Lucas

[pevfan]

Can't see much point in having him running around in what is little better than a local country league standard team (and a pretty ordinary one at that) like you would see down here in the Bellarine Pen'sla comp for example. (Actually the same could be said of any of most of our senior listed players e.g. Spike or Woosha...when fit I'd be bringing them staight back into the seniors...Bendigo Bombers are a total waste of time and effort IMHO and the sooner we end that sorry affiliation the better)....But, alas I digress...back to one S. Lucas.

Why not play him off the bench as an impact player when some of the heat and pace has gone off the game. For example I reckon he would have been a tremendous weapon coming into the game in the second half (or even just in the last qtr) last Sunday especially when Neagle was beginning to tire, (as he invariably does...Great prospect but has def got to do something about his aerobic capacity)

He (Neagle) had done his job in the first half and I know they swung Lloydy down there in the second but gees it would have been handy to have had a fresh 2 pronged attack to throw at them ah la Riewold and Kossi.

Thoughts anyone?

[BenDoolan]

I think it's time he came back in. Neagle is only good for very short bursts.....just doesn't have the stamina for AFL (yet). Neagle has some great attributes, but just isn't a 100 minute footballer. Lucas is. But in saying that, I'm not sure I want Neagle out of the team while his ankles aren't busted or his feet aren't cracked. He needs to play a solid chunk of AFL games just for the experience (of which he has been robbed quite a bit over the years). Play both, and interchange them during the course of the game pehaps.....

[Windy_Hill]

I think it's time he came back in. Neagle is only good for very short bursts.....just doesn't have the stamina for AFL (yet). Neagle has some great attributes, but just isn't a 100 minute footballer. Lucas is. But in saying that, I'm not sure I want Neagle out of the team while his ankles aren't busted or his feet aren't cracked. He needs to play a solid chunk of AFL games just for the experience (of which he has been robbed quite a bit over the years). Play both, and interchange them during the course of the game pehaps.....

Definitely keep Neagle going - he seems to be really finding his feet now and its a matter of time before he has a 5 goal game.

Scotty should be seen as an impact player until he is fully fit and confident - worth playing him in bursts of the bench. Remember what he did in one qtr against the Weagles in Hirdy's last game.

[Western Red]

I think it's time he came back in. Neagle is only good for very short bursts.....just doesn't have the stamina for AFL (yet). Neagle has some great attributes, but just isn't a 100 minute footballer. Lucas is. But in saying that, I'm not sure I want Neagle out of the team while his ankles aren't busted or his feet aren't cracked. He needs to play a solid chunk of AFL games just for the experience (of which he has been robbed quite a bit over the years). Play both, and interchange them during the course of the game pehaps.....

Definitely keep Neagle going - he seems to be really finding his feet now and its a matter of time before he has a 5 goal game.

Scotty should be seen as an impact player until he is fully fit and confident - worth playing him in bursts of the bench. Remember what he did in one qtr against the Weagles in Hirdy's last game.

f*** I was there that day and couldn't believe that! He could have kicked his 8th and put us in front as Glass had slipped over and Scotty was clear but he didn't know (lack of talk maybe) and rushed the kick and it went wide.

Funniest thing watching the Eagles supporters just sit there like stunned mullets when Hille, Jimmy and Scotty tore them apart in that last qtr.

Playing him as a burst player off the bench souds great but there has been a fair bit of comment from Lloyd and Hird about how Lucas has to "run into form" so maybe he is not suited to this role plus it robs us of a midfielder on the bench for the rotations.

[BenDoolan]

f*** I was there that day and couldn't believe that! He could have kicked his 8th and put us in front as Glass had slipped over and Scotty was clear but he didn't know (lack of talk maybe) and rushed the kick and it went wide.

He was tripped by Glass IIRC.

Playing him as a burst player off the bench souds great but there has been a fair bit of comment from Lloyd and Hird about how Lucas has to "run into form" so maybe he is not suited to this role plus it robs us of a midfielder on the bench for the rotations.

Very hard to "run into form" at Bendigo. He's done well to kick 7 goals in the last two games - probably from the only 7 F50 entries they had for the game

[pevfan]

BD wrote...

Very hard to "run into form" at Bendigo. He's done well to kick 7 goals in the last two games - probably from the only 7 F50 entries they had for the game“To get through 50 overs at really good pace, I’m really, really pleased with the way I bowled here” - Brett Lee after match figures of 0-188 v Queensland 2007/08



My point precisely BD. But equally Western Red I think you make a salient point re Scotty needing to "Run into form" and also raising the possibility that we would be robbing ourselves of a midfield runner off the bench (which suddenly we seem to be blessed with riches of)

I don't know, reading todays Hun re the possibility of bringing Hurley back into the side as a forward, I'm beginning to think that Scotty's papers may have been marked. I hope I'm wrong but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find ourselves faced with a press conference in the very near future... Wouldn't be the first great player to pull the pin mid season.

[Sismis]

f*** I was there that day and couldn't believe that! He could have kicked his 8th and put us in front as Glass had slipped over and Scotty was clear but he didn't know (lack of talk maybe) and rushed the kick and it went wide.

He was tripped by Glass IIRC.

Playing him as a burst player off the bench souds great but there has been a fair bit of comment from Lloyd and Hird about how Lucas has to "run into form" so maybe he is not suited to this role plus it robs us of a midfielder on the bench for the rotations.

Very hard to "run into form" at Bendigo. He's done well to kick 7 goals in the last two games - probably from the only 7 F50 entries they had for the game

My recollection is he fell down from sheer exhaustion!

[j-mac31]

No.

We need to keep Neagle in while he's fit, as BD said and let him play some senior games.

But on top of that, while Bendigo is shit, Lucas hasn't done enough to get back into the team IMO. If he comes in, he will give us a CHF target, but is slow and would probably hurt us overall. I think he is done.

Still, my uncle said words to the effect of "Tredrea's no good anymore" at the Carlton game and he is now leading the league goalkicking (Tredrea, not my uncle)!

[Windy_Hill]

No.

I think he is done.

May you end up eating your words

[hillchaser]

Barring injuries I have a feeling he might be on his last legs.

Even if he does get into some form .... does he fit into the game plan ..?

And if he does play who do we drop.. Neagle is the future so we need to persis with him...

I have a feeling that Lucas still has a part to play this season but only if there is an injury to Neagle or Lloyd ... we get that many injuries that it is good to have some backup.

[Mrs Mercuri]

If Neagle has a really quiet game against the Tigers and Lucas again kicks about 4 or 5 in the VFL then i think its right for Scott to come back into the senior team. I do feel that we need to be playing for the future and that is Neagle. The more matches Jay gets under his belt the better.

I dont want to write off Lucas because he is a champion player but its getting more and more likely that it will be his final year in 2009.

[j-mac31]

No.

I think he is done.

May you end up eating your words

Indeed.

[hop]

Barring injuries I have a feeling he might be on his last legs.

Even if he does get into some form .... does he fit into the game plan ..?

And if he does play who do we drop.. Neagle is the future so we need to persis with him...

I have a feeling that Lucas still has a part to play this season but only if there is an injury to Neagle or Lloyd ... we get that many injuries that it is good to have some backup.

Yep - we can't play 23 while everyone else has 22 running around.

The same goes for Skipworth, Prismall, McVeigh, Welsh and Reimers. 5 great inclusions - (potentially 6 with Scotty) but which 5 do we get rid of?

5 kids who who are the future of the club and have ran their legs off and worked their guts out this year? Or 5 more experienced guys who provide the leadership and stability. Perhaps a mixture of both. Either way 5 names don't jump out at me as 'needing a spell'.

It's a wonderful dilemma - but let's not assume injured players coming back will add to our impressive - and fast - game style that we have been developing.

[rockhole]

[quote="hillchaser"]Barring injuries I have a feeling he might be on his last legs.

Even if he does get into some form .... does he fit into the game plan ..?
quote]

I would have thought anyone who can kick goals from outside of 55m would fit into any "game plan" Scotty's problem is getting hold of it. Perhaps the kicking yips have now gone, but he still requires better delivery than he has been getting and a big boost in confidence to overcome the fumbles. He was never quick and probably now needs to time his leads a lot better. He needs to be brough back on the basis that he is a required asset, not that he is on his last legs and needs to prove himself. We owe him at least that much

[Sismis]

Lucas will get back into the team on his own merits. He is a champ and has a massive heart muscle. It wont hurt Neagle to go back to the magoos and work on fitness. He is apparantly the mosdt efficient player in the league in terms of total kicks/goals, however he definately needs contribute for more of the game.

McVeigh for mine is a walk up if he is fit , he is tough, hard, skilled and a leader.

I think people need to cut Prismal some slack. He is coming back form a serious injury and it may take him quite some time to get back to match fitness. It is possible it may not even occur this year. There seems to be a fair bit of expectations on him which could translate to unecessary pressure.

[F111]

I can see Lucas back v the Cats. They have an experienced back line, barring Taylor, so some experience might help.

On the other hand, who would match up better to them..Lucas or Neagle? Neagle less known to them I s'pose.

[F111]

After Neagles game tonight, I expect Lucas to be back next week unless he gets injured.

[s'dreams]

Time for Lucas to return. Neagle didn't do much (probably an understatement) and runnig Paddy in the forward line at the start of the game (1)let the opposition get an upper hand and (2) indicates we have a deficiency (ie lack of a tall forward to support Lloyd now McPhee is in the back).

Cheers - STI

[dom_105]

The time has come.

[billyduckworth]

I think he usually goes okay against the Cats, doesn't he?

Two possible options if we bring Lucas back:
(1) keep Neagle as well and so run a tall forward line and/or alternate them off the bench
(2) drop Neagle and replace him with Lucas

Which one is likely to work better against the Cats?