Tick tock!

[big tone]

I remember preseason when Grimes went down many people here were bemoaning the ability of Astbury. They said he would never make it. Season comes and he becomes our most improved player.

I would take Astbury over Grimes any day of the week. Astbury has the size and strength to trouble the monster forwards like Cloke, Tippett, Hawkins, Petrie and Walker. We are a better balanced defense when we have Astbury at Full Back, Rance CHB and Chaplin the third/floating defender.

Astbury has good disposal and can feed the ball off to Rance, Houli etc to run the ball out of the D50.

I do agree with you about his game output though. Unless he can get his body right and start to string together more games through a season so we can rely upon him he will never become a permanent fixture in the backline. Grimes is the same but his limitations are now starting to mount. Grimes doesn't have the size to compete body on body nor the confidence to mark or depose of the ball cleanly.

I disagree on who I'd prefer. I'd take  Grimes over Astbury all day long.

Grimes has been pretty average to date this year but like most others who miss pre season he has found it hard to catch up. IMO if he stays injury free, next year he will be a lot better.
There's a few things I look at from any new player coming into the AFL and that if they can keep up with the game with their body (which most can) and their head (which not all can)..so if they can think quick enough when they have the footy.

The other is if they have tenacity at the footy. Big or small they need that special thing that separates AFL players from local footballer. It's hard to describe because it's not just aggression or courage, or strength, or pace, it's footy smarts and endeavor to win at all costs.

And IMO blokes like Jaydon Post didn't have it, Griffiths doesn't have it and I don't think Astbury has it. That's not to say they cannot play the game but it's a brutal industry and if you are to succeed it takes more than just a bit of talent.
Most of the elite are wired differently to most of us.

[The Big Richo]

This year isn't the year for a FA.

We need to tidy up the list where we can and then reassess next year.

You don't rate Frawley?

Nope, wants to much and has shown himself to be an ordinary bloke via his dealings with Melbourne this year.

[Yeahright]

I remember preseason when Grimes went down many people here were bemoaning the ability of Astbury. They said he would never make it. Season comes and he becomes our most improved player.

I would take Astbury over Grimes any day of the week. Astbury has the size and strength to trouble the monster forwards like Cloke, Tippett, Hawkins, Petrie and Walker. We are a better balanced defense when we have Astbury at Full Back, Rance CHB and Chaplin the third/floating defender.

Astbury has good disposal and can feed the ball off to Rance, Houli etc to run the ball out of the D50.

I do agree with you about his game output though. Unless he can get his body right and start to string together more games through a season so we can rely upon him he will never become a permanent fixture in the backline. Grimes is the same but his limitations are now starting to mount. Grimes doesn't have the size to compete body on body nor the confidence to mark or depose of the ball cleanly.

I was on the Grimes > Astbury band wagon. For now I would still keep Grimes over Astbury although Astbury has had the better season, not that I think we have the cattle to get rid of either of them. Don't know if his season might be over exaggerated in hindsight but I remember Grimes having a really good year a few years back that Astburys didn't match this year. He was marking the ball and using it well out of defence and did some pretty good shut down roles. If Grimes and Astbury could overtake Chaplin then I'd be even happier.

[the claw]

I remember preseason when Grimes went down many people here were bemoaning the ability of Astbury. They said he would never make it. Season comes and he becomes our most improved player.

I would take Astbury over Grimes any day of the week. Astbury has the size and strength to trouble the monster forwards like Cloke, Tippett, Hawkins, Petrie and Walker. We are a better balanced defense when we have Astbury at Full Back, Rance CHB and Chaplin the third/floating defender.

Astbury has good disposal and can feed the ball off to Rance, Houli etc to run the ball out of the D50.

I do agree with you about his game output though. Unless he can get his body right and start to string together more games through a season so we can rely upon him he will never become a permanent fixture in the backline. Grimes is the same but his limitations are now starting to mount. Grimes doesn't have the size to compete body on body nor the confidence to mark or depose of the ball cleanly.

I was on the Grimes > Astbury band wagon. For now I would still keep Grimes over Astbury although Astbury has had the better season, not that I think we have the cattle to get rid of either of them. Don't know if his season might be over exaggerated in hindsight but I remember Grimes having a really good year a few years back that Astburys didn't match this year. He was marking the ball and using it well out of defence and did some pretty good shut down roles. If Grimes and Astbury could overtake Chaplin then I'd be even happier.

the reality is we cant afford to cut any of the talls as far as numbers go. if we do cut em  at the very least we must replace em.

i have several gripes with grimes but the biggest one would be hes as soft as butter imo. astbury i agree with others he has shown an ability to play on and greatly negate the bigger fwds.i think hes worth persevering with atm. even if we got frawley id be looking at a kpd in the nd or rookie draft as well.

id be happy to get frawley because the player i would like  to see  freed up is rance.  frawley f/b, astbury chb and rance third tall. would also like to see a tall running defender like mcintosh make it. a fit morris to shut down the smls  and a classy rebounding player like deledio or a cool headed good reader of the play who makes good decisions  like vlastuin to round out the backline.

[Yeahright]

I unlike some others agree re: Rance as 3rd tall. Yes he can play on the best but he is better suited as a 3rd tall and it would be a real luxury to be able to play him as one