Shaun Grigg is one of the players that is crucial to taking us up the ladder. All the hype about Judd Murph and Gibbs is irrelevant - it's the next tier that will decide how good we can become.

Grigg has great size, good strength, pace, power, and a decent left boot. He's capable of getting a lot of the ball and breaking the lines. I've been hopeful that he can add grunt and explosiveness to our midfield, but I now have serious doubts over his ability to play inside roles.

My biggest knock on Grigg is the time it takes him to get boot to ball. How many times do you see him rushing to get a kick away only to see him get smothered or unable to get an even halfway effective kick? His one-sidedness is an issue here too. His handball skills in close are likewise poor - which is unforgivable for an inside player. Until he can get these in-close skills up to scratch he'll be a liability at stoppages, which is a shame as I think his size, aggression and run give him advantages if he was competent at using the ball under pressure.

Is he fated to being a half back flanker / wingman where he can use his pace and long kicking in space (which is still iffy)? And is he good enough overhead to be a versatile backman who won't be exposed by matchups?

Dunno,
but he does have grreeaat arm muscles in his favour.

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Quick little bump - anyone have a view on Grigga playing in the guts?

Like it.

Greatest issue is that he's too slow in sizing up options when kicking inside 50. Can also play the HF role well. Was a huge passenger last week away from the stoppages, regularly did not know whether to close down an opponent or hang back in the space to try force a long kick. Regularly left looking stupid.

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Would be better at HB IMO...at least he has some grunt. I think he is just lacking some touch and fitness due to his interrupted season.

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IMO would be a good HBF, has good skills and being back there would majority of the time at least lessen the need for him to make split second decisions.

He's a good young kid, but i think he'd benefit from some 1 on 1 coaching with Ratts to teach him the subtleties of being an AFL midfielder.

I agree. He'll take over Steven's role running off half back with Waite. I don't think he's that good as an in and under player.

I think Grigg is more a big bodied ball winner in the mould of Lewis. The Geelong game showed the potential of Grigg in the midfield and the injury IMO set him back from really becoming a B grade midfielder for us this year, although he is starting to get a few strong games together so he can still reach that level in 2009.

I have no doubt with his size and confidence is his abilities he can become an A-Grade midfielder within a couple of years. Plenty of improvement all around for Grigg.

Grigg didn't have a stand out game on Friday, but I see him developing into an Enright than a Lewis who is an inside player and not a runner like Grigg.

Grigg can play half back and sweep into the middle like Enright.

SG will blossom with Walker returning to take some of the heat off him and give him a chop out.

Grigg, Robinson and Walker are three players who will stand up if Welsh molests Judd in another game.

Seeing those 3 players really excites me. You made me think about it and yeah they would stand up for anything Carlton; plenty of aggression.

Those 3 fit and hard at it is delicious

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We can't afford him at HBF, given our back six is settling in nicely and he isn't in it. The only way I would allow it is if we get Gibbs out of the HBF and put him in the middle.
IMO Grigg will have to play wing, midfield or half forward. His one-sidedness is indeed his achilles heel but to make up for it, in space he is good value so we have to put him into space. It irritates me that as an up and coming team we spend so many resources negating players. Players like Grigg, Houlihan and Walker allowed to run free will have to be manned up so why don't we allow it? Encourage it? Similarly, Houla gets a negating forward role for what? We all know he is better out wide and his defensive skills aren't his strong suite. If Grigg and Houla were strolling unchecked into the F50 every few minutes it would certainly concentrate the opposition coach's mind.
It took Simmo a while to develop his endurance so I am hoping Grigg is being trained in a manner that will develop his gut running.

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