Shaun Higgins

[craigsahibee]

Rocket just mentioned on SEN that Sahun Higgins will be back playing with Williamstown the week after the AFL bye and Tommy Williams will be available for Round 16.

[LostDoggy]

Awesome news.

Looking forward to seeing Higgins back playing..whether he gets into the team or not..

No good about Tommy though, hopefully we'll have Callan ready soon too..

[LostDoggy]

Who do you drop for them though. I mean its great that they will be back soon but I for one would hate to be on the selection table the guys are making it hard for them thats for sure.

[LostDoggy]

I know we are playing damn good footy - but if we want our best 22 in... Higgins has a spot.

[bornadog]

I know we are playing damn good footy - but if we want our best 22 in... Higgins has a spot.

Agree he is a talent, but he has to work his way back in with some form at Willy.

[Mofra]

At the moment, a fit Higgins is ahead of Hill.
A fit Williams is ahead of Tiller (assuming Tiller is played as a backman at senior level).

When Tim Callan is back firing, and West is ready, I could barely guess who will come out.

[Bulldog Revolution]

At the moment, a fit Higgins is ahead of Hill.
A fit Williams is ahead of Tiller (assuming Tiller is played as a backman at senior level).

When Tim Callan is back firing, and West is ready, I could barely guess who will come out.

Higgins is classy, nobody doubts that, but he has missed 12 weeks and isn't fit, so thats his challenge

Hill and Tiller have by and large made the most of their opportunities in 2008 and have probably been the two biggest improvers on the list.

[MrMahatma]

Wouldn't expect to see Higgins in the seniors until round 20 or so. He'll need a solid month of footy to get anywhere close to the fitness he needs.

[Dry Rot]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Higgins is Dogs 2006-07 classy, not Dogs 2008 classy.

IIRC his defensive game is poor, and that has to be rectified to be "classy" 2008 Dogs.

[Rocket Science]

All things considered, most would agree Higgins is a superior all-round footballer to Addison, but the latter brings certain attributes that Higgins doesn't, at least for the time being...not to mention there's clearly more competition in the squad for the type of role Higgins would assume, than the type Addison fulfils.

Naturally, it's great news on Higgins' recovery, but it's by no means a lay down misere that he just walks back into the squad for mine...Like Addison and everyone else, he's gotta earn his spot in the ones, and it's for precisely that reason we're in such good nick this season.

[al_smith07]

well said rocket science could'nt agree more im loving the way everyone has to earn there spot and there is probably 3 spots up for grabs it shows great depth

[Bulldog Revolution]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Higgins is Dogs 2006-07 classy, not Dogs 2008 classy.

IIRC his defensive game is poor, and that has to be rectified to be "classy" 2008 Dogs.

Whilst the defensive side of his game needs work, he is young enough that we'd expect his improving fitness to translate into improved defensive efforts.

Worst case scenario that Willy midfield gets very, very tough in the lead up to finals

But you are right, the challenge for him is to get fit enough to play the way we NOW play and will need him too.

[DoggyStyle]

All things considered, most would agree Higgins is a superior all-round footballer to Addison, but the latter brings certain attributes that Higgins doesn't, at least for the time being...not to mention there's clearly more competition in the squad for the type of role Higgins would assume, than the type Addison fulfils.

Naturally, it's great news on Higgins' recovery, but it's by no means a lay down misere that he just walks back into the squad for mine...Like Addison and everyone else, he's gotta earn his spot in the ones, and it's for precisely that reason we're in such good nick this season.

For mine, Addison is showing too much to make way Higgins unless his form falls off. Having said that woudl love to she Higgins make it bakc in

[Dry Rot]

For mine, Addison is showing too much to make way Higgins unless his form falls off. Having said that woudl love to she Higgins make it bakc in

Will be tricky as west is due back at roughly the same time.

[The Coon Dog]

Will be tricky as west is due back at roughly the same time.

In a perfect world, the one thing you'd really want come finals time is all your players injury free. Good position to be in.

[BulldogBelle]

Will be tricky as west is due back at roughly the same time.

The way I look at it DR is that all the players will be doing their upmost to keep their spots...none of them would want to falter. Exciting times ahead.

[LostDoggy]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Higgins is Dogs 2006-07 classy, not Dogs 2008 classy.

IIRC his defensive game is poor, and that has to be rectified to be "classy" 2008 Dogs.

Spot on. He kicks a good goal but lacks a defensive side.
I can't see him playing in the midfield either.

He runs the risk of being overtaken by the likes of Ward (his injuries haven't helped of course).

[Rocco Jones]

I think he struggled with the defensive side of his game last year. I wasn't happy with him having the clear forward pocket role last year, I think it made life a little too easy for him. I remember in an interview he commented about how as a forward he might only get a couple of chances but if he took them, he was doing his job. It was a very short term decision, we should have been working on the long term goal of having him in midfield (rotating there and forward as most do).

I thought his running was a lot better round 1 (his disposal was very poor) and if he is fit enough and gets a bit of form up, he would definitely make a strong case for being in our 22.

He looks like he will be coming back in the next two weeks and will probably need at least a month at Willy to regain fitness. He also will need a couple of strong performances there, so I can't see him being in the side before round 20.

[1eyedog]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Higgins is Dogs 2006-07 classy, not Dogs 2008 classy.

IIRC his defensive game is poor, and that has to be rectified to be "classy" 2008 Dogs.

Same with Everitt, I prefer Callan, we have enough one touch players and I miss the extra pressure Callan creates down back with his bullocking style

[bold-dogg]

As someone (in a newspaper?) said about a year ago: to cover inevitable injuries or suspension, good teams have a best 25, instead of 22.
With West, Callan and Higgins back in the team, then 3 blokes currently in our winning side make for a good best 25.
Add Harbrow, Ward and a couple of others, it looks like The Bullies have got real depth.
Getting gametime for Addison and Tiller is a bonus, and now Williams and Everitt.
The excitement this season isn't just because of our win-loss ratio; we also know there's a core (or the whole flamin' apple) of talent there, that's only going to get better. Juicy prospect. Thanks for beaming us up, Scotty.
Now for that CHF.

[GetDimmaBack]

Regardless of when we think he should be back, the main thing is that he adds some depth, as it gives us a very handy player to come back if there's an injury or if someone loses form. He also puts pressure on a few players to keep performing well, and that's got to help the side overall.
Higgins has a touch of class, and if a player of his ability (assuming he's fit) is waiting in the wings then we're really looking good.

[LostDoggy]

Same with Everitt, I prefer Callan, we have enough one touch players and I miss the extra pressure Callan creates down back with his bullocking style

WTF?

Presumably we have enough players who hold their feet and don't go to ground too?

[1eyedog]

WTF?

Presumably we have enough players who hold their feet and don't go to ground too?

Of course we have enough players who hold their feet and don't go to ground. Are you inferring that Callan goes to ground easily and Everitt doesn't? I suggested Callan loses his feet a bit in another thread so it's nothing new but Everitt's frame doesn't help him in this department either. Based on what other attributes both Callan and Everitt bring to the side I prefer Callan's hardness ATM. In saying 'one touch players' let me clarify. We have a number of highly skilled players, Callan is not one of them, so, we have enough one touch players means we have an abundance of highly skilled players, but I also feel we need players with hardness ala Hahn, Addison, Hudson, Callan. That hardness has set us apart this season from 2006. Your question seems a tad subliminal, but I have tried my best to answer it in a few ways to help you understand my initial post.

[LostDoggy]

Of course we have enough players who hold their feet and don't go to ground. Are you inferring that Callan goes to ground easily and Everitt doesn't? I suggested Callan loses his feet a bit in another thread so it's nothing new but Everitt's frame doesn't help him in this department either. Based on what other attributes both Callan and Everitt bring to the side I prefer Callan's hardness ATM. In saying 'one touch players' let me clarify. We have a number of highly skilled players, Callan is not one of them, so, we have enough one touch players means we have an abundance of highly skilled players, but I also feel we need players with hardness ala Hahn, Addison, Hudson, Callan. That hardness has set us apart this season from 2006. Your question seems a tad subliminal, but I have tried my best to answer it in a few ways to help you understand my initial post.

We can never have too many one touch players. That, along with keeping your feet is the essence of football. Callan goes to ground too often and is not a one touch player. His other problem is his poor disposal.

One of Everitt's strengths is his poise and no, despite his slight frame, he does not go too ground easily.

[1eyedog]

We can never have too many one touch players. That, along with keeping your feet is the essence of football. Callan goes to ground too often and is not a one touch player. His other problem is his poor disposal.

One of Everitt's strengths is his poise and no, despite his slight frame, he does not go too ground easily.

You must be confusing him with the other Everitt. Everitt is ok landing from marks or spoiling but he goes to ground too easily for mine in a contested ground ball, he is still too slight. We had too many one touch players in 2006 and not enough hardness.

[LostDoggy]

You must be confusing him with the other Everitt. Everitt is ok landing from marks or spoiling but he goes to ground too easily for mine in a contested ground ball, he is still too slight. We had too many one touch players in 2006 and not enough hardness.

That is simply not the case.

[1eyedog]

That is simply not the case.

We'll agree to disagree then