Familar Signs of 2007

[mjp]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Boyd was sensational last season. Can't believe people are saying no room for him. He's a run with on baller, who can hurt the opposition on the turn over. Cross and West are like 2 peas in a pod so what do you do there. Your can't get ri dof either, just let griff and gia back in the rotation and see what happens

Griff will play back, Gia will play forward.

Again, none of my comments are meant to say that Boyd isn't a good player...but I have had this argument before. As for being a 'run with' on-baller, when, exactly, does he ever play that role?

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

I think Addison is the one we need to strongly persist with as a rebounding small defender. Even in a poor game like last night, and he made mistakes like every other player on the list, he still showed some dash, the ability to close down a guy, a good tackler, pretty good at gathering a hot ball off the deck.

I see far more upside in Addison than Callan at this stage and would like to see Addison receive every opportunity that Sam Power received over the years

[hujsh]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Griff will play back, Gia will play forward.

Again, none of my comments are meant to say that Boyd isn't a good player...but I have had this argument before. As for being a 'run with' on-baller, when, exactly, does he ever play that role?

He did "run with" early last year (shut Kerr down) but then became an attacking option once West and Cross were injured at the same time

[Mantis]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Harbrow has to be in our best 22 now, I think. We need a player with zip, and Jarrod has that in bundles. His turning circle is one of the smallest in the competition. He's got twinkle toes and changes direction very quickly. He's got good skills and he's a smart little player. I hope we play him a FP, playing as a genuine crumber of about a 40m radius.

We lack zip, and Harbrow applies good defensive pressure too. Higgins would desperately want to improve in this area, he was a bystander again last night.

Agree he plays before quite a few of our more experienced players in my team too.

Your last statement is correct. Most teams now have a quick small forward who is very good at applying defensive pressure, most of these are aboriginal players (Davey's, Hooper, etc..).

mjp has said it before, 'The next time Higgins applies a tackle it will be his first'.... We are still waiting.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

It is not like we have a lot of alternatives...I think it is worth a go depending on what Eade wants in a bp. He tends to go for foot skills + run and carry (Gilbee), whilst leaving the out and out defending to a Morris. But, like I say - worth a try.

Who else do you see being able to play the explosive runner in the midfield with Cooney then? Griffen or Gilbee to me look our best options at present, and we're basically robbing Pete to pay Paul with that as we really need some good options running it out of the back half and no one else seems capable besides those two.

[mjp]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Yeah - all fair enough.

I thing Cooney needs to play midfield (obviously) as much as possible. I also think both Griffen and Gilbee are best when behind the ball. But I guess what you are asking is who else plays in the middle if Boyd goes back?

Cross for one. He has a marking component too his game that Boyd and West lack, and this makes him 'different'. If he could only kick, he would be a terrific asset moving forward on occasions.

West cannot play anywhere else. His strength is getting on to the loose ball and distributing it to a running option. He still does this better than most everyone else in the league...but again, his kicking is (if anything) getting worse based on the evidence of the last two weeks. He is going to provide little value up forward and is too much of a ball watcher to go back.

Aker is an obvious one. Simply put, we need him around the ball (but what has happened to his kicking lately???). Apart from him I think we need to focus on:

Ray
Harbrow
Higgins

And try to make them legitimate centre square players. Of the three, Ray is probably the most 'ready' (pity about his injury), whilst Harbrow is the one who would appear to be the most coachable.

Of the rest, you have Eagleton (average), Gia (best suited forward), Callan (reserves player), Hill (still a baby), Stack (see hill), Lynch (see Stack)....or we take a real chance and throw someone like Hargrave or Everitt to the lions and see what they can do...both will run and kick long...

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Yeah - all fair enough.

I thing Cooney needs to play midfield (obviously) as much as possible. I also think both Griffen and Gilbee are best when behind the ball. But I guess what you are asking is who else plays in the middle if Boyd goes back?

Cross for one. He has a marking component too his game that Boyd and West lack, and this makes him 'different'. If he could only kick, he would be a terrific asset moving forward on occasions.

West cannot play anywhere else. His strength is getting on to the loose ball and distributing it to a running option. He still does this better than most everyone else in the league...but again, his kicking is (if anything) getting worse based on the evidence of the last two weeks. He is going to provide little value up forward and is too much of a ball watcher to go back.

Aker is an obvious one. Simply put, we need him around the ball (but what has happened to his kicking lately???). Apart from him I think we need to focus on:

Ray
Harbrow
Higgins

And try to make them legitimate centre square players. Of the three, Ray is probably the most 'ready' (pity about his injury), whilst Harbrow is the one who would appear to be the most coachable.

Of the rest, you have Eagleton (average), Gia (best suited forward), Callan (reserves player), Hill (still a baby), Stack (see hill), Lynch (see Stack)....or we take a real chance and throw someone like Hargrave or Everitt to the lions and see what they can do...both will run and kick long...

Ok, well I agree with you about Cooney, has to pretty much play strictly as a midfielder, Cross too, as I don't really see another position for him, and as you say his ability to mark and hold his position/nerve in the contest is just about second to none. Westy of course will play the majority of the year either in the centre square or off the wing at the bounce and just follow the ball.

I still feel Griffen can play a role there, but we have yet to see him have an extended run and really dominate at will, however I feel it will come. He's terrific off half back, but I just think he's going to be too good to waste there once he gets up and going in the midfield (hopefully).

Akermanis is another one who could perhaps fill the void, although he has perhaps lost a yard and his kicking as you mentioned has yet to be as good as we know it can be during games. I think he should be given a bit of license to go in and make things happen.

Higgins and Harbrow probably won't get there this year, and who knows now with Ray how far back the injury will leave him coming into the season proper.

I for one wouldn't mind seeing Everitt thrown to the lions and given a bit of a run through the midfield too. He's got the pace, skills and composure when he's on his game to become the sort of tall utility who can run through the middle. Don't know if he'll get there this year though, and probably shouldn't be as others can give more value.


It seems still to me that unless Griff or Higgins can really step into a more commanding midfield spot we are going to be a bit one paced and lack the foot skills we really need for our game plan.

[hujsh]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Everitt certain appears to have the skills for the middle. Let's hope he can play key position as well but (Like how Fanklin and Brown can play in the middle but don't)

[wimberga]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Hargrave into the middle is not such a bad idea. He's ferocious on the ball, has pretty good skills and has a few pre seasons under his belt to support the motor.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Everitt is no certainty to evenbe in the seniors.

[mjp]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

With Everitt, I was watching Michael Johnson play in the middle against West Coast and thought maybe Everitt could do a similar thing. I dont mind the comparison with Brown or Franklin, but was thinking more about the way Pavlich spent a season or two as a mid-fielder before moving into a key forward role. Brown did spend a fair bit of time in the centre-square during 2005 or 2006 to that point.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

With Everitt, I was watching Michael Johnson play in the middle against West Coast and thought maybe Everitt could do a similar thing. I dont mind the comparison with Brown or Franklin, but was thinking more about the way Pavlich spent a season or two as a mid-fielder before moving into a key forward role. Brown did spend a fair bit of time in the centre-square during 2005 or 2006 to that point.

Yep, pretty much my thoughts. Everitt arguably has the best foot skills of the lot to boot as well. Plus he's shown good ability to win the contested ball, and take a mark.

The concerns would be his motor, can he go the distance. Would they coaching staff also be more worried about injury/durability of him playing in that position, as opposed to say, a back flank where he'll most likely spend a lot of his year?

[Mantis]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Yeah - all fair enough.

I thing Cooney needs to play midfield (obviously) as much as possible. I also think both Griffen and Gilbee are best when behind the ball. But I guess what you are asking is who else plays in the middle if Boyd goes back?

Cross for one. He has a marking component too his game that Boyd and West lack, and this makes him 'different'. If he could only kick, he would be a terrific asset moving forward on occasions.

West cannot play anywhere else. His strength is getting on to the loose ball and distributing it to a running option. He still does this better than most everyone else in the league...but again, his kicking is (if anything) getting worse based on the evidence of the last two weeks. He is going to provide little value up forward and is too much of a ball watcher to go back.

Aker is an obvious one. Simply put, we need him around the ball (but what has happened to his kicking lately???). Apart from him I think we need to focus on:

Ray
Harbrow
Higgins

And try to make them legitimate centre square players. Of the three, Ray is probably the most 'ready' (pity about his injury), whilst Harbrow is the one who would appear to be the most coachable.

Of the rest, you have Eagleton (average), Gia (best suited forward), Callan (reserves player), Hill (still a baby), Stack (see hill), Lynch (see Stack)....or we take a real chance and throw someone like Hargrave or Everitt to the lions and see what they can do...both will run and kick long...

So what do we do with this bloke??

On Friday night's performance I think he has little to offer. West has been a great player for the club, but he is not a player that will improve our performance as a team. The game has changed so much over the past couple of years such that if you can't run and carry the ball and use it well by foot you are a liablity. We have too many in this category at present.

[Twodogs]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Thank you, I wish Season 4 would start up again. I'm really missing it!

Season 4 is by far the best. The 45 minute episodes are very funny. The writers strike has caused the season to be postponed halfway through though.



Dwight is a great character. When he wrapped Phyllis in the bag with the feral animal was one of the funniest things I've seen for a long time.

[mjp]

Re: Familar Signs of 2007

Everitt is no certainty to evenbe in the seniors.

Agree with you (on current form). But again, based on Friday night, we will have more than a few 'form-based' outs. We do still need to field 22, and given this I think he SHOULD play.