Langers I think will make it, has the tools to be a really nice goal kicking midfielder (exact position - well I hope we know by the end of 2018) - He has kicked lovely set shot 50m goals, that is a skill in it’s self. If he could average near 1 goal a game playing in the midfield we will be onto something. I am just worried Woosha will play musical chairs with his role and in the team
Lav - Also think he would make it, the end of 2017 season was poo - everyone knows it. Was he injured or not 100% fit - who knows, but you would think that he wouldnt of been picked if that is the case. 2018 we should see him in full flight (again not sure best position)
My worry with the above two is Woosha is going to ■■■■ with their development by switching them around. Agree on a position, guarantee them the first 1/3 of the season and back them in.
Franga - I am worried. Let me ask you another question - if he went late 2nd round - would we be clinging onto hope like we are. I think we will know by about round 5 if this pick is a bust.
Parish makes Francis look as ordinary as Begley makes Lav look and that’s pretty ■■■■■■■ ordinary.
Langford doesn’t seem that interested in anything afl except paddling balls across the boundary line and looking tired 10 minutes into a game so I really can’t be ■■■■■■ talking about him.
Perhaps a controversial point but I don’t think our culture was great 1999-2003. On talent alone we should have won at least a couple, maybe even 3-4 flags with the list we had.
The level of talent in that squad was just incredible.
Unfortunately it wasn’t supported by a team first culture, evidenced by the fact that we had to squeeze three blokes out because of cap issues in 2002. Brisbane kept their great teams together, as did Geelong and Hawthorn.
There may be other issues as well, but my point about fitness was that being “adequate” really isn’t good enough. If Francis is to be as good a player as we all hope, his fitness needs to be outstanding, not just adequate.
Laverde = HFF with burst midfield. Doubtful he will be a start. His ceiling is best 22, tricky match-up.
Langford = Could become one of our top 5 players or could be delisted. Bang or bust at this point, if he can get it together as an inside mid in the style of pendlebury, he would be very damaging with his vision in the contest.
Francis = Reminds me of Hurley when used to be continually injured. Think he could easily be our most important player if he put his mind to it, if not it looks like he could make a stack tearing country footy apart.
I don’t think his fitness is that bad at all. from when I was watching him earlier in the year he was finished by half way through the quarter but now he can get through a whole game.
I just find that he doesn’t get to where the ball is enough. If it was fitness he would at least dominate some parts of the game but he doesn’t. He pops up at certain points of the game with little rhyme or reason.
i think this can be rectified if he’s allowed to settle in a spot and given a specific task.
Anyone who thinks these guys are just cream on the cake are kidding themselves.
When you ‘hit’ drafts it gives you genuine shots at flags.
If these guys cement themselves in the team we can have a tilt. Otherwise we need to find players to fill those roles they were drafted for.
What also happens is a flow on effect. Imagine if Langford nailed that midfield extractor role this year. We could be more creative with pick 11. We could trade for Stringer no worries.
Also we want this group of players all in the same age to be developing and in the team together.
I’m a fan of Francis and reckon he’ll mature into a very serious player for us, but there’s a bit of a journey till he gets there.
I agree he needs to settle into a role and plan to dominate it. In years to come he might dominate at AFL level as a swingman, but for now he needs to learn the ropes and do the hard work applying himself to a specific.
In the same way I’d be coaching him to simplify his game. I reckon he’s dominated as a junior and pretty well been given a free reign to play his game, but it hasn’t translated as yet into VFL/AFL footy. He has an expansive game in him, and I hope he brings it big time to the AFL in years to come. In the meantime, get the small things right, and the big things will look after themselves. That means get properly fit, go for the percentage play rather than the big play, and concentrate on the team over the individual, and beat your man. Domination can wait, the goal next year should be to play a role.
There is a chance of one of them being offered as part of a trade for Stringer, my preference is to keep hold of all three, and look at some other trade.
Could become a decent HFF but Stewart looks much better already and Begley looks to have more potential.
Lacks the pace to apply pressure which means Greene, Raz and Tippa will always be ahead of him.
Doesn’t look to have the skillset below the knees for a mid. so Begley (on exposed form) looks ahead of him.
involving him in the trade for Stringer would be similar to a like for like trade (style wise, not skill wise)
Lang and Francis could become much better in the future and that would hurt if it was at another club, Lav I just don’t see where that improvement is going to come from.
All in all he is expendable and the options in the positions he could play are covered by guys the same age who are better at it than him