Reef McInnes (Barrier)

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Reef reminds me of a really young Chris Tarrant circa 2000.

[Johnno75]

Well Blake Hardwick kicked 4 in a half against us and he is only 183cm. If you know how to play the position and have the forward craft that is all that matters.

[K]

But, Johnno, we have problems with small forwards.

Matthew Lloyd noted it yesterday. But we've had this problem for years and years.

[LaurieHolden]

@RudeBoy I suspect McInnes is viewed by our coaches as not being physical enough. Also, for the type of player he is, he is definitely a tad slow and not an elite kick. These are serious deficiencies, which he will need to overcome if he is to remain on our list.

As they say in the classics, if they don't work up forward, try them down back before we start discussing if he's more likely to be in the departure lounge than arrivals. Might a 6'4 90+ kilo player with real dash, cover a deficiency in our backline? Reef to me looks like a straight-line runner, I'm not convinced he is gifted with the lateral movement capabilities and repeat efforts stamina required to become a high quality forward.
If he has half the mongrel that Maynard possesses, might Reef work his way into the senior side playing a similar role? Having a right footer with similar physical attributes on the opposite side to lefty Maynard might just be worth experimenting with for the remainder of the VFL season and into 2025 pre-season.

One thing that I can't get my head around is why have Scott Selwood - a tagger, as our forwards coach?
Why haven't we invited the likes of Dermott Brereton / Matthew Lloyd / Jack Riewoldt come down to the Whatever We're Calling It Now Centre as a consultant and teach key forward craft? You know, leading patterns, reading the ball flight, physicality. (Mason Cox should have been given this opportunity - physicality wasn't his shortcoming, it was judging ball flight and getting worked under the ball too often that stopped him becoming a dominant key position target)

When a player constantly gets worked under the ball, one of two things has to be asked, they lack the football IQ to read the flight of the ball, or the more damning one is they simply don't like body contact. If that's the case, he won't secure a spot in the backline either.

[Mr Miyagi]

No second efforts, goes missing. I’m just not sold on him.

[Pies2016]

I think the clubs future plans for Reef lie with where they are planning to play him in the VFL for the rest of the season. If he was playing seniors, his only position would be as a deep forward. In recent weeks, when he’s been in the VFL, he’s been much much further up the ground and around the ball. It might simply be because we’ve had no players in the VFL, they’ve just put him where the ball is but this week, we have our strongest VFL team for a while, so now is the time to get serious about his position for next season ( assuming he stays )
IF Reef continues to spend most of his time up the ground in the VFL, particularly now with most of our VFL midfield back intact, then his days as the hybrid deep forward ( at Collingwood ) may be numbered.

[Dark Beanie]

He has been named in the backline for the VFL, but so has AJ.
Team rarely lines up as selected though.

[Pies2016]

McInnes is fast looming as another POTENTIAL domino during this trade period. I’m not suggesting he should be traded at all but here’s what we currently know. Publicly and at the time of writing, he doesn’t have a contract for beyond 2024 and secondly, we are also aware that clubs have enquired about him during the season.
To be fair, he’s not the only player who doesn’t have a contract beyond 2024 but I can’t help but think he would have been locked away by now if the club were sold on him. Playing him in multiple positions during the year is another interesting decision but if it was about trying to find a position he can make his own, I’m not sure the club succeeded.
It’s the old story, the longer the weeks roll on without being re - signed, the more likely he plays elsewhere. He’s probably worth around a pick in the late thirties
Personally, I feel I would like to keep him for one more year but without a contract for 2025, the decision is now in Reefs hands.
Watch this space.

[Culprit]

Reef has "Potential" and I have big hopes for the Great Barrier but he's best seeking another club to get the opportunity to play Senior Football.

McInnes is fast looming as another POTENTIAL domino during this trade period. I’m not suggesting he should be traded at all but here’s what we currently know. Publicly and at the time of writing, he doesn’t have a contract for beyond 2024 and secondly, we are also aware that clubs have enquired about him during the season.
To be fair, he’s not the only player who doesn’t have a contract beyond 2024 but I can’t help but think he would have been locked away by now if the club were sold on him. Playing him in multiple positions during the year is another interesting decision but if it was about trying to find a position he can make his own, I’m not sure the club succeeded.
It’s the old story, the longer the weeks roll on without being re - signed, the more likely he plays elsewhere. He’s probably worth around a pick in the late thirties
Personally, I feel I would like to keep him for one more year but without a contract for 2025, the decision is now in Reefs hands.
Watch this space.

You don't bid on uncontracted players as you pick them up for peanuts and no one is kicking down the door to get him. I still feel he has a lot to offer but alas it's not in the Black and White.

[5:11pm]

He’s not KP but tall enough, athletic, can take a grab, kick a goal, and run like the wind (in a straight line).

Apparently it’s overlooked that we threw him to the wolves as a junior and he’s subsequently played a lot of footy with a suspect shoulder.

Takes time to gain the confidence in your body to throw your weight around as a young footballer with a glaring physical deficiency.

If McStay is fit and firing he will be fine up forward. How many years did Waterman take to dominate at the Weagles?

And if Darcy can man up down back Reef will have time to let the ball come to him. Tazz of Trent Croad, anyone?

We can’t afford to let another first rounder of his quality go for nothing.

[Gerry Cooper]

I want to keep him but dont waste him up forward any more. Play him across half back or on the wing and leave him there to grow into the role.

[5:11pm]

Exactly

He’s 21.

[RudeBoy]

Despite what some are saying, he always strikes me as being a tad slow. He's a good mark, but is slightly built and too easily brushed aside. He has had 3 yrs to start getting a regular spot in our team, but could not find a spot, even when we had several injuries up forward. On balance, I'd say now is the time to trade him IF there are any serious suitors. Same goes for Macrae.

[Pies2016]

You don't bid on uncontracted players as you pick them up for peanuts and no one is kicking down the door to get him. I still feel he has a lot to offer but alas it's not in the Black and White.
[/quote]

Keep in mind, players are now contracted till the end of November, so he remains a Collingwood player during the N D. Yes, he can then move on for nothing in the pre season draft but obviously he is rolling the dice on landing at his preferred destination ( albeit, this generally happens )
If he wants to guarantee a specific home and the new club wants him enough, then both parties would be smart to trade. We would lose on that deal ( depending on how you rate him ) but the fact that this is even a possible scenario, suggests to me Collingwood don’t seem overly concerned with retaining him …. for any extended period, at least.
Most of us on here seem to think he’s worth persevering with, so don’t be surprised if there’s more interest in him than has been publicly declared. He’s no big fish, so he doesn’t generate the clicks and media attention that others do.
We will see but the lack of any contract renewal by this time of year, usually says a lot.

[stui magpie]

^

I still like him up forward. He averaged 1.4 goals a game this year from 9 games, 3 of those the activated sub.
That's better than Shultz or Ginnivan and a fraction less than Ollie Henry (1.5).

He needs to be the 3rd tall forward, not first or 2nd.

Start him in the goal square with McStay and Checkers alternating between high and mid forward with the smalls floating around.

For mine he just hasn't had a decent run at it with tall support up there.