Open Season on Aaron Naughton??

[mjp]

Rightio. Apparently getting into Aaron is the trend of the week.

Like - no worries, he's a big boy. But comparing goals kicked vs goals kicked by Hawkins/Curnow etc at the same number of games...what's that about?

#1 - Different players, different clubs, different roles etc.
#2 - As everyone keeps saying, he played his first year down back...hard to kick goals from there.
#3 - On the weekend (which seems to have triggered the conversation), is he being criticised for playing higher? That seemed to be a directive and it seemed to work from a team perspective...

I don't get it...like - go at him for sure, but why now??

[bornadog]

Naughton's role has changed this year. He is no longer playing deep and tends to roam up the field, yet people are still carrying on about he hasn't kicked many goals this year etc etc. He is still ranked 16th in AFL for Goal Assists.

Here is a comparison with Hawkins taking into the years Naughton played as a forward. Stacks up pretty well

[Rocket Science]

Can I go on record as having had the shits with Naughts for some time?

We're very lucky to have him. We'd be far luckier if he grew up a bit while noting he's got plenty of company on that front and it extends beyond condensing it down to how many goals he's potting.

[Go_Dogs]

I agree - seems a weird week to go after his return on goals given his role was clearly to be a conduit further up the field and leave more space up front of others to have the spoils.

I’m ok with Naughton - he’s never going to win a Coleman, but if he can help us transition the ball forward, enable teammates to get shots on goal, apply defensive effort and do a few “critical moment, big boy” type things then that’s a good result for us.

The length of his contract means people are going to think we’re not getting return on investment, so it will continue.

[chef]

We're just playing him up the wrong end.

[The Underdog]

We're just playing him up the wrong end.

Honestly, if we’re going to do the Naughton forward v back debate for another 8 years, I might just tap out now.

[Mofra]

Can I go on record as having had the shits with Naughts for some time?

We're very lucky to have him. We'd be far luckier if he grew up a bit while noting he's got plenty of company on that front and it extends beyond condensing it down to how many goals he's potting.

I'm confused here. A week after playing a completely selfless game and sacrificing goals for the team this year by changing his role, and working hard on his tank to play high up the ground, he has to grow up a bit?

I really don't understand.

[GVGjr]

There are a few things working against Naughton which are driving some of the negativity towards him.

Signing a long term deal that was heavily criticized by a couple in the media shines the spotlight on him just a bit brighter
The ongoing 'should he play forward' or 'should he play back' discussion
He's now regarded as a senior player despite his age
A slight change in his role means he probably won't get as many goals as many expected and I don't think the media has picked up on this
The fast start by some other key forwards in the competition
And for some of those weasels in the media they can get at Bevo and push the mad scientist and stubborn barrow indirectly by getting at Naughton

Of course a win against Geelong would have put this on the back burner just a bit but it would still be flickering away.

Naughton's a fine player and is impeccable in the way he prepares himself but a big contract and an unpopular coach in the media circles means he's fair game for some.

I'll back him in to turn it around very soon and the select few in the media who have an axe to grind with the coach can get stuffed.

[Grantysghost]

He's probably a victim of his early success.

It feels like he's plateaued when really he's still a young player building into his prime years.

He was fine v the Cats. Played a role based game and worked his arse off.

I like that role for him.

[Warrnambulldog]

Big fan of Naughts, however the vision ?On the Couch? was damning. He needs to get into more dangerous spots. I get that sometimes he decoys but I hope he gets shown the footage they bought up.
I disagreed with some of what they said ?On the Couch?, I think Naughts can be quite dangerous up the field. Hoping he can consistently get involved in more games, the team will benefit a lot from it

[Grantysghost]

Honestly, if we’re going to do the Naughton forward v back debate for another 8 years, I might just tap out now.

[EasternWest]

Honestly, if we’re going to do the Naughton forward v back debate for another 8 years, I might just tap out now.

No you won't. You're a masochist like the rest of us.

[Twodogs]

There are a few things working against Naughton which are driving some of the negativity towards him.

Signing a long term deal that was heavily criticized by a couple in the media shines the spotlight on him just a bit brighter
The ongoing 'should he play forward' or 'should he play back' discussion
He's now regarded as a senior player despite his age
A slight change in his role means he probably won't get as many goals as many expected and I don't think the media has picked up on this
The fast start by some other key forwards in the competition
And for some of those weasels in the media they can get at Bevo and push the mad scientist and stubborn barrow indirectly by getting at Naughton

Of course a win against Geelong would have put this on the back burner just a bit but it would still be flickering away.

Naughton's a fine player and is impeccable in the way he prepares himself but a big contract and an unpopular coach in the media circles means he's fair game for some.

I'll back him in to turn it around very soon and the select few in the media who have an axe to grind with the coach can get stuffed.

Hear ****ing hear.

Spot on

[mighty_west]

The old should he play back or forward debate is getting so tiresome, i truly believe his best position is what he is now, a roaming centre half forward playing up the field, he can be more damaging that way as a player and for the team, he's a good runner and we know he's a bloody good mark so that role suits him to a tee imo, get up the wings, get back deeper at times but just keep moving around, we now have other tall forward options to allow us that luxury where's in the past we didn't, so he doesn't have to boot a bag of goals to have a great game, it also makes the forward line less congested with all these big talls competing against one another.

Could he play at CHB? sure, but you'd want a full pre season to work on that, he was pushed back once last season? and looked like a fish out of water, but then at the same time, Darcy is still a pup and Jamarra will get the number 1 defender and continue to be double and triple teamed.

The long term deal, and this is what get's up my goat, as a club i feel as though we had to be pressured somewhat to strike this deal, with West Coast and especially Sydney reportedly offering him a 10 plus years deal over a mill each season, now, we went 8 which i'm actually reasonably comfortable with as he's a quality player and should be for a long time (hense those other clubs with those offers so they see it too), but ours being nowhere near what they offered "apparently", so why oh why don't those clubs cop the wrath of the media for offering such massive deals? i mean, they offered and if he did a Cal Ward and said sorry lads but i can't not accept a deal that big then those deals (much bigger and longer than ours) are in play, they offered them so why aren't they heavily criticized for them? Yeah yeah i know you have to offer more to prize a player out but c'mon, that's just an unbelievable offer and contract had he accepted.

[ledge]

So they want him to move back and when Bevo moves him up the ground he isn’t kicking enough goals.
Oh the media , we can see why players are told not to be on social media.