Reef McInnes (Barrier)

[LaurieHolden]

[RudeBoy]

If he could overcome his stage fright and nail those shots on goal he has, he'd already be in our best 22. To my mind, he looks and moves like an elite athlete, but let's us down regularly with poor finishing. If he can get over his nerves, he certainly has the attributes to be a very good player for us.

[David]

[stui magpie]

^
I think he's doing well. He's competing well and putting himself in good positions, considering he's really a 3rd tall being asked to play KPP and getting the oppositions best key defender.
If he keeps competing, it will come in time.

[The Average Tourist]

I thought he was ok last night kicked 1 nearly a 2nd and my goodness the mark in the goal square in the third

Gary Ablett senior would have been given 4 marks of the year for Mark but the commentators do not want to hear about him. Brayshaw called him as Fin last week. So if the commentators do not know him then the umps will not support him

Provide 2nd and 3rd efforts he is never going to be plugger or the duck but is providing a better target more than I expected.

[David]

^ Yeah, I thought he was stiff there too.

[Pies2016]

^
I think he's doing well. He's competing well and putting himself in good positions, considering he's really a 3rd tall being asked to play KPP and getting the oppositions best key defender.
If he keeps competing, it will come in time.

That’s a pretty reasonable summary. The “ kid “ has just turned 21 and it took the club his first two years just to decide where to play him. If he’s going to play as a forward, then for him especially, it’s now about increasing his upper body strength and learning the position. He’s a genuine hybrid tall, so as long as he keeps improving, his skill set should allow him to trial elsewhere if others should pass him by as a forward. Right now, he’s still very much a blank canvas, we just need to hope its Picasso who holds the paint palette.

[woodys_world69]

hes the replacement for Billy Elliott if he gets injured or when he retires.

Hes not currently playing in position, hes far too short.

would he be getting a game if our Squad was fully fit?
Mcstay/Kruger is ahead of the position hes currently playing and Billy doesnt look like hes going anywhere anytime soon... plus is ability to roll into the mids to help out is substantial.

[Said by Zed]

^^^

Are you sure you know who you’re talking about? Reef is 195cm and still filling out. He’s taller than Mihocek (192cm) and a haircut shorter than both McStay (196cm) and Kreuger (196cm). Not saying he’s the answer but his height isn’t what’s holding him back. If anything he’s too tall to be a replacement for Elliott…we’ve got heaps of those.

[The Black and White Lion]

Keep playing McInnes. Good experience. 1 goal a game is better than none and Checkers needs some chop. McInnes is fast and should be playing that 3rd role but is out of position due to our lack of a two fit key forwards. That hasn’t stopped our mids kicking like we have 2 giant forwards in one one contests though.

All of our forwards will benefit if our mids are coached how to kick into the fwd 50. That happens and we’ll be celebrating a lot more

[Take_a_Screamer]

I too, like McInnes. Let him settle in the FF position.
He's a good lead and can take a strong mark.

[piffdog]

Hes not currently playing in position, hes far too short.

Same height as Charlie Curnow...

[piffdog]

I think he shows plenty. I know we're all desperate for Tony Lockett, but these guys take time and he is super young. Didnt get as much of a look last year (and thats the cost of winning a flag), and its incredibly difficult to look like a millionaire when your midfield barely get the ball forward as happened in the last half of the Hawks game (Hill, Elliott, Schultz didne see much action either).

I think he's a gun forward in the making. It just takes time. In 2018, when he was the same age as Reef, Curnow played 20 games, kicked 34.20 and averaged 14 touches a game. Now the blues were rubbish (2 wins) which probably makes that acheivement a little more noteworthy, but I would also hazard a guess that he was getting targetted a lot, whereas Reef is one of many experience dplayers we have up forward. I'm not saying Reef will be Curnow, but I am saying that we need to keep giving him opportunities, and if he keeps contributing (like he has in the last 2 games), then get back to me when he's 25 years old...

[Rex]

When we drafted Reef he was playing as an inside mid. He’s got speed,agility and good hands. He tends to use the ball well and has a shooting accuracy of 5.1 this year. As others have noted he’s taller than he looks and once he gets more upper body strength he’s going to be hard to match up on. I’d like to see him playing third tall behind McStay and Mihocek.
He could quickly take his game to another level by playing to his strength and leading hard and more often. In the practice match against Richmond he charged and jumped and the defender had no chance. Too often on Sunday we had a mark outside 50 and there was no movement at all ahead, just telegraphed bombs to undersized, out numbered forwards. I imagine Ginnivan had told Hawthorn what to look for.
So I want Reef to lead fast and often and I want to see the leads honoured. At least that disrupts the set defence, takes a defender from Mihocek and is less likely to end in a simple defensive mark.

[RudeBoy]

^^^

Are you sure you know who you’re talking about? Reef is 195cm and still filling out. He’s taller than Mihocek (192cm) and a haircut shorter than both McStay (196cm) and Kreuger (196cm). Not saying he’s the answer but his height isn’t what’s holding him back. If anything he’s too tall to be a replacement for Elliott…we’ve got heaps of those.

Correct. Actually, it's his relatively light frame which prevents him from having more of a presence as a KPP. He may never bulk up much more, meaning he'll be better suited as a 3rd tall. Unfortunately, in the absence of MacStay, he's having to play as a KPP. So far, he is coming along nicely. As he gets more confidence, he'll steadily improve.