Comments on: Michael Barlow

By: Toby

Toby — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:57:33 +0000

Just wanted to comment of the teams tonight – still no Rockliff named for Brisbane, which is a shame – i guess we can hope Adcock is a late withdrawal!

As for my article which will appear Friday morning, it will be what replaces the teams video (from 2009) in 2010. I will talk about each lineup and what each inclusion, exclusion and “still-not-in” means to your dream team! This week i will still talk about the Carlton vs Brisbane game, but we have made an executive decision to release the full team lists to the site on Friday morning (rather than doing them sporadically). Fortunately, this round is a one-off, so things will be back to normal in round three. Hopefully Robbie Gray will be back by then too… :-(

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:47:22 +0000

Thanks Dan, in my opinion a high quality recruiting manager is just as important to a footy club as the senior coach (arguably more important).

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:13:13 +0000

Also Sam Mitchell is a great example Tuney. Just like we do in DT, recruiters can talk themselves out of players because of reasons why NOT to pick them, rather than looking at why they should be picked.

I wasn’t following juniors back when Mitchell went through the system, but the knocks on him seemed to be too slow, can’t kick. Speed and kicking are still considered the weaker points of his game, but he’s improved them a lot. The overwhelming thing is that he’s a player who is just bloody good at footy. If you focus on the negatives too much in a player, sometimes you miss the positives.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:05:23 +0000

Barlow did have a fairly meteoric rise in 2009. I believe he was playing country footy in Shepparton for a few years and went to Werribee in 2008 where he had a good season. I’m not sure if he was on anyone’s radar after that, he finished the season very well but I think he still would’ve been a fair way back.

He was very impressive in 2009 and I still have no idea how he slid to the rookie draft.

By: robocop

robocop — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:35:12 +0000

Coz recruiters are dills is the reason blokes like Barlow slip through the net.
They only care if a bloke is in the top 10 in the 20m speed test or smashes the beep test.
A bloke like diesel williams wouldnt get drafted in this day and age.
Footy brains should never ever be understimated. I remember Pagan saying once about Mick Martyn ” Everyone told me he cant kick, hes too slow,hes no good and he will never be any good……but you know what he does win the footy and is rarely beaten, give me a bloke like that anyday of the week over the bloke who looks the goods on the track but cant actually get the pill”

I think we will see heaps more VFL SANFL and WAFL players get a good crack at AFL level in the next few years due to the 2 new sides coming in. The Rookie List clearly shows how stupid our current system of clubs only wanting kids in the system really is

By: bighughie

bighughie — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:31:38 +0000

There was an article on Barlow in the The Age yesterday. Apparently there was never any doubt about his ability to get the ball and his endurance, which were both considered elite. Clubs were put off because his disposal was considered average and that he was one paced. However, as his former coach at Werribee, Simon Atkins said “He’s going to get the ball 40 times, 30 of his disposals will hit the target”.

By: murphinator

murphinator — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:19:40 +0000

Unless Barlow embarked on a remarkable improvement in a years time it is very odd.
Also news just in on the AFL site that Gray (and Motlop) will be out at least this week, and it seems like R3 as well. R4 could be the week. This hurts.

By: Juzz

Juzz — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:16:57 +0000

Wasn’t Sam Mitchell ignored due to a perception (incorrect in hindsight!) he was too short to play at the elite level?

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:02:42 +0000

Question for you Dan, I know recruiting is an inexact science, but how has Michael Barlow been overlooked time and time again at the draft table?

I’m reminded here of the fact Sam Mitchell was also overlooked at 18 years of age, despite winning two best and fairest awards in his two years at the Eastern Ranges in the TAC cup. To think Hawthorn’s premiership captain and the best stoppage player in the competition was not drafted at 18, despite being under the nose of recruiters for at least two years is extraordinary.