Over the past two years, we have invested in six players from the GWS club in the hope that they will have a meaningful contribution & impact with us.
Things is, which of them will make it as genuine long-term senior players and who won't ??
Kristian Jaksch
Lachie Plowman
Jethro Lamb
Liam Sumner
Andrew Phillips
Mark Whiley
Jaksch and Plowman can make it IMO.......the latter has to stop getting injured though
Whiley...gone at seasons IMO.....too slow, disposal poor and while he has a go he doesnt have the class needed...
Sumner..untried but at his size you need to be very very good......pace and goalkicking ability and needs some games to be tested but I'd have him behind Lamb at this stage.
Lamb....lazy trainer at GWS but seems to be fitter with us......at his 3rd club...odds not great of making it.
Philips...probably in competition with Gorringe for a game....one of them wont make it....Philips is more the stock standard solid type of ruckman while Gorringe has more flair....cant pick a winner at this stage..
Kristian Jaksch - this guy really worries me, has the skills & the height but is still too thin, I have a bad feeling he may end up being just another very good VFL player
Lachie Plowman - appears to be the best placed of the lot but spends a fair bit of time in the medical room, if he can stay on the park long enough he should be a winner.
Jethro Lamb - if I had to put the kiss-of-death on one of them it will be this chap, third club and hardly fired a shot at the previous two, it's time to piss or get off the pot
Liam Sumner - not totally convinced that he will get there but there is a place in the team for him if he wants it bad enough
Andrew Phillips - he's a monster & has some real aggression but needs to impose himself around the ground as well as at stoppages, I'm on the fence with this one but really hope he comes on in leaps & bounds.
Mark Whiley - I originally had high hopes for him after watching him play some really solid games for GWS just before he was traded, my enthusiasm has waned somewhat but he may still get there
I think Whiley will make it.
Plowman and Jaksch should.
Phillips and Lamb could.
We will have done well if Jaksch and Plowman can both manage 100 games.
Whiley has an outside chance but I'm not confident that he, or any of the others, will make 100 games. It will be a bonus if one does.
I think only Plowman and Jaksch were viewed by the club as serious long term prospects and the others were viewed more as short term recruits to bolster the list during the rebuild phase. Whether those two make it long term is anybody's guess at this stage. Jaksch has so far not made any mark but has had injuries whilst Plowman seems to have been highly rated by clubs at the time of his drafting - we can only hope they can progress this year.
As for the others, anyone's guess at this stage but we've seen more of Whiley who has not so far set the world alight.
Reckon Plowman could be a star! rate him really highly,. Greta size, beautiful side step, clean hands, marks well, good kick, good footy nous. Juts needs to stay on the park!
Sumner has all the tools to make the highest level.
Jaksch seems more timid than what I remember seeing at the Giants but again has all the tools and skills.
Phillips, like Gorringe, has aggression and is a massive unit so I'm willing to give these two lost of time.
Lamb has clean hands and loads of talent. is fitter and working hard so give him some time. I've always been a fan of his so am hoping it all comes together for him...and us.
Whiley would be a bonus. More bulk around the should and arms would eb handy but he is a clearance winner and has clean hands so could play a role for us. Not sure he and Ed Curnow will play heaps of AFL footy together.
Agree wholeheartedly Pratty. The others (other than Plowman) far more than "steak knives" imo.
All these guys (Phillips and Whiley excluded arguably) have some very decent pedigree.
Take Lamb, for example. Was taken by Sydney at #21 in the 2010 draft.
Sure, mightn't have trained hard enough but hopefully the penny has dropped.....?
We'll see.....
For me it's too early and too hard to tell which players will and won't make it.
I reckon if we can get 200 games out of these 6 players as a collective, it will have been a win.
If they don't then Boekhurst and Kerridge will both have to become super stars for us to come out in front for these particular trades.
You've set the bar pretty low Amers. I reckon at least one of them has to play 100 games. Still, 200 games out of all six suggests that they would be depth players and we definitely need more depth.
I think Boeky is our best hope thus far even though he didn't come from GWS, he was part of the deal. The rest are all real concerns ATM.
I wanted to keep our picks and I've seen nothing to change my mind. Most of these guys would have ended up on the GWS scrap heap by the end of next season.
Cannon fodder until some talent comes through the door but where there's life there's hope.
A bit harsh there, but it is the lads who have to prove that the pudding is worth eating.
Of the 2014 deal players, Jaksch is the most likely to make, but I really want to see some improvement this year.
Of the deal itself, we got Boekhorst, Jaksch and Whiley for one guy who has played less senior footy than any of our 3. While it may not have been the greatest deal ever, we don't look like losing from it.
Of the 2015 guys, I like Plowman. I think he could be a very good player, if he can stay on the park.
Phillips is the surprise to me, both in his size and athleticism and in his leap. We have always struggled against the Weagles when Nic Nat has been playing because of his leap. We couldn't counter it, and so got smashed in the midfield. Phillips could be a good weapon here. Like Hampson before him, he has a long way to go before he becomes a top ruckman, but he does have more tools than most and more likelihood of beating Nic Nat at his own game.
I haven't seen enough of Lamb or Sumner to really rate them, but their histories do not make me confident. But, as they start so far down, they could be huge pickups if they can come good. I just don't expect it.
The other part of that deal, Kerridge, looks like to be worth the effort. But one swallow does not a summer make.
Basically, we look to have done reasonably from this deal.
The 2014 deal does not look like it was inspired, more that the quality of the 2014 top picks doesn't look too good.
The 2015 deal looks a lot stronger as a deal.
But it is going to be years before we work out if we have really won here,
All of the 6 have a LOT to prove at this point. But Lamb looked good against the Hawks and Sumner and Plowman are yet to appear.
Jaksch has to become a marking forward - Justin Westhoff type. He's not big enough to be a backman.
Whiley - I really liked the look of him when he first turned up... now not so much. Physically not strong enough to play the role. Ed Curnow was absolutely horrific against Essendon - hacked the ball forward straight to bummers even when under little/no pressure - so there might be a spot there if he can find some confidence. Looks naturally short on confidence though.
Phillips - I really can't see him working out. Would love to be proved wrong but drops everything other than the most basic marks and fumbles a lot on the ground. Not tall enough to be just a tap ruckman... albeit this rating is based on 2 NAB cup games.
In Juddy's book he make his feelings felt about players with all the ability but a lack of commitment. You cut them loose. He'd rather someone who has a go. His rationale was motivation has to come from within. You can't keep having to motivate players. Only those skilled players on the cusp who need just a small amount of external pressure to get them over the line are worth the effort.
Taking this view I worry about all of them. Plowman maybe if he can get fit.
Maybe, 200 is at the low end of what I would consider being a success. It would take 1 player to play 100 and another couple to play 50 games each or something similar. I reckon a couple of that lot will be lucky to play 20 games in Navy Blue, so the others will have to fill in the gaps.
I suppose you can look at this as averages, but 200 games out of six players I think would be below average for the AFL. Do we know what the current up to date AFL averages are, I think they were about 4 years and less than 50 games one or two years back?
The averages need to be put into context over how many teams they include, because including GWS and GC skews the value of using averages if they are constrained to only go back a couple of years. Plus the use of extended lists might have an influence when you consider injury time, work load, etc., etc..
But I would think 200 games total from 6 players is below average, 300 might be closer to the mark.
Highlights granted, but some decent contested marks here...
http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2015-10-21/get-to-know-andrew-phillips (http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2015-10-21/get-to-know-andrew-phillips)
Some very nice highlights there agreed, that bloke definitely didnt turn up against the Scum at PP. The dropped marks (relative sitters) in the first qtr were met with some groans by the Carton hierarchy I was sitting in front of. Having said that, he seems to have the tools.
Liam Sumner
- See more at: http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/player-profile/liam-sumner#sthash.EURBBbC9.dpuf
Like Plowman, cursed by injury thus far....but check out his Rd 1 in 2013 vs Swans:
http://www.aflplayerratings.com.au/Ratings/Player/116569/Liam-SUMNER (http://www.aflplayerratings.com.au/Ratings/Player/116569/Liam-SUMNER)
If/when he's fit and match ready Sumner would be my first choice to try for the vacant small forward role. His "New Blue" highlights reel showed potential:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ZVUkad0mg
Interesting how different groups report different outcomes, FinalSiren.com (http://www.finalsiren.com/MatchDetails.asp?GameID=6243&Code=9300a09ea8d4c7e1509cf753e56bf0e3) has him much lower rated for the same game.
Anyone prepared to change their predictions now ??
I doubt that any of Jaksch, Whiley, Sumner or Lamb will be on our list three years from now, and Plowman is only a maybe.
None of them look like certain 100 game players to me except possibly Phillips, who looks like the pick of them, but he has a good way to go.
Sumner played 2 games now after a very interrupted pre-season.
Hit the scoreboard each week and will only get fitter, faster and more tuned in after missing a lot of footy.
Staggering that some are calling for him to be dropped.
Adds some speed in the midfield too. Much needed speed.
I think Sumner has plenty of upside. I worry Plowman might be a little small for the role he plays, but if he gets into a midfield rotation he could be very valuable.
I am glad to see Phillips on the rise, he has all the attributes if he can find the ball. If we asked the question this week about which ruckmen should be resting forward, I wonder if Kreuzer would still be the first choice!
Why is anyone not happy with Lamb?
If he didn't nail that crucial goal in the third we'd have been sunk.
I like him, he's got a terrific attitude.
I'm far more comfortable with him, Sumner and Wright ball in hand in our forward line than just about anyone on the list.
Can never have enough smart footballers. Phillips was terrific yesterday and the coach loves Plow.
It's called turning over the list, has to be done.
Plowman, Phillips, Sumner, Lamb, Kerridge and Wright (DFA) cost us Menzel.
How anyone thinks we are were foolish for doing that is beyond me.
Whether all or none of them make it long term we have gotten more first and second rounders wrong over the last five years and they are already on track to be part of our team as our older players start to fade out.
The GWS mob have played more than any one player would have to now.
While is the only one who looks done. The rest are very much part of our team medium term.
good player Lamb, gives his all, but he lacks that mercurial x factor around goals - a little predictable
Plowman and Sumner are locks for mine. Best of the GWS bunch. Both missed a hell of a lot of football and most of the preseason so to come into a new team and play solid footy with only a game and a half in the 2s is enough to suggest they'll be players.
Showing signs: Phillips, Lamb
Not convinced: Jaksch, Whiley
Philip sdoing ok and Lamb has been handy in recent weeks and can kick straight..
Agree on Whiley...I'm a fan of Jaksch and reckon we just need to be patient...
mark fine said last night 1 lamb very soft 2 sumner not afl standard and that gws boys might move us 1 rung up the ladder that about it other words we are going no where .Did anyone else listen to sen .
And who the f... is mark fine?
How many times has he seen Sumner play?
Clown.
Guy needs people to ring in.
We win but good news doesn't pay the bills for cock smokers like Finey.
Finey just comes out with stuff to stir the pot half the time. I wouldn't say Lamb is soft, nor hard, and Sumner hasn't shown anything to suggest he's out of place at AFL level.
He's a Saints supporter and dirty that we're not that far behind them in our rebuild. Once Riewoldt, Montagna, Fisher, Dempster etc. go they'll be in trouble.
For everyone that is saying our ex-GWS players are average, stop-gap, fringe players that aren't up to it need to pull their heads in. They've played less than 6 games in a team that supposedly has the worst list in history and aren't even 22yo yet. I'm not saying we've turned the corner just yet. We scraped home against two terrible sides in two terrible games of footy but to write them off is just ridiculous.
Give me a break.
These guys are SENsationalise Radio 1116 !
Just building audience numbers. Robbo was drivelling on there earlier when I was driving home, turned him off.
Lol. Finey
I think that I got it wrong about Jaksch. He is showing some signs but seems to have a way to go if he is going to make it as an AFL footballer. It will be a bonus if he gets to 100 games.
Plowman looks like he will be a lock as our third tall defender for some time. He can play on taller players and moves well enough to take a small forward. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't play 100 games.
I was wrong about Phillips too. I think that he will develop into a very fine ruckman and should rack up 100 games without any problems. Lamb and Sumner have both shown a bit too and 100 games between them is highly likely.
Whiley's 'outside chance' is looking more remote.
As for Mark Fine's comments, his credibility as a football analyst is right up there with Molly Meldrum, Kate Langbrook and Marina Prior.
Having seen more of us play than Mr. Fine, I can say easily that:
[1] Lamb is not soft. He adds quite a lot more physical pressure than Garlett had for years. He is a more physical player who take overhead marks and puts his body in. The only thing soft about him was his kicking last weekend: it usually is better than that.
[2] Sumner is a kid playing and looking adequate. He did some nice things and also showed some physicality.
Neither of these guys is getting enough of the ball yet, nor are they kicking enough goals yet, but I would not throw them away. Not for a moment.
If he wants to look around for 'soft' players, perhaps he should look a little closer to home.
My call at this early stage is:
Whiley - no
Plowman, Sumner, Phillips - yes
Lamb - likely, would like to see a bit more though
Jaksch - undecided. Has the goods - maybe more time needed.
(Is it me or does he lack vertebral flexibility? from footage alone, looks as though his lower spine is flattened, that is limited lumbar curvature. No expert, so this is wild speculation only).
I texted in and called him a fkn idiot. Fine used to be good to listen to but now he's full of self-importance, thinking he's knows everything but in fact knows nothing. Finished the text telling him SOS knows all the players backwards and is an expert, while he's a wannabe expert.
Given he hates anyone disagreeing with him i'm surprised he didn't pick up on it and get personal like he always does.
Initially we wanted 3 players to really make it, Plowman, Jaksch and Sumner, the rest come as extra's and were bonuses. Those "bonuses" are producing good stuff.
Plowman, Jaksch and and Sumner will all do well. Seeing Jaksch play at Geelong the other Friday convinced me he'll be very good. Outstanding mark of a football and can kick. For someone who's not long 21yo, he'll be around for a while. Sumner will be really good once he is properly fit. Plowman has been terrific, especially for one who's pre-season was interrupted. Now getting plenty out of Lamb and Phillips.
Haven't noticed but if it is that's a posterior tilt of the hips usually caused by tight hamstrings.
Sumner for a lightly built player is a bit more hard at than most of us expected and I have been impressed with his courage.....nice goal where he showed some smarts to kick the ball across his boot to get the angle and bounce right and I think he can progress and become a valuable player..
I listen to SEN in the shed from early morning until 7, when I turn it off. Coincidentally that coincides with Fine's shift. Enough said.
I think for the ex-GWS players to be a success they just need to be best 22 or at least an improvement on what we already had.
Plowman > White
Phillips > Warnock
Sumner = Menzel (can't decide who I would have. Probably Menzel going by his best games but his worst was terrible)
Lamb > Ellard (not much of a difference though)
Jaksch > Giles
Whiley < Carrazzo
While we're at it...
Weitering > Jamison
McKay > Watson (confident this will be the case)
C. Curnow = Henderson (too early, Curnow is less of a sook)
Cuningham <<<< Judd (Cuningham pretty stiff with this comparison)
Kerridge > Holman
Wright = Bell (on output, but I think Wright is the better player)
Gorringe < Yarran (both freak athletes, both don't want it bad enough. Yaz had more runs on the board)
SOS > Walsh (different players, same appetite. SOS has better attributes)
Glass-McCasker > Fields (on raw ability and size)
Gallucci = Johnson (too early, leaning towards Gallucci)
Korcheck = Russell (Cat B. rookies - won't find out for a long time on this one)
I can comfortably say that we improved our list on last year.
Plowman is a lock. A definite third defender of quality.
Phillips is a lock. Already showing enough to suggest he will keep growing into the role and become one of the better ruckman in the league
Sumner has shown enough to persevere with. Play's with passion and is a solid finisher
Jaksch has some doubts hovering over him and hopefully he can work his way out of this and become the player we wanted.
Lamb has surprised me with his tenacity. Has much more discipline than we were lead to believe.
Let's also not forget
Lambs goal in the third saved our arse. Till that point we'd missed about 7 shots in a row and hadn't kicked a goal for an hour.
Sumners goal in the last looked to have wrapped the game up.
Phillips goal from 50 in the last was the sealer.
Composure when the pressure is on. Cant beat it.
Lamb was picked up and played games for the Swans....from what I understand he left for the chance to get more regular senior game time.
The bloke can play.
Just wait when we learn how to move the ball into F50 with speed like the better teams - then you'll see the best of blokes like Lamb and Sumner.
Another things is that, unlike cubs who have dominant forwards, we don't have anyone that needs to be regularly double teamed. That allows our opponents to keep a tighter check on our smaller forwards. If one of our large forwards all of a sudden hit some form and became a serious danger, the pressure on our smaller forwards would decrease remarkably, offering them more opportunities.
Look at Hawthorn: player gravitated firstly to Franklin (when he was there) and then Roughead. It meant that players like Gunston did not have the same pressure on them. Gunston used that and kicked a lot of goals. So did guys like Breust and Puopolo.
They have other attributes: their excellent disposal, for example. However, never underestimate the effect of having a big name who needs to be squished leading to opportunities for the rest.
Lamb has showed way more than Sumner. He was my least impressive pick up, but is great one on one for his size, has good running ability and doesn't shirk a contest.
Reckon it wont be long until he kicks 3 or 4 in a game.
I think Phillips will end up being the pick of them.
Plowman looks very good at this stage but Phillips could be a very good ruckman.
Needs a bit more aggression
One of the greatest irritations of this season is Jaksch non-selection.
As if we have enough performance in our forward line to justify keeping that guy out. Anyone showing a shred of form at VFL level in the fwd line should be straight in.
I know he still has weaknesses in his game but name me a Carlton player who doesn't.
Plowman - couldn't be happier with this guy. He and Weitering have really settled down our backline. Calm and keeps things simple. Very happy with this pick.
Lamb and Sumner both showing really positive signs. Phillips is really improving which is awesome.
Whiley gone.
Fine - irrelevant. Wouldn't know if his a55 was on fire.
Dunno, I am confident the coaches have a plan in place for KJ, once he ticks the boxes, he will be in. He was fairly ordinary in the 2s early on I believe, he is slowly improving it seems. We have won the last 2 so its always hard to break into a winning team, injuries need to occur for that to be made easy. His time will come.
I believe, and it is not confirmed, that Jaksch has certain performance criteria to reach to get a game. I am not sure what they are, but they do involve defensive pressure. Hopefully he can meet these criteria soon.
He won't get a game until he buys in to the Bolton way.
I reckon it's a source of frustration for Bolton too; he has made comments about KJ playing as a swingman. Hopefully KJ can get his act together as his best is pretty good.
I still reckon he needs to put on size. He mightn't get a whole lot bigger with his body type but he needs a few more Kgs IMO. During the preseason he said he needs to work on bulking up and his running capacity in an interview. That should've improved over the preseason and now it's about second efforts and being involved for four quarters.
If he ain't earning a position, he ain't getting one...
Well this has been the case in fact...Jones showed more than a shred of form in the VFL & so therefore gets a game. You can't tell me that Jaksch out performed Jones ? (& believe me....I am not a Jones fan. I am still to be convinced that he is an AFL level footballer)
But, yeah, I hear your frustration Jeza, hopefully Jaksch can do what is required & get a go very soon.....I think he does have the attributes to make it & I firmly think he will be a better bet than Jones in the long run.
cheers
Mal.
The frustration should be with Jaksch not the club here. It is he who is not reaching the required senior standard despite the club's best efforts. There's a senior place just begging to be filled by him and the challenge is his.
Im not even frustrated at Jaksch. He is simply not as good as Jones as it stands right now so isnt getting a game.
FWIW, I think Levi is in bigger danger than Jones.
Jones pops up for his goal a game, and might not win contests, but he halves them and throws his weight around.
He might never be a great forward, but he will give you what he has to give, and if we can somehow have him playing as a 2nd or 3rd banana, it might work for him.
Jaksch has more talent, but doesnt give you everything he has.
If I were Levi I'd be working hard to greatly improve my ruckwork as quickly as possible, if he can make himself 30% competitive in the ruck he is safe, but at the moment he isn't even 10% of a ruckmen!
If you're big and can't run, it's not unheard of. If you're a twig and a running machine, also not unheard of. But if you suck at both, there are big issues.s
I've found his form to be pretty good. He was outstanding in the game I watched against Geelong. He is an outstanding contested mark, similar to Casboult. He can kick at goal too. Straight in this week to replace Weitering for me.
Sumner played half a decent game straight in. Plowman likewise.
We'll look back at the end of the year and think WTF - we put games into Jones ahead of this guy?
Moronic. Makes no sense on any level.
the lack of agility and second efforts are a big issue for one with his physique. He isn't a monstor size like tom Boyd but more Jones like and he has multiple efforts in him.
Fair enough Jim - I'm getting mixed reports on him. I guess bottom line is that he hasn't impressed the MC enough yet to get a senior game. Maybe that'll change this week?