Yeah or Neah - 8. Kayne Pettifer

[mightytiges]

As the season is now about judging who stays or goes at the end of the year, thought we might have a look at each player who is on a knife's edge and get opinions until the end of the season.

At the start of the year he was almost a certainty to be delisted but after some good games in the backline in the past month or so what should happen to Pettifer now - kept or still offload - and why?

[Rodgerramjet]

Trade him for whatever we can get. We have some younger guys that are comming through such as Hartigan, Roach even Tuck etc  that can play the position he currently plays in and they haven't been on the list anywhere near as long as he has and they have shown more to boot. Off load for a draft pick.

[JohnF]

I'd probably have to agree, off load him. It would be good to have faith in him that he has finally come good and will be a good player for us for many years to come, but i can't help but be a little cynical and think that he is another one of these players ala Fiora, Tivendale who come good around contract time and then go back to being duds as soon as their playing careers are secured.

I'm hoping he continues to play well for the rest of the year and then we can get something half decent for him. If it comes to getting rid of him or Chaffey though, I'd probably say get rid of Chaffey first.

[froars]

He's got a few more rounds to prove what he can do.
Bringing in these kids will put pressure on our borderliners to step up and perform.
I say just see what pans out in the last rounds before we get rid of him.

[Tiger Spirit]

Since his debut in 2001, Pettifer hasn’t really shown anything that makes you sit up and take notice, like others have.  On that basis, and if we’re serious about building a team for the future, then let him go.

Also, when you see the young players coming through the system now, they seem more advanced than Pettifer, and others on our list, in many respects.  It probably comes down to how much hard work has to be put in to make him a good footballer, versus the players coming through now.

Because of his previous form, I have to doubt that he can ever really be anything more than a “fill-in” player.

Maybe give him the benefit of the doubt, for another season, because he hasn’t really been given a fair go, and who knows if another coach could get something more out of him.  Overall though, there has to be some doubt about his long-term value and reliability.

[WilliamPowell]

What's that song?

Torn? you know sung by that Aussie Natalie someone .... it goes "I'm torn"

That's how I feel about Kayne.

He has shown a bit the last few weeks but up until then he has been average some times and probably below average too many times. Unfortunately he carries the label "top 10 draft pick" and I don't reckon he has coped with it too well at times.

If he keeps playing the way he has been (especially if continues to get game time ) then I'd give him 1 more year under the new coach but only one.

If he stays it definitely has to be his last chance.

[om21]

Dissapointing that it took so long to give the poor guy a chance....

I would keep him on the back that had he been given the time Fiorio got he may have been a handy player.

[froars]

spot on om21 - he has been managed - like many other kids at our club - atrociously.

[Puntroadroar]

this kid has shown more in the past month that what ottens has shown in the past 2 years, yet everyone says keep Ottens and get rid of Kayne

 

[mightytiges]

I would like froars wait until the end of the season until making a judgement. If he continues the good form he has shown the past month then I would be more likely give him a one year contract as WP mentioned. There are now plenty of others ahead of him for the chop and IMO he has now gone ahead of Fiora and Chaffey and they all play similar rolls. I know this isn't a good enough reason to remain on a AFL team's list but IMO Kayne is naturally more talented on both sides of his body than the above too. It has always been IMO a mental/attitude problem with Pettifer as well as poor managment as om21 said playing him as a small forward when he wasn't one and not trying him elsewhere. Sure he has had plenty of opportunities and more than many of young blokes but they have always been as a small forward.

[mightytiges]

One part of Kayne's game that has totally turned around is him willing to put his body on the line. He no longer hestitates everytime when going at the footy. A example of that was in the last quarter on the weekend when he ran back with the flight of the ball into the defensive 50 towards the oncoming Saint forward (think it was Riewoldt or Hamill) and got in a first to spoil. We wouldn't see something like that from Pettifer before this year.

[Struggletown]

Mmmm, two months ago l had dismissed him as a soft waste of a high draft pick.
Im by no means sold on him,but with such a plethora of garbage we need to trade/delist before him,he may dodge a bullett.
I dont know his contract situation,but ld have him on a minimal monetory contract for one season under the new coaching staff.Play him in the backline for 4 quarters and if he doesn't produce next year,punt him off.
Im still no fan of his,but he's lucky we have worse guys before him.

[WilliamPowell]

I dont know his contract situation,but ld have him on a minimal monetory contract for one season under the new coaching staff.

Out of contract at the end of this season.
 

[Tiger Spirit]

You have to ask why it’s taken so long for him to get the opportunity he’s been given now.  Especially when you consider that others have been given a reasonable go, ahead of him.

From what we’ve seen with other young players who come on and off the bench, it seems to be an easy call to say that it’s due to poor list management.  That’s fair enough to assume over the short-term, but you’d have to think it was more to do with his attitude than anything else, because surely a player with ability couldn’t get such treatment for almost 4 seasons, without there being a reason for it, could they?

It’s easy to blame the Coach and coaching staff, but no coach, no matter who he might be, could seemingly ignore a player without good reason.  And if they do then they’re in the wrong line of work.

Whether Pettifer has just got a lucky chance or is getting reward for a changed attitude is hard to know, but he should consider himself lucky that he’ll more than likely be retained, or at least get the opportunity to go to another Club, if he continues his form of recent weeks.

[om21]

You have to ask why it’s taken so long for him to get the opportunity he’s been given now.  Especially when you consider that others have been given a reasonable go, ahead of him.

That is a damn good question and I dont think that with the results Frawley has had you can honestly put this back on Petters. I think this solely lies with the coaching staff. I mean its almost like they had to play Fiorio to justify their high-selection with him....Petters needed consistent game-time (mistakes and all), not patches.