For me he stays in the side, start giving him some mid minutes and fast track him.
I’d also be having a quiet chat to say we are happy for you to cop the odd week for being a bit rough hitting the contest hard and maybe evzen clean a few blokes up throughout the year.
The three best players of the last ten years?
I’m pretty confident there are a lot more failed players languishing on a flank that never make the transition.
Unless there is a clear alternative and better option than playing Begley then we should afford him the luxury of doing his development in the 1’s.
I personally think if we gave him even just ten weeks playing mid in the VFL we would learn a lot more about him.
I said this time last year that I thought he could be our second best mid behind Zerrett if he was given opportunity.
I really rate the kid but the one question mark I have over him is whether he can find enough of the ball. I look at someone like Parish and for mine he doesn’t look like a natural ball gatherer.
We have so many mids already that don’t win enough football.
Honestly what do we get from playing someone in the middle in the VFL? The difference between the levels is just so vast at the moment that you can’t even compare the two. Surely playing at the quicker paced AFL is 100 times better for any youngster’s development than letting them dominate at a lower level. We have seen it with Langford for sure and possibly with Laverde and Francis. Get them in and give them time to show what they can do.
With regards to winning ball. Give Parish and Begley the chance to win more footy by playing them in the coalface more often and I think your concerns will go away.
I think the probably with Langford and also Begley is that they didn’t play much midfield at jnr level so it’s not natural.
Langford has definitely grown as a player from getting significant midfield minutes at VFL level.
Now he needs significant midfield minutes at AFL level to get up to speed.
The lower level has been used for developing players for a very long time.
But the difference between the levels has never been greater. Look at our development compared to successful clubs. They throw kids in at AFL level and learn if they are up to it or not. While we prod around the edges and then don’t know if they are or aren’t good enough for so long. Look at Myers? We are only just coming to full realisation that he is severely limited. A decent club would have worked this out 6 seasons ago. IMO playing the kids in the VFL doesn’t stop development but it doesn’t enchance it like playing in the AFL does.
The club psyche is that of one that could contend for flags but we’re so far off it’s not funny.
What you say is kinda true, but one thing you do get from playing in the VFL mid, is ‘results’. That means, the chain you are at the start of is likely going to be longer., because the opposition is lesser. That’s an important development tool early on.
I thought he played a well-rounded game and showed lots of positive signs - Though his kicking was off.
I really like this guy
Always goes in hard
Not afraid to throw his weight again
Seems to be one of those players that are difficult to take down through tackling
He is getting checked pretty hard in games. Need to find a way to get space to use his kicking.
Been pretty farking average. A couple of good moments in amongst a sea of sfa.
Yeah, needs a stint in the two to find the footy for a bit before bringing him back in. You’d think for Lav next week?
Love him, but yeah, don’t need him dying on a forward flank in the seniors.
Begley out Clarke/Langford in
Thought his kick to Goddard in the 1st (?) was good, but didn’t do much for the rest of the game
Want to see Clarke come in and do a McGough.
He is a fair way off it, needs a spell to find some confidence in the twos. But that little jump, spin and short pass did have a little of the young Timmy Watson about it.
Geez I couldn’t disagree more with some of the above comments. He might not be getting a hell of a lot of it but nearly every time he touches it I think to myself “how good was that”
I reckon he’s got talent to burn and I want us to keep pumping games into him. I dont think he’s doing much wrong at all, I like what I see