Our next "A" grader

[8856brother]

Interesting listening to the radio today. The question was asked on AW, and not one person said they could find one on our list to replace our current ageing batch. I would class these as our current "A" graders

Roo
Lenny
Dal
Joey
BJ
Fish
Milney

Do we have any youngsters on our list who will become stars? Pick a few other clubs and there's plenty around.

I couldn't name one on our list with any confidence. It's a worry IMO.

Hopefully one or two come from the clouds.

[chook23]

This is why there is a load of pain to come

we will be next bulldogs ( in a sense it is our turn to the edge of the cliff)

hurts

[Teflon]

This is why you must improve your draft order position now as
much as we can - Dal Santo came at Pick 13 do if we secure a higher order draft pick in a strong draft whose to say we can't change that and grab an A grader?

We also need to be far better at looking for a Darling in this years draft - we dropped the ball here big time IMO

The real question is how long do we have in terms of really challenging with the current A graders because if we believe we can challenge again soon..... that will have enormous impacts on trading

[SainterK]

Not comparing apples with apples here.

We may have none, we may have some.

50 games is when you can determine better a kids prospects, and hardly any of ours are near that mark.

End of 2013 should be when that call is made.

[St Ick]

Roo - Siposs/Markworth
Lenny - Ross/Ledger/Steven
Dal - Newnes/Dunell
Joey - Cripps/Curren/Armo
BJ - Siposs/Webster/Newnes
Fish - Simpkin
Milney - Saad/Mitchington

This may be seen to be taking the piss but until these kids play 50 - 100 games who are we to decide whether they cant be as good.

[borderbarry]

We dont have a budding Roo or Lenny on our list. Let's face it, there are not too many around. But it is the duty of our recruiters to do their best to find them over the next few years. In the mean-time, we must do whatever we can to improve our draft position and draft picks.

[bobmurray]

No wonder Ross left, he's left us with nothing going forward....

[paddy]

wont find out if we have any "A" graders until our current group step down....

people sink or swim when thrown in the deep end, and when you have a crop of stars like ours, the younger guys dont have the pressure on them to perform as much....

A good example was last year when lenny did his knee, Jack steven started to show signs of greatness (not implying that he is an "A" grader, but he really only made himself known when he had to try to fill in for the great one)

[dragit]

Hard to say at this stage, at least half of our current A graders didn't look amazing in their first couple of years.

I think that Newnes looks likely,

Haven't seen enough of Markworth & Ross yet, but perhaps

Saad is currently tracking Milney's 2 goals per game average, which is unbelievable for his debut season, long way to go, but he may become the most dangerous small forward in the comp.

Rhys Stanley could be anything, I still can't get over someone 200cm tall being the fastest on the list, perhaps the whole comp. He is still a few years away from his best, but could become the one of the best ruckmen/forwards in the comp.

I would sooner have a better balance than 5-6 superstars and your bottom 6 consisting of Eddy, McQualter, Jones, Peake, etc

[SydneySainter]

As it stands, Steven, Sipposs and Saad have the best chance to become A graders, still a long way to go though. Stanley may also fit this category, depending on how his next season goes.

Dal, Lenny, Roo & Chips will leave a BIG hole though.

[gringo]

As it stands, Steven, Sipposs and Saad have the best chance to become A graders, still a long way to go though. Stanley may also fit this category, depending on how his next season goes.

Dal, Lenny, Roo & Chips will leave a BIG hole though.

Those three look the goods to me. I also think Geary, Cripps, Armo, Newnes, Milera, Ross, and Dunell all have some real potential also. Sloane and Dangerfield didn't look as good as they are for a long time and have really broken out and started to assert themselves. Josh Kennedy was dumped by the Hawks, you just have to stay with them until they either reach their potential or show that they are not up to it.

[Munga]

Are we saying Simpkin is an A grader already?
I think he will be by this time next year.

[spert]

Looking over the next couple of years, I reckon Dunnell is going to be real find for us, and Cripps I think will be a good nuggety onballer with a good offensive game, same for Ledger. I would like to see Saad a bit more up in the middle where he use his pace and skills. Siposs just needs to learn to be more consistant and work a little harder off the ball, but it will come as I think he is slow developer like Goddard was. I was really impressed with Stanley this season, just a pity he got so many injuries- if he can keep reasonably injury free next season, then I think he will be the success story. I think the future is good, and I just hope our recruiters get smart.

[ralphsmith]

No upcoming superstars of Riewoldt/Hayes/Goddards level.

And you need guys of that quality to attempt winning flags.

Sipposs and Saad look the best to me so far.

And what the hell happened to TErry Milera?

[battye]

No upcoming superstars of Riewoldt/Hayes/Goddards level.

And you need guys of that quality to attempt winning flags.

That's exactly right.

You just knew Riewoldt, Dal Santo, Goddard, etc would be top shelf when they started out. We've got some promising players starting out now, but none that you just know will be stars of the competition.

[chook23]

I think many of comments in this thread are confusing players who might make it

against a genuine A+ in Roo and Hayes

some A's as well

versus players taken in rookie draft and well down the list in normal draft

most just hoping

no A+ coming through and prob no A's

They will come as we fall futher down the ladder with current roup

[3rd generation saint]

You can say that about any club!
Whose going to replace Chapman, Scarlett etc at Geelong over the next season or two?
What about Buddy, Hodge, etc at Hawthorn.
We have got some very talented kids in the works, we need to find more yes, but we also have to target players from other clubs.
Pelchen helped build Hawthorn, and have no doubt he is attempting to do the same here.
There may be a few diamonds in the rough folks already at the club.

[mad saint guy]

Possibly Siposs if he continues to improve his workrate and endurance. Stanley is a chance if he gets his body right and grows in confidence.

Saad, Steven, Simpkin and Dunell have all shown enough to suggest they'll be ok to very good players, but not A graders

[plugger66]

I think many of comments in this thread are confusing players who might make it

against a genuine A+ in Roo and Hayes

some A's as well

versus players taken in rookie draft and well down the list in normal draft

most just hoping

no A+ coming through and prob no A's

They will come as we fall futher down the ladder with current roup

totally agree. Only 2 A graders. Anyway the problem is we have no A- coming through let alone A+

[gringo]

No upcoming superstars of Riewoldt/Hayes/Goddards level.

And you need guys of that quality to attempt winning flags.

That's exactly right.

You just knew Riewoldt, Dal Santo, Goddard, etc would be top shelf when they started out. We've got some promising players starting out now, but none that you just know will be stars of the competition.

I tend to disagree,
Kosi looked great as a running half back and obviously went far in that role. Goddard looked like Richard Tambling, an ordinary footballer that went too high. Dal Santo showed promise but not any more than some of our current crop. the difference was we placed all our hopes on their young shoulders because apart from Harves not much else was around.

Daniel Wells was similar in that he looked about the quality of Cripps, not outstanding but skilled. Some footy players are bolters some take longer. The whole draft is educated gambling so we just have to hope that whet the recruiters saw was right.

[SaintSimmo]

This is a list of all players, under the age of 24, from each club that has won a flag in the last few years (from their main list), that are most likely to become/are regular players for their club

Collingwood
Beams 22yo
Blair 22yo
Brown 23yo
Elliot 19yo
Fasolo 20yo
Keeffe 20yo
Paine 19yo
Reid 23yo
Sidebottom 21yo
Sinclair 20yo
Ugle 20yo
Yagmoor 18yo
Young 20yo

Geelong
Brown 21yo
Christensen 21yo
Duncan 21yo
Guthrie 19yo
Horlin-Smith 19yo
T.Hunt 19yo
Menzel 20yo
Motlop 21yo
Murdoch 20yo
Smedts 20yo
Walker 19yo

Hawthorn
Breust 21yo
Gunston 20yo
Rioli 23yo
Savage 21yo
Shoenmakers 21yo
Shiels 21yo
Smith 23yo
Stratton 23yo
Whitecross 22yo

Compare them to our list:
St.Kilda
Cripps 20yo
Ledger 20yo
Markworth 19yo
McEvoy 23yo
Newnes 19yo
Ross 19yo
Saad 22yo
Simpkin 22yo
Siposs 19yo
Stanley 21yo
Steven 22yo

[gringo]

This is a list of all players, under the age of 24, from each club that has won a flag in the last few years (from their main list), that are most likely to become/are regular players for their club

Collingwood
Beams 22yo
Blair 22yo
Brown 23yo
Elliot 19yo
Fasolo 20yo
Keeffe 20yo
Paine 19yo
Reid 23yo
Sidebottom 21yo
Sinclair 20yo
Ugle 20yo
Yagmoor 18yo
Young 20yo

Geelong
Brown 21yo
Christensen 21yo
Duncan 21yo
Guthrie 19yo
Horlin-Smith 19yo
T.Hunt 19yo
Menzel 20yo
Motlop 21yo
Murdoch 20yo
Smedts 20yo
Walker 19yo

Hawthorn
Breust 21yo
Gunston 20yo
Rioli 23yo
Savage 21yo
Shoenmakers 21yo
Shiels 21yo
Smith 23yo
Stratton 23yo
Whitecross 22yo

Compare them to our list:
St.Kilda
Cripps 20yo
Ledger 20yo
Markworth 19yo
McEvoy 23yo
Newnes 19yo
Ross 19yo
Saad 22yo
Simpkin 22yo
Siposs 19yo
Stanley 21yo
Steven 22yo

Pies have a good list of kids don't they. Geelong has a couple of guys with potential but probably just a bit more advanced than a couple of ours. Hawks really only have Rioli as a stand out player the rest are all good with out being great yet. We are in catch up after getting hardly any games in to our guys.

[saintly]

well thats the recruiting and the development of players fault. have to blame the previous coach for that part.

anyway, new era with Watters and Pelchen. It will take time,

[Scollop]

As well as competing against the likes of Cats, Hawks, and Pies in 2013 you've got the other top 4 contenders - West Coast, Sydney, Adelaide, Carlton, and Essendon (if they get through their injury woes - bummers might have a chance to be top4 imo). With North, Freo, Richmond and us and maybe the Lions battling it out for a place in the 8 it's going to be another very tough and unpredictable season

[The Fireman]

Saad is already proving himself to a player of the future.
Jack Steven has the making of a very good player and I believe a future star.
Stanley could be anything...looks a bit Like Dustin Fletcher on the field but moves faster.
Then Simpkin ... I need a bit more time to look at the others but it is obvious we will fall in a hole unless some astute trading or recruiting doesn't occur in the next 2 seasons.