Axis of Bob

From what I know of Kelly, his style isn't one that will translate to AFL. How many slow short players play in key positions at AFL level?

To really simplify it, you can't teach a football brain to run 100m in 10.5 seconds. But there is a chance to teach an athlete how fill a role at AFL level.

Also, the athlete v footballer thing is overplayed. You need both to play AFL well. In the modern game it becomes obvious if you don't have the athleticism.

Bruce is a soft fringe player, put him on a player that likes body contact and they will kick bags on him.

.....like Brad Johnson?

FWIW, which isn't much, I'm very optimistic regarding PJ. His ruckwork is very agricultural but it is also very competitive.

But he plays like an extra midfielder with his running and skills around the ground. I think that this is the way ruckmen are heading (and have been heading for a while) so he could really surprise a lot of people, IMHO.

Actually, the slighter and quicker players usually impact more quickly than the stronger types because of the style of game they play. Look at the debate a few years ago about McLean v Tenace. Everybody would say that McLean wouldn't develop because he was already strongly built, while Tenace had more physical development so he would therefor overtake him when he muscled up.

The difference is that Tenace plays a very outside game while McLean is inside. This means that McLean has to take hits and win contested footy inside packs against men who are much stronger. But more development and he is now a very good player because he can compete in the clinches. Tenace, on the other hand, never has to go near another player because he is an outside player. Even as he bulks up the effect this has is very small, as he is not competing one on one.

Hence you will usually find inside ball winners devlop much later than outside runners. Look at Danyle Pearce. How many tackles did he need to break this year?

Hayes seems like an ouside runner with evasiveness. Hopefully this will result in him showing us what he's got earlier rather than later. Mind you, this doesn't take into account a host of other external factors which can affect development.

He had OP pretty badly, and he played more or less through it during under 18s. That's why last year was the first preseason he's ever had, because even at Bendigo he could do a preseason due to OP. He just needs to keep monitoring his workload and hopefully he will be 100% free of problems eventually.