You’d hope that with all his supposed magical unicorn powers that he ideally ends up becoming a match winner rather than a match saver but first priority is probably to become a regular fixture in the seniors.
I can’t believe people forget about the unicorn powers.
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I didn’t see the game, but I’m actually pretty encouraged by the sort of reviews he’s getting. 12 touches and 3 tackles in 3 quarters for a big guy who hasn’t played a game in over a year is pretty respectable really.
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In fact there’s no functional difference between being a match saver and a match winner at all.
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fantastic, we all look forward to him winning matches from wherever he’s playing.
will be interesting to see how this plays out. cos if he’s avialable for selection in 2-3 weeks, and gets picked, that puts a massive dint in the “the youngsters need to learn in the vfl, they aren’t ready” crews thinking.
cos on that premise he shouldn’t be playing at all this year (unless absolute exceptional form at vfl level) cos he wouldn’t have the body of work behind he all want for say voss, and he simply can’t have missed as much footy as he has and “be ready” of the token efc 2 games rule.
If he gets picked, esp as a defender this year, probably 5-6 of the other youngsters might as well either pack their bags or get out of the joint and find another side, cos that’d be a massive kick in the face.
Whilst I get your point, to play devil’s advocate you mention Voss and Cox in that post - so you are putting #8 national draft (Cox) in the same basket as a rookie drafted player.
I would think if any kids are to be fast tracked into the seniors, top 10 picks should get that priority over rookie listed players.
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I think it should go completely off of merit and performance.
Off of which, Voss has been stiff.
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We also shouldn’t forget how fantastic Cox was in the first half of his first year.
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Why should a draft number determine how much they play over rookies?
You better drop Martin for Cox on that theory. It’s totally ridiculous
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that is ultimately the problem with rigid boundaries that some supporters and some of the coaching group have to now face.
and top picks should be fast tracked, maybe they shouldn’t .
but the main question i keep coming back to, how would anyone expect that to be fun working environment that produces good results in development across the whole list, when a guy like voss , baldwin or hell any guy drafted outside the top 10, that we have a set of rules for you, but the guy drafted inside the top 10 those rules don’t apply
what sort of msg do people actually think that sends to the bottom half of your list ? legitimately what do people think it actually achieves to essentially segregate the playing list into “what draft number you were”.
and ironically by that logic, when push comes to shove, Hobbs should be in the side ahead of martin, durham and co because ones a msd pick and another an SPP .
that is the whole point, you don’t know what talent you’ve actually got on the list if you don’t actually try it, and then fast track the guy based on his draft number.
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Good to have him back. He found a bit of the ball, was good if conservative with his disposal, seemed competent defensively, and got through with no issues that I could see.
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He was pretty solid in the two’s
HBF probably a good spot to settle him down in, we can use his ball use of the footy, he can play on tall and medium players. He can be a outlet player - marking target, and also another option to kick in. I don’t think missing a few games has hurt him too much. Remember Draper did his acl and he still going alright. with Cox’s physicue he wouldn’t be dominating just yet. But no reason he can’t do what Blakey is doing for the swans this year for us next year.
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He would be more in the category of a player coming back from long term injury rather than coming in to play his first ever game, so cant really compare in that aspect to playing him from development aspect int he VFL. Like a Voss.
He has played 27 games of senior footy.
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Yeah good point, no disagreeing just suggesting a possible reason it may not work that way internally. I just meant in Cox’s case, he came straight into footy in his first season, he has had that taste already. He shouldn’t need more than 2-3 weeks in the VFL after coming back before being put into the spotlight again, as he was drafted with the expectation of making it as an AFL player.
I used the word ‘priority’, wrong word. Should have said ‘pressure to perform’.
What’s the point in having draft numbers if the top picks aren’t coming in with higher expectations?
Voss hasn’t had the call up yet, he does seem to have some inconsistencies and perhaps defensive questions (from watchers) I have no idea. The main point I am trying to make is, if Cox is languishing in the VFL side for the remainder of this season then there is no point retaining him on the list for too long.
My point is, why bother picking player X with the number 1 national draft selection over player Z who is taken at pick 20 in the rookie draft, if they wouldn’t come in with more pressure to perform?
Why bother having drafts at all if the top picks aren’t expected to play ASAP?
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He needs game time more than anything. As long as he is playing somewhere for the rest of the season that’s all that matters.
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i mean if all things were equal, and they were all fit and it’s day 1 and cox has trained the house down, obviously then yes draft number and all that and perceived value of it you’d go with cox.
however with the every growing and possible variable list of reasons that make it not as easy as that come into play.
this is where consistency comes into it, that’s what we all want.
so if as some supporters have said along the voss journey that you “can be equally developed in the vfl, as much as the afl” and " he needs a good 6 week body of great form" and from the coaches " we want voss to be ready that when he’s picked he stays in the side" that sort of messaging has to apply to all players, and specifically all talls.
now by the looks of it he’s going to be playing as a backman (which is not what he was drafted for nor spent the first season playing as) so therefore he should be in a similar boat to voss that he should have to prove he can put a x amount of exceptional block of form that when he does get picked he’s
A this ever elusive magical term “ready”
B that he will in a position to cement his spot once picked.
Cos by that logic, it’s going to be damn harder for him to get a gig in the backline considering voss couldn’t get one with no wright, weed at times and jones as a decoy running to certain spots forward who barely kicked goals.
none of that is aimed at you specifically, like you said just pointing out the opposite side, and i get it, while being picked higher should give you some advantage, to me it would continue to send the wrong message to other youngsters, that they aren’t as valuable to the club.
and while i get in the long run if you have to back right now who will have a better career, you’d have to go with cox on that same theory (high drafted etc), doesn’t mean he should be handed it thought without having to prove himself first.6