Past #34: Ben Davies - drafted w/ pick 96 - 2 games for NM in '08 - delisted at end of '08

[linnaeus]

There were a lot of mistakes made today and Riggio made some of those. However, a reality check is needed. We are missing 4 out of our best 6 forwards. That has to hurt. Fremantle were due for a big win and we were the unfortunate bunnies.
Having said that, in modern football it is all about the midfield and apart from Wells we are pedestrian. We need to have one of Harris, Rawlings. Simpson in our side but we have three. Pavlich was great but he was allowed to be great not just because Spud is down on form but because their midfield delivered well and constantly.
I would perservere with Riggio because he has shown a bit and Urquart has played well in each of his games. I am still out on Davies and Smith. Smith did not take his opportunities and to be honest after watching last week in the VFL I did not think he was up to standard in either skill or application. However with so many forwards out I guess it was desperation stakes. Unlike many on this board I am not hanging out for the return of the other Smith. Not because I would not love him to be out there but because I fear his injuries are not being overcome.
Many on the board are calling for the return of Watt, which is a great surprise. Watt's problem is that he is not creative enough and his return would not be good.
Browny has had his chances and his inability to impose his body on the contest is alarming.
But these are the players you get when you can only pay 90 odd % of the salary cap. We are a long way off being a Premiership threat and it really does revolve around the midfield. Our midfield is at it's best when it is able to negate the opposition midfield. In the modern game your midfield needs to be better than that.

 

[Z_K]

Davies won the ball more than...hmmm....lets see...

Brown
Campbell
Firritto
Gibson
Hale
Harding
Harris
Lower
McIntosh (can be forgiven but can't see Hamish getting 23 touches if he wasn't injured)
Petrie
Pratt
Rawlings
Riggio
Smith
Thomas
Thompson
Urquhart
Wells (EQUAL)

That means only Brent Harvey, SAM POWER, and Adam Simpson found the ball more than Davies, with Wells equaling 23 possessions.

Well, to me, a kid in his 2nd game at our club, finding the ball 23 times, taking 7 marks, earning 2 frees for, 2 tackles, deserves a spot before a number of players on our list. WHY?? Because he tried hard and WON the ball.

I saw Daniel Wells kick one of the worst kicks of the day 2day, but I still haven't found a thread bagging him.

FFS, Get off the "Get Rid" of Davies & Power threads. They are doing more than the Lowers, Riggios, Thomas' Campbells etc of the team right now.

Bah. Quote posessions somewhere else. His awareness is poor, he is selfish (still have not forgotten him screaming at blokes in the NAB cup, with Simmo ripping a hole in his head with a stare), he is soft and he gets cheap kicks. He is Eddie Sansbury with blonde hair. He will rip up the VFL because he can run, but IMO, he is not good enough at this level. On no planet is he a better prospect or has done more in our colours than any of those kids you have mentioned. His game yesterday was rubbish IMO, and I don't care if he gets 140 posessions playing the same way.

Power I am willing to keep in the side until Smith is fit.

 

[RoyalBlue]

Depth player or not, he is crud.

I'd have rathered a Trotter or Djars on our list, and used as depth players, over someone like Davies.

DJARS!!!!!!!

Davies. Look, if you took a bag of footies and threw them in a mulcher, spewing leather and burst rubber interiors all over a football ground - you still wouldn't get close to how supremely Davies butchers the pill.

NB is right, and has coined a term that I reckon will ride Davies for the rest of his stint at North - he is Sansbury with blonde hair.

 

[sross]

I hope I never see him in the blue and white again.

 

[Uncle_Leo]

Bringing back memories of Ash Watson.

Might be a nice bloke but I have seen nothing to suggest he will ever make it and looks like a VFL player out there.

 

[scottywiper]

Had a chat to Ben today and he is indeed a very nice guy, hard to not wish him well.
It would be fair to say he was disappointed with how he played against the Dockers.

 

[ardenroo]

'IVA' Davies (as in Icehouse lead singer)

Got a big tank and good leg speed but turned the ball over at critical times yesterday and failed to put his head over the pill and body on the line as well. Also looked selfish on a couple of occassions and needs to 'lower' his vision.
I realise he is young and only in his 2nd AFL game, but these errors stood out like dogs balls.
Need to persist with kids like this as Harvey, Simpson, Rawlings etc are in their twilight years and other midfield options need to step up and be given an opportunity. Yes he is going to make errors so early in his career like all others in their 2nd game, but there were some glaring concerns yesterday.
He will quickly learn, and become a better footballer for it.
Cannot send to the scrap heap after only 2 games.
Save the scrap heap for leigh brown.

 

[HongKongRoo]

'IVA' Davies (as in Icehouse lead singer)

I realise he is young and only in his 2nd AFL game, but these errors stood out like dogs balls.

Actually the way we played his errors fitted in perfectly, he was right up there with power, gibson, rawlings, riggio etc...

 

[The Other Dean]

'IVA' Davies (as in Icehouse lead singer)

Bit harsh at this stage to name him after a Flower that never bloomed.

 

[scottywiper]

Apparently told this week, not at all unexpected.
Met him in Perth earlier in the year, very nice bloke and wish him the best.

 

[Star]

Scott, what are the rules concerning cutting a guy after just one year?

 

[1jasonoz]

Apparently told this week, not at all unexpected.
Met him in Perth earlier in the year, very nice bloke and wish him the best.

So thats Davis, Jess and Thomo gone, but still no word on Eddie or Leigh Brown?

Let me guess Eddie will be offered another contract, and Brown will be shopped around for a 1st round pick, but when that doesn't occur we will resign him for another 2 years as we don't want to cut him suddenly?

 

[rooboy_88]

in hindsight u could say that we would of been better off going for a skinny 17 yr old with his pick and hopefully getting lucky.

is a local in the area but at the end of the day he was never going to be a regular member in our starting 22 and was merely a depth player.

wish him the best.

 

[Z_K]

No rules. If he was contracted, we pay him out.

 

[Event Horizon]

Scott, what are the rules concerning cutting a guy after just one year?

Well, if they are on one year deal, what's the problem?

 

[rooboy_88]

Scott, what are the rules concerning cutting a guy after just one year?

You would assume he was signed to a 1 yr contract as he was a certainty to be delisted.

if it was a 2 yr deal, he would simply be compensated for next yrs earnings.

 

[RoyalBlue]

Scott, what are the rules concerning cutting a guy after just one year?

Absolutely fine.

He wasn't a new draftee.

All the best Benny.

Comfortably the best player exchanged for Pick 96 to ever play for the club.

 

[Event Horizon]

No rules. If he was contracted, we pay him out.

The only issue in that case would be the salary cap for 2009 would still include the money paid out to him.

But I would be pretty sure he was on one year deal.

 

[Z_K]

But I would be pretty sure he was on one year deal.

One would hope so.

 

[Roos74]

Ben was definately only on a one year deal - he will not need to be paid out anything by the Club.

Eddie will not be told of his future until the VFL Final is completed on Friday and as the Werribee boys had to do I would say that the North Ballarat boys will be called in to a meeting at NMFC on Monday morning.

As for Brown anything is possible!!!

 

[scottywiper]

Ben was definately only on a one year deal - he will not need to be paid out anything by the Club.

Eddie will not be told of his future until the VFL Final is completed on Friday and as the Werribee boys had to do I would say that the North Ballarat boys will be called in to a meeting at NMFC on Monday morning.

As for Brown anything is possible!!!

Ain't that the truth.

 

[Zondor]

Ain't that the truth.

A one year deal beckons.

 

[Rooboy 34]

So for the 3rd season in a row, I will get a new favourite player. Lets hope that this one is a stayer (but not of the Shannon Watt variety of stayer)...

Long live #34...

 

[bellzy]

As much as I wonder whether Ben was ever given a fair chance, this in many ways show the club is really heading in the right direction.

As stated earlier, he was never going to be a regular member in the 22, and as much as I wish him all the best, I believe both club and player must have seen this coming.

All the best Benny.

 

[Mr Reliable]

in hindsight u could say that we would of been better off going for a skinny 17 yr old with his pick and hopefully getting lucky.

is a local in the area but at the end of the day he was never going to be a regular member in our starting 22 and was merely a depth player.

wish him the best.

Lot to be said for this. The upside of experimenting with a kid is much higher than experimenting with a bloke who is probably almost as good as he's ever going to get.

It was only pick 96 but we might have drafted a young Chris Grant.