The Playing Rookies Thread

[Big Mac]

Will have to keep an eye on Alex Neal-Bullen. He dislocated his knee again today

Pretty much no chance of playing round 1 regardless of his knee injury.

what makes you say this? had been very impressive at training prior to injury

He's been solid at training but hardly impressive. He might play a game or two this year but Roos won't play him round 1. He would need to dominate NAB to have any chance of playing round 1.

Petracca is the most likely from the 2014 draft to play round 1 for the Dees and even he is unlikely to feature straight away.

Surely Petracca and Brayshaw would be close to locks at getting early games, well that's what I would have thought.

Guys like Michie, Newton, Salem and Toumpas are all ahead of them imo

Harmes, Vandenberg and White are all fighting for the rookie upgrade (Trengove LTI) - Vandenberg would be leading at the moment I think

[ben_020285]

Will have to keep an eye on Alex Neal-Bullen. He dislocated his knee again today

Pretty much no chance of playing round 1 regardless of his knee injury.

what makes you say this? had been very impressive at training prior to injury

He's been solid at training but hardly impressive. He might play a game or two this year but Roos won't play him round 1. He would need to dominate NAB to have any chance of playing round 1.

Petracca is the most likely from the 2014 draft to play round 1 for the Dees and even he is unlikely to feature straight away.

Surely Petracca and Brayshaw would be close to locks at getting early games, well that's what I would have thought.

Guys like Michie, Newton, Salem and Toumpas are all ahead of them imo

Harmes, Vandenberg and White are all fighting for the rookie upgrade (Trengove LTI) - Vandenberg would be leading at the moment I think

Spot on Big Mac. Petracca and Brayshaw very unlikely. Newton the most likely out of the four you mentioned. Vandenberg the most likely to be upgraded, he is now into full training and has been impressive so far.

[Ricochet]

Will have to keep an eye on Alex Neal-Bullen. He dislocated his knee again today

Pretty much no chance of playing round 1 regardless of his knee injury.

what makes you say this? had been very impressive at training prior to injury

He's been solid at training but hardly impressive. He might play a game or two this year but Roos won't play him round 1. He would need to dominate NAB to have any chance of playing round 1.

Petracca is the most likely from the 2014 draft to play round 1 for the Dees and even he is unlikely to feature straight away.

Surely Petracca and Brayshaw would be close to locks at getting early games, well that's what I would have thought.

Guys like Michie, Newton, Salem and Toumpas are all ahead of them imo

Harmes, Vandenberg and White are all fighting for the rookie upgrade (Trengove LTI) - Vandenberg would be leading at the moment I think

Spot on Big Mac. Petracca and Brayshaw very unlikely. Newton the most likely out of the four you mentioned. Vandenberg the most likely to be upgraded, he is now into full training and has been impressive so far.

That's great news

[RaisyDaisy]

Jack Martin was touted as the most talented rookie to walk this earth and I never considered starting him, so cant see why I would pay over 200k for the two Dees

I think Cockatoo has the best chance of playing rd1 and cementing a spot in the best 22

We really need to start hearing about more cheap rookies who will play, because things are looking a little bleak at the moment

[Speculator]

I fail to see how Cockatoo would get a game at Geelong before Petracca or Brayshaw at Melbourne. Melbourne needs to get games into these blokes and build for the future and to be honest I don't think they have the luxury of playing guys like Michie ahead of their high draft picks.

[AaronKirk]

I fail to see how Cockatoo would get a game at Geelong before Petracca or Brayshaw at Melbourne. Melbourne needs to get games into these blokes and build for the future and to be honest I don't think they have the luxury of playing guys like Michie ahead of their high draft picks.

All comment that has come out of the Cats since Cockatoo was drafted is that he will play round one.

[RaisyDaisy]

I fail to see how Cockatoo would get a game at Geelong before Petracca or Brayshaw at Melbourne. Melbourne needs to get games into these blokes and build for the future and to be honest I don't think they have the luxury of playing guys like Michie ahead of their high draft picks.

All comment that has come out of the Cats since Cockatoo was drafted is that he will play round one.

Yep, several articles I've read are indicating that. Seems like he has fit in very well and is impressing

[AaronKirk]

Darcy Lang would also be a very good chance to play for the Cats early in the season also from what I've been hearing.

Cheaper than Cockatoo at around $157k

Problem is that he is another mid rookie.

[justaverage]

Cockatoo seems perfect vest candidate to me

[Big Mac]

I fail to see how Cockatoo would get a game at Geelong before Petracca or Brayshaw at Melbourne. Melbourne needs to get games into these blokes and build for the future and to be honest I don't think they have the luxury of playing guys like Michie ahead of their high draft picks.

Salem and Toumpas were both top 10 picks, and Newton and Michie are both very talented in their own right. They are part of our future just as much as Brayshaw and Petracca are. While it's important for draftees to experience the speed of AFL and understand what's required of them defensively, it's also important to be fielding your best team each week, making players earn their spots and hopefully creating a winning environment where players aren't gifted games.

[RaisyDaisy]

Cockatoo Every single rookie seems like a perfect vest candidate to me

[djbics]

I fail to see how Cockatoo would get a game at Geelong before Petracca or Brayshaw at Melbourne. Melbourne needs to get games into these blokes and build for the future and to be honest I don't think they have the luxury of playing guys like Michie ahead of their high draft picks.

Salem and Toumpas were both top 10 picks, and Newton and Michie are both very talented in their own right. They are part of our future just as much as Brayshaw and Petracca are. While it's important for draftees to experience the speed of AFL and understand what's required of them defensively, it's also important to be fielding your best team each week, making players earn their spots and hopefully creating a winning environment where players aren't gifted games.

Agreed.  And considering the club has been guilty of playing players well before they are are ready with a high expectation on them to perform (rightly or wrongly in some cases), it makes more sense to start with slightly older kids who have been in the system a couple of years (see Dom Tyson last season) and slowly blood your prized recruits in as necessary. 

Nakia Cockatoo is getting rave reviews and may very well start at Geelong early as he fills their need for some outside speed, but dont be surprised if he also wears the vest or gets limited TOG early, and they look more to guys like Sam Blease to fill that need at first.  Geelong are still a team looking to challenge at the pointy end of the ladder, whereas my beloved Dees are well and truly still rebuilding (rebuild v.04/5 at last count) so I'd say it's likely that Petracca and/or Brayshaw will have similar years to Christian Salem last year.

[bottlemart]

I know this doesn't really mean much, but Herald Sun have released an article on clubs Best 22's and although I'd take them with a grain of salt at this stage, here are the rookies and cheap players that they seem to think should be in the 22 or at least get games this year, and I've compared it to the list compiled in the OP

DEFENCE

Best 22
High Goddard
Nathan Brown

Fringe/Maybe

Jake Lever
Dillon Viojo-Rainbow
Darcy Moore (D/F)
Zak Jones
Brendan Whitecross

Didn't even get a mention
Harrison Wigg
Daniel McKenzie (D/M)
Sam Colquhoun
Oscar McDonald
Darcy Byrne-Jones
Mitchell White
Nick Newman
Brodie Murdoch (F/D)

MIDFIELD

Best 22
Shane Biggs
Nathan Freeman
Christian Petracca
Angus Brayshaw
Blair Boekhorst
Nakia Cockatoo
Nathan Van Berlo

Fringe/Maybe
Jayden Laverde (M/F)
Isaac Heeney
Sam Blease (M/F)
Lachlan Weller
Patrick Cripps
Jed Anderson
Jono O'Rourke

Didn't even get a mention
Nathan Krakour (M/F)
Jack Steele (M/F)
Alex Neal-Bullen
Damien Cavka
Aaron Vandenberg
Trent Dumont
Kane Lambert (M/F)
Liam Duggan
Brad Walsh

FORWARD

Best 22
Jesse Hogan
Mitch Clark
Christian Salem
Tim Membrey
Nathan Vardy
Ben Lennon
Eli Templeton

Fringe/Maybe
Caleb Daniel
Daniel Menzel
Nick Kommer
Shane Kersten
Brandon Jack

Didn't even get a mention
Kieran Harper
Daniel Markworth
Brodie Murdoch (F/D)
Patrick Karnezis
Kyle Langford
Robbie Tarrant
Ahmad Saad

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/your-afl-clubs-best-22-who-makes-the-cut/story-fni5f3kt-1227194808450

We can perhaps use this as a guide for now when selecting rookies to field our teams, but I was surprised to see so many popular rookies not even get a mention. I know guys like Vandenberg and Lambert need to get elevated which would explain why they didn't get mentioned, but all of this gives us something to think about I think :)

Good write up RD

Dumont and Tarrant both not rating mention, bt from what I've read, both should play this year.

Dumont dominated in the VFL last year and very close to playing, word is he could take the role vacated by Levi Greenwood.

Tarrent listed as a forward, but more likely to play in defence, North were outmuscled by Buddy and Tippett in the prelim and tarrant is being looked at as playing a key defender role, not forward.  Not sure how many points, but rookie priced and experienced 25 yo.

Just whether both play from R1, or later in the season, but both should play..

[aussied]

N.Vardy will be prob on the same training scedule as daniel menzel so prob wont see  till round 11-14

[Bully]

I fail to see how Cockatoo would get a game at Geelong before Petracca or Brayshaw at Melbourne. Melbourne needs to get games into these blokes and build for the future and to be honest I don't think they have the luxury of playing guys like Michie ahead of their high draft picks.

Salem and Toumpas were both top 10 picks, and Newton and Michie are both very talented in their own right. They are part of our future just as much as Brayshaw and Petracca are. While it's important for draftees to experience the speed of AFL and understand what's required of them defensively, it's also important to be fielding your best team each week, making players earn their spots and hopefully creating a winning environment where players aren't gifted games.

For those who saw the AIS versus Collingwood reserves match last year it is very clear that Brayshaw is AFL ready, Roos also loves him and will be very keen to give him match practice. Salem & Toumpass are part of the future but Brayshaw has captain written all over him, he's a lock for me.