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In a remarkable week, the perils in bring Jason and Barry to our club have been highlighted - just when our club has started to click as a group onfield.
We know the positives...
1 - Barry Hall and Jason Akermanis both bring premiership experience to a club remarkably bereft of this
2 - Aker initially brought the ability to break open a game with pace and extraordinary kicking power and precision at goal and to team mates
3 - Barry is the much needed KPF who can create a contest in the air, bring the ball to ground and basically provide an aerial (and ground contest)
We knew the negatives
The interviews by Andrew Maher on 10 post game of both Aker and Hall were brilliant and exposed the baggage we knew they brought
But how do any gay players or players with gay friends/family feel about Aker at the moment
How do players feel about the its all about Aker individualistic sideshow, the sideshow that the greatest ever AFL player and four time premiership coach Leigh Matthews couldn't control and still appears bitter about
What does Aker's individualistic actions do to the 'fabric' of the club (noting our form fall off after the handstand problem...
What about the apparent lack of run and penetration in Aker's aging legs...??
Regardless of the fairness of Hall's treatment by opponents and umpires (yes I've always believed he has been crucified, but lets face it he made the cross and has to bear it), Hall appears to have at least partly detonatated. What happens if/when he detonates in Round 22, or in the first final and is rubbed out of the finals series....what happens to our carefully reconstructed gameplan that revolves around having a KPF
I am interested in people's thoughts on whether we should or should not have recruited these two baggage carriers...and more importantly what can be done to manage the baggage from here on....
My thoughts are:
Move Aker to the backline, and swap him with Harbrow...Aker is good enough overhead, and is still quick enough to play back pocket and maybe the selflessness of a defensive role will help his (and the team's mindset). Harbrow's speed and kicking penetration could be better utilised through the midfield and forward.
Mitchell Hahn is quite possibly the only option (and he is not a great option) to play Hall's role, and if he isn't already, Hahn needs to be understanding and learning Hall's leading patterns so he can in effect be 'plugged' in to fill Hall's role (if/when Hall is suspended)....I know I have callled for Hahn's head but Hahn is our closest to Hall's physical size and presence who can play Hall's role
We know the positives...
1 - Barry Hall and Jason Akermanis both bring premiership experience to a club remarkably bereft of this
2 - Aker initially brought the ability to break open a game with pace and extraordinary kicking power and precision at goal and to team mates
3 - Barry is the much needed KPF who can create a contest in the air, bring the ball to ground and basically provide an aerial (and ground contest)
We knew the negatives
The interviews by Andrew Maher on 10 post game of both Aker and Hall were brilliant and exposed the baggage we knew they brought
But how do any gay players or players with gay friends/family feel about Aker at the moment
How do players feel about the its all about Aker individualistic sideshow, the sideshow that the greatest ever AFL player and four time premiership coach Leigh Matthews couldn't control and still appears bitter about
What does Aker's individualistic actions do to the 'fabric' of the club (noting our form fall off after the handstand problem...
What about the apparent lack of run and penetration in Aker's aging legs...??
Regardless of the fairness of Hall's treatment by opponents and umpires (yes I've always believed he has been crucified, but lets face it he made the cross and has to bear it), Hall appears to have at least partly detonatated. What happens if/when he detonates in Round 22, or in the first final and is rubbed out of the finals series....what happens to our carefully reconstructed gameplan that revolves around having a KPF
I am interested in people's thoughts on whether we should or should not have recruited these two baggage carriers...and more importantly what can be done to manage the baggage from here on....
My thoughts are:
Move Aker to the backline, and swap him with Harbrow...Aker is good enough overhead, and is still quick enough to play back pocket and maybe the selflessness of a defensive role will help his (and the team's mindset). Harbrow's speed and kicking penetration could be better utilised through the midfield and forward.
Mitchell Hahn is quite possibly the only option (and he is not a great option) to play Hall's role, and if he isn't already, Hahn needs to be understanding and learning Hall's leading patterns so he can in effect be 'plugged' in to fill Hall's role (if/when Hall is suspended)....I know I have callled for Hahn's head but Hahn is our closest to Hall's physical size and presence who can play Hall's role
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