Writer's Block & The Return of Jimmy

I’ve been struggling to write of late, so this will be just a quick couple of things. No theme, no clever tie-ins and no smooth segues. But speaking of segues…

Shaun Tait
Did you see the Twenty20 match the other night? Wow. Adam Gilchrist was almost standing on the fence and they were still smacking into his gloves at head height. The New Zealand batsmen looked worried like you don’t see in professional cricket anymore and then had the nerve to question his action. Sounds like sour grapes to me. There is nothing wrong with his action.

Brett Lee has looked really sharp too, and is putting it in good spots, but the batsmen didn’t want anything to do with Tait. And on that form, Tait needs to be in the Test side. But how do you fit Tait into the team?

Do they play four fast bowlers? Maybe, but a test match lasts for 5 days, for most of which time the shine will be off the ball and the pitch will be worn. Plus, variation is always required in an attack. So, ideally, you want a spinner.

Do they play five bowlers? I’d like to see 5 bowlers but it’s not like Brad Hodge is hiding in the middle order. After the openers and Ponting the order is Clarke, Hussey, Symonds. So who do they drop? The future captain, the guy averaging 85 or the on-fire all-rounder?

Do they replace Mitch Johnson? Again, tough because he is also bowling well, at good speed and being a lefty adds even more variation.

So what to do? They could drop Phil Jacques, open with Hayden and Hussey and play 5 bowlers, but they won’t do that because Hussey is playing so well at 5 and has said he doesn’t want to open. I say, roll the dice with 4 quicks. If you pick your best 4 bowlers, well, there’s no way Hogg should be ahead of Tait. Back Symonds and Clarke to provide some variation with their spin, prepare some fast tracks and give the Indians a full-on barrage of short stuff.

The Draft
It looks like Stephen Wells and the recruiting department have done another stellar job with The Cat’s draft and Rookie additions. Reading about the selections at last month’s national draft, we know that Harry Taylor, their first pick, is versatile, hard-working and productive: Apparently some are comparing him to Darren Milburn. Their second pick, Dawson Simpson seems to be some kind of giant and the Cats may have found some value in the later rounds with the other Simpson and Dan McKenna. The Rookie selections included Chris Kangars, who played for the Geelong Falcons and was apparently a 400m runner before turning to football. Should be interesting to watch. We’ll have a bit more to offer on them as the season kicks off and our resident VFL expert, Mrs Watson, might be so kind as to grace us with some of his considered opinions.

TV
Every summer the Networks roll out their cheapest and worst American imports. This year, Channel 9 stink-com “The Big Bang Theory” takes home the ‘One-more-minute-of-this-and-I’m-gouging-my-own-eyes-out-with-a-kiwi-fruit-knife’ award. However, following in the footsteps of red-headed mannequin David Caruso, Jimmy Smits has made his return to the small screen, and I must say, I am thoroughly enjoying his renaissance. Sure, he’s blown-up a bit since his ‘LA Law’ days, but that smouldering Latino intensity is still there, simmering away beneath a healthy winter coat of Cuban blubber. Watch as Smits simultaneously charms and assaults his way into your heart as Alex, head of a Sugar empire who will do anything to protect his family – up to and including keeping a straight face while his brother-in-law butchers every scene he’s in with his bush-league over-acting. Still, it’s worth it to see the now powerfully built Smits flexing his acting guns on the small screen again rather than remaining banished in a world of tele-movie disaster flicks and late-night soft-core porn. Smits Happens.

Him and Harry



To be honest, I probably should have seen it coming, Hell, his old man did the same thing.

This was originally just going to be a post-draft wrap-up. You know, who the Cats got, what they’re saying about them, where they’ll fit in, how we did well in the later rounds and may have a couple of steals on our hands, (Scott Simpson, Dan McKenna) but now that all takes on a new meaning.

And in that sense, perhaps the club knew it was coming. Perhaps that’s why they chose a key position 21 year-old, with senior WAFL experience, with their first pick instead of one of a number of highly rated U/18 kids that were still available.

Mrs. Watson won’t be surprised. He always figured that someone who needed to be that mollycoddled would never find the motivation and dedication needed for AFL football.

I had always leaned on the side of optimism. I thought, ‘he’s young, he’s had a limited football background, and yet he’s there and he’s contributing: He’ll come good’.

There’s probably an “I-told-ya-so” coming my way.

To be fair, he does receive a lot more attention and expectation due to his surname. And, personality-wise, he does seem a lot closer to his father than his older brother ever was, or will be. And, really, it was always just about potential with him. He hadn’t exactly blown anyone away. Sure, there were glimpses, but it was always, “just wait till next year”, or, “another pre-season and he’ll be right”. If his last name was Kingsley or Playfair I doubt he’d have been given that much leniency.

However, as one of the most famous names in the game is departing, one of the most anonymous is coming in. Harry Taylor was Geelong’s first draft pick, taken no. 17 overall. As I mentioned earlier, he is 21 years of age, he’s 193cm and 91kg, showed exceptional speed at the draft camp and is expected to be developed for a key position post.

After being looked over in the draft at under 18 level he returned to the WAFL where his game and fitness matured to the point where he played almost every position on the ground last season. This is from Shane Woewodin, who coached Taylor at East Fremantle:

“I’ve had 10 years at AFL level and seen a few players go through who are outstanding with their professionalism, work ethic and willingness to look after their bodies and prepare. Harry Taylor is in the upper echelon of those players. He’s extraordinary.”

Now, I don’t know Harry Taylor from a bag of crisps, but something tells me he won’t be walking away from the club any time soon.