What Do the club intend doing with Walsh?

[borderbarry]

What Do the club intend doing with Walsh? Do they want him to become our FF, CHF, CHB, FB, or what? What ever position he is going to play in, he should be playing in at Sandringham. So far he has only played in defence. I believe he was a forward in the Irish game. He should be learning his position now. I notice he has been in the best players in each of the last three matches, and in each successive game he appears to be playing better. This week he was named as 2nd best for Sandy. If this continues it wont be long before he is dominating these games, then it will be time to let him loose in the Saints colours. I am hoping he is promoted before Roo comes back.

[bigred]

Playing back to learn how to read the play.

Quite common. Best spot to learn the game.

Played his gaelic as a forward.

Would expect the same here really.

[saintlee]

I sure there was an article not long ago where RL or one of the coaches stated he will play as a forward for the Saints, but for now is learning the game as a backman

[joffaboy]

What Do the club intend doing with Walsh? Do they want him to become our FF, CHF, CHB, FB, or what? What ever position he is going to play in, he should be playing in at Sandringham. So far he has only played in defence. I believe he was a forward in the Irish game. He should be learning his position now. I notice he has been in the best players in each of the last three matches, and in each successive game he appears to be playing better. This week he was named as 2nd best for Sandy. If this continues it wont be long before he is dominating these games, then it will be time to let him loose in the Saints colours. I am hoping he is promoted before Roo comes back.

Big call.

He is never going to dominate playing in the position he is in.

He is coming along very nicely, looks better every time I see him. Kicks it a country mile, and we a fair deal of accuracy (none of those floaty s.hit things that were supposed to be passes last night ).

But.......

he has only played 5 games of Aussie Rules, VFL is a big step down from AFL, and we dont want to burn him.

He WILL play seniors, just give it time.

[borderbarry]

I remember a young bloke we expected big things from back in the late '80s. They started off playing him in the forward pocket for a season beside "Jacko". He kicked a ton and won a brownlow a couple of years later.

[borderbarry]

If as Joffa says, he kicks it a country mile, he would be better suited at CHF than FF. Maybe he should have a few games this year on the HFF, to let him see what it is all about.

[saintsRrising]

I sure there was an article not long ago where RL or one of the coaches stated he will play as a forward for the Saints, but for now is learning the game as a backman

That is what RL said in a radio interview recently.

Lets not forget that Walsh has only played half a dozen games of football ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigred]

aye.

Give it time.

If we are lucky we will see him this year.

If we are lucky.

[GrumpyOne]

What Do the club intend doing with Walsh?

Developing him into an Aussie Rules Footballer Barry.

Needs to learn the game, build up his fitness and body.

Backline is best place to observe and learn.

As someone who has interchanged in the past between the round ball game and the oval ball game, there is a world of difference in the flight of the two conveyances. The round ball tends to drop far more suddenly in flight than the oval ball, and in transition, you continually find yourself running under the oval ball's trajectory.

[saint66au]

Ermmm...was named 2nd best in a side that was flogged by 15 goals...and played in defence. Game domination might be a while away yet

From all reports is doing well but we have to remember he's not a graduate of TAC Cup, suburban, country or even interstate footy.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

More to the point, Walsh is still on the rookie list, is he not?

And who's on the long-term injury list? Not Jesse Smith. Not Riewoldt, either, as far as I know.

[GrumpyOne]

More to the point, Walsh is still on the rookie list, is he not?

And who's on the long-term injury list? Not Jesse Smith. Not Riewoldt, either, as far as I know.

Not a financial propostion to elevate anyone unless they are going to play.

[bigcarl]

i'm hoping he gets a run in his natural position, which would approximate to chf, for sandringham before too long. we shouldn't expect too much too soon, but we should fast track his development.

as someone else said, he's a surprisingly good kick for someone who's never played the game and can really roost them. if he were to start blitzing for sandy then who knows.

[saintsRrising]

Walsh has played only half a dozen games.

So how does anyone know what his "natural" AFL postion is?

Maybe it is CHB?

Maybe CHF?

Maybe he will be a Pav that can play well in many postions.

Neither he nor the coaches will know till he plays a variety of roles. ceratainly his track record in Gaelic will see he played forward...but what roles suits him best we area long way off knowing.

[bigcarl]

So how does anyone know what his "natural" AFL postion is?

well, the coach did say last week that walsh is a natural forward at home and the club was really keen the throw him up there to see how he could instinctively go to the ball.

so i took it that they were considering him as a possible key forward down the track. but yes, he could develop in a number of roles.

[rexy]

Also worth noting from the little Gaelic football that i have seen that the forward role looks slightly different in their game, if I am correct (and I may not be) the forwards in their game probably play less as leading forwards and more roam around up high? The ground is I think shorter and they probably rely more on ground ball and running on to the ball than leading and marking and set shots?

Anyone with more knowledge able to elaborate on the tactics of Gaelic football?

[st.byron]

Give him time. He's only been in the country ten minutes. And he's only played five games of Aussie Rules. If he's learning the game in the back half well and good. When he does go forward he'll have some knowledge and experience of how backmen play.

[Saint Bev]

Would be very surprised if he gets a game this year. Very early days.

[Spinner]

Hopefully forward!

Long way off.


Reading the ball in flight will be his biggest issue.


But he can definitely kick, and moves like a freak for his size!!!!!

[borderbarry]

The point I am trying to make is that if we want to make a forward out of him, that is where he should be playing from now on. If he shows natural ability and really comes on, he could maybe make a forward spot his own for the Saints later in the year.

[saintsRrising]

The point I am trying to make is that if we want to make a forward out of him, that is where he should be playing from now on. If he shows natural ability and really comes on, he could maybe make a forward spot his own for the Saints later in the year.

As he could not read the play, if they had played him as a forward he would be learning little as he would not know what to do.

He struggled in the intraclub as a forward...and that was with his opponent Gwilt coaching him!!!! His current opponents are not that obliging!

Makes more sense to leran in the backline where his oppoent drags him around.

Once he has learnt enough they will throw him forward for the next stage of his education.

[ace]

What Do the club intend doing with Walsh? Do they want him to become our FF, CHF, CHB, FB, or what? What ever position he is going to play in, he should be playing in at Sandringham. So far he has only played in defence. I believe he was a forward in the Irish game. He should be learning his position now. I notice he has been in the best players in each of the last three matches, and in each successive game he appears to be playing better. This week he was named as 2nd best for Sandy. If this continues it wont be long before he is dominating these games, then it will be time to let him loose in the Saints colours. I am hoping he is promoted before Roo comes back.

Defence while Riewoldt is available because Fisher isn't tall enough and Zac is too error prone and clumsy.
However when Riewoldt is not around and in the distant future he should be played at CHF.