Potential, yes it's a dirty word but let's go there

[wb_age]

I am just looking at creating some discussion on our players, in particular the ones who are not playing to there potential.

I will start by comparing our own Shaun Higgins with Daniel Hannebery.

I've watched Sydney all year and watched this kid go from strength to strength and he reminds me of Shaun Higgins when he first hit the scene at the dogs.

They both have superb foot skills (yes Higgins has dipped but was once lethal by foot, confidence has taken a hiding lately), neither are blessed with pace, both strong overhead, both have had there share of injuries.

Yet we have one who fades in and out of games and the other on the verge of being a star and a premiership player.

Is it simply work rate, and Higgins needs to work on his tank tirelessly, is it simply a case where your teammates make you a better player ( the swans spread is second to none). How can it be that players like Higgins, Cross etc being consistently exposed for pace yet players suh as Hannebery, Sam Mitchell etc are rarely exposed?

[Mofra]

Hannebury is playing an inside mid role, his natural position.

Higgins is forced to play elsewhere because he doesn't get enough injury-free continuity into his game which restricts his top-match fitness, we already have a decent amount of inside mids and he is an excellent finisher which we lack around the ground.

When Cross played predominately in the centre and was getting regular top 3 B&F finishes I don't recall him getting exposed for pace very often.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Hannebury is a gut runner with fantastic courage.

Higgins is an 'outside' player, but he simply needs to improve his tank. His skills were solid this year IMO.

[LostDoggy]

What hurts most is Hannebury's dad played with us.

[Bulldog Revolution]

What hurts most is Hannebury's dad played with us.

I always thought his dad could have been good, but if I remember correctly had chronic hamstring trouble

what number did he wear? was it 46?

[Sockeye Salmon]

I always thought his dad could have been good, but if I remember correctly had chronic hamstring trouble

what number did he wear? was it 46?

36..

[Bulldog Revolution]

36..

cheers,

wingman, ruck rover wasn't he, good pace, nice kick - anyone else got a clearer memory than me

[bornadog]

cheers,

wingman, ruck rover wasn't he, good pace, nice kick - anyone else got a clearer memory than me

Didn't he play for Collingwood before us.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Didn't he play for Collingwood before us.

Dont think so, but maybe Im wrong

[bornadog]

Dont think so, but maybe Im wrong

Sorry, thinking of Mark Hannebery

[w3design]

Hannebury is playing an inside mid role, his natural position.

Higgins is forced to play elsewhere because he doesn't get enough injury-free continuity into his game which restricts his top-match fitness, we already have a decent amount of inside mids and he is an excellent finisher which we lack around the ground.

When Cross played predominately in the centre and was getting regular top 3 B&F finishes I don't recall him getting exposed for pace very often.

My thought exactly. While Crossy never was, nor ever will be quick on his feet, his main problem in recent seasons has been being played out of position.
With all the in and under mid kids we have now, and given his age I think it is time for Cross to reinvent himself as a defender for much of the time, with just cameos on the centre, and not on the bl**dy wing for heavens sake!

[Ghost Dog]

Higgins has been accused of being a bit soft on here. And I've had a fair crack at him over years gone by.
One thing that has given me confidence is BMac's endorsement of Shaun's efforts off field.
Injury has been the big obstacle. If Bmac is happy that he is working as hard as he can, then it's good enough for me. The other side is Sherman. You could argue that Sherman is a similar type to Shaun. Possibly as much 'potential' and has been cut from the team for not 'cracking in'. Again, gives me a bit of confidence we are moving in the right direction. Both situations confirmed my gut feelings about both players.

[F'scary]

Higgins only spots are HFF or FP. Don't bother with anywhere else. If he plays a bad game in either of his 2 suitable positions, drop him to the reserves to find form. Easy. All up he is just a good-average player.

[Maddog37]

I think he is more than that but body issues may always curtail his output.

[Dazza]

Well, he gets an injury free pre season this season so he should be raring to go next year. I think he's been hampered by injury for most of his career.

Here's hoping he can make the most of his potential. In #19 he was very good. Giving our players other numbers (and making a big deal of it) has been a curse of sorts.

I hope Dahlhaus doesn't stall with the 6.

[Dazza]

Another 'potential' player we have is Jarrod Grant.

Has all the tricks and has some very valuable assets. I hope he manages to have a good season next year.

[immortalmike]

Higgins has been accused of being a bit soft on here. And I've had a fair crack at him over years gone by.
One thing that has given me confidence is BMac's endorsement of Shaun's efforts off field.
Injury has been the big obstacle. If Bmac is happy that he is working as hard as he can, then it's good enough for me. The other side is Sherman. You could argue that Sherman is a similar type to Shaun. Possibly as much 'potential' and has been cut from the team for not 'cracking in'. Again, gives me a bit of confidence we are moving in the right direction. Both situations confirmed my gut feelings about both players.

Anyone who thinks Higgins is soft, must watch a different player to me. Unfairly maligned because he lacks a yard and is often playing injured.
He was the best inside mid of his draft maybe he should be playing in the middle with rests up forward, providing he gets in a good pre-season.

[wimberga]

Anyone who thinks Higgins is soft, must watch a different player to me. Unfairly maligned because he lacks a yard and is often playing injured.
He was the best inside mid of his draft maybe he should be playing in the middle with rests up forward, providing he gets in a good pre-season.

Agree Mike. Higgins has developed a strong inside game and it seems that many fans neglect that part of his game. He still has those silky skills we all know about and a big pre-season for him could just provide some of that polish that we have lacked in the midfield.

Whilst speaking of potential, how do people feel about Easton Wood? The guy is a serious athlete and can compete, but sometimes the footy nous does not seem to come naturally to him. For instance, Wood often tends to lose his opponent and fly at the football when the "smart" option may be to stay on the ground. This is something my friend mentioned to me early this season and once he did, the glass was well and truly shattered and I saw this almost each time he played.

Wood is exciting and I hope that he can further develop his skill to go along with his advantageous physical features. However, how much "potential" do posters here believe he has in being able to increase his footy smarts and develop into a more rounded, better decision maker?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Whilst speaking of potential, how do people feel about Easton Wood? The guy is a serious athlete and can compete, but sometimes the footy nous does not seem to come naturally to him. For instance, Wood often tends to lose his opponent and fly at the football when the "smart" option may be to stay on the ground. This is something my friend mentioned to me early this season and once he did, the glass was well and truly shattered and I saw this almost each time he played.

Wood is exciting and I hope that he can further develop his skill to go along with his advantageous physical features. However, how much "potential" do posters here believe he has in being able to increase his footy smarts and develop into a more rounded, better decision maker?

Wood's improvement in his first 3 years was enormous. He's stalled in the last two years which has been disappointing, mainly for the reasons you listed above. He also struggles to find enough of the ball, but again, this is likely due to footy nous more than anything else. He's a great athlete who is as strong as he is fast, and at times he shows great promise as an attacking defender, but too often he loses his man in flight and doesn't find space on the rebound to become an attacking option. His game v Collingwood up until he got injured was phenomenal, but he's had some pretty bad ones too.

Not sure if Wood could potentially move up the ground into the midfield or even forward. I wouldn't mind seeing a change of position, but with our list and where it's at, we probably need him to nail a position in the back half.

His progress will be interesting.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

cheers,

wingman, ruck rover wasn't he, good pace, nice kick - anyone else got a clearer memory than me

He in fact played on a half back flank and was a very determined player. Didn't quite have the talent of his son but was still more than serviceable.

[jeemak]

Some posters go off crook at Higgins for being a bit of a traffic cop. I can see why in some respects, though for the most part I think he's fulfilling a role he's directed to. If that behaviour is so obviously poor, then the coaching staff would certainly pull him in to line.

His battle with injury has been widely documented and in many ways his performaces to this point can be justified as a result of injury associated restrictions (particularly the OP, and the soft tissue injuries that can follow it). At the highest level the most talented of players can look as if they're cruising, but so much of it comes down to preparation.

If he gets a clear run at this preaseason and maintains an injury free introduction to the season then I'll be very interested to see if his output increases. I think he has the tools to be a sweeping and outside midfielder, that also has the ability to win his own ball, though this is solely dependant on his body holding up.

He's close to our best finisher as it stands, and if fit any side that doesn't man him up with a quality defender will have two kicked on them.

[F'scary]

Sorry but they have tried Higgins in a number of positions: the so-called "quarter back" HBF role, the defensive midfield "sweeper," the inside middy, the outside middy, the run-with middy, the burst middy.

None of these has been a success because he is essentially a forward-of-the-ball, flashy receiver-finisher - good mark for his size including on the lead but who lacks stamina, is not that physically robust and is not defensively inclined.

He is a slick, fancy-pants medium sized forward. FP or HFF. Good goal kicker. Good with inside 50 scoring assists

[always right]

Sorry but they have tried Higgins in a number of positions: the so-called "quarter back" HBF role, the defensive midfield "sweeper," the inside middy, the outside middy, the run-with middy, the burst middy.

None of these has been a success because he is essentially a forward-of-the-ball, flashy receiver-finisher - good mark for his size including on the lead but who lacks stamina, is not that physically robust and is not defensively inclined.

He is a slick, fancy-pants medium sized forward. FP or HFF. Good goal kicker.

So at this stage he's a poor man's Steve Johnson.

[F'scary]

So at this stage he's a poor man's Steve Johnson.

If a few things go his way, he could be as valuable on the forward line.

[Sedat]

So at this stage he's a poor man's Steve Johnson.
Shannon Grant is probably a better comparison. Stevie J is a category unto himself.

[immortalmike]

Sorry but they have tried Higgins in a number of positions: the so-called "quarter back" HBF role, the defensive midfield "sweeper," the inside middy, the outside middy, the run-with middy, the burst middy.

None of these has been a success because he is essentially a forward-of-the-ball, flashy receiver-finisher - good mark for his size including on the lead but who lacks stamina, is not that physically robust and is not defensively inclined.

He is a slick, fancy-pants medium sized forward. FP or HFF. Good goal kicker. Good with inside 50 scoring assists

At what stage was he fit and uninjured when trialled in these positions...?
I also think you'll find at least half his possessions are contested when he plays midfield. You have him pegged as a slow Eagleton, unfortunately I think he's more a frequently injured classy inside mid.

[jeemak]

Shannon Grant is probably a better comparison. Stevie J is a category unto himself.

If Higgins could be as consistent as Grant was or make defenders look half as stupid as Johnson does then we'd have to be happy with that.

[bornadog]

If Higgins could be as consistent as Grant was or make defenders look half as stupid as Johnson does then we'd have to be happy with that.

He will be captaining the London team, should be good experience for him.

[F'scary]

At what stage was he fit and uninjured when trialled in these positions...?
I also think you'll find at least half his possessions are contested when he plays midfield. You have him pegged as a slow Eagleton, unfortunately I think he's more a frequently injured classy inside mid.

Well he better have permanent forward as another string to his bow because the competition for mid-field spots has increased seriously now.