The Old Dark Navy's
9 Mar 2002, 16:24
From www.OldDarkNavys.net
Another warm Brisbane night and another practice match that counted for nothing. But Brisbane fans get themselves up for a battle against the Blues, so as a result I found myself looking for a quiet spot to avoid the banter that started with the gate attendant when I walked into the Gabba. I settled myself in the middle tier behind the Blues goals for the first quarter for a bit of perspective at ground level and in the air.
The Blues forward line for the majority of the game consisted of Brendan Fevola, Simon Fletcher and Lindsay Smith with some cameos from Ian Prendergast while Glenn Manton, Trent Sporn, Simon Wiggins and David Gallagher spent the whole night in defence. Trent Hotton rucked tirelessly all night in the absence of Matty Allan while the matchups and the personnel in the midfield were ever changing so not worth highlighting. Justin Murphy spent time on the bench at the opening bounces to give the youngsters a run more than anything else.
The Lions midfield was in the ascendancy for much of the match but their real drive came from finding the loose man from the numerous Carlton turnovers and from the dominance of Justin Leppitsch in defence. Plunkett opened the scoring for the Blues before the apparent Lions advantage started to show itself with goals to Bradshaw and Lynch. Manton was unable to stay with Lynch on the lead while Wiggins was unlucky to have to match up on Bradshaw who normally would have been picked up by the missing Simon Beaumont. Tim Notting was also proving a headache running through half forward and shooting at goal at will but only some terrible inaccuracy stopped the Blues from paying on the scoreboard. The Blues were fortunate to only be 10 points down in an entertaining first quarter.
The second quarter and I stayed seated to have a good look at the defence and saw an arm wrestle with only one goal to Michael until Brisbane piled three goals on in lightning quick fashion with centre clearances making it impossible for the undersized defence to combat. From my vantage point the defenders that seemed to be coping best with their allotted task were David Gallagher and Trent Sporn who spent much of the game on Mal Michael except for the occasional visits to the backline by Prendergast. This period of time in hindsight was the difference on the night as Carlton were unable to respond and Brisbane marched to a 6 goal half time lead. After that point the teams were evenly matched although Brisbane appeared to take their foot off the accelerator often and fire up again at will when the Blues threatened.
Something I noticed with interest is how far Fevola was running to get the ball. He handled himself well in all points of the ground but when he came to the defensive 50 to get a kick I considered throwing a compass on to the ground so he could find his way back to the forward line. When I realised that by doing so I ran the risk of striking Alastair Lynch in the head, I lamented the fact that I did not have a compass on me!
Third quarter and another close look at the forwards this time from the top tier so I could have a good look at both ends of the ground. 7 minutes in and I held my breath as Fevola was buried in a marking contest and then assisted limping from the ground. Fortunately he was back on minutes later looking no worse for wear. The whole game looked a panic for the Blues except when Ratten or Houlihan had the ball and then time seemingly stood still. Oddities for the quarter were when Ratten short kicked in the defensive 50 straight to Tim Notting who ran past him into an open goal. You'll have to wait a while to see that happen again! Next up was a messy piece of play outside our forward 50 that ulitmately resulted in a melee of sorts and a 50m penalty and goal to Murphy. In the midst of it all, I looked up to see that our forward line was Pickering, Franchina and Sporn and nearly fainted on the spot. Fortunately it wasn't a genuine positional change by the coaching staff and some sort of normalcy was achieved soon after. The Blues ended up winning the quarter and giving a better account of themselves but the Lions were throwing players around everywhere for a bit of exposure.
Last quarter, still up high looking at the defence again (okay, I couldn't be bothered moving except for half time where the Aust v RSA second cricket test on the TV behind the grandstand proved to be more rivetting viewing). The Blues had long resorted to double teaming Bradshaw and this was made possible by Lynch's absence after half time. Manton and Wiggins still found it hard to handle the big Lions when Brisbane were on a fast break. Justin Leppitsch was having a picnic inside his defensive 50, repelling attack after attack while Lindsay Smith was a helpless spectator. The Blues gave Michael Davis and Justin Davies more game time and Ezra Bray returned for a second stint. Goals to O'Keefe and Pickering brought the margin back to 19 points and the Blues were still running hard. In with a chance, wouldn't you think? Wrong! Brisbane woke up again and with relative ease piled on goals to youngsters Hammond, McLaren and Gram to effectively bury the Blues. A goal to Eccles and magic goals to Houlihan and Plunkett rounded out the Blues scoring while Black and Bradshaw completed the Lions tally. The last goal came after the siren from Bradshaw after he had taken a fine mark beating the nomadic Brendan Fevola at fullback.
Okay, now to the start the real review (to the collective groans of those that have made it this far).
Andrew McKay - Terrible start with at least three out of bounds on the full by the vice captain. It could have been more but I was covering my eyes by this stage. In true Macca style he got better the longer the match went on and provided great drive running straight lines through the midfield.
Adam Pickering - Not one of the prime movers but took a strong grab and ran straight and hard. Read the play well and all in all, a fair effort.
Brett Ratten - Apart from the one blemish mentioned above, he was a perfectionist as always. If our midfield was beaten, one can only imagine what might have happened if the skipper wasn't playing.
Lindsay Smith - Played in a pocket or at full forward practically the whole game and was soundly whipped. Never looked likely to take many marks and struggled to even get into contests. Took a strong one grab mark on the lead and kicked a goal in the first quarter.
Justin Davies - A long way from senior football. Needs a year of VFL development and a lot of work in the gym. Not a lot of time on the ground and found it hard to get into the play when he was there. Nothing wrong with his disposal when he gets the ball but not yet ready to win the football with any regularity.
David Gallagher - I tried to be critical of 'Gags' and look for some poor disposal. When he went for a long run down a wing only to kick to an unfavourable contest, I thought to myself "Uh huh there it is." But it was to be short lived as he threw himself into every contest and took the right option almost every time, snuffing out many Lions forward thrusts in the process. With Hulme to miss the first two rounds, Gallagher has to be right at the forefront of the selectors minds.
Sam Cranage - Got a bit of the ball without standing out too much from my vantage point. Used mainly as a linkman rather than a ballwinner, I must say I am a little surprised to see his possession total and his name on the best players list. Let wiser heads prevail.
Justin Murphy - Spent a bit of time on the bench to give the others a run but was impressive everytime he touched the ball. His disposal was again pinpoint and was never beaten. With a full game under his belt, he would have been best on ground.
Andrew Eccles - Quiet beginning had me scratching his name off my round 1 team list as he has not set the world on fire during the preseason, but he then turned it all around. Provided stability running lines between the 50 metre arcs. Showed good organisational skills and seemed to have a lot of space.
Glenn Manton - Thought he struggled to contain Lynch in the first half though Lynch did not feature prominently on the scoreboard. Spent much of the second half double teaming Daniel Bradshaw and found some form with less pressure on him.
Brendan Fevola - Didn't play a typical full forward role. Roamed far and wide to pick up possessions. Despite being the sole forward for the past four weeks (or maybe because of) Fevola appears to have a real presence now and opposition backmen treat him as a real danger. I'm crossing my fingers as I say this but it appears that Brendan has matured since last year (finally) and understands that this is his last chance to produce the goods and his onfield results are impressive as a result.
Sean O'Keefe - Hasn't had much game time so far in the preseason and didn't get much time here either. A shame really because he looks like a natural footballer with a reasonable awareness of what is happening around him. Won't be in the mix for a senior spot anytime soon but I will be surprised if he doesn't make it at all.
Darren Hulme - A solid game from Pup again without doing anything flashy. Tough, hard and uncompromising, he will be missed in rounds 1 and 2.
Ian Prendergast - Okay, if I take a run up and follow through the arm, I might just be able to pull off this backflip! Disappointing game from Prendergast to say the least. Found the ball a lot but seems to jump in the air when confronted and handball straight to ground or anywhere else for that matter. Problem is he seldoms finds a teammate or appears to have any objective when he gets the leather. Maybe I am seeing things at the game that aren't obvious on television? Was ineffective on the ball, as a forward and in defence. At one point, he was side by side with Bradshaw who was on a lead and was hipped out of the way so easily that he tripped himself up and took Bradshaw with him, giving away a free kick and a goal in the process. Would have been funny if it wasn't so pitiful. I'm hoping it was only an aberration.
Jarrod Waite - Not a lot of game time and didn't see the ball very often. Looks as keen as mustard and having finally been given a run, his confidence will have received a boost.
Simon Fletcher - Has had to play a leadership role in this young side and for a fringe player that isn't easy to do. With Smith and Fevola his forward comrades, they were always up against it, but Fletch always gave a good contest. Lack of opportunities meant that his stats aren't anything to write home about but wasn't for lack of trying.
Bret Thornton - Little game time and no impact.
Ryan Houlihan - Standout game from Ryan. Still doesn't try hard enough when he doesn't have the ball but quite frankly, who cares when he does some exquisite things when he does have the ball. Fast becoming a magician with the ball on a string, a couple of classy goals capped a great performance, one a pluck out of the air and skilful checkside goal that left fans in awe. He is going to win matches for the Blues in 2002, no doubt about it.
Simon Wiggins - Drew the short straw when given the task of controlling Daniel Bradshaw. Tried his guts out and hopefully won't be penalised for losing out for a player far advanced in experience.
Trent Sporn - Didn't make any best players lists but I'm going to assume that whoever is picking that list was in the same position as me, that is not being able to see everywhere at all times. Stood Mal Michael for much of the game and held him fairly well. Showed commitment and poise belying his years and overall took the honours in this battle. A perfect hitout playing most of the match and I venture to say a better indication of where his progress is up to. Back in line for a first up senior spot.
Trent Hotton - Rucked tirelessly all night and gave his all to stem the tide. Seems to be taking on some more responsibility as he should in these preseason matches and went after the ball himself instead of standing off the play. Must have pulled some ground back off Andrew Merrington who missed this match.
Jim Plunkett - Was all over the ground. Diving into packs in defence and copping a few knocks for his trouble and then bobbing up to kick a goal at the other end. Didn't involve himself throughout the match by my observations but rather went on purple patches where the found the ball at will. Good game once again.
Michael Davis - Precious few minutes on field. No real impact made but did get a feel of the leather a couple of times and showed reasonable judgement. Not in the mix for a senior spot for most of 2002 I would suggest.
Anthony Franchina - One of the few Blues to actually man up (surprise surprise). Tried to lead from the front and seemed to play a more positive role with the ball. A confidence builder.
Ezra Bray - Got a run in the first and last quarters and showed an instinct for finding the ball. Again had me rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't watching Campo. Certainly not the dud he was made out to be.
Jordan Doering - Warmed the bench a fair bit and when he got a run, he was given roles on Michael Voss and Simon Black. (Do you think he has served his pennance yet Britts?) Chased hard and in one piece of play made several tackles in succession as Brisbane played a scrambly game of 'keeping offs' with him. Hopefully a sign that he is prepared to do work for his spot this season.
In summary, the Blues were never going to win this match. Some took a step forward, some a leap backwards. One thing is for sure, it is all very well throwing these youngsters into the deep end to see if they can swim but sooner or later we are going to have to surround them with all of the available established players and see if they can learn how to win as well. With one or two practice matches to go before the season starts for real, it is hard to see Carlton having a cohesive unit on the field. Hope to see Campo, Beauy, Allan, Lappin and Hicky back next week so we can get an idea on our setup before round 1 comes around.
Another warm Brisbane night and another practice match that counted for nothing. But Brisbane fans get themselves up for a battle against the Blues, so as a result I found myself looking for a quiet spot to avoid the banter that started with the gate attendant when I walked into the Gabba. I settled myself in the middle tier behind the Blues goals for the first quarter for a bit of perspective at ground level and in the air.
The Blues forward line for the majority of the game consisted of Brendan Fevola, Simon Fletcher and Lindsay Smith with some cameos from Ian Prendergast while Glenn Manton, Trent Sporn, Simon Wiggins and David Gallagher spent the whole night in defence. Trent Hotton rucked tirelessly all night in the absence of Matty Allan while the matchups and the personnel in the midfield were ever changing so not worth highlighting. Justin Murphy spent time on the bench at the opening bounces to give the youngsters a run more than anything else.
The Lions midfield was in the ascendancy for much of the match but their real drive came from finding the loose man from the numerous Carlton turnovers and from the dominance of Justin Leppitsch in defence. Plunkett opened the scoring for the Blues before the apparent Lions advantage started to show itself with goals to Bradshaw and Lynch. Manton was unable to stay with Lynch on the lead while Wiggins was unlucky to have to match up on Bradshaw who normally would have been picked up by the missing Simon Beaumont. Tim Notting was also proving a headache running through half forward and shooting at goal at will but only some terrible inaccuracy stopped the Blues from paying on the scoreboard. The Blues were fortunate to only be 10 points down in an entertaining first quarter.
The second quarter and I stayed seated to have a good look at the defence and saw an arm wrestle with only one goal to Michael until Brisbane piled three goals on in lightning quick fashion with centre clearances making it impossible for the undersized defence to combat. From my vantage point the defenders that seemed to be coping best with their allotted task were David Gallagher and Trent Sporn who spent much of the game on Mal Michael except for the occasional visits to the backline by Prendergast. This period of time in hindsight was the difference on the night as Carlton were unable to respond and Brisbane marched to a 6 goal half time lead. After that point the teams were evenly matched although Brisbane appeared to take their foot off the accelerator often and fire up again at will when the Blues threatened.
Something I noticed with interest is how far Fevola was running to get the ball. He handled himself well in all points of the ground but when he came to the defensive 50 to get a kick I considered throwing a compass on to the ground so he could find his way back to the forward line. When I realised that by doing so I ran the risk of striking Alastair Lynch in the head, I lamented the fact that I did not have a compass on me!
Third quarter and another close look at the forwards this time from the top tier so I could have a good look at both ends of the ground. 7 minutes in and I held my breath as Fevola was buried in a marking contest and then assisted limping from the ground. Fortunately he was back on minutes later looking no worse for wear. The whole game looked a panic for the Blues except when Ratten or Houlihan had the ball and then time seemingly stood still. Oddities for the quarter were when Ratten short kicked in the defensive 50 straight to Tim Notting who ran past him into an open goal. You'll have to wait a while to see that happen again! Next up was a messy piece of play outside our forward 50 that ulitmately resulted in a melee of sorts and a 50m penalty and goal to Murphy. In the midst of it all, I looked up to see that our forward line was Pickering, Franchina and Sporn and nearly fainted on the spot. Fortunately it wasn't a genuine positional change by the coaching staff and some sort of normalcy was achieved soon after. The Blues ended up winning the quarter and giving a better account of themselves but the Lions were throwing players around everywhere for a bit of exposure.
Last quarter, still up high looking at the defence again (okay, I couldn't be bothered moving except for half time where the Aust v RSA second cricket test on the TV behind the grandstand proved to be more rivetting viewing). The Blues had long resorted to double teaming Bradshaw and this was made possible by Lynch's absence after half time. Manton and Wiggins still found it hard to handle the big Lions when Brisbane were on a fast break. Justin Leppitsch was having a picnic inside his defensive 50, repelling attack after attack while Lindsay Smith was a helpless spectator. The Blues gave Michael Davis and Justin Davies more game time and Ezra Bray returned for a second stint. Goals to O'Keefe and Pickering brought the margin back to 19 points and the Blues were still running hard. In with a chance, wouldn't you think? Wrong! Brisbane woke up again and with relative ease piled on goals to youngsters Hammond, McLaren and Gram to effectively bury the Blues. A goal to Eccles and magic goals to Houlihan and Plunkett rounded out the Blues scoring while Black and Bradshaw completed the Lions tally. The last goal came after the siren from Bradshaw after he had taken a fine mark beating the nomadic Brendan Fevola at fullback.
Okay, now to the start the real review (to the collective groans of those that have made it this far).
Andrew McKay - Terrible start with at least three out of bounds on the full by the vice captain. It could have been more but I was covering my eyes by this stage. In true Macca style he got better the longer the match went on and provided great drive running straight lines through the midfield.
Adam Pickering - Not one of the prime movers but took a strong grab and ran straight and hard. Read the play well and all in all, a fair effort.
Brett Ratten - Apart from the one blemish mentioned above, he was a perfectionist as always. If our midfield was beaten, one can only imagine what might have happened if the skipper wasn't playing.
Lindsay Smith - Played in a pocket or at full forward practically the whole game and was soundly whipped. Never looked likely to take many marks and struggled to even get into contests. Took a strong one grab mark on the lead and kicked a goal in the first quarter.
Justin Davies - A long way from senior football. Needs a year of VFL development and a lot of work in the gym. Not a lot of time on the ground and found it hard to get into the play when he was there. Nothing wrong with his disposal when he gets the ball but not yet ready to win the football with any regularity.
David Gallagher - I tried to be critical of 'Gags' and look for some poor disposal. When he went for a long run down a wing only to kick to an unfavourable contest, I thought to myself "Uh huh there it is." But it was to be short lived as he threw himself into every contest and took the right option almost every time, snuffing out many Lions forward thrusts in the process. With Hulme to miss the first two rounds, Gallagher has to be right at the forefront of the selectors minds.
Sam Cranage - Got a bit of the ball without standing out too much from my vantage point. Used mainly as a linkman rather than a ballwinner, I must say I am a little surprised to see his possession total and his name on the best players list. Let wiser heads prevail.
Justin Murphy - Spent a bit of time on the bench to give the others a run but was impressive everytime he touched the ball. His disposal was again pinpoint and was never beaten. With a full game under his belt, he would have been best on ground.
Andrew Eccles - Quiet beginning had me scratching his name off my round 1 team list as he has not set the world on fire during the preseason, but he then turned it all around. Provided stability running lines between the 50 metre arcs. Showed good organisational skills and seemed to have a lot of space.
Glenn Manton - Thought he struggled to contain Lynch in the first half though Lynch did not feature prominently on the scoreboard. Spent much of the second half double teaming Daniel Bradshaw and found some form with less pressure on him.
Brendan Fevola - Didn't play a typical full forward role. Roamed far and wide to pick up possessions. Despite being the sole forward for the past four weeks (or maybe because of) Fevola appears to have a real presence now and opposition backmen treat him as a real danger. I'm crossing my fingers as I say this but it appears that Brendan has matured since last year (finally) and understands that this is his last chance to produce the goods and his onfield results are impressive as a result.
Sean O'Keefe - Hasn't had much game time so far in the preseason and didn't get much time here either. A shame really because he looks like a natural footballer with a reasonable awareness of what is happening around him. Won't be in the mix for a senior spot anytime soon but I will be surprised if he doesn't make it at all.
Darren Hulme - A solid game from Pup again without doing anything flashy. Tough, hard and uncompromising, he will be missed in rounds 1 and 2.
Ian Prendergast - Okay, if I take a run up and follow through the arm, I might just be able to pull off this backflip! Disappointing game from Prendergast to say the least. Found the ball a lot but seems to jump in the air when confronted and handball straight to ground or anywhere else for that matter. Problem is he seldoms finds a teammate or appears to have any objective when he gets the leather. Maybe I am seeing things at the game that aren't obvious on television? Was ineffective on the ball, as a forward and in defence. At one point, he was side by side with Bradshaw who was on a lead and was hipped out of the way so easily that he tripped himself up and took Bradshaw with him, giving away a free kick and a goal in the process. Would have been funny if it wasn't so pitiful. I'm hoping it was only an aberration.
Jarrod Waite - Not a lot of game time and didn't see the ball very often. Looks as keen as mustard and having finally been given a run, his confidence will have received a boost.
Simon Fletcher - Has had to play a leadership role in this young side and for a fringe player that isn't easy to do. With Smith and Fevola his forward comrades, they were always up against it, but Fletch always gave a good contest. Lack of opportunities meant that his stats aren't anything to write home about but wasn't for lack of trying.
Bret Thornton - Little game time and no impact.
Ryan Houlihan - Standout game from Ryan. Still doesn't try hard enough when he doesn't have the ball but quite frankly, who cares when he does some exquisite things when he does have the ball. Fast becoming a magician with the ball on a string, a couple of classy goals capped a great performance, one a pluck out of the air and skilful checkside goal that left fans in awe. He is going to win matches for the Blues in 2002, no doubt about it.
Simon Wiggins - Drew the short straw when given the task of controlling Daniel Bradshaw. Tried his guts out and hopefully won't be penalised for losing out for a player far advanced in experience.
Trent Sporn - Didn't make any best players lists but I'm going to assume that whoever is picking that list was in the same position as me, that is not being able to see everywhere at all times. Stood Mal Michael for much of the game and held him fairly well. Showed commitment and poise belying his years and overall took the honours in this battle. A perfect hitout playing most of the match and I venture to say a better indication of where his progress is up to. Back in line for a first up senior spot.
Trent Hotton - Rucked tirelessly all night and gave his all to stem the tide. Seems to be taking on some more responsibility as he should in these preseason matches and went after the ball himself instead of standing off the play. Must have pulled some ground back off Andrew Merrington who missed this match.
Jim Plunkett - Was all over the ground. Diving into packs in defence and copping a few knocks for his trouble and then bobbing up to kick a goal at the other end. Didn't involve himself throughout the match by my observations but rather went on purple patches where the found the ball at will. Good game once again.
Michael Davis - Precious few minutes on field. No real impact made but did get a feel of the leather a couple of times and showed reasonable judgement. Not in the mix for a senior spot for most of 2002 I would suggest.
Anthony Franchina - One of the few Blues to actually man up (surprise surprise). Tried to lead from the front and seemed to play a more positive role with the ball. A confidence builder.
Ezra Bray - Got a run in the first and last quarters and showed an instinct for finding the ball. Again had me rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't watching Campo. Certainly not the dud he was made out to be.
Jordan Doering - Warmed the bench a fair bit and when he got a run, he was given roles on Michael Voss and Simon Black. (Do you think he has served his pennance yet Britts?) Chased hard and in one piece of play made several tackles in succession as Brisbane played a scrambly game of 'keeping offs' with him. Hopefully a sign that he is prepared to do work for his spot this season.
In summary, the Blues were never going to win this match. Some took a step forward, some a leap backwards. One thing is for sure, it is all very well throwing these youngsters into the deep end to see if they can swim but sooner or later we are going to have to surround them with all of the available established players and see if they can learn how to win as well. With one or two practice matches to go before the season starts for real, it is hard to see Carlton having a cohesive unit on the field. Hope to see Campo, Beauy, Allan, Lappin and Hicky back next week so we can get an idea on our setup before round 1 comes around.