Go on
Notwithstanding Dempsey’s shithouse recent form, I actually think he would have been a very good pickup for richmond, given their problems developing indigenous players.
I hope if they get rid of the rookie draft that they keep 1 year contracts for late picks in some form. Mandatory 2 year contracts for the very bottom end of the draft is just going to push risky players further out of recruiters' minds. It'll be 24/7 solid citizens who can't play football for ■■■■.
It’s also a mental thing. It’s easy to think about rookie listers as projects but four more standard list spots will just be filled by four more vanilla blokes.
Except 4 more vanilla blokes is standard rookie list fare these days anyway…
You can have 40 guys on your main list at the start of the season. Some teams therefore go with 38 or 39 senior players, and up to 6 rookies instead of the standard 40+4. These teams can upgrade at the start of the year to get to 40 senior players (we were 39+5 at the start of 2016, and could upgrade TIPPA, even before CAS struck their noses in).As of last year (?) all teams can upgrade a single rookie mid-season, even if that temporarily takes them to 41 senior players. I think.
In 2017 we’ve gone 40+4 to maximise our good picks. Yes, we’re relying on a serious injury to make Smack useful.
So if I’m reading this correctly, could we upgrade Smack mid season if we want to? It’d certainly make feel easier in the case of an injury to Belly or Leuey.
Correct.However…
The AFL Players Union is trying to make a deal with the AFL to wipe the rookie list altogether so that it just becomes an extended list and none of this upgraded rookie crap.
They are hoping to get some resolution by January sometime.Thanks. So could that be for 2017 season or would it probably have to wait until 2018?
It’ll be for 2017.
There was an article a few weeks back how list managers will be drafting with the unknown of how the rookie list will be used next season.
But if Looney and TBell both get 2-3 week injuries (hell, even 1 week) at the same time, then our backup who is only there for backup, can't actually play. So what's the point of having him?It doesn't have to be Looney or TBell but all it takes is to have 1 long term injury. We can leave that spot open for when we need it. So if both ruckman went down short term, Smack can be elevated. There's a fair chance we will have at least 1 player out long term throughout the year.It’s also a fair chance we won’t.
It’s also a fair chance we will, but that player won’t be put on the LTI, which is a bad habit we’ve developed over the last few years.
Hopefully the rookie list gets abolished and this is a non issue, but that is still just a maybe.
Can you elaborate on this? Isn’t there 0 reason not to put a player on the lti list if you know they are going to be out for 8+ weeks?
Except 4 more vanilla blokes is standard rookie list fare these days anyway...
Eades ain’t vanilla.
Draper’s not in the spirit of vanilla.
McKernan’s rubbish.
Except 4 more vanilla blokes is standard rookie list fare these days anyway...Eades ain’t vanilla.
Draper’s not in the spirit of vanilla.
McKernan’s rubbish.
While true, I was thinking competition wide that v the RL has become at least as vanilla as the main draft, with a whole lot of relistings and teams using it for back up depth.
In general clubs aren’t seeing it as much a development list as an extension of the main list, so I doubt much will change in terms of makeup of risky development vs solid citizens who you know what they’ll bring.
Both the drafts have been really underwhelming. Thank fark for McG.Geez take a valium and chill out, both drafts were very focussed and most people think we did very well.
Massive fan of the main draft but the RD was ordinary IMO. Draper is a good prospect and I rate him but not happy with the other 2 charity cases.McKernan was top 10 b+f in 2015! Charity???
He finished 10th in a garbage year for us. He finished 16 points behind 9th.
Trivia question: Which superstar finished 9th that year and how did the club reward him for his sensational year?
He can discuss that at length with the bloke who finished eighth, 106 points ahead of him.
Re Smack’s 10th place, it should be remembered he played only 9 games that year - the superstar who finished 16 points ahead played double the number of games Smack did.
Both the drafts have been really underwhelming. Thank fark for McG.Geez take a valium and chill out, both drafts were very focussed and most people think we did very well.
Massive fan of the main draft but the RD was ordinary IMO. Draper is a good prospect and I rate him but not happy with the other 2 charity cases.McKernan was top 10 b+f in 2015! Charity???
He finished 10th in a garbage year for us. He finished 16 points behind 9th.
Trivia question: Which superstar finished 9th that year and how did the club reward him for his sensational year?
He can discuss that at length with the bloke who finished eighth, 106 points ahead of him.
Re Smack’s 10th place, it should be remembered he played only 9 games that year - the superstar who finished 16 points ahead played double the number of games Smack did.
Was top 10 in BOTH the vfl and AFL teams in the same year. That’s a good effort by any measure. He had an injury this year which didn’t let him get back to that level. The guy isn’t perfect, but look at 2015 if you want to judge him fairly.
Smack is a reasonable back-up ruck option, and a very good VFL player.
He had to be picked, and I struggle to understand why there is anyone questioning it.
It’s like people are willing to give up on next year before it even starts. In the worst case scenario we have to go into a final without Leuey and TBC, you’ll suddenly understand why McKernan had to be given a spot.
Oh, I guess we could have picked up Drew Petrie… or expected a young ruck to be ready and better than Smack… or perhaps poached a ruck from another club with the wonderful offer of being 3rd in line for a gig in the seniors.
Smack is a reasonable back-up ruck option, and a very good VFL player.He had to be picked, and I struggle to understand why there is anyone questioning it.
It’s like people are willing to give up on next year before it even starts. In the worst case scenario we have to go into a final without Leuey and TBC, you’ll suddenly understand why McKernan had to be given a spot.
Oh, I guess we could have picked up Drew Petrie… or expected a young ruck to be ready and better than Smack… or perhaps poached a ruck from another club with the wonderful offer of being 3rd in line for a gig in the seniors.
What if McKernan gets injured too?
Smack is a reasonable back-up ruck option, and a very good VFL player.He had to be picked, and I struggle to understand why there is anyone questioning it.
It’s like people are willing to give up on next year before it even starts. In the worst case scenario we have to go into a final without Leuey and TBC, you’ll suddenly understand why McKernan had to be given a spot.
Oh, I guess we could have picked up Drew Petrie… or expected a young ruck to be ready and better than Smack… or perhaps poached a ruck from another club with the wonderful offer of being 3rd in line for a gig in the seniors.
What if McKernan gets injured too?
Then we bring out Curtains and he opens up a little ray of sunshine on the competition.
Smack is a reasonable back-up ruck option, and a very good VFL player.He had to be picked, and I struggle to understand why there is anyone questioning it.
It’s like people are willing to give up on next year before it even starts. In the worst case scenario we have to go into a final without Leuey and TBC, you’ll suddenly understand why McKernan had to be given a spot.
Oh, I guess we could have picked up Drew Petrie… or expected a young ruck to be ready and better than Smack… or perhaps poached a ruck from another club with the wonderful offer of being 3rd in line for a gig in the seniors.
What if McKernan gets injured too?
Then we have Ambrose, Hooker and Daniher with ruck experience. Could give that soccer player a run too.
Exactly. Going by some Blitz logic, WCE didn’t need Giles. Well with Lycett now injured they’d be happy he’s there.
Exactly. Going by some Blitz logic, WCE didn't need Giles. Well with Lycett now injured they'd be happy he's there.
Don’t be silly you only need the best 22 players. Everyone else are list cloggers and should be delisted.
Eades was, and is still , the style /type of player we need. Fingers crossed he gets his ■■■■■ together.
Yestin Eades
2016 Season
-1 Played in VFL trial against Footscray.
-2 Played in VFL trial against Richmond.
-3 VFLDidn’t get into the game to any great degree and failed to impact.
-4 VFLDrive around the middle and the ground was noticeable. Two goals.
-5 VFLSnagged two goals and did a few nice things. Confidence booster.
-6 VFLYoungster had a quiet day playing predominantly deep forward role.
-7 VFLEarly goal but that was only real highlight of a pretty quiet game.
-8 VFLTwo goals and four tackles from 14 disposals. Showed glimpses of what he can do.
-9 VFLLaid six tackles so pressure good but didn’t influence with ball in hand.
-10 VFLTwo important goals in the context of the scoreline but did little else.
-11 Bye.
-12 VFLFour inside-50s and three tackles but very few touches. Struggling to find the ball.
-13 VFLTouched the ball seven times for the day. Progress painfully slow at this stage.
-14 VFLBye.
-15 VFLTackle total equalled total possessions, which is never a good sign. Quiet.
-16 Didn’t play for Essendon VFL.
-17 Didn’t play for Essendon VFL.
-18 Didn’t play for Essendon VFL.
-19 VFLBye.
-20 VFLNever a good sign when your tackle numbers (four) are more than kicks (three).
-21 VFLFour inside-50s, five tackles but impact minimal from 11 disposals.
-22 VFLNot for first time in this year he was hardly sighted. Five possessions.
-23 VFLJust two kicks. At least hit target with both which was a positive.
Not exactly a whole lot to build on, I have no idea why they redrafted him.
I do.
Take it Eadsey.
Take it Eadsey.
Don’t let a sour 2016.
Drive you crazy.