Bankers & Anchors, Rnd 13, 2020 vs Melbourne Demons

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

This is the round 13, 2020 edition of the weekly Bankers and Anchors thread. Once the game against Melbourne is concluded post your nominations for:

The Bankers = 3 guys/aspects of the game that we banked on to do the right thing during the game
The Anchors = 3 guys/aspects of the game that weighed us down by their errors or poor play

Please limit it to no more than three of each player or aspect of the game, but feel free to make honourable/dishonourable mentions. As usual try to make it constructive criticism.

Try and restrict it to individual players rather than aspects of the overall match - I will allow more freedom now as the thread seems to be going down more of the aspects of the game path so you can have 3 for each made up of aspects of the game and individual players.

The thread is named in honour of a popular WOOF Contributor, The Banker, who passed away on 22/04/2012 after a six month battle with cancer.

[Topdog]

Bankers:
1. Mitch Wallis - he was tremendous today and my BOG. just refuses to be beaten in a 1v1. On a difficult day to score goals he grabbed 4 straight.

2. Bont - Starting to demand and get the ball more in crucial moments. Start to the 3rd qtr was down to him.

3. Bevo - the move at half time resulted in a 35 point win for the 2nd half. Really went out the box

Anchors:

1. Bruce - 1st half he was all at sea.

2. Commentators - just desperate for Melbourne to win today, was pathetic.

I can't think of a 3rd, could probably say field kicking but very windy day

[josie]

Agree about commentators - some great play by our players without any acknowledgement. At least they comments in Wally’s outstanding game and form.

Thank goodness Johnno is there - loved his comment after win when players were about to sing song “it’s a good song/tune you know”.

[Ozza]

Bankers:

Bont - just decided to win the game today. So muich quality in his game and in a week where people were talking up Melbourne and their midfield being as good as ours - he led a midfield that was emphatic.

JJ - With the wind swirling and players struggling to hit targets he was absolutely precise. I think he had gotten to 15 or 16 possessions going at 100%. Ended up with 21 at about 90% and opened up the ground for us a lot.

Wally - 4 quality goals. 3 contested marks.

Anchors:

Timmy was well down in the ruck, but I think he's a bit of a grinder with his aerobic capacity so I'm not sure that pushing him forward and having the mids ruck does him many favours individually.

Garry Lyon - pain the the ar$e. I'm usually not too caught up with the commentary but he does the typical barracker thing in melbourne games, barracks for them early and then turns on them when the game gets away from them. Garry, we are not watching to hear you carry on like a barracker in the stands.

No others. Even the players who had quiet games did their bit when needed. Not the complete performance, but very good to get a solid win in testing conditions.

[The Doctor]

Banker

Bruce - adding 2nd ruck to his game makes him more valuable to us. Obviously a far better option than Dunkley, gives a more physical contest & allows English to slip forward. Hope he backs it up.

Anchor
'
McLean - just about had enough. Should be in his prime but I can't stand his sloppy efforts to tackle, ball handling and kicking. I'd be seeking anyone interested in a trade.

[bornadog]

McLean - just about had enough. Should be in his prime but I can't stand his sloppy efforts to tackle, ball handling and kicking. I'd be seeking anyone interested in a trade.

I have been saying this for a few years now. Very disappointing

[SonofScray]

B:
Coaches box. Bevo pulled our the right strings when things looked dicey. We were gone at half time IMO.
Bont is moving much more freely. The 8 day break recently has freshened him right up.
Wally, super professional.

A:
Bruce. He is going awfully IMO.

[AshMac]

Bankers

Wally - stood up when the ball came in 50 and it was his turn. Strong overhead marks, true kicking and good body work. Exactly what you want from “a forward”

Bont - true captains game. He is maturing into a player that looks comfortable With the level of responsibility. Kicked a goal, went in hard and pinpoint precision around the ground

JJ - some outstanding run off the back flank when the game mattered most. Excellent precision and ball handling at ground level - got himself into the game and turned up


Anchors

Josh Bruce - is just nowhere near it. Impacted the game when he went into a ruck to nullify a tier 3 ruckman but looks slow and out of position when ‘it’s his turn’

The goal umpires - the score review system has become a reason for umpires to avoid making decisions. The touched ball in the second quarter could be heard on TV. You only needed to look at Melkshams face to see it’s been touched

The wind - so close to perfect footy conditions. Damn wind

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Bankers

1. Our backline distributors and runners, Crozier, JJ and Williams.
JJ in particular in the 3rd ran himself into the ground. He was on my side of the park and he just worked so hard pushing himself up and back again from back 50 to HF all 3rd Qtr in particular, running and carrying and dishing off effective disposals with ball and pushing hard defensively and pressuring all the way back.

3. Macrae he didnt stand out, but by goodness when you see him work, he's just always up for the grunt work, and his hands today in tight reminded me of Scott West in his prime.

Anchors

1. Tim English 1st half. Just a complete liability. That brain fart near half time; I Thought that was going to be 'The Moment'. I reckon he copped a fair whack at half time, as he somewhat redeemed himself by setting up a goal and then clunking a big grab and finishing what he usually misses.

2. Bruce.. thankfully Tim stinking it up in the ruck moved Bruce out of the forward line and he at least negated Pruess in ruck. But he was woeful. Poor positioning all half up forward, cost us opportunities especially in the 2nd Q.

That will do, no 3rd Anchor from me today.

[macca]

Banker

Bruce - adding 2nd ruck to his game makes him more valuable to us. Obviously a far better option than Dunkley, gives a more physical contest & allows English to slip forward. Hope he backs it up.

Anchor
'
McLean - just about had enough. Should be in his prime but I can't stand his sloppy efforts to tackle, ball handling and kicking. I'd be seeking anyone interested in a trade.

I noticed that too . What is he missing ?
He has all the class, but his tackling does not stick.
Does he need more strengthening, or just not big enough against the larger/stronger mids ?

[Remi Moses]

Bankers:

Bont - just decided to win the game today. So muich quality in his game and in a week where people were talking up Melbourne and their midfield being as good as ours - he led a midfield that was emphatic.

JJ - With the wind swirling and players struggling to hit targets he was absolutely precise. I think he had gotten to 15 or 16 possessions going at 100%. Ended up with 21 at about 90% and opened up the ground for us a lot.

Wally - 4 quality goals. 3 contested marks.

Anchors:

Timmy was well down in the ruck, but I think he's a bit of a grinder with his aerobic capacity so I'm not sure that pushing him forward and having the mids ruck does him many favours individually.

Garry Lyon - pain the the ar$e. I'm usually not too caught up with the commentary but he does the typical barracker thing in melbourne games, barracks for them early and then turns on them when the game gets away from them. Garry, we are not watching to hear you carry on like a barracker in the stands.

No others. Even the players who had quiet games did their bit when needed. Not the complete performance, but very good to get a solid win in testing conditions.

Notice that about Garry Brownless also
He turns like a mangey dog on Melbourne

[The Doctor]

I noticed that too . What is he missing ?
He has all the class, but his tackling does not stick.
Does he need more strengthening, or just not big enough against the larger/stronger mids ?

I'm not sure what it is. Sometimes he will do something terrific and with the same opportunity later on he will mess it up.

His tackling is all over the shop. He can do it, but then he will often make flimsy efforts. Today he ran in for the big ball and all hit and basically just slid off without knocking his opponent off balance at all. He sprays his kicks a lot. It's just frustrating. Will fumble a simple ball. I don't think he is legit midfielder. He gets knocked off the ball too easily so perhaps strength is the problem there or is it desire?

After 5 or 6 years in the system I still don't know what his best position is. Maybe he's just not good enough bar a few cameo's here and there.

[westbulldog]

Bankers
Mitch Wallis, he has comeback from a horrendous injury to be our best forward and the proudest bulldog on the field together with Tom Liberatore.
Bailey Williams, is running into AA selection with his form of late, composed, confident and a superb kick.
Bailey Smith, you can have the other rising stars, we have him, like the imperious way he shrugs
off tackles, having a great season.

Anchors
Josh Bruce, 1 kick 4 handballs, 2 marks and didn't hit the scoreboard which is why we recruited him, not enough contribution, only 1 good game all season.
Gardner, I get that he did a couple of good things and I wish him well but he is a long way off imo.
Ed Richards, his kicking is woeful and his selection is in jeopardy.

[whythelongface]

I'm not sure what it is. Sometimes he will do something terrific and with the same opportunity later on he will mess it up.

His tackling is all over the shop. He can do it, but then he will often make flimsy efforts. Today he ran in for the big ball and all hit and basically just slid off without knocking his opponent off balance at all. He sprays his kicks a lot. It's just frustrating. Will fumble a simple ball. I don't think he is legit midfielder. He gets knocked off the ball too easily so perhaps strength is the problem there or is it desire?

After 5 or 6 years in the system I still don't know what his best position is. Maybe he's just not good enough bar a few cameo's here and there.

I get some of his weaknesses and agree his tackling isn’t up to scratch but yesterday I actually thought he went pretty well. Probably his best game in awhile. My issue with Toby, and it is not his fault, is that he is neither a specialist mid nor forward. He does ok at both without being great. I always thought his best role was primarily as a small forward. Not sure how or why that changed but others seem to be preferred in that role (and rightly so ala Mitch). Toby probably is at a turning point in his career where he probably needs to look for opportunities elsewhere.

[GVGjr]

I get some of his weaknesses and agree his tackling isn’t up to scratch but yesterday I actually thought he went pretty well. Probably his best game in awhile. My issue with Toby, and it is not his fault, is that he is neither a specialist mid nor forward. He does ok at both without being great. I always thought his best role was primarily as a small forward. Not sure how or why that changed but others seem to be preferred in that role (and rightly so ala Mitch). Toby probably is at a turning point in his career where he probably needs to look for opportunities elsewhere.

Toby can be one of those frustrating players no doubt but like you I thought he was a solid contributor yesterday
I hope it's not the case he has to look elsewhere next season