Those highlights made me think more of Archie Roberts in the way he moves.
Noble is a half back.
Bewick is a goalkicking mid who lines up at the centre bounce.
Or are you saying Bewick will be a half back for his first couple of years?
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Was Bewick rated the top 16 yr old in the country at one stage? I think his struggled with OP this season. If he gets a good run at it next year no doubt he would be top 5 prospect
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I differ in my view of him.
The reports are at younger levels he was always a goal kicking midfielder. At the U16 Champs he was a goal kicking midfielder. Now that he’s reaching the end of his bottom age season and he’s over his injury issues he’s transitioned into playing as a goal kicking midfielder.
He was definitely more tentative at the Talent League level last year and early this year and I was concerned about his physicality, but he’s changed pretty dramatically since his shift into the midfield over the last month. He still needs to do more defensively, but he wins his share of contested ball. With another preseason to grow a bit and build his body he projects as a decently balanced inside/outside midfielder who predominantly plays in the front half of the field and impacts the scoreboard in scoring chains and goals of his own.
The main weakness in his game is the lack of tackling pressure. You can carry a midfielder like that if the others cover for him, but ideally we’ll see a major focus on tackling for him over preseason.
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Bewick and Rodan have made the 17s futures game in the GF opener. Darwish didn’t make it
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Not unless they bring back Brad as coach
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He’s not too dissimilar from Daicos in this regard.
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How common is it for bottom agers to be starting midfield in Talent League? Presumably a reasonable sign of his quality?
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Yeah I was asking about this last week too. My question was about how fully loaded the Talent Leage teams are at the moment - or whether school footy is siphoning off some of the players in the last few weeks allowing the bottom-agers more minutes\responsibility at this time of year.
With your expert draft eye, if Bewick was available in this year’s draft, about where would he be taken? would he be a Top 10 pick?
These are always tough as some 17 year olds develop earlier than others and I think Bewick still has another level to go. I think top 15 sounds right
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Interesting. You can argue that means Darwish isn’t rated top 47 in the draft class. Of course, it doesn’t quite work like that. Also interesting given the Blitz draft watchers seem to prefer Darwish over Rodan.
Apart from field positions, does politics impact squad selection? Such as trying to have kids from all states? Try to get indigenous kids? Treatment (+ or -) of club-linked players?
On a side note, Salopek is named but doesn’t he have a long term injury? And is Percy Burgoyne a FS option for Port or Hawks?
Three of ours currently are. One of those wasn’t selected for the futures game.
They do try to get a good mix of players from other states, Kako and Teixiera are examples of players who really should have played in these games based off bottom age form but didn’t make it. It’s usually the good victorians who miss out since they get good enough exposure to large contingent of AFL scouts based in Victoria.
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Collapsed lung for Salopek, wouldn’t imagine he plays again this year.
Percy is FS for both but he’s Hawks through and through
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Thanks. That would help explain Darwish missing out then (of course, they could just not rate him).
Absolutely.
Father sons get special treatment.
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AGSV at least finishes pretty early - was run & won last week. AGSV logic was let the kids have time to get back to study.
Not sure about APS and the others, probably similar I’d guess.
Cannons really disappointed Mou wasn’t considered. They’re really hopeful he gets a late call up as he was right on the periphery of selection
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forgetting the finishing side of his game, I think Noble reflects really well for Bewick’s style of play. He is a rebounder who relies on others to get him the ball, uses his run and dash from behind the ball to gain meters and then kick long.
Daicos is a more inside > outside midfielder who used his evasiveness to get to the outside and then elite skills to hit up.
I think Koby will improve his inside ability, a few have pointed out the lack of accountability at local 18s level where he could do what he pleased, and now at Talent League he was outside leaning, with a big pre season and his top age year, expect him to carry a fair amount of inside <> outside minutes where he will be challenged in a number of facets to improve on his game.
I can see him going up another level, he is still a bottom ager, would hope he can do so after having his way for the majority of his footballing career. Just be coachable and take the feedback on and we will be right with a really high end finisher.
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