According to quite a few lacrosse experts, I understand that Rochester was considered to have made some rather unorthodox selections. My only- answer is that I selected with a particular type of player in mind and I placed heavy emphasis on the personality of the players involved.
I believe I was for-tur-ato as a result of my relationship with the Brantford Warriors and Toronto Maple Leaf teams over the last eight years I e had an excellent opportunity to assess not only the riayers who have played for me, but also the ones whc have played against teams which I’ve coached.
With this experience in mind, I made my selections at the initial draft in Montreal. Of course, there are surprises, and a few disappointments, but my assessment on the overall result is that I am confident that my choices have proved to be what I was after. The biggest and most pleasant surprise would be the play of Merv Marshall in goal. Merv was inactive as a player last year and many people believed he would have difficulty coming back to his previous form. This hasn’t been the case. Merv reported to camp in excellent shape, and has clinched the No. 1 job on the Griffins. The team will also be carrying Gary Van Schagen and Carl Krebbs in goal, and I’m satisfied that this combination will be more than adequate.
Rochester was first out of the hat in Montreal and as such had the No. 1 pick. As much as I appreciate that opportunity, it also carried the responsibility- of being right, because it is hard to disguise an improper selection in the No. 1 position.
Again, this has proven to be most rewarding, as Kevin Parsons has illustrated rather dramatically he’s everything that his record indicated he would be. Add to that the signing of our bonus pick, Rick Dudley, to play for Rochester and it gives the Griffins the best 1-2 punch in the league.
I believe that the success we enjoyed in the exhibition games and the very highly spirited camp was a result of the personalities gathered by the rochester club. With very few exceptions, our top 20 selections have fitted in very nicely with the unit of five style play that I favor. It’s a little too early to evaluate bow our short-pass, fast-break style of play will fare against the style used by the other clubs, but again. I am confident that we will more than hold our own.