I can’t help but think we missed an opportunity to develop Longy as a defensive small forward this year.
We have the perfect combination of talls in Joe, Hooker and Stewart and an elite attacking small (Fantasia) and an elite defensive small (Walla) and I think we continued to toy with the idea of either Green or a fourth tallish player.
They way we play we are going to score anyway so why not have that spare role as somebody who’s primary objective is to lock the ball in.
Long is quick, agile and has a bit of mongrel about him. He is also capable of getting high up the ground and providing a link so he would be worth a shot I reckon.
I’m not against Green because I dont mind him but I personally think we go in too tall with Laverde.
There have been several comments saying that he had a good last few games so may be keeping him on in the hope he would be better than anyone picked up in an allegedly shallow draft.
FWIW I agree with efc1robbo. We need to turnover players so we can improve the strength of the list We need more of what Jack Dyer called “good average” players to complement our young up-and-comers.
He has also had injury woes so he hasn’t had the best opportunity to showcase his talent. I think he is unlikely to make it but will get another year to put himself forward. His final was excellent in which he showed some real poise, class and skill.
If they think they can turn him into a small forward/part time wingman who can run around doing the defensive things first and foremost, i’d say keep him on.
Richmond showed it this year, bulldogs last, you need those guys able to put on maniac pressure across the whole game.
If he could take as you say greens role and help with the defensive pressure, then who knows he may be able to float in and out of games like the rioli boys do.
Even adelaide have it too, people thought they’d struggle this year with only sloane as a big name in the midfield.
However you get the right mix of defensive players who put on that manic pressure, who can also use the ball, and anything can happen.
I’d keep him solely for that, and tell him to get his fitness up, or it’s his last year. Don’t care if they even pick him up on the main list for a year and pay him the right wage to get said fitness right without outside worries.
I find it hard to give any credit to any argument that has us trading perfectly good key position players to have them “covered by Smack”. Smack tantalises at times but has never really produced the goods.
I do believe the backline was exposed by a midfield that lacked defensive pressure.
To be frank I think the broom tolls for thee Smack, Howlett, Jerrett and Morgan. But I don’t think the club will announce anything until they have an idea of who they can bring in.
Yeah rating Morgan is an individual thing.
I thought his final was okayish but he did turn over the ball at a crucial time in the last quarter if my memory serves me correct … heck it seems like months ago now!
I actually think Long has tricks that make him better than Morgan. He’s better one-on-one, he’s quicker, he has a step, he can kick goals, he has a bit of mongrel (as noted by another poster) and he has good size.
The question with Long vs. Morgan is exposure. Have we seen enough of Long to be pretty certain he won’t make it? Have we seen enough of Morgan to say the same?
Long has had two relatively injury free years, and shown some good AFL characteristics and a consistent inability to put together full game efforts and impacts very often, let alone consistently. So it might be time to make the call.
Morgan has been mostly injured for two years, and in his first stint of games at the back end of this season started putting some decent games together. I think there is a decent argument we don’t yet know if he will/won’t make it, and based on his drafting we must rate his ability. So giving him another year makes sense.
Morgan also has going for him that he plays an area we desperately need, with Kelly leaving, McGrath likely to be heading to the midfield and Bags probably slowing down. Not that we don’t need outside mids like Long, but the need is a little less.
Thanks, SCarey. It’s good to see a Blitzer put a lot of thought into what they post, instead of raving on about how Jake Stringer will solve all our problems!
Or Long has shown that he can play at AFL level and contribute. Morgan has shown that he might offer something at VFL level.
They both play in positions that we’re shallow in. Maybe you can keep both. But I’d have Long before Morgan every day of the week based on what we’ve seen.