Preseason Training 2021

[Axe Man]

I know its premature and unfair but man am I all the way out on Weightman, and get the vibe that I'm not alone.

If you were any more premature you would require a nasal spray from Ugly Dave Gray.

[Bulldog4life]

I know its premature and unfair but man am I all the way out on Weightman, and get the vibe that I'm not alone.

Much too early to tell yet.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I know its premature and unfair but man am I all the way out on Weightman, and get the vibe that I'm not alone.

Difficult to judge on the basis of a broken year. Hard for a pro let alone a first year kid.

This year should give us a better gauge.

[Mofra]

I know its premature and unfair but man am I all the way out on Weightman, and get the vibe that I'm not alone.

He plays like a medium forward in a small forward's body. I'm not sure we need that type in an era of low interchanges meaning our mids rest forward - we have perhaps one spot for a medium "general" forward and that's Wally. Richards / VDM can play the high forward/wing rotation role and that's without considering McLean returning. Or a speccie pick like Bedendo coming good.

I'm not writing him off but I'm certainly not picking up the hammer to build a bandwagon either. Not much expectation.

[The Underdog]

I know its premature and unfair but man am I all the way out on Weightman, and get the vibe that I'm not alone.

I’m struggling to see it. I hope he gets there, but aside from being “bubbly” I don’t see anything that gets him into the 22.

[kruder]

I know its premature and unfair but man am I all the way out on Weightman, and get the vibe that I'm not alone.

Your not alone, surprised he was a first rounder he doesn't look to have an elite AFL trait? Marking above his head for his size maybe?

Im hoping we are seriously wrong.

[Dry Rot]

So does Cavarra have more tools than Weightman?

[josie]

I thought both Cav and Weightman were good in practice match vs box hill. Cav was very good and Weightman good early. Too early to call on Weightman and I’m a Cav fan.

[jeemak]

Weightman looked in the top class at the level he played today. Some of his stuff on the ground was pretty good, his kicking was where it needed to be but his overhead ability was excellent.

I get he might not be the ground level player we thought we wanted from his draft, but if he can be competent in that area and be a marking threat which he clearly is then as a natural forward he has something to offer.

I'm actually excited about him, we have very few natural forwards but he seems to be one.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Weightman looked in the top class at the level he played today. Some of his stuff on the ground was pretty good, his kicking was where it needed to be but his overhead ability was excellent.

I get he might not be the ground level player we thought we wanted from his draft, but if he can be competent in that area and be a marking threat which he clearly is then as a natural forward he has something to offer.

I'm actually excited about him, we have very few natural forwards but he seems to be one.

From the glimpses I saw, he looked better than last year.

I think Weightman is a victim of our recruiting; he isn't the fast, small, zippy forward that many of us wanted but just because he doesn't fit that criteria, it doesn't mean he can't still be an effective forward in his own right with time.

[comrade]

Can someone make a case that we’re going to improve enough to actually contend this year, based on what we saw yesterday? I like the Martin addition but I’m not sure we’ve addressed our major deficiencies in any meaningful way.

[Happy Days]

Can someone make a case that we’re going to improve enough to actually contend this year, based on what we saw yesterday? I like the Martin addition but I’m not sure we’ve addressed our major deficiencies in any meaningful way.

It was admittedly not the best performance, but its not a complete disaster either. Given our major off season recruit didn’t play, all I was really looking to take from yesterday’s game was how the ruck tandem worked, and whether Dunkley would continue to bother trying. Both were pretty reasonable ticks. Guys over using handball, not really chasing or going at half rat power isn’t bothering me at this point and to be honest I was pretty shocked at both the strength of the two sides and how long all the players stayed out there for.

Sure if we had come out and belted them then it would probably be more comfortable, but this stuff is really more about trial and error with the ball in hand than it is about manic intensity. Do any of us *really* have concerns over Bont’s disposal or Bailey Smith’s trajectory?

[Happy Days]

Also I would argue that trotting English out every week to have his ribs caved in was our absolute number one deficiency last year, so to see drastic improvement there was fantastic.

[bornadog]

It was admittedly not the best performance, but its not a complete disaster either. Given our major off season recruit didn’t play, all I was really looking to take from yesterday’s game was how the ruck tandem worked, and whether Dunkley would continue to bother trying. Both were pretty reasonable ticks. Guys over using handball, not really chasing or going at half rat power isn’t bothering me at this point and to be honest I was pretty shocked at both the strength of the two sides and how long all the players stayed out there for.

Sure if we had come out and belted them then it would probably be more comfortable, but this stuff is really more about trial and error with the ball in hand than it is about manic intensity. Do any of us *really* have concerns over Bont’s disposal or Bailey Smith’s trajectory?

We also missed Macrae yesterday who is a ball magnet.

Bont is an elite kicker and yesterday was an aberration and as for Smith, he will be a star.

[Mantis]

Can someone make a case that we’re going to improve enough to actually contend this year, based on what we saw yesterday? I like the Martin addition but I’m not sure we’ve addressed our major deficiencies in any meaningful way.

Adding Treloar & Macrae back into the midfield can't be understated, they each regularly get 25+ touches and will get the ball going our way more them not. We bat very deep in the midfield and we will overwhelm lots of teams with our depth in this zone.

Naughton is a star too.. his 2020 season was a shambles with the interrupted pre-season and than a 6-8 week lay-off (when he was just about to get going), but he still provided an aerial threat... all reports are he's flying and I'm excited by what he will bring both in the air and at ground level.

Like you I'm still concerned with the issues that have been a stable over the past 2-3 years.. our ability to defend is poor and we don't use the ball well enough going forward to capitalize on general play dominance.. I guess we just have to hope it clicks as it did in the finals run in 2016 as it seems it won't be changed with game style adjustments.