rpfc

The players that traditionally improve quite a bit are those 21-24 who have enough experience, confidence in themselves, and their body is beginning to let them do what they want. We don't have too many talents in that age range. Tyson, Viney, McDonald, and Jetta are running near capacity. McKenzie, Fitz, Riley, and Michie look to be limited footballers (but they may turn into handy players). Frost, Newton, Howe and Watts are where we are looking for improvement but the last two have had such incremental improvement that fans can't see it - it's like continental drift... I am looking forward to Garlett, Lumumba, Frost, and Hogan being thrown into that side, but the talents I am looking at for big improvements are not ready for that to be demanded of them - they are too young.

Exposing too many kids, too soon - leads to the malaise we entered in 2008 and have yet to come out of. Development is not about 'AFL games played.' I know this from bitter experience.

This place is fine, I really think some of you are spoilt - go and have a look at Bigfooty or any other sports related forum - this place is a beacon compared to those places.

He's quick for his height and big arse, but nothing special. He has got solid skills as you guys have seen from the highlights, I always think he looks a bit rushed but, more often than not, they hit the target. His vision and dynamism is what set him apart from the many fit plodders at the few NEAFL games I went to. I won't go out on a limb, it's tough to make the grade and he might only get this year to do it, such is life on the Rookie List - a lot can go right, and a lot can go wrong. I hope he is asked to compete with the bottom four midfielders for a spot in the rotation (M Jones, Salem, Bail, Newton, Michie, Riley, McKenzie, and the kids from this draft) rather than asked to play another role. He is a pure, 'go and get it' mid in NEAFL and that is why he was drafted, let's see how he goes.

I don't think so, but we will have to wait and see, he may not even reach the heights of Magner...

Back into full contact drills mid to late January so he should be good to go for what will be the most defining year of his life really...

Confirmation bias? Of what? What is my argument? You have alluded to Frawley's gun-for-hire nature for months across any thread loosely related to it - here we are in Zak Jones' thread. I don't think it is 'pebble throwing' to remind people that there is nothing but conjecture and subjective analysis when it comes to Frawley's character and the circumstances of his exit.

Well then, please define Frost's character after his decision to leave GWS? A wanted young player who played the first 15 games of 2014 up and leaves - what kind of person does that?

What if Frawley's circumstances was closer to Vince's? What if we didn't chase his signature that hard? We don't know and can only go on conjecture in the future. But calling him a 'bounty hunter' is a bit much, we stole GWS' groomed CHB in Frost who left a club that wanted to keep him and was playing regularly. I just think if we have to consider the various way players might leave a club, then we have to embrace the complexity of that disengagement, and I don't think it is as simple as James Frawley = Boba Fett...

Not only that, he hated doing it. It's not popular but Hogan should be given some technique work with Stafford - he would eat up those 25 minutes a game and love it on the ball.

Can't miss something you rarely had...

They get about 80-100 a day I have gleaned, so we are about 'a week' ahead of last year...

Yeah, biggest fish I have seen in the small Ainslie pond, but how that translates, I can't predict. He will take the game on and play in and out if allowed to play midfield, but I am a jaded footy watcher now, I really can't say how he will go. I really think he might struggle initially at Casey.

Bigger through the hips. He looked big enough, if he is good enough.

Wing is midfield. And from what they were running through moving the ball from HB to HF, Lumumba, Jones, and Tyson were where the kicks were targeted and the space left for. I think he will be too valuable at HB for this to work very often, but I admire Roos' desire to give it a chance.

One thing I will add to the above is that Brayshaw and Petracca joined in with the forwards when they were running through their leads. So they do not expect them to be everyday mids in 2015. Hooray.

We have probably drafted better synchronised swimmers than footy players up till 2012.

Dunn would do a better job. He even used to play forward. And AFL experience is required now? Better close the site now, Andy... Been a good run.

He looked like a footy player. Great skills, hit the drop of the ball, I don't think he will see it much, but I think he will kick multiple goals most games.

There looked to be a few in the mix with the backs, don't recall Salem being one of them. Grimes was there, Garland. Bit too early to settle on it, all I could see was they were getting Lumumba comfortable in the midfield.

Sorry, P-man, it is my experience that when the fwd line 'needs a body' - the best backman is rarely stolen for the duty... And the fact remains, the backline performed excellently without him. Still dealing with 52 Inside 50s a game (down from about 58), they managed to concede about 6 goals less in 2014 than 2013.

5-10 years for Murdering of a Quote. 2 years with an early plea. Stats are not the truth, but that is always subjective... There is value in some stats and that is what we are discussing here; where the value lies.

Love to, but just down for Xmas, I can do a write up for my team's training in Canberra when we get started again?

K thx.

And the kids were kept out of the more serious stuff, the 'match sim...kind of' stuff was reserved for those in the mix IMO and for the best players to get some familiarity with each other.