Son of a gun
Users browsing this topic:0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 0 Guests
Registered Users: None |
 |
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
AN_Inkling
Joined: 06 Oct 2007
|
| Post subject: |  |
|
| Dr Pie wrote: | | We didn't pick Liam because at 18 (or even 21) he wasn't the brilliant footballer that his Dad was at the same age. Also he was quite a bit smaller than his Dad. What our recruiter (who was probably Judson at that time) didn't take into account was that he had the same attitude and work ethic as Billy. I have never forgotten that in all those Grand Finals we lost between 1977 and 1981 Billy was always amongst our best players. In the debacle of 1980 he was possibly the only player to contribute in all four quarters. Liam showed the same sort of endeavour yesterday afternoon. We should have drafted him when he first came up as F/S choice |
He wasn't even close to it at 18 and did not make an AFL list (Rookie) till 4-5 years later. The only reason he made it to the Dogs was because they were affiliated with Williamstown and they had agreed to pay part of his salary. We weren't the only team to pass on him, every club did for 4 years, including the Dogs.
Now at 30-31 Picken has become a good player. Before that he was a decent stopper. It would be nice if he was playing for the Pies but who knows if he'd be the player he is now if we'd picked him at 18-19. Given that it's taken him 12 years to become an overnight success, my guess is he'd not have been.
_________________
Well done boys! |
|
|
|
 |
RudeBoy
Joined: 28 Nov 2005
|
| Post subject: | |
|
| AN_Inkling wrote: | | Dr Pie wrote: | | We didn't pick Liam because at 18 (or even 21) he wasn't the brilliant footballer that his Dad was at the same age. Also he was quite a bit smaller than his Dad. What our recruiter (who was probably Judson at that time) didn't take into account was that he had the same attitude and work ethic as Billy. I have never forgotten that in all those Grand Finals we lost between 1977 and 1981 Billy was always amongst our best players. In the debacle of 1980 he was possibly the only player to contribute in all four quarters. Liam showed the same sort of endeavour yesterday afternoon. We should have drafted him when he first came up as F/S choice |
He wasn't even close to it at 18 and did not make an AFL list (Rookie) till 4-5 years later. The only reason he made it to the Dogs was because they were affiliated with Williamstown and they had agreed to pay part of his salary. We weren't the only team to pass on him, every club did for 4 years, including the Dogs.
Now at 30-31 Picken has become a good player. Before that he was a decent stopper. It would be nice if he was playing for the Pies but who knows if he'd be the player he is now if we'd picked him at 18-19. Given that it's taken him 12 years to become an overnight success, my guess is he'd not have been. |
I'm not sure where this "overnight success" myth comes from. In fairness, he's been a good player for 5-6 years now, but this year he's gone up another level and become a great player. He should win the inaugural Gary Ayres Medal for best player of the finals series. |
|
|
|
|
thompsoc
Joined: 21 Sep 2009
|
| Post subject: | |
|
I think this points to the fact that certain B / C graders can make it to A grade
level even if it is only for a year or 2.
I thought Maxi was an A grader for our 2 great years.
And Picken has followed this year.
_________________
we don't eat our own at collingwood we just allow them to foul our nest. |
|
|
|
|
stui magpie 
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005
Location: In flagrante delicto
|
| Post subject: | |
|
| Quote: | MICK Malthouse always had a nagging feeling about Liam Picken.
For four years the son of Magpies great Billy Picken sat under Collingwood’s nose at the club’s VFL affiliate, Williamstown.
“I remember having a conversation with Mick Malthouse at the end of 2007 and he said to me: ‘This kid Picken, he does a lot right doesn’t he? He’s just a bit scrappy’,” former Williamstown coach Brad Gotch recalled.
“He was thinking about it, he could see something in him, but because of the fact that he did make a few errors with the ball and he looked a bit untidy, they couldn’t see him going through.”
Collingwood’s trash became the Western Bulldogs treasure when the Dogs took over the Williamstown alignment in 2008.
But the Bulldogs were flat broke and Picken’s move to the Whitten Oval only became possible after Williamstown offered to stump up $20,000 towards his AFL rookie contract.
Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron — then the Dogs’ midfield coach — was among those who pushed for Picken to get a crack at the highest level.
“We knew he was really competitive and that he could take a mark, so we thought, well why don’t we go there?” Cameron told the Herald Sun.
“He was tough and hard, and an outstanding competitor, and we’ve probably just seen that come to the fore over the past month.
“He just kept on persisting, and he’s got better and better and better.”
Long-time Williamstown chief executive Brendan Curry recruited Picken from Hamilton at the end of 2004.
He’d managed a few games for the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup but was considered too scrawny and unskilled.
Picken started out in the VFL reserves and fought his way into the seniors, claiming the best and fairest in 2008. |
Rest of the article here. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/premiership-hero-liam-picken-has-been-quick-to-thank-those-who-made-his-afl-dream-a-reality/news-story/4eca9659948bfd145f682fb854514deb
Good luck to the kid, really happy to see him succeed as the son of an ex Pie champion. He's absolutely exceeded everyone's expectations except maybe his own. Every club had multiple opportunities to get him and passed, and if Williamstown hadn't paid half his rookie wage, he wouldn't have been at the dogs either.
Great story of hard work and just a little luck.
_________________
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
|
|
The Rules
FAQ
Usergroups
Calendar
Search
Log in
Register
