RATing our rookie selected players in descending order of MC views – players on the rookie list in 2012 are colour coded

• Carrazzo – automatic selection / elite midfielder
• Jamison – automatic selection / elite fullback / injured too often
• Garlett – automatic selection / consistently leads the team in pressure acts
• Tuohy – automatic selection in 2012 / has more impact when he is not required to play a purely defensive role in support of more flamboyant attacking defenders
• Curnow – has massively upgraded his running capacity and established himself in the midfield rotation
• Casboult – often injured 3rd year rookie / back-up ruckman come forward who can’t kick straight / got a game and held his spot because there was no one else but has shown more than enough to deserve a spot on the list
• Bell – built like a tank and plays the same way but comparisons to Kouta are laughable / needs to learn a few more tricks but should be retained as a designated rookie or upgraded for 2013
• White – often injured ‘tweener / not tall enough or fast enough or skilful enough but can play almost anywhere / might develop further if he stays injury free / likely to be retained
• Ellard – not tall enough or fast enough for AFL and too good for the VFL / ahead of Curnow and McLean in 2011 but not anymore / midfield ball magnet who might hold his spot as a depth player
• Thornton – great servant of the club but has lost what pace he had and has been on the outer with the MC for 3 years – forced his way back into the team and generally performs well but is always the first man out / would be a shame that he probably won’t get to 200 games
• Joseph – not tall enough or fast enough or skilful enough but has kept on even though they took his position away several years ago / might hold his spot as a depth player
• O’Keeffe – often injured 4th year player / highly rated but how many often-injured players can we afford to retain?
• Dale – shows a bit but another who has been often injured / given a couple of AFL games on speculative worth / likely to get a 2nd year as a rookie
• Carter – 2nd year rookie / making slow but steady progress / some more impressive rookies have not been retained for a 3rd year so unlikely to stay
• Heyne – former 3rd round draft pick by the Aints / picked up for depth / not a bad player but too slow for AFL / unlikely to be back in 2013
• Bray – 2nd year rookie / making very slow progress / some more impressive rookies have not been retained for a 3rd year so unlikely to stay but looks like he could be a player and might be a late developer / wouldn’t be shocked if we re-rookied him if there were no better options available
• Lodge – often injured scholarship player / unlikely to be back

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Hey Rocky; there are too many rabbits ... in China.

Garlett is in no way an automatic selection imo

Should've been dropped several times this season

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

Garlett has had a poor year, but his best is clearly good enough to be an automatic selection.

Thanks for going through the rookies RR, good stuff.

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Garlett has been poor but he is a result of our game style. He plays forward of the ball and if it doesnt come in quickly we struggle. Having both he and Betts in the forward 50 is just wrong. It is so easy for good sides to close down and lessens our midfield rotations and given todays game and interchange is just vital.

His future needs to be on a wing and he needs to work both ways and he's not the only one.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Good post RR, i too have been reflecting on this section of our playing list.

What concerns me strangely has been our our over reliance on our Rookies.

I.M.H.O. Rookies are a bonus. You pick up the occasional gem but for the most part are depth fillers.

It seems to me that players fall into the Rookie draft either because of deficiencies in their game or concerns about injuries.

Some deficiencies can be rectified by coaching and injuries often take care of themselves.

What was glaringly obvious last night in our heavily weighted Rookie team was that suspect skill levels and deficiencies were extremely evident.

Good work RR, I agree with Touhy , but playing there for the year will help his development as mannining up and pressure acts etc will become second nature to him, and will be invaluable if he gets released to a midfield role, unlike some of our other players.

I agree, we rely too much on it to an unhealthy degree. Also, RR, how many 'depth players' does one club need? All I know is any less than four draftees (pre trade) this year would be underselling it and overvaluing our 'depth'.

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