Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

My issue with Gowers is that he has the physical attributes to be a good player - he's strong, OK pace, can take a good mark and compete at ground level - but his efforts are more inconsistent that almost any other player I've seen. Not just from game to game, but literally contest to contest.

He's just as likely to lead up at the ball and take a really impressive contested mark, as he is to completely avoid a contest and be outmarked.

He also doesn't apply pressure, which means he's routinely out of the contest and a liability. The less said about his undisciplined acts the better.

I think he's the most frustrating player on our list because he SHOULD be able to do most things well (kicking aside), but he doesn't and it's largely effort based.

[comrade]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

My issue with Gowers is that he has the physical attributes to be a good player - he's strong, OK pace, can take a good mark and compete at ground level - but his efforts are more inconsistent that almost any other player I've seen. Not just from game to game, but literally contest to contest.

He's just as likely to lead up at the ball and take a really impressive contested mark, as he is to completely avoid a contest and be outmarked.

He also doesn't apply pressure, which means he's routinely out of the contest and a liability. The less said about his undisciplined acts the better.

I think he's the most frustrating player on our list because he SHOULD be able to do most things well (kicking aside), but he doesn't and it's largely effort based.

If he doesn't go balls to the wall tonight, he never will.

This might be his last shot at proving himself at the level. He has every incentive to leave nothing on the field so let's hope he's up to the challenge.

[1eyedog]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

My issue with Gowers is that he has the physical attributes to be a good player - he's strong, OK pace, can take a good mark and compete at ground level - but his efforts are more inconsistent that almost any other player I've seen. Not just from game to game, but literally contest to contest.

He's just as likely to lead up at the ball and take a really impressive contested mark, as he is to completely avoid a contest and be outmarked.

He also doesn't apply pressure, which means he's routinely out of the contest and a liability. The less said about his undisciplined acts the better.

I think he's the most frustrating player on our list because he SHOULD be able to do most things well (kicking aside), but he doesn't and it's largely effort based.

Maybe he just can't play?

He's 24 and has played 30 games and a heap of VFL matches he needs to have shown something in that time but he hasn't. I think the VFL is just his limit.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Maybe he just can't play?

He's 24 and has played 30 games and a heap of VFL matches he needs to have shown something in that time but he hasn't. I think the VFL is just his limit.

He's had enough experience to deliver more. No doubt. I don't see him making it as a forward.

Could he transition to the back half of the ground or mid? I know he's been thrown into the mid group on occasion, but I wonder if putting him in positions where he NEEDS to use his strength might help he become more assertive, more consistently.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

He's had enough experience to deliver more. No doubt. I don't see him making it as a forward.

Could he transition to the back half of the ground or mid? I know he's been thrown into the mid group on occasion, but I wonder if putting him in positions where he NEEDS to use his strength might help he become more assertive, more consistently.

Wan't his first life of senior football, when drafted by Carlton, as a defender.

Didn't do enough to stay on their list. Came to Footscray as a marking forward and got redrafted.

He has had plenty of chances. Needs to make the most of this one.

[Bornadog]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Wan't his first life of senior football, when drafted by Carlton, as a defender.

Didn't do enough to stay on their list. Came to Footscray as a marking forward and got redrafted.

He has had plenty of chances. Needs to make the most of this one.

Never played a game at Carlton, but did play in the back line at Northern Blues

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Never played a game at Carlton, but did play in the back line at Northern Blues

I know. Couldn't crack a Carlton side as a defender.

I was responding to a suggestion that we could try him as a defender.

[Bornadog]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

I know. Couldn't crack a Carlton side as a defender.

I was responding to a suggestion that we could try him as a defender.

Worth trying in the backline, but is he what we need and who does he replace?

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Worth trying in the backline, but is he what we need and who does he replace?

I think my point is that it probably isn't worth trying him in the backline. He started off there in his footy journey and did not succeed.

We have plenty of other options.

[Jeanette54]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Maybe he just can't play?

He's 24 and has played 30 games and a heap of VFL matches he needs to have shown something in that time but he hasn't. I think the VFL is just his limit.

Your comment leads me to remember another whipping boy on this site, one who has proven to be an exceptional talent, for another team. His name Liam Jones. His lack of success at this club wasn't a lack of talent or ability. It was a failure of the club to understand where his talents might lie.. PS. However he was instrumental in one of the premiership cups with our name on it. The 2014 VFL cup.

[comrade]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Your comment leads me to remember another whipping boy on this site, one who has proven to be an exceptional talent, for another team. His name Liam Jones. His lack of success at this club wasn't a lack of talent or ability. It was a failure of the club to understand where his talents might lie.. PS. However he was instrumental in one of the premiership cups with our name on it. The 2014 VFL cup.

Yeah, LJ stings, given our need for another quality tall down back. Our lack of vision hurt us with him and to think that basketcase was able to figure him out!

Josh Schache is another that we need to experiment with, IMO.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Yeah, LJ stings, given our need for another quality tall down back. Our lack of vision hurt us with him and to think that basketcase was able to figure him out!

Josh Schache is another that we need to experiment with, IMO.

We got Caleb for him so that should ease the sting comrade.

[comrade]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

We got Caleb for him so that should ease the sting comrade.

Very true!

Just ironic that we've given up a bunch of best 22 key defenders (Jones, Hamling, Roughead, Adams for the 3 games a year he's not injured) to other clubs when we're still crying out for one ourselves.

[hujsh]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

Your comment leads me to remember another whipping boy on this site, one who has proven to be an exceptional talent, for another team. His name Liam Jones. His lack of success at this club wasn't a lack of talent or ability. It was a failure of the club to understand where his talents might lie.. PS. However he was instrumental in one of the premiership cups with our name on it. The 2014 VFL cup.

We wanted to keep Jones. He was promising back then as a tall forward. He's the one that wanted to leave. He was actively poached by another team who only accidentally found out he was a good defender because they couldn't develop him as a forward and didn't want him in the way of their other young forwards in the VFL at the time.

This idea that we discarded Jones and Carlton turned him around isn't accurate. His primary time as a whipping boy came once he went to Carlton because he was so hyped up by Malthouse and imploded so spectacularly.

[comrade]

Re: Always Right Match Committee thread Rd 8 vs Gold Coast Suns

We wanted to keep Jones. He was promising back then as a tall forward. He's the one that wanted to leave. He was actively poached by another team who only accidentally found out he was a good defender because they couldn't develop him as a forward and didn't want him in the way of their other young forwards in the VFL at the time.

This idea that we discarded Jones and Carlton turned him around isn't accurate. His primary time as a whipping boy came once he went to Carlton because he was so hyped up by Malthouse and imploded so spectacularly.

We didn't discard him, but he wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire with us.