Anyone know if or when when Gardi will be back?

plugger66 · Post: # 1080564Post **plugger66** » Wed 25 May 2011 5:31pm

desertsaint wrote:hope all goes well and he is able to play next year - if we are to give it a crack in 2012 he is vital!
simply cannot see us being competitive without a decent ruck, even with lenny back. and i don't see mcevoy stepping up, not next year, and probably not ever.

How were Sandilands and Cox going in their 4th year? Give the guy a break. Tall guys can take a while to come on. Look at Jamar from Melbourne. IMO he has improved every year at the club. And if you really think MG is the answer next year then I suggest you will not be expecting much. Doubt he will having meaningful role this year and is 100 to one to even be at the club next year.

desertsaint · Wed 25 May 2011 9:32pm

plugger66 wrote:
desertsaint wrote:hope all goes well and he is able to play next year - if we are to give it a crack in 2012 he is vital!
simply cannot see us being competitive without a decent ruck, even with lenny back. and i don't see mcevoy stepping up, not next year, and probably not ever.
How were Sandilands and Cox going in their 4th year? Give the guy a break. Tall guys can take a while to come on. Look at Jamar from Melbourne. IMO he has improved every year at the club. And if you really think MG is the answer next year then I suggest you will not be expecting much. Doubt he will having meaningful role this year and is 100 to one to even be at the club next year.

gee, your right. just coz ben is a bit of a spud now doesn't mean he'll grow into a potato.
here's their records in the 3rd year after drafting.
as guessed, ben is okay around the ground - but can't actually ruck.
cox was younger than mcevoy. sandilands about 6 months older. cox was second ruck to at that time the premier ruckman in the afl - gardiner. as was ben. the next year gardy played just 3 games. sound familiar.
cox in his next year racked up his third highest ever total season hitouts - 512! - that's this year for ben. think he's up for it?

Player. Year Games Disposals Mark Hitouts
cox. 2002 19. 193 82 307
sandilands 2004. 20. 172. 61. 473
mcevoy. 2010. 19. 199. 75. 205

yes it's a pity we need gardy next year - but if fit he'll be a better option than mcevoy.
jamar did nothing until last year - so if ben follows him then 2016 will be great - until then we need a ruckman!

hotdish · Post: # 1083443Post **hotdish** » Tue 31 May 2011 5:19pm

some good news! Likely to be back in round 15-16...

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx

Steven King:

""It's the best he's felt for a couple of years...we are trying to fit [in] that pre-season training, get that base into him now and make sure that when he's back he is right to go for the rest of the year. Hopefully after the bye [in round 14].""

dragit · Post: # 1083455Post **dragit** » Tue 31 May 2011 5:51pm

That's great newsâ€¦
If he gets back to some good footy this year, I definitely think he is worth keeping for another year.
As we all know, good ruckmen are hard to come byâ€¦

is he any chance?

Dr Spaceman · Tue 31 May 2011 6:16pm

dragit wrote:That's great newsâ€¦
If he gets back to some good footy this year, I definitely think he is worth keeping for another year.
As we all know, good ruckmen are hard to come byâ€¦

is he any chance?

If he gets back and finds form, and his body feels good, and he wants to play on I think it will happen.

I think the Saints would be glad to give him another year IF all those things happened. Would give Ben some more time to hone his skills.

Eastern · Post: # 1083472Post **Eastern** » Tue 31 May 2011 6:23pm

So he told me fibs;

A couple of weeks ago he said he'd be back in a couple of weeks. Gardi, give yourself an uppercut

!!

Dr Spaceman · Tue 31 May 2011 6:28pm

Eastern wrote:So he told me fibs;

A couple of weeks ago he said he'd be back in a couple of weeks. Gardi, give yourself an uppercut Â !!

Yeah but did he mean back playing?

Or back training?

Or back flipping?

Or back o'Bourke?

Or.......

AnythingsPossibleSaints · Tue 31 May 2011 8:08pm

hotdish wrote:some good news! Likely to be back in round 15-16...

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx

Steven King:

""It's the best he's felt for a couple of years...we are trying to fit [in] that pre-season training, get that base into him now and make sure that when he's back he is right to go for the rest of the year. Hopefully after the bye [in round 14].""

That's great news, as we need him (if he's anywhere near his best) BADLY.