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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
Kinda hard to argue with this, but it's up to Will alone next year. He's stalled in his progress, but 2012 is his sink or swim year. There's no other rucks to threaten his spot, or at least there shouldn't be, so if he doesn't cut it as top dog he's really only got himself to blame.
He's a satisfactory ruckman, but I think he needs to trim down a bit and get a bit more mobile.
And ffs, please find a remedy for those stone hands.
I like Will a lot. I hope he can blossom next year."It's over. It's all over."Comment
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
So you were against recruiting Hudson? His AFL career at the Crows started at age 26 - Minson's current age.
We know Minson isn't going to be a star - but he has shown enough to be serviceable more often than not, gives everything on the field and I'm willing to give him a chance under a new coach as the legitimate no 1 ruck, given we all know he can't play the no 2 role he's been asked to play in the past few years.Western Bulldogs: 2016 PremiersComment
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
Minno could go the way of Mark Jamar or he could go the way of Mark Blake. He is more valuable to us in 2012 than he would command on the open market so give him his chance to own the 1st ruck position. If he can't grasp it, or better still if the penny drops for Roughead and he has the best pre-season of his life and commands the 1st ruck role, having Minno there to help bash and crash cannot be a bad thing. Cordy is simply not ready for an extended run in the ruck at senior level, and between Minno and Roughy they have the necessary flexibility to be dangerous drifting forward (at least more so than Huddo). None of us are expecting Minno to morph into the second coming of Polly Farmer overnight, but he can certainly be a competitive beast for us in the ruck next season and take a truckload of punishment that would otherwise be dished out to a couple of youngsters that patently aren't ready for this level of sustained punishment."Look at me mate. Look at me. I'm flyin'"Comment
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
A good start would be for someone to teach big Will the art of ruckwork which in the words of one of our former champion ruckman,"hasn't improved in the past 6 years". I agree he needs to be in the first ruck as Rocket's attempts to turn him into a forward ruckman for the most part failed miserably. Will also needs plenty of marking practise as for someone of his size and stature he drops more than he takes. Neither Roughead or Cordy are anywhere near ready to play first ruck although Roughead with a big pre-season, injury free, has the makings of a good second string ruckman.Comment
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
Minno has taken some good grabs in the past, the omly problem it's far and few between. Someone needs to take him out in the park anf throw raw eggs at him and see if he can grab them without breaking them.Don't piss off old people
The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...Comment
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
That sounds like Dylan Addison as well.
Not one of the bulldog players other than DJ wanted to take the game on when they needed to. They were happy to kick it sideways or to someone else then kick to a contest right on the boundary with the sole intention of creating a throw in further up the ground.
This negativity showed in the result of the game.
I think most people have hit the nail on the head with their reviews of the players.
A few points from my end:
* We all could see that Mulligan is rubbish and was getting thrashed by Galea who is half his height. Not sure if there were many other options but surely as he was the main go to man and destroyer, German needed to make a move, but he didn't for the entire game.
* Stack can look great when there is no pressure but he's a liability in close contests and pressure situations as he just gets the fumbles or chooses the more difficult option in jumping around in front and spoiling in the air instead of playing the body. Very risky if it doesn't come off. How do you teach someone to be more confident and more sure handed in tight? I don't think you can, it's either there or it isn't.
* Hill likes to choose the soft option as well, kicking the ball off the ground instead of putting his head over it and his body on the line. Don't think he'll ever cut it as a running defender and if he can't recapture his form as a high marking forward then he has nothing.
* DJ has his fault but he showed something nearly all of his teamates couldn't, and that was to stand up when the chips were down. Kicked a couple of crunch goals with some good run and hopefully that gives him some confidence.
* Panos tried his best with limited chances, as Willy couldn't get the ball up there for half the game. Lovely kick of the ball and is a dead eye for the goals. Problem is his fitness and 50 metres is pretty much his limit. If he can work hard at getting fitter and stronger then his natural weakness of lack of speed won't be as big a factor.
* Minson didn't have a great day but we'll be in a lot of trouble if we trade him and expose ourselves with Roughead and Cordy the only options.
* Quite a few of the Bulldogs listed players weren't as desperate as the Port players, perhaps staying un-injured for pre-season was a thought in their minds?Comment
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
I'm not sure Hudson was a "smart" footballer, and he certainly wasn't athletic - he simply had an appetite for the contest and his trademark was second efforts at stoppages.
Minson could offer us something similar and would be "serviceable" as the number 1 ruck. Arguably, he was unlucky not to play more games this year at the expense of Hudson.Western Bulldogs: 2016 PremiersComment
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
Hudson was out of the side yet Minson still couldn't get a gig.
They tried to get him to the Suns, and with The Beard in his 30's didn't say a lot for Will's prospects.God help us when he's opposed to the likes of Cox, Mummy, Goldstein, he couldn't cope with Fanning and Skipper
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Re: VFL Grand Final - Port v Willy
Minson is 26 and has only 1 year on Maric and 4 on Bellchamber.
Its very debatable whether they are equally performed in the past. Minson had full seasons in 08 and 09 in finals sides. He even had 2 brownlow votes this season.
Even if you don't value Minson, at best we will be trading like for like here. The grass is always greener.....Comment
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