Farren Ray overlooked at times... indispensible

[groupie1]

EASILY Ray is among the class of Goddard, Gram, NDS (and J Smith if he gets on the park) with ball use.
Think he's just starting to show passages where he's dominating and toying opposition. Saw him last year as highly valuable. Reckon his stocks are rising so far this year he'll be considered a genuine topflighter. What a coup.

I thought he'd be a worthy pick up for his pace but I reckon he's more than that now - to be one of the 3-4 blokes in the team I most feel comfortable with having the ball.

Do people agree with me?

[saintnick12]

Played very well last Saturday night.
Agree he has been a great pick up.
He was looking a little out of sorts in the preseason, but Round 1 was great
Certainly in the best 22.

[bigcarl]

very good player though his finals campaign last year wasn't up to the rest of his season.

[groupie1]

Do people rate him quite as high as I do? I got him right up there at the moment:
Hayes, Roo, God, NDS, Fisher, Baker, Ray, Gram ahead of the rest, apologies to Gilbert and Jones and Joey.

Gram, for that matter, was similar, though he took time to find his feet and was worked real hard on ball use to become prime time genuine top footballer.

[plugger66]

Do people rate him quite as high as I do? I got him right up there at the moment:
Hayes, Roo, God, NDS, Fisher, Baker, Ray, Gram ahead of the rest, apologies to Gilbert and Jones and Joey.

Gram, for that matter, was similar, though he took time to find his feet and was worked real hard on ball use to become prime time genuine top footballer.

April fools day was yesterday.

[saintnick12]

Do people rate him quite as high as I do? I got him right up there at the moment:
Hayes, Roo, God, NDS, Fisher, Baker, Ray, Gram ahead of the rest, apologies to Gilbert and Jones and Joey.

Gram, for that matter, was similar, though he took time to find his feet and was worked real hard on ball use to become prime time genuine top footballer.

April fools day was yesterday.

Ray is good, but he not in the Class of the other elite players - Roo, Lenny, BJ, DAl, Fisher. Joey and Gilbert will join them in that top tier if they have another good year this year.

[The Craw]

EASILY Ray is among the class of Goddard, Gram, NDS (and J Smith if he gets on the park) with ball use.
Think he's just starting to show passages where he's dominating and toying opposition. Saw him last year as highly valuable. Reckon his stocks are rising so far this year he'll be considered a genuine topflighter. What a coup.

I thought he'd be a worthy pick up for his pace but I reckon he's more than that now - to be one of the 3-4 blokes in the team I most feel comfortable with having the ball.

Do people agree with me?

Yep good point, he has also "toughen up" and will put his body on the line. He is not exactly in the elite level, but is a definite walk up start at the moment.

[Eastern]

This has almost turned nto a Top 10

In my best Mike Sheahan impersonation here is my Top 10;

N. Riewoldt

L. Hayes

B. Goddard

S. Fisher

N. Dal Santo

J. Gram

L. Montagna

S. Gilbert

C. Jones

J. Blake

!!

[St Loxton]

He's not quite there yet, definatly in the best 22, he' an integral link accross half back and through the middle. Smart player. Good overhead mark for hs size. Has reminded me at times like a young David Grant, would be nice if he got to his level.

[saintsRrising]

Do people rate him quite as high as I do? .

No.

BUT part of the reason we are a much better team is that we have improved our depth and quality of our mid-tier and bottom-tier players.

Now Ray has the capablity to deliver the occassional BOG...but is not in our top-tier because he dos not deliver at his best often enough.

However who knows..maybe this year he will.

[Spinner]

EASILY Ray is among the class of Goddard, Gram, NDS (and J Smith if he gets on the park) with ball use.
Think he's just starting to show passages where he's dominating and toying opposition. Saw him last year as highly valuable. Reckon his stocks are rising so far this year he'll be considered a genuine topflighter. What a coup.

I thought he'd be a worthy pick up for his pace but I reckon he's more than that now - to be one of the 3-4 blokes in the team I most feel comfortable with having the ball.

Do people agree with me?

I stopped reading when you compared Rays ball use with that of Goddard Gram and Dal.


I think he doesnt utilise his pace effectively on the ground - and needs to start becoming more damaging by foot to push to the next level.

[evertonfc]

Good player who took a giant step forward last year.

Would need to take several giant steps to break into the elite category this year.

Still many question marks over his game, though I am a fan.

[mick13]

He's a good player, and should be starting 18 every week. But I think even he'd laugh at the suggestion of being a good a ball user as Goddard or Dal.

Very good player, but not in our top 5, maybe clawing into the top 10 if he has a stellar season.

He was pick no.4 remember. Still young. And has a lot of time to become just as good as Dal and BJ.

[midas_touch]

Decent player, but was overrated by some last year. Seems to be in two minds with the ball a fair bit of the time, tending to try and give a handball away to teammates instead of backing his own abilities. That being said, Ray did have a very solid year with us and I expect him to continue on with that form into this year.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Do people rate him quite as high as I do? I got him right up there at the moment:
Hayes, Roo, God, NDS, Fisher, Baker, Ray, Gram ahead of the rest, apologies to Gilbert and Jones and Joey.

Gram, for that matter, was similar, though he took time to find his feet and was worked real hard on ball use to become prime time genuine top footballer.

i think your living in 2005 ... Bakes is no where near the player today as he was befor the Farmer suspention . imo Jones has easilly over taken Baker in importance to the team ....

[groupie1]

I really enjoyed hearing people's opinions of this, even those who disagreed with me.

I have recently felt Ray has carried himself with great composure this year so far; gives me confidence to see the ball in his hands.

I accept the argument he's not there with Goddard and Dal yet, but I reckon he might well be one day.

Gram was the same. Recycled player, VASTLY improved since coming to the Saints, though took a couple years. Ray came good sooner, but their similarities are that they're both players you wouldn't dream of discarding now, as the Lions and Dogs did.

I agree Baker is not as crucial to us as Jones. But to me he's still one the elite 10; performs every week, has done so for over a decade; remains an automatic selection. Ball use is effective. Still has the pace nobody seems to understand he has. Champ.

And for the top 10 list done there, I like it all but I can't have Blake. Didn't like him back in the beginning, appreciated the way he turned himself into a KP backman, appreciate his athleticism and clubmanship, but he goes to ground too much, is a poor user of the ball, slow, poor one-on-one.

I think there's no room for Dawson and Blake and Gwilt, and Dawson keeps on his feet better, Gwilt uses the ball better. I reckon Blake has to go. It's harsh, but I think we need to think like a premiership favorite and have to get quality on the ground; meaning you slowly walk away from your more dubious or inconsistent ball users. Blake, Milne, Kozi, Dempster and co need to feel the heat from Gwilt, Steven, J Smith, Geary and let's hope a Lynch or Walsh.
That's how I'd like to see the year pan out.

Anyway, I appreciated everyone giving their opinions on Ray.

The Bulldogs would take him back if he was floating around, I reckon.

[Moods]

The Bulldogs would take him back if he was floating around, I reckon.

Spot on there.

I like Ray, and reckon his last two games have been great. Was one of the main reasons we improved so much last year. Look fwd to him taking another step this year. Maybe not in the top echolon of our players but certainly capable of it one day.

[vacuous space]

I reckon Blake has to go.

Not going to happen. Blake had more effective disposals than any other St Kilda player against Sydney. McVeigh and Malceski were the only players on the field with more. It's not a one-off either. His efficiency was right up the top last year. He was also top-5 in marks and was one of the leading spoilers in the comp. As long as he's doing his job he isn't going anywhere.

[Bernard Shakey]

I reckon Blake has to go.

You don't know much about the Saints defence structure.

Blake would be one of the first selected every week. He is very versatile and always does his job. One of the most reliable players in the team and has finished in the club top ten for the past three years.

[SainterK]

I have enjoyed watching Ray settle into the side, I think one of his greatest attributes is his marking abilty....got a great reach on him.

[saintsRrising]

I reckon Blake has to go.

Not going to happen. Blake had more effective disposals than any other St Kilda player against Sydney. McVeigh and Malceski were the only players on the field with more. It's not a one-off either. His efficiency was right up the top last year. He was also top-5 in marks and was one of the leading spoilers in the comp. As long as he's doing his job he isn't going anywhere.

I agree that Blake is not going anywhere and that he is our No 1 spoiler now that Max has retired.

But I would not get too hung up on numbers of possessions, nor accuracy as the chipping the ball around that many defenders do tend to artificially boost both stats.

Blake also tends to play the role of the go to player if the other defenders find that they cannot go forward. ie he deliberately finds space to do this and I am sure it is team role assigned to him by the coaches..

[Solar]

I reckon Blake has to go.

You don't know much about the Saints defence structure.

Blake would be one of the first selected every week. He is very versatile and always does his job. One of the most reliable players in the team and has finished in the club top ten for the past three years.

completely agree, can play short or tall, has the running ability to go with the modern forward.

[skeptic]

Now Ray has the capablity to deliver the occassional BOG...but is not in our top-tier because he dos not deliver at his best often enough.

However who knows..maybe this year he will.

Very well summed up.

I'll only add that he seems to struggle in BIG games too.

[Saints43]

Blake is also a great smother of the ball. One of the things I love to see in a game is a couple of smothers - if there's one or two early you know the team has come to play.

Farren was really good last year. Maybe tailed off a bit towards then end.

From watching his game against Sydney on the telly he looked excellent to me. And, as mentioned above, is great overhead for his size (and slights on his reputation before he got here).

[WaggaSaint]

He's not quite there yet, definatly in the best 22, he' an integral link accross half back and through the middle. Smart player. Good overhead mark for hs size. Has reminded me at times like a young David Grant, would be nice if he got to his level.

David Grant - now that's old school quality!