Max Heath

[Yorkeys]

Wont debut this year, it's his own personal choice as he's very aware he's not ready, performance backs that up.

Has he said that?

Gunston and Rich eat your hearts out.

[saintbob]

Have watched a few including some of today. Not ready for AFL yet and at 21 and a big guy no rush either. Look how long it has taken English ( a top 10 pick) to become a good AFL player. patience is needed IMO

Just for the record, Tim English was drafted in 2016 and played 2 games in 2017 (aged 20), 7 in 2018 after which he became a regular in 2019 for Footscray.

I would argue that there is no better way for young blokes to learn the game than by playing in the senior team, there's no good reason to hold Heath back any longer as he won't get much better playing with Sandringham.

And that's why these forums are great as we all see things different.
English may have been a regular but 2019 and 2020 he was toweled up regularly , sometimes dropped and was owned by Marshall/ Ryder in the elim final 2020. Since then he has filled out , got fitter and played well.

That aside i don't see where he fits in our team as is still learning the forward craft. leading patterns etc and I do'nt see the need for a second ruck - now if something was to happen to Ro, then the case could be made for him IMO.

Do you reckon the learnings English took from being towelled up regularly and getting dropped were vital to his development.
Other than Marshall, what other ruckman have we been able to develop since McEvoy who like English developed at a faster rate because he was given opportunities.

[BadRossco]

With King out Heath is our best option, takes a good grab and kicks accurately, Hayes is another possibility but still a couple of weeks away so let the Moose loose

[older saint]

Have watched a few including some of today. Not ready for AFL yet and at 21 and a big guy no rush either. Look how long it has taken English ( a top 10 pick) to become a good AFL player. patience is needed IMO

Just for the record, Tim English was drafted in 2016 and played 2 games in 2017 (aged 20), 7 in 2018 after which he became a regular in 2019 for Footscray.

I would argue that there is no better way for young blokes to learn the game than by playing in the senior team, there's no good reason to hold Heath back any longer as he won't get much better playing with Sandringham.

And that's why these forums are great as we all see things different.
English may have been a regular but 2019 and 2020 he was toweled up regularly , sometimes dropped and was owned by Marshall/ Ryder in the elim final 2020. Since then he has filled out , got fitter and played well.

That aside i don't see where he fits in our team as is still learning the forward craft. leading patterns etc and I do'nt see the need for a second ruck - now if something was to happen to Ro, then the case could be made for him IMO.

Do you reckon the learnings English took from being towelled up regularly and getting dropped were vital to his development.
Other than Marshall, what other ruckman have we been able to develop since McEvoy who like English developed at a faster rate because he was given opportunities.

Continuing down this path though is he isn't coming in as a ruck as suggested but as a forward. I don't think in that role he is ready and we need best 22 selected at this stage. If you believe what is on here he has declared himself he isn't ready - if that is even part true then shouldn't play as he doesn't believe yet.

[Saints58]

Given availability, Battle, Hill, Higgins and Clark are certainties

So what does that do to structure given King and Cordy out?

From watching a bit of the VFL game today, other than Clark no one did enough to demand selection

Some tried hard but that was it

And it is acknowledged that apart from Campbell they are a bunch of kids still developing

There was a bloke in Sandy that did ok 30 disposals 10 tackles by the name of Bytel he has played a few games for sandy now and numbers are good.

[Saints58]

I really like heath but I am worried playing another inexperienced forward maybe play Campbell until Hayes is ready then Heath might come in his form at sandy has been good

[cwrcyn]

Heath doesn't have the tank yet to play AFL. Let's be patient.

[Otiman]

I really like heath but I am worried playing another inexperienced forward maybe play Campbell until Hayes is ready then Heath might come in his form at sandy has been good

A ruckman and a 5 gamer are not 'experienced forwards'.

Heath has the tank to play permanent deepest forward, needs to play.

Sub him out if need be.

[ace]

Given availability, Battle, Hill, Higgins and Clark are certainties

So what does that do to structure given King and Cordy out?

From watching a bit of the VFL game today, other than Clark no one did enough to demand selection

Some tried hard but that was it

And it is acknowledged that apart from Campbell they are a bunch of kids still developing

There was a bloke in Sandy that did ok 30 disposals 10 tackles by the name of Bytel he has played a few games for sandy now and numbers are good.

Even if he were to get 100 disposals and 50 tackles the selectors will continue to ignore him.
Instead Pooh who performs like a headless chook every week is gifted games because he was a top 10 draft pick.
It is called selection integrity

[silverhalo]

Time to blood the moose......let's do it!

[saintbob]

With King out Heath is our best option, takes a good grab and kicks accurately, Hayes is another possibility but still a couple of weeks away so let the Moose loose

Is Hayes really that good????
He played a blinder in his first game and looked average in his next three before being injured in his 5th game.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love him to be half as good as people on here think he is.

[66Iwasthere]

With King out Heath is our best option, takes a good grab and kicks accurately, Hayes is another possibility but still a couple of weeks away so let the Moose loose

Is Hayes really that good????
He played a blinder in his first game and looked average in his next three before being injured in his 5th game.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love him to be half as good as people on here think he is.
[/quote

Having watched Hayes play since he arrived at the club he seems to offer something different. He is not outstanding or going to be a star. He is a late comer to senior AFL having forged a sound career in the SANFL. He is a solid unit, can mark, is an accurate kick, can tackle hard and seems to have good endurance. The thing that stood out to me is that he seems to play all over the ground, he just seems to know where to go to make something happen. Even at Sandy on Sunday it was hard to know which position he was playing.

[Otiman]

Is Hayes really that good????

If he was eligible, he would have a rising star nomination.

However, he's 27 and played 5 games.

It's so hard to tell at this point.

He has the potential to be as good as Wilkie, from a mature aged recruit perspective.

[Saint2]

With King out Heath is our best option, takes a good grab and kicks accurately, Hayes is another possibility but still a couple of weeks away so let the Moose loose

Is Hayes really that good????
He played a blinder in his first game and looked average in his next three before being injured in his 5th game.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love him to be half as good as people on here think he is.

I think some got star struck after Jack's big debut game, but after that he was an honest trier until injured. With a couple of more games at Sandy to get his tank up there again, he may be ok at FF.

[Sanctorum]

Even if he were to get 100 disposals and 50 tackles the selectors will continue to ignore him.
Instead Pooh who performs like a headless chook every week is gifted games because he was a top 10 draft pick.
It is called selection integrity

When it comes to selections it's entirely 'horses for courses' which is why you can't compare Bytel to Phillipou, they play totally different roles.

Bytel is not the only one to do well in the seconds and rack up heaps of posessessions, Highmore has too and yet can't get a game.

My take on this is that playing well for Sandringham is not the sole factor in deciding who's in the best 23, it could be how they perform on the training track or in the gym and how the development coaches rate them, plus game day matchups for the strategy that's been devised to defeat the opposing team. Plus the question, are they better than the bloke who's already in the team in that role.

It was really significant that when Ben Paton was dropped from his defensive position recently Highmore wasn't considered a worthy replacement.

From where I sit on the sideline I'm happy to trust the selectors.

[D.B.Cooper]

I like Moose, combative, strong, big but a long way from AFL standard, endurance and fitness at this point in time.

If we want a tall for the sake of a tall Campbell is the best option.

Moose concerns me as he like Marshall isn't generally a high leaper and is winning too many of his marking contests through size which wont work at AFL level.

I think the kid can make it, but 2026 would be the aim.

More a Roma slower development than a ready now for mine.