Nick's Collingwood Bulletin Board

Defender wrote:

E wrote:The poor guy played a howler. decision making was shocking. Hasn't yet accepted he can play AFL footy and tried too hard and panicked. You cant know if he's hopeless or nervous until you give him a few games. I personally would love bucks to say to him - "I don't care how much you stuff up, you are getting 4 weeks to prove yourself. Go after it!"

It should be said, Maynard is showing exactly the same problems at the moment at AFL. He makes very poor decisions. It does seem however that he has been given the "you have 4 weeks" speech from Bucks.

I've said it a few times. either they are good enough, in which case, you persevere through a learning period until they come good.

Not every new kid looks at home in the AFL immediately (like De Goey and Moore for example). Takes time folks. something Collingwood fans usually don't allow.

He's had 3 years.

How long did we give swan?

I think the concern rises from the repeated effort to kick the ball 40m over a couple of weeks for which he has failed to do (it wasn't a one off). He had a chance to kick a pretty straight forward goal at a critical time for us yesterday and it just didn't happen. Combine this with some of his turn overs and free kicks he gave away which resulted on 2-3 occasions in opposition goals and Kennedy plain and simple had a stinker.

He wasn't alone but he stunk it up more than most.

On game day I wanted him back in the VFL for a while. Thinking more rationally however I feel that could mess with his head and be of little benefit to him.

I say play him again. Let him have his month of senior footy and see if he can turn it around. But he'd need to show us the polar opposite to yesterday or he just becomes a liability.

Play him for the rest of the season and then make a call.

Defender wrote:

E wrote:The poor guy played a howler. decision making was shocking. Hasn't yet accepted he can play AFL footy and tried too hard and panicked. You cant know if he's hopeless or nervous until you give him a few games. I personally would love bucks to say to him - "I don't care how much you stuff up, you are getting 4 weeks to prove yourself. Go after it!"

It should be said, Maynard is showing exactly the same problems at the moment at AFL. He makes very poor decisions. It does seem however that he has been given the "you have 4 weeks" speech from Bucks.

I've said it a few times. either they are good enough, in which case, you persevere through a learning period until they come good.

Not every new kid looks at home in the AFL immediately (like De Goey and Moore for example). Takes time folks. something Collingwood fans usually don't allow.

He's had 3 years.

you are joking right? that's like saying we should delist Scharenberg because he's had 2 years..... Kennedy is late to the party because of various ailments as far as I am aware.

Anyway, regardless of how long he has been on the list, this is the time when he is trying to prove himself for the first time at AFL level. Doesn't matter how long he's been on the list.

the question is whether there is any need at all to drop a first round draft pick before you've figured out if he can cut it at the AFL level. Remember that he has proven all year that he is too good for the reserves.

I guess you wouldn't. I would.

roar wrote:Play him for the rest of the season and then make a call.

Agreed, if he fails then trade him, someone will want a 2nd look.

T'is the lot of the fringe player. Seen as the Messiah when they're in the twos. Crucified when they're in the seniors.

Dangles wrote:T'is the lot of the fringe player. Seen as the Messiah when they're in the twos. Crucified when they're in the seniors.

Brilliant!

He's playing at VFL speed. Needs some time to get to AFL speed. Play him the rest of the year see how he develops. Broomhead is out anyway.

Has played some great games as the sub when the heat has gone out of games.

Is him the rest of the year see how he develops a game or a musical instrument?

Agreed he needs a few weeks at this level to settle and that will give us a better indication of where he is at. Problem is he will probably get dropped this week so he wont get that continuity that he needs at the highest level.

Johnno75 wrote:Agreed he needs a few weeks at this level to settle and that will give us a better indication of where he is at. Problem is he will probably get dropped this week so he wont get that continuity that he needs at the highest level.

I think Oxley and Blair's dropping will save Kennedy this week.

Will Blair be dropped before the "One Kick Prince"?

Kennedy needs a 4-6 game period of review. His mung kick last week from 40 metres was grating but his lace up pass from boundary into the corridor was great. Give him a run and review accordingly.

There appears to be a choice between Kennedy and Blair for the small forward spot to be made. Personally I would choose Blair for his toughness and proven decision making over Kennedy.

Kennedy's game on Sunday was a shocker so given that Adams has to come back into the team this week the only other who may be in need of a rest in the VFL is Adam Oxley who appears to have lost some touch in recent weeks.

Kennedy seems to lack kicking depth which is OK if you can compensate like Tony Shaw did for most of his career with great decision making and toughness. I have not seen enough of that from Kennedy to justify having him in the team.

If the club does play him again this week then I wish him well and hope that he develops into the elite small forward that Hine was attracted to when he drafted him.

At this stage it is hard to see him getting a game ahead of tseveral others lining up for spots in the AFL team who are likely to be at the club next year such as Treloar, Elliot, Adams, Broomhead, Karnezis, Marsh, Seedsman, Freeman, Scharenberg etc.

At this stage of the year I would rather play Sammy Dwyer than Ben Kennedy.

Either way, AFL or VFL, Ben Kennedy needs to show a lot of improvement between now and the end of the year to retain his place on the list.

May have his cards marked after the weekend. Buckley hasnt been a fan up til now, and that thinking was prob reinforced after his performance With Adams coming back in, Elliott in the wings, jdg already having passed him, the hope of recruiting treloar, and shazza and freeman still to debut, I could easily see him becoming trade bait at seasons end.

First and second round players don't make it all the time. Check the draft records to see just how common it is.

Might be a long way back for the boy after getting dropped this week.
I would've given him another crack, but not to be......