2015 Pre-Season

[Torpedo]

The good thing re: Redpath (or whoever else plays as a KPF) is that they don't have to be a superstar. Whilst he may not be there yet, we have a potential one in Boyd already there, who at the very least commands the best key defender. Difficult to say whether big Jack will make it or not, but there's room for an aggressive 'OK' second key forward who plays his role. There have been a few good ones for other great teams in the past.

The big winners are clearly Crameri and Stringer, but if those two plus Boyd and Redpath/Campbell can contribute we suddenly have some options to cause opposition headaches.

Mark McClure @ CHF in some great Carlton teams comes to mind. Did an awful lot of bullocking, running and aggressive with it. Provided a target and took a determined CHB to hold him down. Wouldn't rate him as an out and out champion. But the Carlton teams he played in would never have been as successful without his competitiveness and ability to give something for the smaller players to go with. Can't remember the FFs at that time but surely gave them a big chop out too.
If Redpath can provide something similar for the forward line I would like to see how he goes. From all reports he seems to have finally overcome the effects of his double reco and is regaining some agility and confidence.

[F'scary]

Mark McClure @ CHF in some great Carlton teams comes to mind. Did an awful lot of bullocking, running and aggressive with it. Provided a target and took a determined CHB to hold him down. Wouldn't rate him as an out and out champion. But the Carlton teams he played in would never have been as successful without his competitiveness and ability to give something for the smaller players to go with. Can't remember the FFs at that time but surely gave them a big chop out too.
If Redpath can provide something similar for the forward line I would like to see how he goes. From all reports he seems to have finally overcome the effects of his double reco and is regaining some agility and confidence.

Well, Redpath was consistently played at CHF in the two hours I spent at two training sessions last week. He was clearly applying the Barry Hall approach to his game and it seemed to come naturally to him. The "intriguing battles" between him and Talia and Roughead that the article on the club's website mentioned I think referred in part to Redpath's aggressive approach to contests. The other thing that caught my eye about him was that he made good position for marking contests - he certainly did not repeatedly lead under the ball or hang way out to the back and the side of the drop zone waiting for a chance to long jump for a speccie.

[boydogs]

The other thing that caught my eye about him was that he made good position for marking contests - he certainly did not repeatedly lead under the ball or hang way out to the back and the side of the drop zone waiting for a chance to long jump for a speccie.

That sounds promising, too often last year he waited for the long kick on his head to try and bring the ball to ground instead of trying to get separation on his opponent and take a mark

[1eyedog]

Mark McClure @ CHF in some great Carlton teams comes to mind. Did an awful lot of bullocking, running and aggressive with it. Provided a target and took a determined CHB to hold him down. Wouldn't rate him as an out and out champion. But the Carlton teams he played in would never have been as successful without his competitiveness and ability to give something for the smaller players to go with. Can't remember the FFs at that time but surely gave them a big chop out too.
If Redpath can provide something similar for the forward line I would like to see how he goes. From all reports he seems to have finally overcome the effects of his double reco and is regaining some agility and confidence.

250 odd games and well over 300 goals as well as 5 top 5 B&F finishes in strong team. If Redpath gets anywhere near McClure he'll have done well. The difference between McClure and Redpath is McClure was very talented. You don't eck out 250 games. With regard to Redpath I'm thinking more Daniel Merrett than McClure. If Redpath could play a Leigh Brown role and play half as many games he would be a huge success.

[F'scary]

That sounds promising, too often last year he waited for the long kick on his head to try and bring the ball to ground instead of trying to get separation on his opponent and take a mark

It has to sound promising, boydogs - I was comparing him to the Jones style of playing CHF.

[Smads57]

Focussing on a different recruit.....I was talking to one of Melbourne's part time recruiting scouts last Friday and he asked how Rourke Smith was going. I mentioned I had noticed he looked like he had an athletic build when I was at WO one morning and he was running laps (compared to McLean with little to no athletic build).

He mentioned having a high opinion of Smith remarking on how much he improved over his final TAC Cup year with the Cannons. Maybe not the same degree of improvement as Bontimpelli showed in his final year, but still a recommendation that will make it interesting keeping an eye on Smith's rookie year.

[azabob]

Thanks Smads. It certainly appears to be a trait that the recruiting team really rate. McCrae and McLean(?) also had great improvement in their final years.

[Mofra]

Thanks Smads. It certainly appears to be a trait that the recruiting team really rate. McCrae and McLean(?) also had great improvement in their final years.

Yep, as did Ward and very much Bonti.

We clearly weight this higher than many other clubs.

[jeemak]

250 odd games and well over 300 goals as well as 5 top 5 B&F finishes in strong team. If Redpath gets anywhere near McClure he'll have done well. The difference between McClure and Redpath is McClure was very talented. You don't eck out 250 games. With regard to Redpath I'm thinking more Daniel Merrett than McClure. If Redpath could play a Leigh Brown role and play half as many games he would be a huge success.

On the Leigh Brown comparison, Redpath strikes me as a player that could mature and have two or three years of productive football in him but then fade out.

When his name is mentioned I can't think beyond this as being his goal, but if it happens when we're in the hunt for some serious finals footy then his promotion will be worth it.

[Go_Dogs]

On the Leigh Brown comparison, Redpath strikes me as a player that could mature and have two or three years of productive football in him but then fade out.

When his name is mentioned I can't think beyond this as being his goal, but if it happens when we're in the hunt for some serious finals footy then his promotion will be worth it.

I feel the same way about Ayce; it all comes down to timing. As you say, if we're challenging and some of our bigger blokes begin to hit their straps, that could be the difference for us.

[stefoid]

If redpath cant cover enough ground, he could at least camp 30m in front of boyd and lead his man out of the hole. He is a good long kick for goal, his man couldnt afford to drop off him.

WE put some super hard running guys on either side of him like Crameri and Hunter?

[F'scary]

From the article by Ben Guthrie, January 22, 2015 2:01 PM on the club's website:

A more free-flowing style to the Bulldogs' play was immediately noticeable throughout the session.

Players spread forward in numbers - which led to a bunch of fast-break opportunities – and there was very little of the stagnant movement that was evident under former coach Brendan McCartney.

Bit of a pot shot?

[Twodogs]

You can't have stagnant movement either.

[Testekill]

From the article by Ben Guthrie, January 22, 2015 2:01 PM on the club's website:

A more free-flowing style to the Bulldogs' play was immediately noticeable throughout the session.

Players spread forward in numbers - which led to a bunch of fast-break opportunities – and there was very little of the stagnant movement that was evident under former coach Brendan McCartney.

Bit of a pot shot?

They would have taken that article from the AFL website.

[F'scary]

They would have taken that article from the AFL website.

Maybe some kind of automated feed or update?