Vanilla Gorilla

I think it's time to take the tin foil off your head WJ.

Had a chat to Clarry Oliver on the night. I put it to him that his hanger against the Doggies was a ripper - to which he coyly replied that he "didn't even get off the ground." Either the guy is seriously humble, or we have the next Nic Nat on our list...

Demonland meme game on point

The more I think about it, the more I feel we'll pull the trigger on Weideman at 3. It just fits in with the mould of the type of players we've been attracting over the last 3 years - and the type of targets that Taylor et al have said they're chasing - that is, competitive beasts. Hogan, Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca, Tyson - each of these guys has competitiveness in spades. The AFL is too unforgiving these days to be anything less than 110% committed and aggressive every time you take the field. That's not to say Parish is not aggressive. He has a good mix of inside-outside play and a high contested possession average through the TAC Cup this year. He has some great attributes; excellent decision making, great disposal on both sides, impacts the game (rated no. 1 for metres gained). But no recruiter would say that raw competitiveness is his number one attribute. In fact, if you watch the 2 VFL games that the Academy boys played, he never really threw his body into contests and seemed slightly reticent to tackle, let alone hunt players down. This is backed up by his poor 2.8 average tackles per game despite playing as a full-time midfielder. As an alternative, Weideman IS a competitive beast. He has virtually no bulk on his frame and yet throws himself into packs ala Hogan. He tackles hard, chases and generally just plays at a highly aggressive level. Sure he has lots of other attributes too, but if the recruiting team were to continue the current trend of picking competitors, Weideman seems like the logical choice. The one caveat is obviously whether he passes his upcoming fitness test with us.

The narrative hasn't changed. There was never a "strong" indication that Jesse would sign an extension. Rather, the narrative was that we've opened up discussions with him about the possibility of an extension. One step at a time my friend.

I just watched the AIS Academy vs Northern Blues game - and I must admit - very impressed by Weideman. Presents well, good leading patterns, strong mark, good set shot, very competitive and gets into the contest when the ball hits the ground. He's got a lot of attributes that are well suited to the modern game.

Anyone think he has a bit of Robbie Flower about him?

Michie to be rookied?

What I find fascinating is JKH's ostensible drop in training standards. Many here will recall his first pre-season after getting drafted, where he trained like a man possessed. Posters from this site (who's contributions cannot be understated) consistently described his overall effort, intensity and enthusiasm at every training. He was in everything and it was no surprised when that translated into exceptional form in the season proper. What is interesting is that there was little-to-no mention of any of that type of intensity by JKH over the last pre-season. One has to wonder whether he was trying to build respect in his first year, and simply rested on his laurels over the last. In his defence, and as mentioned previously, second year blues of that nature are typical of young players. All-in-all, it's clear that there is enough talent there that he could potentially be an above average AFL player. I'll be watching with interest to see the way he attacks the upcoming preseason.

Dude - Tambling ahead of Buddy. No contest.

This kid looks like he has the potential to be David Mundy 2.0. Parish at 3, Francis at 7 would be dandy.

Can anyone who has seen him play please explain whether Parish is a tough competitor? After all, thats what the FD have consistently claimed they're targeting. Based on the highlights he looks like the second coming of Lachie Whitfield. Surely we'd be after players who have more of a mongrel-type aggression than that...

I said it around draft time that year, but I'll say it again. Someone I know very well played in the Sandy teams through U16 and U18 with Salem. Consensus amongst all the players was that Kelly and Salem were the 2 best players there - and both streets ahead of Freeman. Also side note apparently Kurt Heatherly (the NZ rookie selection - now at Hawthorn) was a beast of a defender, and at that stage had only been playing the game for 6 months.

This was a VFL game he played earlier in the year: http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2014-08-05/vfl-ben-kennedy The stat line read: 38 disposals, 9 clearances, 7 inside 50's, 3 tackles (and a goal judging by the video). In other news, Toumpas fails to get a sniff at VFL level. Let's hope Toumpas' reputation in being a prior Pick 4 gets the deal over the line.

Howe for Seedsman? Howe and our 3rd rounder for Nathan Freeman? Interesting possibilities.