List Mgmt. Welcome Lucca Grego (Pick 48, 2024 National Draft)

[Lazzas]

Watching the highlights, he's got that slightly ungainly look to his game - it reminds me a lot of the Irish players that come over, which makes sense as it sounds like he's a late convert from a different code.

Yes spot on, only been playing for 5 years. Was it him that is left hand and right foot dominant? Or was that one of the other new recruits?

 

[Ruben Grubarb]

Underrated 80s movie reference!

I knew at least one person would remember it.

 

[WCE_phil]

Yes spot on, only been playing for 5 years. Was it him that is left hand and right foot dominant? Or was that one of the other new recruits?

Yes left hand and right foot dominant. Defensive mid / small defender in the future. But has real speed and burst. His kicking is pretty good when he takes the first option. His elite attributes which are what you are looking for at this stage of the draft are his speed, aggression, combative nature, defensive pressure, ground ball gets, run and carry and never say die attitude. Is the sort of young man you'd want next to you in the military. Just does not give up and it shows. Also has close to an elite pickup off the ground particularly with his left hand.

I don't think there's any way he's a star player but he fits with the mould of what Mini wants and is trying to do and could become a real cult figure for supporters and around the club. Potentially the anvil that star players break themselves against.

His weaknesses.
He's average by foot and may get caught out at higher levels by not taking the first option with his stop, prop and kick style.
One sided with his handballing
Average at reading the play
Doesn't always take the first option
This is also one of his biggest strengths but his tackling technique is borderline dangerous and I can see him getting rough conduct suspensions. He needs to keep it in his game however imo.

Faster, more skilled version of McGinnity who is better in the air. His rugby background also means he's very good with his positioning and sticking to a player and his tackling is ruthless. Even as a first year during preseason I can see him being someone Ginbey pushes off at the chest only for them to get pummelled to the ground a second later despite the size difference.

I can see people who might make comparisons to Willem Drew however he's nowhere near as good at the clearance.

Has the most developing to do to his game of the main list draftees.

 

[TOA.]

As others have mentioned he sound alot like Baker (especially what I imagine Baker was described as pre-draft)

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

The Bully nickname sorted.

 

[Obeanie1]

Yes left hand and right foot dominant. Defensive mid / small defender in the future. But has real speed and burst. His kicking is pretty good when he takes the first option. His elite attributes which are what you are looking for at this stage of the draft are his speed, aggression, combative nature, defensive pressure, ground ball gets, run and carry and never say die attitude. Is the sort of young man you'd want next to you in the military. Just does not give up and it shows. Also has close to an elite pickup off the ground particularly with his left hand.

I don't think there's any way he's a star player but he fits with the mould of what Mini wants and is trying to do and could become a real cult figure for supporters and around the club. Potentially the anvil that star players break themselves against.

His weaknesses.
He's average by foot and may get caught out at higher levels by not taking the first option with his stop, prop and kick style.
One sided with his handballing
Average at reading the play
Doesn't always take the first option
This is also one of his biggest strengths but his tackling technique is borderline dangerous and I can see him getting rough conduct suspensions. He needs to keep it in his game however imo.

Faster, more skilled version of McGinnity who is better in the air. His rugby background also means he's very good with his positioning and sticking to a player and his tackling is ruthless. Even as a first year during preseason I can see him being someone Ginbey pushes off at the chest only for them to get pummelled to the ground a second later despite the size difference.

I can see people who might make comparisons to Willem Drew however he's nowhere near as good at the clearance.

Has the most developing to do to his game of the main list draftees.

Elite ground ball game. That is one area we have been poor for many years. Posted several times IMO we need players willing to bend down, put their head over the ball and get it. No fumbles no hesitation. Clear pick up and dish it off.

Fast
Combative
Agile
Makes good decisions
Doesnt give up. Underrated trait.

Solid choice and hopefully the kid makes it.

 

[donpyke92]

Happy with this selection.
Kid looks perfect for coach Bunga Hurn to help with development/skill set.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Sounds like our 2030 flag’s version of Beau Waters

Beau Waters

Age

38

Ht

188cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.0

5star

K

11.3

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

6.1

5star

T

2.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.6

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.6

4star

 

[Patron]

Yes left hand and right foot dominant. Defensive mid / small defender in the future. But has real speed and burst. His kicking is pretty good when he takes the first option. His elite attributes which are what you are looking for at this stage of the draft are his speed, aggression, combative nature, defensive pressure, ground ball gets, run and carry and never say die attitude. Is the sort of young man you'd want next to you in the military. Just does not give up and it shows. Also has close to an elite pickup off the ground particularly with his left hand.

I don't think there's any way he's a star player but he fits with the mould of what Mini wants and is trying to do and could become a real cult figure for supporters and around the club. Potentially the anvil that star players break themselves against.

His weaknesses.
He's average by foot and may get caught out at higher levels by not taking the first option with his stop, prop and kick style.
One sided with his handballing
Average at reading the play
Doesn't always take the first option
This is also one of his biggest strengths but his tackling technique is borderline dangerous and I can see him getting rough conduct suspensions. He needs to keep it in his game however imo.

Faster, more skilled version of McGinnity who is better in the air. His rugby background also means he's very good with his positioning and sticking to a player and his tackling is ruthless. Even as a first year during preseason I can see him being someone Ginbey pushes off at the chest only for them to get pummelled to the ground a second later despite the size difference.

I can see people who might make comparisons to Willem Drew however he's nowhere near as good at the clearance.

Has the most developing to do to his game of the main list draftees.

Thanks for the write up. Its really starting to feel like a clear strategy for the club atm with our drafting but do you have any concerns with the club starting to preference athletic traits like speed, strength, endurance and toughness over skills, especially by foot?

Ginbey, Allan, Davis, gross, Grego - are a type. All tough as nails, but aren’t known for their kicking ability. I’m a bit worried we are going to end up with a saturation of AFL level players with kicking being a weakness in their game and we won’t have the option to play methodical, which is the current trend in the afl with elite kickers from the back half.

Do you expect the club will target some elite kickers in the near future or keep going down this road of gritty athletes?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Monocle]

Thanks for the write up. Its really starting to feel like a clear strategy for the club atm with our drafting but do you have any concerns with the club starting to preference athletic traits like speed, strength, endurance and toughness over skills, especially by foot?

Ginbey, Allan, Davis, gross, Grego - are a type. All tough as nails, but aren’t known for their kicking ability. I’m a bit worried we are going to end up with a saturation of AFL level players with kicking being a weakness in their game and we won’t have the option to play methodical, which is the current trend in the afl with elite kickers from the back half.

Do you expect the club will target some elite kickers in the near future or keep going down this road of gritty athletes?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

I don't agree totally with your premies, but I will say this , that strength and toughness in a percentage of the players, on a list, gives much greater scope for super skilled players to operate effectively in.

Now thats the polite version.

My take, if I may.

We have ( and have had ), way too many soft ****, nice boys on our list ...... and thats not a balanced list IMO.

In MOST of our Premiership sides, (except 2018 - Simpson and RO'B never rated it) we have had a couple of hard arsed players in all the teams:

1992: Worsfold, Brennan, Mainwaring, Lewis, Wilson, Evans.
1994: Ditto
2006: Waters, Stenglein, Chick, Hunter, Glass, Kerr, R Jones.

If you want to go deep into September, a side needs a certain hard edge component to it ...... and of late, thats an attribute thats been sadly overlooked at the drafting table.

I for one am rapt that under a new: CEO, Coach and Recruiting Manager, that, that disturbing recent trend has now stopped.

A balance list needs:

Smalls and Talls.
Defensive and Attacking players.
Stars and Supportive Role Players.
Super Skilled Players and Hard Nuts.

We haven't had that balance right for many years now and our ladder position and win loss ratio, show it.

 

[bombard]

I don't agree totally with your premies, but I will say this , that strength and toughness in a percentage of the players, on a list, gives much greater scope for super skilled players to operate effectively in.

Now thats the polite version.

My take, if I may.

We have ( and have had ), way too many soft ****, nice boys on our list ...... and thats not a balanced list IMO.

In MOST of our Premiership sides, (except 2018 - Simpson and RO'B never rated it) we have had a couple of hard arsed players in all the teams:

1992: Worsfold, Brennan, Mainwaring, Lewis, Wilson, Evans.
1994: Ditto
2006: Waters, Stenglein, Chick, Hunter, Glass, Kerr.

If you want to go deep into September, a side needs a certain hard edge component to it ...... and of late, thats an attribute thats been sadly overlooked at the drafting table.

I for one am rapt that under a new: CEO, Coach and Recruiting Manager, that, that disturbing recent trend has now stopped.

A balance list needs:

Smalls and Talls.
Defensive and Attacking players.
Stars and Supportive Role Players.
Super Skilled Players and Hard Nuts.

We haven't had that balance right for many years now and our ladder position and win loss ratio, show it.

Offensive lack of Rowan Jones references here. Bloke didn't flaunt it but he was tough as nails.

 

[Monocle]

Offensive lack of Rowan Jones references here. Bloke didn't flaunt it but he was tough as nails.

So noted and edited accordingly.

 

[RookiePick]

Does he need a nickname? Kid already has a name like he's a mafia hitman.

 

[NSLK]

Does he need a nickname? Kid already has a name like he's a mafia hitman.

Guess it’s Hitman then

 

[ToastieBoy18]

Does he need a nickname? Kid already has a name like he's a mafia hitman.

Tony after Tony Greg. Short and effective

 

[bombard]

Brasi. Luca Brasi.

 

[Keys]

Brasi. Luca Brasi.

Just as long as he doesn’t end up sleeping with the fishes

 

[Mr Q]

In MOST of our Premiership sides, (except 2018 - Simpson and RO'B never rated it) we have had a couple of hard arsed players in all the teams:

1992: Worsfold, Brennan, Mainwaring, Lewis, Wilson, Evans.
1994: Ditto
2006: Waters, Stenglein, Chick, Hunter, Glass, Kerr, R Jones.

I reckon in 2018 Schoey and Hutchings were pretty hard, and it's not a fluke that they were in our best on the day.

(and yes, adding back in RoJo in 2006 is very important - I always remember his critical possession in the dying minutes where he had to beat out three Swine for the ball with little support right in the center of the ground - what was Kerr thinking with that kick? - because if he didn't, Sydney scored. It's a moment that's almost there with Sheed's kick in terms of importance)