another and why would we give up anything for him?

Pretty much he isn't at this stage as good as Kerr, Priddis or Scott Selwood for a starting midfield gig, he isn't as good outside as Gaff or Rosa and he doesn't have the ability as a forward that Masten and Shuey do which therefore makes him out of a spot in the team. They've played him as the sub a couple of times but you can understand why they don't want to use him in that role every week.

I haven't followed him closely enough to tell you if I think his weaknesses of disposal and pace are in my opinion rectifiable or not. But then again I can't even tell with our own players.

Oh and he isn't displacing any of those guys soon. His best hope is that he plays so well that he can fit into the midfield rotation or can develop an ability to play forward or back as well.

Thanks Master..Sounds like a lot of players. Not a high draft pick..but in the mix.

Hayes, Salopec, Foley, Sewell, Black are the players I'd be interested in. Let's not faff about with fringe players.

Why is he not getting a game?

There must be some reasons.

Anyone from WA on here may have heard..

He looks good until he kicks the ball....

Hayes, Salopec, Foley, Sewell, Black are the players I'd be interested in. Let's not faff about with fringe players.

Salopek is a fringe player.

Very injury prone. Hasn't even played a game this year and only played 12 last year.