The Half Time Report

The Lions jumped fast out of the gate, finishing second in the preseason cup and were leading the competition for the first four rounds or so. This got a lot of people’s hopes up which has made the crash of the last 5 weeks harder to take. All along I have rated the Lions a 10-12 team and I still think that. They have a lot of quality and good balance but they are extremely young and haven’t quite worked out their style and how to win. They have been playing an entirely different game over the last few weeks from earlier in the year which is surprising most of us who follow them. At the start of the year they attacked the ball with fury and won all the hard ball gets. They also tackled extremely hard and made their tackles count. During our non-winning streak we have consistently been second to the ball and no-one wants to commit to putting their body on the line. This must be driving Matthews crazy given that he was one of the hardest men you would ever see. The number and quality of the tackling has also dropped off. Given that the tackling was one of the few highlights from last year (3rd or 4th overall from memory) you have to wonder if the drop off is due to the guys coming back in.

Reading all the threads over the last few weeks no-one seems to want to make the connection between the drop off overall and in intensity in particular and the returning guys. These are favourites of many posters but we have not been playing as well since the likes of Selwood, Drummond, Charman, MacDonald and Clark have come back. For me I think it is being a little simplistic to just blame them and their return must be considered along with the interrupted preparation of the others coming back from injury in Adcock, Hadley, McDonald, McGrath, Lappin, Brennan and Brown. Many of these guys have suffered pretty heavily from not having a preseason and simply have not had the fitness to play as we know they can. Further given that they didn’t have the preseason and haven’t actually played together much if at all they quite simply do not have the cohesion and team work that is required to win at the AFL level.

As to the hardness at the ball you can also understand them holding back a little given that many have been out for extended periods and would still be a little cautious with their bodies. As they become more confident that their bodies will hold up I would expect that they will go at it harder. If they don’t I would expect that they will be moved on at the end of the year.

As to other reasons why we are toward the bottom of the competition here are a few stats. The Lions are:

-16th in kicks per game
-13th in disposals per game
-14th in marks per game
-13th in points scored per game
-12th in hitouts per ga
-15th in least opponents kicks per game
-16th in opponents marks per game
-16th in kicks differential
-13th in disposal differential
-15th in mark differential
-12th is point differential

In short we are letting opposing teams get too much of it and we are not getting enough of it ourselves. We handball more than we kick but that still does not make up much in overall disposals. The quality of our disposal over the last 5 game stretch has fallen off as well and has been a big factor in the losses. Again limited preseason work might be a factor but even those who have played all the matches to date have dropped off. At the break the guys who had shown improvement in their disposal like Stiller, Rischitelli and Harding need to go back to the drawing board and revert to the things they were doing early.

We have kicked 130 goals and 143 behinds which is also pretty ordinary. Even some of our usually reliable kicks for goal like Brown have struggled. There is also the length of our kicking which across the team seems to be less than with other teams with many of our guys not being able to reach the goal from 50. There are exceptions but at AFL level you expect most of your guys to be able to make the distance from that range. With the change in coaching staff I had high hopes that our kicking for goal would improve but this hasn’t happened to date.

Tactically I am hoping that Matthews is looking to the future and the style of play he is adopting is aimed at developing the players rather than trying to necessarily win games. Alternatively it could well be that the players are just not currently able to properly implement what he wants to do. The style of play that we have put in place at the moment just doesn’t seem to suit the players that we have. We have recruited a team of runners but we are trying to play a slow deliberate style where we push everyone back and then only kick to the open man coming out of defence. When we were winning early it wasn’t quite play on at all costs but we certainly backed ourselves more, didn’t mind kicking to the contest and challenged the opposition to run with us. This was certainly the better game to watch from a spectators’ point of view and I am a little disappointed that we have gone away from that. It could well be that with some many guys coming back from injury that we don’t have the fitness at the moment to carry out that game plan. I am hoping that is the case and that we see a return to the more free flowing game style in the second half of the season.

Another thing that has surprised me a little is that we still try and play lose man in defence all the time. We are terrible at it and always get killed at the other end. We seem to be a team that mans up pretty well but plays zone badly. We persist with the zone defences I assume for the purpose of team development and that if we are going to be a successful team we at least have to be adequate at it and that its better to take those learning pains now in the development phase. Still I wouldn’t mind seeing things getting mixed up a bit more. The players also seem extremely reluctant at the moment to chance their arm and so are not making the plays defensively that you would hope they would from leaving their man. The ability of the likes of Brennan and Sherman to back their judgement has been taken away and that is really hurting their game and the team overall. Again I am hoping that this is a phase where Leigh is instilling discipline in their game and that it does not permanently damage their attacking flair.

The other surprising thing over the last couple of weeks is the decision to play only one ruck. This is an area where we have a potential advantage over most teams and I find it odd that we don’t take full advantage of it.

The multi-headed captaincy I don’t think has worked. The players don’t seem to know who is in charge and when a call needs to be made no-one seems to be stepping up to make it. It was always going to look at bit that way I guess coming from one of the best captains ever in my opinion but still I think we should go back to one captain at the end of the year.

Overall I think at the beginning of the year it was evident that we had taken two or three steps forward but since then we have probably taken a step or two back. Provided we continue to make progress even if there is a few periods like this then I will be happy. Going into the year I expected us to win 10 or 11 matches for the year and although we are probably a game behind that I still think we will get that many and finish in that 10-12 range. From here I am looking for guys who have returned from injury in the first half of the year to start to improve, run out games and put their heads over the ball. I am also looking forward to seeing some of our draftees from this year in action. We have a very promising crop and I am excited to see them in action. This was always going to be a development year and that is the way it has turned out.

Player reviews to follow (eventually ).

Player Reviews

Adcock – For most has been the stand of the year so far. The only legitimate All Australian candidate to date. He has been great defensively and his drive from defence and quality of disposal have been first class. In the discussions in the media on the State of Origin sides he gets a lot of mentions for Victoria. A star for us so far with 19.3 disposals, 5.4 marks and 3.4 tackles per game.

Allan – Has been given 4 games so far and hasn’t looked out of place with 12.2 disposals per game. Still needs to show a skill that will get him into the best 22 week in week out but he has consistently been in the best for the Suncoast and has deserved the games he has gotten. He is probably playing for a list spot next year in the second half and Leigh needs to give him a chance to run free and see what he can do. Not the quickest but seems a pretty smart footballer.

Begley – Continues his amazing development after picking up a ball for the first time at the beginning of last year. He has played in 10 of 11 games so far and looks like a player of the future probably on the wing I would expect. He has good height at 188 and pace and is an elite runner so things look promising. He has been used mainly in a defensive, run with role this year and is another who would probably benefit from being allowed to take the shackles off. He has plateaued a bit lately and at 11.2 disposals per game needs to get his hands on it more. He is a dangerous kick and creates things for those around him. He is also popping up for long range goals which is good skill for a HB flanker to have. Something I have noticed recently is that he goes off his feet too much which is something he might need to work on.

Black – After Adcock has been the Lions best. He is an elite player in the competition and is the leader in the Brisbane midfield. He has been a little up and down but he leads the disposal count by a significant margin with 25.4 per game. He always gets the oppositions best tagger and still finds way to influence the game to the Lions advantage. Simon has also picked up 4 tackles per game.

Bradshaw – Injured pre-season which was a disappointment to all of us interested in seeing how he was played.

Brennan – Started the season with a bang at CHB having a great preseason and carrying that over into the first two games including a 27 possession game against Hawthorn. He was backing his judgement and cleaning up at half back and directing traffic going forward. Since then though his confidence has dropped, he has spent time with Suncoast and he again seems a man without a position. If we were going to play lose man in defence Jared is the man who I think would best fill that role. He judges the ball well and if he was given licence to back himself he could really make life difficult floating in front of opposition forwards. Overall he has averaged 13.8 disposals and 6.4 marks per game.

Brown – Has struggled a bit this year. Early he was playing the lone ranger up front and was consistently getting double and triple teamed which didn’t allow him to do much. Since Clark has come in he has been playing around the ground a little more although still pretty far forward. Word on the board is that he is carrying a back niggle but he is still covering a fair bit of ground. If he can get right you just feel that a big game is just around the corner. Defensively he hasn’t been doing much chasing which needs to improve. So far Browny has averaged 15.4 disposals, 7.4 marks, 2.2 goals and 1.6 behinds per game and I would all those numbers to increase in the second half of the year.

Charman – Came back from injury and played a lot of time up forward to try and give some support for Brown. What that experiment proved was that Charman is a ruck and not a forward. His time up forward saw a drop off in his ruck work and the team suffered because of it. Since going back to the ruck full time he has been the best ruck on the ground in each of the matches. Still may not be back to his best but he is improving each week. Its easy to forget that Charman is still under 25 and improving along the way. All the talk about the potential of our rucks seems to focus on Wood and Berger and ignore that Jamie might well take a few more steps. So far he has averaged 14.4 disposals, 3.9 marks and 17.8 hit outs. All good numbers and I would expect the hit outs to go up.

Clark – To tell truth I was a little sceptical regarding the hype surrounding Clark coming into the year. I have been convinced. He has only played 3 games back but he has great size, fantastic hands and is deceptively athletic being a smooth who has the pace to create separation from his marker. His kicking style needs some work but he seems to get them through the sticks. This year I think we have seen the next generation of forward step up and I can see Franklin, Clark and Hawkins contending for the Coleman for the next decade. Clark’s games this year remind me a lot of the way Franklin looked last year. Clark has bulked up a fair bit and could still use a bit more bulk to really trouble defenses. He has averaged 10 disposals, 5 marks, 2 goals and 1.7 behinds per game.

Clouston – Is a first year rookie who I haven’t seen yet. What I have heard is encouraging with him playing some good games for the Suncoast in defence. He has good height, moves well and played some time on the wing as well.

Copeland – In the preseason it seemed as though we might get to see Copeland running off his man and using his great stamina to hurt his opponent. Once the season started it has been a typical dour season for Copeland. He has been as solid as ever but nothing that would really hurt the opposition. He has averaged 13.2 disposals 1.9 tackles.

Corrie – This is crunch time for Corrie. He must be close to getting back. He went down in round 9 last year and allowing him the full year out he should be due. On the rookie list this year and given his age he can’t be on it next year so need to get promoted and prove he deserves a senior spot next year.

Drummond – Has been playing lose in defence in the last few weeks and has been getting a lot of it. Josh is a back pocket player for me. Back there he has a little bit more time usually and it allows him to pick out his targets and he is much more accurate when he has that little bit more time. It also allows him to take the kickins and his extra distance makes the kickins an attacking option rather than a liability it was before. He has averaged 24 disposals and 8.2 marks in his 4 games back so far. Those numbers might come down a bit but he is forming a great back pocket combination with Adcock.

Dzufer – Had a slow start but has started to really come on in the last few weeks for the Suncoast where he has been amongst the best if not the best for the Lions. Given that we have a couple of senior spots available he would have to be getting close to promotion. Would play either HFF or HBF for the firsts. Would be interested to see how he goes as there he was one of those guys who did everything right as a junior but just did not have the athletic make up to get drafted. He might well just be a really good footballer.

Fixter – Played the first 8 games before getting dropped for really not getting enough of the ball. He played as a tagger and when Selwood was out Fixter was played with Copeland on the oppositions best players. He did a pretty good job but didn’t seem as intense and hard at it as he was last year. He has averaged 11.1 possessions and 4.6 tackles per game. Ben is a good player to have in your first 26 and he should get a few more games in the second half of the year and be able to keep his spot.

Garner – Was extremely unlucky and got another season ended injury before the start of the season. Hard luck for the young guy given how open the competition was for the CHB position. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pat get demoted to the rookie list next year. This would clear up a spot but would still allow him a chance to show what he can do.

Hadley – Has progressed well after two years out (should be an inspiration for Garner there). Has been the in and under player that the Lions have needed for the last couple of years. Wins a lot of hard balls and works well with Black. Tends to rush his disposal a bit and is not as clean as Black is in the middle. It is easy to forget though that Richard has only played 38 games including 9 this year. Played a great defensive game on West and it would be good to see a little more of that in his game. Has averaged 16.7 disposals, 3.6 marks, 2.8 tackles.

Hamill – I was expecting Hamill to be among the best most weeks for the Suncoast and to be pushing for promotion. He hasn’t really done that though and demanded his position on the list. This is his third year on the rookie list and got a look at him in the preseason and he didn’t really take his chances. He needs to improve his disposal and get more of it. He has been there abouts but needs to stand up in the second half of the year to be there next year.

Harding – Is another player who has taken a big step forward this year but now needs to take the next step and become a quality midfield rather than a promising youngster. To do that he needs to get more of it and make use of his pace as a weapon going both ways. He is fastest player on the list over 20m but you wouldn’t really know it as he seems to cruise along too much. Has averaged 11.9 possessions per game in his 9 games to date.

Hawksley – A bottom aged player who we are yet to see in the senior side. He is a tall running midfield who those who have seen him play have big wraps on. The only time I have seen him play was in the preseason when he was always around the ball but seemed to struggle a bit with the pace and closing speed of AFL players. I am sure he will adjust. Has been amongst the best a few times for the Suncoast and has been an emergency at least once I think. He is one to watch for the future although I am not sure if he will get a much of a chance this year.

Hooper – After missing a couple of months of the preseason when he was deciding if he wanted to play the game he was up against it from the start. He has caught a break with the injuries to Johnson and McGrath and has gotten a couple of games. I am not convinced that he is a small forward but could be a good running HFF if he could get a bit more stamina. He works hard on the ground and has great pace but he just needs to get more of it. All of his work usually doesn’t amount to much and he needs to learn a bit more about the ins and outs of the game. Bear in mind that he is still very young given he was bottom aged last year he has time on his side. His problems in the preseason have really hurt his development. He needs more strength. I would like to see him get a run on the half back line for a game just to get him used to getting his hands on the ball. Averaged 5.5 disposals in his two games.

Johnson – Has had a few injury problems and in the interests of developing the young back line he has played up forward and has looked good doing it. He is a legitimate leading small forward who I am looking forward to seeing play with both Brown and Clark. Chris has a good set of hands and is a hard nut who causes problems for opposition backlines. He also delivers well to his other forwards which is something not enough other players do.

Kiel – Got a few games in the preseason and looked good and most expected that he would get an early promotion. Injury struck however and he has been out with hamstring problems since round 3. He is due back now and he could still be a chance to get a game in the seniors before the end of the year given that a couple of spots are open. He is a small running HBF or wing and he uses the ball well. He is a favourite of Nick the Pie Man who rates him extremely highly.

Lappin – Nigel is a class player and he has gotten a tonne of ball so far averaging 24.6 possessions per game. After the year out Nigel has been a very consistent ball winner for the Lions. Has never been a big hard ball winner and that continues but his running and space making provides a great example for the next generation of wings in Stiller and Begley.

Leuenberger – The number 4 pick overcame a bit of early OP to start to make his mark at the Suncoast level. He has been regularly getting a couple of goals and against Redlands this week was used in defence. Looks like he is getting some experience at key positions so that he can be a dangerous player resting from the ruck. With Wood and McDonald in the reserves a lot together with Tippet I am not sure how much actual rucking he has been doing. Reports are that he moves very well for such a big man and around the ground is going to be a nightmare for opposing rucks once he puts on a little more bulk. Look for him to get two or three games before the season is out.

MacDonald – Had his first game back from knee injury against Dogs and potentially can be a valuable midsized utility. On previous year form he needs to improve his skills. Against the Dogs he didn’t get much of it but he did some nice things with it when he did. Had a nice flat kick happening which would keep Joel in the mix for a spot most weeks. He is another who I see as a valuable player in the 26 or so players who are going to be regularly considered for selection.

McDonald – Beau has come back from injury and most importantly has managed to stay on the park to midseason and that is the first time in about 4 years that he has managed to do that. Beau is a legitimate starting ruck at AFL level and he should continue to get back to form over the rest of the season. His tap work has been solid but needs to improve his around the ground work, He has taken a few nice marks but needs to do more of it. He has only averaged 5.2 possessions to go with his 13.6 hitouts per game.

McGrath – Started the season very well and picked up his 20 goals after the first half dozen rounds or so. Since then he has gone quiet and then run into injury problems. The small forward position is probably the most difficult to play and Ash looked good early when he was getting good service. When the service dropped off so to did his game. He is twice the player when Brown is in the game and works well of the chances that Brown creates. He is one who does try and put pressure in the forward line and works hard at it. He has averaged only 7.9 possessions and he needs to improve this even if when the ball is not coming his way. If he has to go further up the ground that is what he needs to do.

Merrett – He has been a rock at the back and has been very good defensively. He makes a few mistakes coming out of defence but I generally don’t mind that if he is tries a few things. Defensively though he has been as good as you could legitimately have expected. He is big, very strong and extremely quick. He matches up best on the power forwards of the league and gives them major problems. He is a great punch defender and reads the ball coming in well. I have been stoked with his play this year and looks like he should hold the FB spot down for a lot of years to come. Has averaged 8.4 disposals and 4.8 marks per game.

Mills – Has played three games this year and probably unlucky not to get a few more. At the moment he is probably the back up FB to Merrett but if he is going to get a game at senior level it is probably going to be at CHB. He is a tight defensive player with top shelf running ability and is a good match up for the likes of Reiwoldt. His disposal though is what is letting him down at this stage and his awful kicking style makes it difficult to play both he and Merrett together. That being said he is a consistent performer for Suncoast and he will get more chances before the year is out. He is a developing backman who offers good depth at the moment and potentially more than that in the future. He has averaged 10.7 disposals and 3.3 marks per game.

Moody – Played the first four matches of the year before being dropped. He was down a bit on his possession numbers at 12.2 per game and he simply wasn’t able to hit a target. Word coming out of the more recent Suncoast matches seems to be that his disposal is much improved which would likely see him get a recall. He made good progress in his game last year and is a hard running wing who fits well with the other young guys. If he can get a bit more of it and fix his disposal he would be a valuable member of the team going forward.

Notting – This year has probably been Tim’s best year he has played. He is getting a lot of the ball with 21.7 disposals a game and his long kicking game makes him dangerous. He doesn’t have great vision however and will often take the wrong option or opt just to pump it long when there are men open. That being said he has run well and his kicking for goal has been much better this year kicking 10 goals to 7 behinds which is a big improvement on his woeful kicking for goal last year. Tim has been in the best 5 or 6 for the Lions this year so far and I hope he keeps it up.

Patfull – Has been pretty up and down so far. He usually manages to come up with a couple of great marks a game that grab your attention but for the most part fades into the background. He has done a couple of really good jobs in defence when asked on Lucas and Johnson but for the most part has played in the forward line. As a forward he has been averaging a goal a game from 9.6 disposals but hasn’t been enough of a threat to take the pressure off Brown. For me he seems most suited as a utility where he could go forward or back and do a job. Alternatively he could adequately hold down the third tall forward or back job reasonably well. I think though that he needs to get his possession count up to around the 15 mark to stamp himself as a first 22 player.

Power – Along with Black, Power has been the best performed of the inside midfielders so far this year. He has averaged 22.6 disposals and 4.2 tackles and has given the Lions great run with ball in hand. He is not the user of the ball that Black is and may well be most dangerous as a HFFer but until the young mids step up enough he will continue to play in the middle and will do it well. He has been out injured the last couple of weeks and the Lions drive has really suffered. Hopefully he is back soon.

Proud – Is probably going to be the next cab off the rank as far as debuts go. He had some injury issues preseason before coming back to play pretty well in early season for the Suncoast to be named in the best in I think someone mentioned somewhere 3 out of 3 games. He was then injured again before coming back again and has improved again to be in the best each of the last couple of weeks for the Suncoast. He was an emergency for the Lions this week and managed to pick up 30 odd possessions and 6 goals against Redlands. Given the number of guys who had quiet nights against the Dogs I would be surprised if Alby does not get a game against Geelong. He comes in with a reputation as a goal kicking midfielder with great skills by foot and I hope that he can bring those skills to the AFL. I will be watching with keen interest when he debuts.

Rischitelli – He made significant strides last year but really grabbed everyone’s attention with a fantastic preseason and first few games of the year including a 27 possession game against St Kilda. This probably got expectations up to an unrealistic level and although he has been solid since his game hasn’t been up to his early form. I think he has struggled a little to get his combination at the in and under role with Black and Hadley now in there. Word is also that he might be carrying a bit of an injury. Over the last few weeks his skill level has also dropped off a bit and hopefully he can address that in the midseason break. Early in the year he also lead the league in tackles per game but again this has dropped off in recent weeks. He is still averaging a team leading 5 per game but he has not been as effective as he was but this could be due to the injury niggle. Over the rest of the season I would be looking for improvement in the quality of his disposals and for him to be getting a couple above his current 16.6 per game. Michael is a definite prospect for us but maybe not the saviour that everyone was proclaiming early in the year.

Roe – Has had an interesting year. He has played 7 matches but none of the last few and seems to be trying to change the way he plays. He was a fairly tight dour defender last year and this got him a game. This year though word has obviously come down that he needs to change the way he plays and give the Lions more run from defence. His disposal has improved a great deal and now he has a very nice kick on him. Unfortunately though the defensive side of his game has suffered and he has been giving his man entirely too much space. He simply wasn’t getting the job done defensively and that was why he was dropped. Offensively too he was one of the main offenders with receiving the ball and then propping and slowing the run down (although admittedly this has been more of a problem the last few weeks when he hasn’t been there). It can’t have been easy to revamp his game in the mold of Lepper and I think Jason should be given some credit for the progress that he has made. If he can revert to the old style of close marking backman and incorporate into that his new disposal skills then we will have a very nice player at the back. He has averaged 11.6 disposals and 5 marks per game in the games that he has played this year.

Schmidt – Probably because I have seen him the most, Chris has been my favourite of the players drafted this year. At the moment he does look like a child amongst men but his skills and kicking are fantastic. He also has that most rare ability to see all the options and pick the right one. He needs to get more of it having only averaged 4.5 disposals a game in his 2 games so far but given he was a bottom aged pick this year I am sure he will improve. It is a bit early to call him a future champion but he is certainly someone who I will be expecting a lot from.

Scott – Looking like we might have seen the last of Chris on the football field. Hasn’t been able to recover from his injuries and remains on the injured list as an indeterminate. From all reports is a valuable member of the veteran group and likely to go into some form of coaching or club job after the year is over.

Selwood – Has only played 4 games so far coming back from injury including his massive 35 possession game first up against Essendon. Since then his average has dropped to a still respectable 22 per game but the quality of his disposal hasn’t been great. He turns the ball over far too much and has been hurt by not having the preseason to work on his kicking. The poor disposal is the one thing which is holding Troy back from being an elite midfielder. He is one of the top runners in the club when fully fit and when that is the case I think he has to be played in his tagging role and given licence to run off his man. If he turns the ball over too bad. Hopefully his disposal will improve and his confidence as well.

Sheldon – Got a chance in a couple of games in the preseason and looked like he belonged without doing too much. From memory he was played off the HBF and was hard at it and not afraid to put his head over the ball. His disposal was okay and there were no obvious weaknesses in his game. Unfortunately he broke his leg in round 4 and is not due back for a couple of weeks. Probably unlikely to get a first team game this year but as another of our bottom aged players he has time on his side and who looks like a keeper.

Sherman – After three great years including last year where he finished second in the B&F expectations were sky high for Justin and unfortunately he has struggled. He was played up forward in the first part of the year and couldn’t come to grips with the positional change. He was eventually dropped for a week before coming back in a defensive run with role. In that defensive role he has been pretty good but probably has been guilty of playing his man a little too tightly and not using his natural instincts enough to run off his man. It is worth remembering that Justin is still under 21 years of age so having a couple of growing pains along the way is to be expected. I am hoping he bounces back to the player we have become used to seeing over the last few years. He has averaged 13.9 disposals a game (about 8 or 9 down from last year) but he has been getting a few more than that in recent weeks. I would expect him to slowly come back to form and average 18 or 19 per match the rest of the way. I have confidence in him though long term and I will definitely keeping an eye on his price for Dreamteam for next year.

Stiller – I have had huge wraps on Stiller and really like his game and the fact that he came from nowhere last year to average 20 possessions a game over the last 12 matches when the Lions really needed him. This year though he has been a little up and down and he has had some quiet spells. His disposal looked a lot better early in the season and I am sure that it was something that he worked very hard on in the preseason. Like Selwood this was one area where he had to improve. Over the last few weeks though he seems to be falling back into bad habits and his skill level has gone south. The other bad habit which seems to be coming back a bit is his habit to stop and prop and not move the ball on quick enough. He is a good runner and needs to be encouraged to take his man on and move it as quickly as possible. He has also been given some defensive tasks this year and has done them pretty well and this is another area where he has improved from last year. For those who have been calling for him to be dropped consider that he hasn’t been at the top of his game and he is still averaging 20 disposals a match. He is one who is definitely worth keeping in the side.

Tippett – Joel is another one who I haven’t seen play but I hang out for any tid bits of information. He is a hugely athletic ruck / forward prospect that was given a chance on the rookie list and could well turn out to be anything. There is some discrepancy in his height as I note some sights have him listed at 199 whilst others at 194. I am hoping that he is closer to the 199 than the 194 and would ask those who have seen him play how he ranks height wise with the likes of Berger and Wood. He regularly pops up in the goal kickers for the Suncoast but might be having trouble having much of a run in the ruck given that McDonald, Wood and Leuenberger have all been playing for Suncoast the last few weeks. I do recall he got one match where he rucked virtually on his own early in the season and the reports were that he went well. I look forward to seeing him play but I would be shocked if it was this year.

Tyler – Was a player who stood up and grabbed our attention during the preseason with his marking on the wing and up forward. He came in an unknown to most but he quickly became a favourite on this board with his exciting style of play. For the Suncoast I understand he was moved around a bit although playing mainly at the back and there were many reports of him standing out. He was injured in round 6 with hamstring problems but is expected back any time (did he play this week?). Matt is another exciting prospect from this year’s crop of draftees but I would say his injury has probably ruined any chances of his getting a look in this year at CHB although he could possibly get a run in the utility role that Patfull is playing later in the year.

Wood – I must say that I have been a little disappointing with what I have seen from Cam this year (which admittedly is nothing since round 4). I expect that he concentrated on his ruck work in the preseason and whilst it has showed good improvement his around the ground work has dropped to virtually nothing. Admittedly the players around him weren’t looking for him but he seems to have bulked up too quickly and lost his movement. Hopefully he has been working on that in the reserves although it sounds like he has been playing up forward a lot. The other aspect which was disappointing was the dropped marks. One big feature of his game last year was his sticky hands and I was looking forward to seeing that develop this year. Unfortunately he dropped a few easy ones and seemed to lose a bit of confidence in that aspect of his game. Given that he has picked up a couple of bags of 4 goals for the Suncoast I am assuming that he is regaining his marking confidence and I am looking forward to seeing him back in the first team. For his overall development and that of the team Cam has to play at least half the remaining games. Cam picked up a rising star nomination and is ranked first in rising star eligible players with 13.8 hit outs per game. That is a good step up for him and if he can maintain that and up his 4.5 disposals per game I will be happy. Big Cam is a top shelf ruck prospect and they take a while to develop so I would encourage everyone to be patient.

Okay that’s it. My thanks to those who actually read all of my ramblings.

Well done Quigley - I don't neccessarily agree with all the points you make but it is very impressive to see someone spend the time/patience in justifying there thoughts in such a meticulous way

Quigley said:

Mills – Has played three games this year and probably unlucky not to get a few more. At the moment he is probably the back up FB to Merrett but if he is going to get a game at senior level it is probably going to be at CHB. He is a tight defensive player with top shelf running ability and is a good match up for the likes of Reiwoldt. His disposal though is what is letting him down at this stage and his awful kicking style makes it difficult to play both he and Merrett together. That being said he is a consistent performer for Suncoast and he will get more chances before the year is out. He is a developing backman who offers good depth at the moment and potentially more than that in the future. He has averaged 10.7 disposals and 3.3 marks per game.

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I'm not convinced Mills is a CHB. When he played there it really hit home that you need someone with good attacking abilities to rebound. With him and Merrett together it was almost amateur hour.

I believe he has been playing on ball a bit in the ressies and at this stage I'm hopeful he can develop into a defensive midfielder.

Good read as always Quigs.

On Tippet's height: I've read that he's 194cm (by footywire.com). His brother Kurt is 199/200cm - maybe that's where the other figure came from?

You obviously have too much time on your hands Quigs..... and we're all the better for it. Love your work.

Thats a great wrap Quigs, thanks for the taking the time.

It should be fun watching all the youngsters grow up, glimpses of potential to get through the current paisn

Nice work Q, Read all of it, like to hear other peoples opinion, especially about the players i never get to see because I dont live up there.

Superb writing by Q. This to me is what discussing our game and team is all about. Are you learning from the quality of this analysis Andrew Hamilton and the Courier Mail? Of course not. Andrew. If you are reading this how about getting a transfer to Sydney so you can be near your beloved Swans. Courier Mail if you are reading this how about getting an AFL writer who at least has some sympathy with the local team and is not a tabloid hack.

[edit: moved this post from further up - it seemed a shame to break quig's series]

quigley, sensational opening post (even by your own high standards)

as much as I enjoy bigfooty (by and large ) your posts warrant a bigger audience than you'll ever receieve on a single website - if the CM wasn't a hack-riddled rag, you'd be bringing us our game previews and wrap-ups

am about to read your player reviews

peace


btw i'm not sure i agree with you on the multi-captaincy thing but that's small fry...i suspect that we would be worse off with only one skipper (imagine trying to be the man who filled vossy's boots )

perhaps five is excessive but I am convinced that lethal is just opening the floor up to see who steps up to the job

Thanks Quigley for taking the time to do this. I reside overseas for the the moment and don't get to see a lot of footy so rely on bigfooty for a lot of info and opinion; and it is posts like this that give me the opportunity to get a better idea of how my team is doing.

Thanks for the feedback guys. It was a bit long but it is the kind of thing I like reading myself and it allowed me to get things down that I had been thinking about for a while. Been working horrendous hours at the moment so took the time on Monday to just get everything down.

Usually at this time of the year I am doing a big analysis on the upcoming NBA draft but with the site I used to post on getting rid of the forums I haven't bothered this year. I actually know a lot more about basketball than AFL but I am learning.

I was thinking that I might do an AFL coaching course when I next see one around just to become a learn a bit more about what is actually going on. If anyone has done one I would appreciate the feedback on how it was.

Cheers.

You are the most thoughtful poster Quigley.

Your thoughtful analysis is by far the most intelligible, yet you claim to still be learning about AFL. There is a lot that many of us can learn from you.