Firing the boys up with some sweet adult contemporary.
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Early days yet but this move seems to be very positive. Bailey’s biggest issue has been consistency. Hopefully he can cement his position in the backline. He is good overhead and is a good user of the ball. In general he is also a good decision maker. One play on the weekend really stood out for mine is when he took his time to assess what was in front of him (running his full distance) and delivered a beautiful pinpoint pass to (think it was) Wallis.
I haven't seen him shirk one this year, on the contrary, he's done the opposite which shows some maturity has been gained.....possibly.
This guy is simply too good not to be playing AFL footy. I mean he's shown he can play an elite role, albeit inconsistently, as a forward but that's not worked out for him and I get it because it's bloody difficult for anyone to play in that role. Now that he's showing he can add value in defence then I'm happy to see how it plays out.
He has great hands, and is an amazing kick......borderline elite kick.
You have to look hard to find them but he has shirked a couple. The Melbourne game in pre season had me really concerned from that point of view but I must say I’ve been pleasantly surprised since. The part that always annoyed me with the flinch Dale often has is that he came up without the ball which was costly. He seems to have basically cut this out over the last two games. Still had a question mark over a couple of contests but there was minimal damage.
He reads the play really well and has instantly recognised the correct time to leave his man and impact the contest. His ball use has been excellent and he has been able to compete more effectively 1 on 1 with each week.
I do question whether the overall balance now lacks some run and carry. We got ourselves in trouble on Sunday by being drawn into West Coasts control game. We seemed to miss a JJ or Richards type that can force broken play by gaining 20-30 metres before disposing. We probably have room for Dale still but he would need to continue making strides.
Dale shirked one on Sunday when Martin intercepted in defence late in the game. Some might say he let it go for Martin to mark it though. When I saw it live I thought he shirked it. Might have to give him the benefit of the doubt.
He’s looked good down back though. We’ll have to play the waiting game. As tough as it is to play forward, defence can be brutal when the pressure is on and the opposition has some dangerous forwards.
I too don’t think this has been an issue. If he flies for that Martin mark for example he probably kills the contest but leaves us with no one on the ground to defend the live ball. It was thoughtful not soft.
I’ve actually been really impressed with how much he’s improved at keeping his feet in contests and in general play. He must have done a mountain of work in the off season to improve his core strength because its night and day compared to previous years.
Agree with this also. I see him pretty cool under pressure, took some telling marks and did some really nice thing both by hand and foot. I like this move snd think he has been really solid and as sick have t missed Wood/Crozier like I though we would have. With Dale, Williams and the little man I don’t see we miss much with JJ. They are all good and can create. The question I see can they grow dither in confidence to just take off and be that weapon JJ used to be.
By luck or by fortune it’s worked well snd made the selection of spots more competitive. Also adds stock value at the trade table should they need to make some change.
With the next month of football will be telling as we have some good games that should’ve free flowing and hopefully enable the side to settle in and back each other in
Side note. It’s good to see him acknowledge the experience around him and I would think it’s another posistive as our back leaders are basically out so good to see them step up.
There was talk from some of us on here years ago that Dale had attributes to make it as a running defender. He’s good in the air, he’s fast and he kicks the ball well. At the moment he’s ahead of JJ for that role.
I don’t mind it.
I have just two minor issues where he didn't go. One was going back with the flight of the ball, albeit with a pack forming behind him (still, he could have easily marked it and it slipped through his fingers (because he was going back, but I'll give him that one)), and another was less a shirk and more a not going as hard or harder than his opponent, also against West Coast late in the game on the outer wing.
Perhaps I should have stated 'doesn't apply enough pressure in contested situations consistently' rather than 'shirks' a contest, but when you get down to the nitty gritty of it, they're both pretty much the same anyway.
Dale has elite skills, can play tall and is smart but in order to keep his place in the team he needs to ensure his pressure levels are high and he has intent and desire at the contest. I'm optimistic about him, have always liked him as a player and have always defended him on here but this has always been a weakness. I just want him to retain his spot and flourish in his new position.