Team - Round 2

[Greystache]

Re: Team - Round 2

great to get some game time into Marckovic, Stack, Libba, Wallis, Jones, DJ, early in the season.

I see the next couple of weeks as a big opportunity for Markovic, if he can do some good defensive jobs he may be a chance to take Tom Williams spot. There's still massive doubt on Williams ability to play on decent key forwards.

[Bornadog]

Re: Team - Round 2

I see the next couple of weeks as a big opportunity for Markovic, if he can do some good defensive jobs he may be a chance to take Tom Williams spot. There's still massive doubt on Williams ability to play on decent key forwards.

Personally I am not sold on Markovic and happy to be proven wrong, however, as you say this will give him the opportunity to show us if he has it in him to be an AFL player.

[Greystache]

Re: Team - Round 2

Personally I am not sold on Markovic and happy to be proven wrong, however, as you say this will give him the opportunity to show us if he has it in him to be an AFL player.

To be fair I had zero in him last year, but he seems to have significantly improved his agility and perhaps even his pace slightly. I still have little expectation of him, but there's an opportunity for him.

[Desipura]

Re: Team - Round 2

Our team really won't start taking shape until the 2nd half of the season anyway. By this time the guys in the VFL would have had enough games to show some consistent form and push for senior selection and we will pretty much know how the senior team is going too.

Our run from rd 10-13 looks pretty tough considering we play all of Hawthorn, St.Kilda, Geelong & Adelaide so I am sure through this period we will see exactly how we are travelling and get a very good idea to which players can or perhaps cannot take us forward.

Other than the newbies, shouldn't we know the answer to this by now?

[Mantis]

Re: Team - Round 2

Other than the newbies, shouldn't we know the answer to this by now?

The game changes every year, as do the players in it and by the mid point of the season when all teams are grinding away we will be in a much better position to determine the state of affairs.

Yep, we got jumped last weekend and were made to look extremely poor, but it isn't the end of our season. We still have plenty of time to get things right, but if by end of rd13 things still aren't going as planned some tough decisions will need to be made.

[Mofra]

Re: Team - Round 2

I see the next couple of weeks as a big opportunity for Markovic, if he can do some good defensive jobs he may be a chance to take Tom Williams spot. There's still massive doubt on Williams ability to play on decent key forwards.

Williams was ok last week - competed hard and took some defensive marks against quality opposition (Ryder/Hille).
He has had a big pre-season and will be one to imporve this year. I see Markovic as a fair way behind him at this stage and in terms of pace/agility I doubt he is able to close the gap.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Team - Round 2

I see the next couple of weeks as a big opportunity for Markovic, if he can do some good defensive jobs he may be a chance to take Tom Williams spot. There's still massive doubt on Williams ability to play on decent key forwards.

Not often I don't agree with you Greystache but i thought big Tommy improved heaps last year and has been one of our best during the pre-season. Dont mind leaving Markovic in either when Brian is fit could he possibly return as the perfect swingman in the style of C Grant possibly ??

[Ozza]

Re: Team - Round 2

Yeah I had my doubts for a long time on Tommy Williams - big doubts at times! But he played really well in his 50th game last year - and has looked a different player ever since. Far more assured and confident with the footy.

No longer is my heart in my mouth where Tommy is in the play.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Team - Round 2

Not often I don't agree with you Greystache but i thought big Tommy improved heaps last year and has been one of our best during the pre-season. Dont mind leaving Markovic in either when Brian is fit could he possibly return as the perfect swingman in the style of C Grant possibly ??

What Tommy didn't do and what a lot of our midfielders didn't do last week was run when they get the ball.

Throughout the pre-season games Tom backed himself for the first time and tried to provide some rebound and looked a totally different player when he did. That didn't happen against Essendon and he wasn't alone.

I'm hoping he can show us something against a weaker lions.

[EasternWest]

Re: Team - Round 2

Yeah I had my doubts for a long time on Tommy Williams - big doubts at times! But he played really well in his 50th game last year - and has looked a different player ever since. Far more assured and confident with the footy.

No longer is my heart in my mouth where Tommy is in the play.

What Tommy didn't do and what a lot of our midfielders didn't do last week was run when they get the ball.

Throughout the pre-season games Tom backed himself for the first time and tried to provide some rebound and looked a totally different player when he did. That didn't happen against Essendon and he wasn't alone.

I'm hoping he can show us something against a weaker lions.

He's quick, and IMO a very good kick. He can suffer from poor decision making at times, but it's improving.

I'm mostly with you Ozza, I still get a few butterflies when he gets it, but he's getting better.

[Greystache]

Re: Team - Round 2

Not often I don't agree with you Greystache but i thought big Tommy improved heaps last year and has been one of our best during the pre-season. Dont mind leaving Markovic in either when Brian is fit could he possibly return as the perfect swingman in the style of C Grant possibly ??

Even last year Tom was being hidden away from the good KP forwards, the few times he had to match up on even someone average (eg Gumbleton) he got exposed. If he's to really help the structure of the team he has to be able to play on the best mobile KP forwards to allow Morris to play on the mid sized. We tried him on Drew Petrie against North in a practice match and he got torn apart. As I said, I doubt Markovic can do any better, I just think there's an opportunity for him if he can impress the next week or two.

Yeah I had my doubts for a long time on Tommy Williams - big doubts at times! But he played really well in his 50th game last year - and has looked a different player ever since. Far more assured and confident with the footy.

No longer is my heart in my mouth where Tommy is in the play.

It's not about when he's got the ball in hand, I think he's improved considerably in that regard, it's when the ball's kicked in and he's one out against a decent forward, I still very much have my heart in my mouth. I want him to be able to defend first, rebound second, if he can't defend I don't see the benefit of a 196cm rebound player.

[anfo27]

Re: Team - Round 2

It's not about when he's got the ball in hand, I think he's improved considerably in that regard, it's when the ball's kicked in and he's one out against a decent forward, I still very much have my heart in my mouth. I want him to be able to defend first, rebound second, if he can't defend I don't see the benefit of a 196cm rebound player.

I agree with you here Greystache, i'm not at all confident with tommy one on one. I don't think he positions himself well enough in these one on one and watching Markovic in the pre season i thought he positioned himself quite well.

[always right]

Re: Team - Round 2

FWIW I think the problem with Tom is not his positioning but his defensive attitude.

Watch when Picken comes into make a spoil. He doesn't just make a spoil....he makes a statement. His defensive punches tend to clear the area not just fall at the feet of the pack.

Watch Tom make a spoil. Up goes the arm in a hopeful attempt to make contact with the ball. There's no agression, no intent. Even if he does make contact with the ball it often isn't enough to stop his opponent marking.

I always say to my son when he plays.....spoil with attitude.

End of lesson.

[SlimPickens]

Re: Team - Round 2

I agree with you here Greystache, i'm not at all confident with tommy one on one. I don't think he positions himself well enough in these one on one and watching Markovic in the pre season i thought he positioned himself quite well.

Spot on, it is incredibly frustrating to watch Tom make superior position in a contest only to give it away cheaply. This was hugely exposed against Petrie and something he must continually work on. He has the frame to hold position, he really needs to work on his technique more than anything.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Team - Round 2

Whats happened to Vespremi? I went to a few of the pre-season games and thought he looked a bit slowish and not too tall an in betweener. He was scoring goals consistently though and most thought he would be considered. He seems to have dropped off the "woofdar!"