blackpowerlappin
11 Jun 2008, 23:25
My MID YEAR REVIEW
If you asked me at the start of the year would I take 7 and 4 after 11 rounds I would of said yes in a flash. So at 7 and 4 I would have to say the position we're in sets us up nicely on the run home and still a chance for a top 4 finish if the cards fall our way, but more likely a 5 - 7 finish.
Features of our play
The excitement factor - we rank No1 for running bounces at 21.7 per game, Irank 4 for inside 50s with 55.4 per game, and rank 4 for Tackles at 70.4 per game.
The run out of the backline from Drummond, Notting, Macdonald, McGrath (over the past 3 weeks before injury), and the link up through the middle with Black, Power, Corrie, Johnstone, Rischitelli and Power emphasises the run and carry is back, as it should be with Bradshaw, Brown and Co up forward.
The Inside 50 count of 55.4 a week is testament to the above work and of course with Brown and Bradshaw demanding constant and quick ball movement the appropriate style of play is in place.
We don't allow the opposition to get the ball out after a kickin anywhere near what we did last year- a lot more pressure is being applied and the tackling is effective - Adcock, Hooper, Patfull, Macdonald and Rischitelli to name a few.
Midfield matchups - The recruiting of T Johnstone and the emerging maturity of the list - 14 players will reach 50 games throughout the season, has seen us on the upward curve - compared to last year we look stronger, and faster in my opinion.
There is no doubt that when TJ fires he turns games- not just from the point of him doing the damage- its the fact that he demands the opposition's best midfielder which opens up our midfield options and creates midfield matchup problems for the opposition: last qtr against Coll and Pt Adel and the Carlton game.
Unheralded Backline - A very underrated backline, they do the job week in and week out- they are all better this year. They are running the ball and hitting targets with greater efficiency. Merrett is much more composed and confident when running out and is hitting targets with more regularity- Patful is competititive, attacking and does the job, and Joel Mcacdonald is the Chris Scott of the post 2001-03 era- uncompromising, physical and able to win contested ball and hit targets under pressure.
Standouts:
DEFENCE
Merrett, Patfull, Drummond (when fit), Mcgrath from the time he's gone into the backline- the run has been enormous and Notting's run and kicking penetration inside 50 has him in career best form continuing on from last year.
MIDFIELD
Black and Power - no need to say anything- we all know why
Corrie's - run and carry,
T Johnstone - for the reasons mentioned above,
J Brennan - Unpredictability, pinch hits in the middle, has tricks- his best is coming in my view- who knows what he could produce in finals- real x factor- does a lot more of the hard things now - an dare I say it on the whole makes better decisions
FORWARDS
Brown and Bradshaw- Working beautifully one to the left, one to the right
M Clarke - I like him in the back half at the moment- may be needed in the forward line this week - he has poise and is a classic floater in the aerial dept- takes one grabbers - I'd love him at CHB - brings balance to Merrett and Patful - just needs to put 15 - 20 games together.
Strengths:
The depth is building several guys can't get a game- the Suncoast Lions are in the top 4 and the 06/07 draftees are getting a nice grounding in the QFL- plenty of upside in the youth coming through.
Goal kicking Key Forwards, Nicely blended midfield of experience and youth
Attacking and running defence
Improvements:
I think in Finals we need a Mitch Clarke, Lach Henderson type 195 to 198cm key position back that can take some of the bigger gorillas- to support Patfull and Merrett- someone that can fill the hole between the Franklins and Mooneys. Key position strength wins finals- In my view we need a Leppitsch type and I think this may be Clarke now and Henderson in the next couple of years.
Goal Kicking Accuracy - Will cost us a final - as FFB1 points out in his post- its a real problem that ends up costing games against the top teams- an eaxmple of this is the accuracy we have when playing Sydney.
Crumbing goals- Still haven't quite got it right yet- we have the resources - Hooper, Harding and Sherman - but its not quite paying off, yet.
Turnovers - for the quality of play we can produce, we still have brain fades at critical times-
Disappointments
Lappin- only because he is injured, still in our best 22 and real important come finals.
Begley- struck down at the wrong time
Overall - I think we have been pretty good all year- but I reckon there is still more to come. We have only won 22 of 44 qtrs- which has us 5 behind the ferrals (Colloingwood) and 6 behind the dogs, so that would suggest that we are turning it on at the right times but not all the time.
In my opinion we are a top 4 contender, hopefully luck with injuries falls our way.
If you asked me at the start of the year would I take 7 and 4 after 11 rounds I would of said yes in a flash. So at 7 and 4 I would have to say the position we're in sets us up nicely on the run home and still a chance for a top 4 finish if the cards fall our way, but more likely a 5 - 7 finish.
Features of our play
The excitement factor - we rank No1 for running bounces at 21.7 per game, Irank 4 for inside 50s with 55.4 per game, and rank 4 for Tackles at 70.4 per game.
The run out of the backline from Drummond, Notting, Macdonald, McGrath (over the past 3 weeks before injury), and the link up through the middle with Black, Power, Corrie, Johnstone, Rischitelli and Power emphasises the run and carry is back, as it should be with Bradshaw, Brown and Co up forward.
The Inside 50 count of 55.4 a week is testament to the above work and of course with Brown and Bradshaw demanding constant and quick ball movement the appropriate style of play is in place.
We don't allow the opposition to get the ball out after a kickin anywhere near what we did last year- a lot more pressure is being applied and the tackling is effective - Adcock, Hooper, Patfull, Macdonald and Rischitelli to name a few.
Midfield matchups - The recruiting of T Johnstone and the emerging maturity of the list - 14 players will reach 50 games throughout the season, has seen us on the upward curve - compared to last year we look stronger, and faster in my opinion.
There is no doubt that when TJ fires he turns games- not just from the point of him doing the damage- its the fact that he demands the opposition's best midfielder which opens up our midfield options and creates midfield matchup problems for the opposition: last qtr against Coll and Pt Adel and the Carlton game.
Unheralded Backline - A very underrated backline, they do the job week in and week out- they are all better this year. They are running the ball and hitting targets with greater efficiency. Merrett is much more composed and confident when running out and is hitting targets with more regularity- Patful is competititive, attacking and does the job, and Joel Mcacdonald is the Chris Scott of the post 2001-03 era- uncompromising, physical and able to win contested ball and hit targets under pressure.
Standouts:
DEFENCE
Merrett, Patfull, Drummond (when fit), Mcgrath from the time he's gone into the backline- the run has been enormous and Notting's run and kicking penetration inside 50 has him in career best form continuing on from last year.
MIDFIELD
Black and Power - no need to say anything- we all know why
Corrie's - run and carry,
T Johnstone - for the reasons mentioned above,
J Brennan - Unpredictability, pinch hits in the middle, has tricks- his best is coming in my view- who knows what he could produce in finals- real x factor- does a lot more of the hard things now - an dare I say it on the whole makes better decisions
FORWARDS
Brown and Bradshaw- Working beautifully one to the left, one to the right
M Clarke - I like him in the back half at the moment- may be needed in the forward line this week - he has poise and is a classic floater in the aerial dept- takes one grabbers - I'd love him at CHB - brings balance to Merrett and Patful - just needs to put 15 - 20 games together.
Strengths:
The depth is building several guys can't get a game- the Suncoast Lions are in the top 4 and the 06/07 draftees are getting a nice grounding in the QFL- plenty of upside in the youth coming through.
Goal kicking Key Forwards, Nicely blended midfield of experience and youth
Attacking and running defence
Improvements:
I think in Finals we need a Mitch Clarke, Lach Henderson type 195 to 198cm key position back that can take some of the bigger gorillas- to support Patfull and Merrett- someone that can fill the hole between the Franklins and Mooneys. Key position strength wins finals- In my view we need a Leppitsch type and I think this may be Clarke now and Henderson in the next couple of years.
Goal Kicking Accuracy - Will cost us a final - as FFB1 points out in his post- its a real problem that ends up costing games against the top teams- an eaxmple of this is the accuracy we have when playing Sydney.
Crumbing goals- Still haven't quite got it right yet- we have the resources - Hooper, Harding and Sherman - but its not quite paying off, yet.
Turnovers - for the quality of play we can produce, we still have brain fades at critical times-
Disappointments
Lappin- only because he is injured, still in our best 22 and real important come finals.
Begley- struck down at the wrong time
Overall - I think we have been pretty good all year- but I reckon there is still more to come. We have only won 22 of 44 qtrs- which has us 5 behind the ferrals (Colloingwood) and 6 behind the dogs, so that would suggest that we are turning it on at the right times but not all the time.
In my opinion we are a top 4 contender, hopefully luck with injuries falls our way.