Bombertalk

A bit bored and was musing about a comment by Bomber Thompson a week or two back:

In an interview for the club magazine shortly after his appointment, Thompson explained his role thus: ''I am here because I know what's coming.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/b ... z1YYXBJVcU

He also knows how to build a Team. It is therefore incumbent to look at his raw materials that with Hirdy has to play with long term especially those that they are to be there long term, 23 and under. Name, year of birth, games played;

Bellchambers 1989 27.
Browne 1992 2.
Carlisle 1991 10
Colyer 1991 21
Crameri 1988 23
Davis* 1992 0
Gumbleton 1988 22
Hardingham 1988 22
Heppell 1992 23
Hibberd* 1990 9
Hooker 1998 49
Howlett 1988 49
Hurley 1990 47
Jetta 1988 62
Melksham 1991 37
Myers 1989 36
Pears 1990 47
Reimers 1989 55
Ross* 1991 2
Ryder 1988 117
Zaka 1990 53

* Named by Heppell at the RS Award as the 3 players he believes will come on big time.

Not a bad core to go forward with and if there is a better list of kids elsewhere with the facilities we will have and the Coaching team we have and the back office that goes with it, then it will give cause for us to fear them.

I think if any club was asked to pick their best half dozen players aged 23 or under, ours would be as good as any - Hurley, Pears, Heppell, Crameri, Zaharakis and Ryder. The issue is how we go about filling the bottom 8 spots in the team in circumstances where there are compromised drafts, and we are unlikely to get early picks anyway as we shouldn't slide back down the ladder.

On the plus side, the only two guys aged 26+ who made a meaningful contribution this year were Fletcher and Hille. The only side who finished above us this year who could potentially claim something similar would be Carlton. I think we have a long period (5-7 years) where we can potentially be good, but it depends on filling the bottom half of the team with solid contributors rather than the junk we've tended to over the past decade.

Ross won't come on as big time. I know he looked alright this year, but he won't make it.

HOORAY, FINALLY!!... Been locked out of the system for nearly a week now.

Anyway, to the topic...Yes Filth, looks a pretty handy list ON PAPER but wont mean a thing if we cannnot work out a way to overcome our injury curse...I know I can be accused of banging on too much about this issue, but to me, quite simply, the injury problem is absolutely paramount to any teams success. I saw in an earlier post of yours Filth, stats on how many games were lost by our top 30 players this season...something like 153 FFS, I think you said, which was second only to Freo.
(How stiff was Harvs to be given the boot after that)

I'd like to know where you saw those stats Filth cos I'd love to check on the figure for Geelong, not only for this season but for the past 5 seasons i.e. since their first premiership year (of the modern era) in 2007. Indeed I'd like to see the overall situation for us from 2001 onwards because it seems to me that this curse has dogged us now every year since that grand year of 2000.

That list doesn't include Watto, Hocking, Gus, Lonergan, Fletch etc.

The new facilities, Bombers with Hirdy's insistence on big bodies by snagging his body builder from the pussies, winning the ball inside and then moving the ball by long, accurate kicks which is quicker than a guy running it, holding it in and scoring......plus better back office staff on all levels....

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Remember when Eddie took over the Filth, they were broke and had nothing. We are not broke and are starting a rebuild from a position in the 8.....

Massive difference.

stop it, it's too long till round 1 and you guys are getting me all itchy already

how many days JP?

Ok Filth, I will take the contrary position, purely because you do a similar thread either at the end of every year or at the start......it always harps on about what some blokes are going to do, and it never eventuates.

Think back to the State of Origin game in 94. We had just won a flag, and Calthorpe had won the Whitten Medal in what many people including myself believe was the highest standard game of football ever played to that date. Calthorpe, Olarenshaw, Hills etc were going to carry our mid-field stocks for the next 10 years.....it didnt happen.

Ah the memories of the beautiful summer of 2001, coming off the 2000 flag, how good were Heffernan, Blumfield, Carracella, Rama going to be for the next 10 years? Not to mention the likes of Rioli, McGrath and McVeigh waiting in the wings? McVeigh had a reasonable if not spectacular career, the rest? Not a lot.

Every list has good young players, and if it helps you sleep during the warm months ahead, by all means get excited. But face some facts, every time this year that one of the better sides made us play them one on one, our talent was miles away from being up to it. As a football team, we are still miles away from being up to it.

robbie67 wrote:Ok Filth, I will take the contrary position, purely because you do a similar thread either at the end of every year or at the start......it always harps on about what some blokes are going to do, and it never eventuates.

Think back to the State of Origin game in 94. We had just won a flag, and Calthorpe had won the Whitten Medal in what many people including myself believe was the highest standard game of football ever played to that date. Calthorpe, Olarenshaw, Hills etc were going to carry our mid-field stocks for the next 10 years.....it didnt happen.

Ah the memories of the beautiful summer of 2001, coming off the 2000 flag, how good were Heffernan, Blumfield, Carracella, Rama going to be for the next 10 years? Not to mention the likes of Rioli, McGrath and McVeigh waiting in the wings? McVeigh had a reasonable if not spectacular career, the rest? Not a lot.

Every list has good young players, and if it helps you sleep during the warm months ahead, by all means get excited. But face some facts, every time this year that one of the better sides made us play them one on one, our talent was miles away from being up to it. As a football team, we are still miles away from being up to it.

Yeah......this is how I feel about things.

Sick and tired of the "promise" of things to come. Just get on with it and do it. I totally switch off on football talk during the summer months. I know what they're going to trot out - "toughest pre-season ever", "so and so has had their best ever pre-season", "such and such just ran their fastest trial", "ho and hum have bulked up and are looking ripped", "flim and flam are ready to tear the upcoming season to shreds"

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

It's an interesting one. I don't think the gap between challenging for a flag and not challenging for a flag is as much as what people seem to think. Look at West Coast this year. They won the wooden spoon last year and are now one win away from playing for the premiership.

Next year we could finish anywhere between 14 to 4th on the ladder.

I think it's fair to say we have an intriguing list.

Gossy7 wrote:Ross won't come on as big time. I know he looked alright this year, but he won't make it.

I'd back him in as pushing for the title of second best behind Heppell from that draft. Hirdy rates him extremely highly as well.

boncer34 wrote:

Gossy7 wrote:Ross won't come on as big time. I know he looked alright this year, but he won't make it.

I'd back him in as pushing for the title of second best behind Heppell from that draft. Hirdy rates him extremely highly as well.

Definitely not. Browne, Davis and Stienberg will be well well ahead of him. He will be delisted, just like his brother Ben in a couple of years.

filthy2 wrote:A bit bored and was musing about a comment by Bomber Thompson a week or two back:

In an interview for the club magazine shortly after his appointment, Thompson explained his role thus: ''I am here because I know what's coming.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/b ... z1YYXBJVcU

He also knows how to build a Team. It is therefore incumbent to look at his raw materials that with Hirdy has to play with long term especially those that they are to be there long term, 23 and under. Name, year of birth, games played;

Bellchambers 1989 27.
Browne 1992 2.
Carlisle 1991 10
Colyer 1991 21
Crameri 1988 23
Davis* 1992 0
Gumbleton 1988 22
Hardingham 1988 22
Heppell 1992 23
Hibberd* 1990 9
Hooker 1998 49
Howlett 1988 49
Hurley 1990 47
Jetta 1988 62
Melksham 1991 37
Myers 1989 36
Pears 1990 47
Reimers 1989 55
Ross* 1991 2
Ryder 1988 117
Zaka 1990 53

* Named by Heppell at the RS Award as the 3 players he believes will come on big time.

Not a bad core to go forward with and if there is a better list of kids elsewhere with the facilities we will have and the Coaching team we have and the back office that goes with it, then it will give cause for us to fear them.

Hooker is doing well for a 13 year old..

Jazz_84 wrote:stop it, it's too long till round 1 and you guys are getting me all itchy already

how many days JP?

189 Days or 27 weeks

Gimps wrote:

filthy2 wrote:A bit bored and was musing about a comment by Bomber Thompson a week or two back:

In an interview for the club magazine shortly after his appointment, Thompson explained his role thus: ''I am here because I know what's coming.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/b ... z1YYXBJVcU

He also knows how to build a Team. It is therefore incumbent to look at his raw materials that with Hirdy has to play with long term especially those that they are to be there long term, 23 and under. Name, year of birth, games played;

Bellchambers 1989 27.
Browne 1992 2.
Carlisle 1991 10
Colyer 1991 21
Crameri 1988 23
Davis* 1992 0
Gumbleton 1988 22
Hardingham 1988 22
Heppell 1992 23
Hibberd* 1990 9
Hooker 1998 49
Howlett 1988 49
Hurley 1990 47
Jetta 1988 62
Melksham 1991 37
Myers 1989 36
Pears 1990 47
Reimers 1989 55
Ross* 1991 2
Ryder 1988 117
Zaka 1990 53

* Named by Heppell at the RS Award as the 3 players he believes will come on big time.

Not a bad core to go forward with and if there is a better list of kids elsewhere with the facilities we will have and the Coaching team we have and the back office that goes with it, then it will give cause for us to fear them.

Hooker is doing well for a 13 year old..

BITCH!!!!

robbie67 wrote:Ok Filth, I will take the contrary position, purely because you do a similar thread either at the end of every year or at the start......it always harps on about what some blokes are going to do, and it never eventuates.

Think back to the State of Origin game in 94. We had just won a flag, and Calthorpe had won the Whitten Medal in what many people including myself believe was the highest standard game of football ever played to that date. Calthorpe, Olarenshaw, Hills etc were going to carry our mid-field stocks for the next 10 years.....it didnt happen.

Ah the memories of the beautiful summer of 2001, coming off the 2000 flag, how good were Heffernan, Blumfield, Carracella, Rama going to be for the next 10 years? Not to mention the likes of Rioli, McGrath and McVeigh waiting in the wings? McVeigh had a reasonable if not spectacular career, the rest? Not a lot.

Every list has good young players, and if it helps you sleep during the warm months ahead, by all means get excited. But face some facts, every time this year that one of the better sides made us play them one on one, our talent was miles away from being up to it. As a football team, we are still miles away from being up to it.

Fair enough Rob but this time on exposed form, I can't recall having a top 10 of say Carlisle, Crameri, Heppell, Hibberd, Howlett, Hurley, Melksham, Pears, Ryder, Zaka with Belly a close 11th out of the 21 at anytime in those past years.....all 23 or under....1st time ever a RS there.....offering 7-10 years service.....in previous crystal balling...IMHO.

Who is my Top Youngster? Out of Heppell, Hurley, Pears, Melks or Zaka for mine. Choice? Mmmmmmmm......

The only statement I totally disagree with you on is "every time this year that one of the better sides made us play them one on one, our talent was miles away from being up to it"....we are the equal in talent in most cases or better in a few but are years away physically hopefully being adressed in the next 6 months....or the start of said addressing.

I've commented on whether each player has performed, over the period of 1 game or more, at an A grade level, and if not, what level they have performed to:

Bellchambers - No (B)
Browne - No (C)
Carlisle - No (B)
Colyer - No (B+)
Crameri - Yes
Davis* - No
Gumbleton - No (B)
Hardingham - No (B+)
Heppell - Yes
Hibberd* - No (B)
Hooker - No (B)
Howlett - No (B+)
Hurley - Yes
Jetta - Yes (lucky)
Melksham - No (B)
Myers - No (B+)
Pears - Yes
Reimers - Yes
Ross* - No (C+)
Ryder - Yes
Zaka - Yes

That gives us Zaka, Ryder, Pears, Jetta, Hurley, Heppell and Crameri who, over a period of 1 game or more, have played at an A grade level. I'm still worried that Jetta may not eventuate into anything.

I'm still highly unconvinced that Melksham, Hooker, Hibberd, Gumbleton, Ross, Carlisle, Browne, Bellchambers and Colyer will make it. As things stand, they are solid C-B grade talent.

Gossy7 wrote:

boncer34 wrote:

Gossy7 wrote:Ross won't come on as big time. I know he looked alright this year, but he won't make it.

I'd back him in as pushing for the title of second best behind Heppell from that draft. Hirdy rates him extremely highly as well.

Definitely not. Browne, Davis and Stienberg will be well well ahead of him. He will be delisted, just like his brother Ben in a couple of years.

He's done more then Browne and Stienberg thus far although Stienberg will come good.

Not to mention Heppell nomianted Ross as the bloke to come on the most when asked at the Rising Star from memory.

Melksham will be a great player - he is only in his second season.

boncer34 wrote:

Gossy7 wrote:

boncer34 wrote:Ross won't come on as big time. I know he looked alright this year, but he won't make it.

I'd back him in as pushing for the title of second best behind Heppell from that draft. Hirdy rates him extremely highly as well.

Definitely not. Browne, Davis and Stienberg will be well well ahead of him. He will be delisted, just like his brother Ben in a couple of years.

He's done more then Browne and Stienberg thus far although Stienberg will come good.

Not to mention Heppell nomianted Ross as the bloke to come on the most when asked at the Rising Star from memory.[/quote]

Who cares what he's done thus far? I couldnt care less that he played 2 games over Steinberg that played 0.

He's not going to be any good. We should never have drafted him, I couldn't believe it at the time, nor could a lot of people, and will end up being another VFL player. Fact.

PS - Any bloke that 'goes home' from Mad Monday at lunchtime for a sleep is shit in my books

Jimmy and the blokes in charge are happy with him. Maybe Browne doesn't like him but I'll stick to listening to some others.