Mathews and Ball 2024

city won 48 - 18

Hopwood and Hilliar did their jobs well, but didn't stand out in a great forward pack.
Votano was one of the best on the field.
He was calm and pretty much faultless at the back. He is one of the calmest and least hurried players I've ever seen. He is just exactly where he should be and doing his job with zero hurry or panic. The ice man.
 
Billy said:
city won 48 - 18

Hopwood and Hilliar did their jobs well, but didn't stand out in a great forward pack.
Votano was one of the best on the field.
He was calm and pretty much faultless at the back. He is one of the calmest and least hurried players I've ever seen. He is just exactly where he should be and doing his job with zero hurry or panic. The
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Agree Billy, the first 20 minutes the city boy's were dominated in the middle, the 8 for country was outstanding. According to the coach the 11 was outstanding along with his bench middles. Connor Votano showed no signs of injury which is great news for the Flegg team.
 
Chevy Stewart has been highly regarded all through the juniors and is already popping up in first grade, no shame in being overlooked for him.
 
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Hardly need a back rower, one of our strongest positions, when we look so weak in 6 & 7, I’m guessing long term but is not a good message for up and coming locals
 
He was in u18s this year so likely an SG Ball signing, if the up and coming locals can't outplay him through the ranks that's on them.

Tall kid. That's him on the right with Jeremiah Nanai in the middle for reference.

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Who would be the standout half coming through in the lower grades here right now out of Sutton, Herdgen, Linnane, Loza and Hunt?
 
Celticman98 said:
Who would be the standout half coming through in the lower grades here right now out of Sutton, Herdgen, Linnane, Loza and Hunt?
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The good thing is that they are all very different and all seem to have a lot of improvement in them still.

Sutton is closest to firstgrade. He has played 19 reserve grade games in 2023 and 2024 and this year is averaging 42 fantasy points compared to Will Pryce's 37 and Pryce is getting points for goal kicking even though Sutton is a better goal kicker. If Sutton were doing the goal kicking it would look more like 50 to Sutton and 30 to Pryce.

But back to the question - all have strengths and weaknesses and all seem to be on a steep improvement curve, so it's exciting to see who jumps ahead over the next few years, or if someone like Blackman or Votano has a breakout year next year and goes ahead of them all.
 
Of the ones we’ve seen in a Knights jersey I’d have Linnane and Loza as the top 2 in no particular order, Hunt not far behind on ability but with a smaller sample size, and then Sutton 4th.

By all reports they have high hopes for Herdegen but I haven’t seen enough to rank him.
 
It looks exciting having these halves in our juniors for sure, but you just don't know. Cogger and Brock Lamb looked so talented when they came through together but I'd argue the way they were thrown into first grade ruined them. Then our jersey flegg halves a couple of years ago were Mitch Henderson and Kurt Donoghoe. Mitch in
particular looked physically strong for his size and looked a decent playmaker. The club wasn't unhappy for him to leave when Canberra came knocking. Kurt looked very creative when he joined the team around mid season, forming a great little combo with Tom Cant and they made the gf. Although he again looked to have points around him in the gf, the club didn't seem to want to retain him. Now he's getting touches of first grade at the dolphins.

Meanwhile, Sutton has been seen as a reserve grader by the club the last couple of years when he was still Flegg eligible. Tall and fast, he could easily have been pushed wider and turned in to a three quarter, but against the men he's actually been handed the keys to the team at half back. He handles reggies physically well, and this year he is starting to add layers to his playmaking. The team functions well with him leading the way. And his boot is massive. He has a good handful of 40/20s this year.

All in all, I think Sutton is the one the club sees as a real prospect and is putting hard yards in to with a view to him playing first grade, while letting similar aged and certainly talented kids go. I personally think he'd be best as a running 5/8, but he is certainly working hard on game management and playmaking. Outside of him, those kids a year or two younger certainly look very talented, but a lot can happen in those two years.
 
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