Tom Liberatore

[SonofScray]

I'll be interested to see where everyone slots in assuming Libba steps back in as the elite contested ball winner he was. Wallis in the fwd line was a deliberate move to test his versatility in roles other than the midfield or tagger. What will Libba's extra string in his bow be? Half back, forward?

The coach wants versatility. I wonder where that comes into when you are an absolute elite specialist at an important facet of the game?

[Maddog37]

Libba is the best in and under contested ball winner in the competition. He might only have the one string to his bow but it is a very bloody good one!!

[Ghost Dog]

Liberatore, Destroy them. Liberatore, Destroy them. Liberatore, Destroy them. Eliminate, Eliminate.

Etihad will go nuts when he runs back on.

[hujsh]

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooo T&T...
Boo

[Rocco Jones]

I'll be interested to see where everyone slots in assuming Libba steps back in as the elite contested ball winner he was. Wallis in the fwd line was a deliberate move to test his versatility in roles other than the midfield or tagger. What will Libba's extra string in his bow be? Half back, forward?

The coach wants versatility. I wonder where that comes into when you are an absolute elite specialist at an important facet of the game?

I think if a player is elite in a role then they don't really need to be versatile, even under Beveridge, especially when that role in right in the thick of it.

Wood, Matthew Boyd and Bob were all elite HB players this season. They really didn't need another string to their bow. When you have the #1 clearance player in the league, you play him in the engine room as much as possible.

I see the versatile that the midfield team offer as helping Libba too. The way I see it...

Bonts- inside, outside, up forward
Wallis- on ball, forward, run with type
Stevens- inside, forward
Dahlhaus- inside, outside, forward
Macrae- inside, outside

[hujsh]

I think if a player is elite in a role then they don't really need to be versatile, even under Beveridge, especially when that role in right in the thick of it.

Wood, Matthew Boyd and Bob were all elite HB players this season. They really didn't need another string to their bow. When you have the #1 clearance player in the league, you play him in the engine room as much as possible.

I see the versatile that the midfield team offer as helping Libba too. The way I see it...

Bonts- inside, outside, up forward
Wallis- on ball, forward, run with type
Stevens- inside, forward
Dahlhaus- inside, outside, forward
Macrae- inside, outside

Bob went forward on occasion

[Rocco Jones]

Bob went forward on occasion

Yep, very rarely though. That was due to having so many HB types too. Our HB line is elite, best in the league. Our engine room isn't great and we can do with all the number 1 clearance players we can get!

[LostDoggy]

Refreshed myself on what Libba brings the other day. Was a little shocked at just how dominant he was. In fact he is statistically the best clearance and tackling player we have ever had, by a fair margin:

Clearance stats go back to the early 90s. The greatest clearance # ever recorded by a Bulldog was 183 by Tom Liberatore in 2013, the only other figure close was 156 by Tom Liberatore in 2014. Our best clearance player in 2015, Mitch Wallis, recorded 121 - a great year but Libba at his best is 50% better (!!).

The best tackler we had for decades was Tony Liberatore, his 142 tackles in 1994, stood until Tom laid 173 in 2014, a 15% improvement on the best ever (despite playing 2 fewer games). Tom's 137 in 2013 is #3 on the list. Tom's 173 places him 30% higher than 2015's best tackler, Liam Picken.

Tom has also won 300 or more contested possessions in a season twice in his short career, the only other Bulldog to ever achieve this total is Matthew Boyd (3 times). Tom's 2014 total of 319 is 20% up on 2015's best CP winner, Luke Dahlhaus.

So statistically, 2013/14 Tom beats our best 2015 clearance player by 50%, best tackler by 30% and best contested ball winner by 20%. These are massive margins, and then you factor in his sublime vision and delivery skills.

Also, he was a kid in an ordinary team back then. In 2016, he'll be nearer his physical peak with a more developed Wallis, Bont etc in support.

Wow. What could be.

[LostDoggy]

I think if a player is elite in a role then they don't really need to be versatile, even under Beveridge, especially when that role in right in the thick of it.

Wood, Matthew Boyd and Bob were all elite HB players this season. They really didn't need another string to their bow. When you have the #1 clearance player in the league, you play him in the engine room as much as possible.

I see the versatile that the midfield team offer as helping Libba too. The way I see it...

Bonts- inside, outside, up forward
Wallis- on ball, forward, run with type
Stevens- inside, forward
Dahlhaus- inside, outside, forward
Macrae- inside, outside

I agree. Versatility is great, but some players are just built for specific roles.

Dale Morris is a deep defender period.

Tory Dickson is a deep forward period.

Sometimes even a coach needs to be versatile in his requirement for versatility.

[Rocco Jones]

I agree. Versatility is great, but some players are just built for specific roles.

Dale Morris is a deep defender period.

Tory Dickson is a deep forward period.

Sometimes even a coach needs to be versatile in his requirement for versatility.

The thing is you can also make players more versatile within their own role. Tory Dickson is a great example. Goal kicking small forward but now has the tank to track back to HB to help out with team defense.

[LostDoggy]

The thing is you can also make players more versatile within their own role. Tory Dickson is a great example. Goal kicking small forward but now has the tank to track back to HB to help out with team defense.

That's just a standard requirement of every AFL player these days though. No one parks in their own half any more.

[Rocco Jones]

That's just a standard requirement of every AFL player these days though. No one parks in their own half any more.

Yep I get that but I think Dickson's ability to cover that ground has improved remarkably. He has gone from being an exceptionally limited small forward to covering more ground than his peers.

[bornadog]

Yep I get that but I think Dickson's ability to cover that ground has improved remarkably. He has gone from being an exceptionally limited small forward to covering more ground than his peers.

He is a lot more fitter this year and it shows on the ground.

[stefoid]

Limited rotations coming up next year puts a premium on versatility - mids are going to be rested forward more often. Luckily this reinforces what Bev is doing, because he was headed firmly in that direction anyway. We have SO many players that can play mid and forward, its not funny.

So I think that crazy number of mid/fwds we have allows Libba the luxury of being 'just' a mid/bench player with no worries at all.

[Ghost Dog]

I wonder if we will shop him around? I think the downside may be much further than the upside. He could be anything and we could get just about anyone for him. Having said that I hope he has cleaned up and matured enough to realise where he is and what he's doing.

So you are saying his downside is bigger than his upside? Further confuses me. But I am easily confused.