Toast Jaensch

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Apr 29, 2008
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It's taken me the majority of the season to stop pinching myself and actually believe it, but Matty Jaensch has had a really good season so far. Sure, he still makes the occasional blue, but that's the case for every defender. This year he's started doing two things which have really impressed me. First of all, he's actually gotten really good at reading the play. He often ends up outmarking his opponent, or getting to the drop of the ball first, or finds space to receive a handball after one of our other defenders mops up. Secondly, he's finally using his kicking skills to our advantage on a regular basis. He looks really confident with the ball in hand, which he never used to.

I thought his game today, one horrible error aside, was fantastic. I'd have him in our best half dozen players. Massive turnaround from a player I'd completely given up on by the end of last year.

I feel like I've spent the whole season waiting for the penny to drop and for him to return to normal, but by this stage of the season I'm finally believing what I'm seeing :thumbsu: I reckon he'll stay in our starting back 6 from now on.
 

Shoota Welsh

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deadset gun. our rebound is set for at least the next 5 years with jaensch, smith and henderson.
 

hippyhippy

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Feb 18, 2008
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i think tonight was the first time i looked at him and thought this guy was AFL standard. I had the same moment with Dougie a few years ago.

He was reading the play well, his kicks were great and also his handballs were quite excellent, some VERY LONG handballs, i havent seen the crows do those long handballs for a while but they were doing it all night. actually they over did the handball a few times but its good too see.

The board has to find a new whipping boy! .. First was Doughty, then Dougie, now Jaensch.
 

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mcday

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Sep 11, 2012
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Hartigan could well turn into the next whipping boy, unless he gets rid of those errors. Of course if Pets ever returns, he'll be top of the whipping boy charts, with Reilly likely to retire.

Jaensch's handballing skills are almost better than his foot skills. He can handball a solid 30-40 metres with ease. It's his improvement from deadset liability defensively that's allowed him to actually contribute this year, IMO.
 

Thylacinus

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Apr 10, 2008
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Great to see Jaensch making it. Well deserved toast, and another Rookie draft success. Brodie Martin has also transcended whipping boy status and is yet another great AFC Rookie draft success story. Looks like we will have yet another with Charlie Cameron.
 

Skippy231

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Nov 21, 2012
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Had a ripping season. Top 10 bnf you'd think.
Contested making and spoiling come on in spades.
Dasher has really helped him I think.

How much is having an injury free year? Had groin issues last year and lost some kicking penetration but certainly back to his best now.
 
Apr 20, 2004
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Have to agree Stabby. Often thought they'd get some easy goals over the back - but Matty somehow managed to work his opponent out of the contest and get the better position, similarly with Brown. Really felt we belonged on the big stage last evening. They rarely had easy entries - we always had someone right on their hammer - especially in the first half.
 

Schulzycrow

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Started well in his first season then got tunneled in Bunji's 300th. Always thought he would make it as he has the talent just needed to see his hard work bear fruit. Would love to see his drift forward more often to kick some more sausage rolls. Him and Smith are deadly from outside 50. Worthy toast.
 

Tex Danger

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Mar 20, 2013
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Definitely had the same thought last night on his legitimacy. Not that I have thought at any stage this year he should be an out, but always thought the day could come as we get to full strength.

Like everyone else it's his defensive reliability that can be a worry but he won so many 1 on 1s last night, mostly by reading it better (almost becoming an uncontested intercept).

Brodie Martin is treading a similar path where he could go either way. Does some nice things (eg weaving back inside last night and breaking the line to set up a goal) but also some errors that make you shake your head).
 
Mar 23, 2008
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i think tonight was the first time i looked at him and thought this guy was AFL standard. I had the same moment with Dougie a few years ago.

He was reading the play well, his kicks were great and also his handballs were quite excellent, some VERY LONG handballs, i havent seen the crows do those long handballs for a while but they were doing it all night. actually they over did the handball a few times but its good too see.

The board has to find a new whipping boy! .. First was Doughty, then Dougie, now Jaensch.
Well, there's always Brodie Martin.

I know there've been times when I've wanted to take a whip to him, but he's coming good also. So disappointing with less and less choices for whipping boy.

Wait…Pods!
 

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Tex Support

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Oct 17, 2012
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He was great yesterday. Looked really switched on physically and was desperate competing for the footy, which has been my biggest knock on his game as a defender.

I reckon we need to look at ways to get him up the ground more. His goal sense (and accuracy) is one of his best attributes. And from what I've seen, looks right at home as a forward. Good crumber, gets into dangerous spots etc.

Maybe with Mitch Grigg floating across HB more, this becomes an option?
 

Dandy_GO

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Jul 25, 2005
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A lot of the issue seems to be unbalanced expectation.

If Jaensch, along with Brodie Martin and a couple of others, fluff a kick when trying to make an attacking play, we collectively groan. If Crouch or Danger etc. do the same thing, nobody notices. Heck, Crouch can do the same thing 3 times in a row and nobody will comment on it at all. I'm not arguing that Crouch won't be a better player, just that fan favourites unsurprisingly don't receive anywhere near the scrutiny when they make errors. Every time Brodie Martin makes a mistake you can look in the gameday thread and someone will be saying 'he's not up to it, I've been saying it for years', even when Martin is very clearly playing a good game.

Jaensch had his card stamped by a number on here (including myself) while playing with groin soreness off the back of a limited preseason. This year his body, and the coaches, have given him a chance to play his best footy, and he's taking that chance. His best is good enough.

Martin is a similar case. I've said it a million times, but he's had a dud run with injury and a dud run from the selection panel/sub rule for years now. This season he's finally getting his first ever proper chance at showing his best footy and we're seeing that he's very handy.

Because there are a number of people who still aren't on side, we still get posts in the gameday thread, or in the post-match threads, pointing out every single little error they make, but, overall anyone who is making any attempt at being reasonable with their judgement must conclude that both players have been great lately.

Neither are Brent Reilly situations where they've been making the same errors for 10 years and are likely too old to be part of our next proper crack at a flag. They're both attacking players and attacking players will make errors because they, by nature, take risks. Both are still inexperienced players who have yet to reach their best. I'm backing them both in to continue to improve.
 

ltdamn

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Nov 29, 2008
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If we were tighter at the back Jaensch's defensive efforts wouldn't get the scrutiny they do on occasion. The only issue with Jaensch is not with Jaensch himself, but with the surplus of attacking defenders we seem to have. He plays his role with increasing effectiveness but he is not a Luke Brown style defensive backman, and for every great defensive mark he pulls off there is usually an equally frustrating lapse of judgement or free kick later to match it.

That in itself is not an issue as his job is to rebound the ball from the D50 to a target upfield - not glove players like Pendlebury or Ballantyne. He does his job well.

Where it hurts us against Top 4 sides is that we also have other players who spend time in the back half that are more concerned with the rebound than the stoppage, like Henderson and Martin, and Smith who is pretty embedded in that role. Playing too many of those players means we concede forward pressure and concede easy goals - and right now we just don't have the forward structure to be the shoot-out team that we need to be to play that way in defence.
 

chook94

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Aug 15, 2009
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Had to fix up something with my Crowval membership and went down to see one of the pre-season training's earlier this year. The two huge stand-outs were Jaensch and Martin, and whilst I noticed how good they were I was largely pessimistic into thinking they would bring this into the season. Can talk all you want about Smith's improvement but you can deny how these two went from list cloggers to undoubted selections in the team each week.
 

Iron

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May 26, 2014
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Turned his career around in 17 games. From fringe to core. Very impressed with Matty's work this year :thumbsu:
 

Tex200

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His improvement has def come in his defensive action 1-1. He is now quite competent at handling the higher ball coming in and can out mark or kill the contest.

His team defence better too. He will run off his man and provide help by spoiling well.

His rebound and ball use was always a strength but credit for identify the defensive weakness and stitching it up
 

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