Preview 2014 Most Improved?

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Is "improved" the right word for what we're hoping for out of the likes of say Jacobs and Wright?

If they could play at the level they did in 2012, it would be a massive boost for our team when compared to their 2013 performances. If they did that, would it really be classified as "improvement", given it would just be going back to a level they have played at previously?

It's probably semantics, really.

If Crouch is our most improved either (1) our season will be a rerun of 2013 at best or (2) he will win the Brownlow.
 
I mentioned 4 players on the main board.

The 2 newer players I expect to establish themselves in the starting-22 are Grigg & Kerridge. Both have done their apprenticeship & are ready to play consistent footy. Think they will be good replacements for Vince & VB.

The 2 established players who IMO will take their game to the next level are Henderson & Smith. Henderson as an attacking weapon from HBF & Smith to give us a 2nd dominant hard-running wingman, along with Sloane.
 

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cmndstab said:
Grigg is my pick. He's got the perfect skill set for a young midfielder, has apparently had a ripper preseason, and served a nice little apprenticeship in 2013. I reckon he'll end up pretty high in the rising star award for 2014 (he is still eligible, right?)
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He sure is eligible and I chucked 30 bucks on him at 17-1 :)

Let's hope his pre season form carriers into the real season
 
Elite Crow said:
He might have played all those games but no doubt the shoulders are impacting still. He no longer is a strong mark and can hardly tackle.
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Schulzycrow said:
Porps will battle to make it Round 1. There is no room for a forward/mid who can't lay a tackle. If we could somehow combine Porp's smarts and skills with Pet's tackling...oh wait Eddie Betts. No 1 reason neither will get a look in this season.
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Vader said:
I don't think Porps' problems were necessarily weight related. I think his shoulder is pretty much shot, limiting his ability to mark the ball overhead and his ability to tackle. He's never had an engine big enough for more than the odd cameo in the midfield - and now we have a multitude of forwards who have gone past him in the pecking order.
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You three watch last night? Porps 7 tackles, no strapping on the shoulders.... 21 touches and a goal.

Will be in the rd. 1 side.
 
Agree 100% - looks a new player. At this stage a lock for R1 and could well be the improver of 2014.
 
AFC979810 said:
You three watch last night? Porps 7 tackles, no strapping on the shoulders.... 21 touches and a goal.

Will be in the rd. 1 side.
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No, I didn't get to see the game last night, so you won't see me posting about anything that happened during the game. Might watch the replay on AFL.com.au if I get time in the next few days.

What I can do is comment on his brief cameo in the showdown-lite prior to injury. I thought his fitness was much improved, certainly compared with his 2013 fitness levels, which were barely SANFL level. Whether he's fit enough to play more than the occasional cameo in the midfield once the real stuff begins, only time will tell - but history is not on his side. I obviously can't comment on the tackles he laid against Carlton, what I can do is note that he didn't register a single tackle in showdown-lite (admittedly only playing one quarter before being subbed out).

What I saw in the showdown-lite was enough to make me think that he won't be spending anywhere near as much time in the SANFL as our goldfish-memoried fans on BF were predicting. I doubt he'll ever return to his pre-injury best, but what he's showed so far indicates that his current form is as good as any since his shoulder problems began.
 
I think as the year goes on CEY will be most improved. I haven't seen the replay yet, but from the radio call it seemed like he could do some really good things. Still making errors, but the kind of thing that AFL gametime will fix.

Grigg is already good. He just needs to consolidate.

Jacobs could be considered if the criteria are most improved from last year, with Matty Wright snapping at his heals.

Porps looks like he's recovered from what ailed him last year.



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Porps didn't have either shoulder strapped, very good sign looks like his shoulders have been managed very well
 
Skippy231 said:
Porps didn't have either shoulder strapped, very good sign looks like his shoulders have been managed very well
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His shoulders were not the problem last year (or in 2012 when he had a very good season). His fitness was the problem last year. I am inclined to think the ulcer / reaction to pain meds was a bigger struggle for him last year than the club let on.
 
Mattrox said:
I think as the year goes on CEY will be most improved. I haven't seen the replay yet, but from the radio call it seemed like he could do some really good things. Still making errors, but the kind of thing that AFL gametime will fix.
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I watched Cam pretty close at the game last night. His pressure and disposal were pretty great for a guy with almost no experience at the top level. Should play round 1 in my oppinion. Will benefit greatly from playing at a faster pace with the seniors.
 

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Alex Houston said:
I watched Cam pretty close at the game last night. His pressure and disposal were pretty great for a guy with almost no experience at the top level. Should play round 1 in my oppinion. Will benefit greatly from playing at a faster pace with the seniors.
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I know everybody loves CEY, but I honestly don't see it after watching him pretty close these first two games. He does some good things, but what is this X factor everybody talks about?
 
Yep, I've never watched Cam Ellis play but I saw him last night up close at etihad and he has "it". It's definitely not his skin colour either as I've read on here in the past.

He has very quick hands, think brad crouch, he is also very very quick, tall and agile. This guy could be one hell of a player if he puts it all together, Sando loves him by what I can tell. I'm sure the coaches see this sort of thing in him at training, which is why he's played our first two games, the kid can play, I have no doubt about it.

He could seriously play as a midfielder, that's how agile he was at the game last night, he stands out in stoppages.
 
Personally I'm hoping it's LJ.

I hope we play him further up the ground where he can use that leg to hit targets and kick long goals. I haven't seen him yet this season, I hope like others he's dropped a couple of KG's and improved his speed and agility as a result. I saw him coming though the grades at North and hope he lives up to the huge potential he had then. No shortage of natural talent that's for sure. IMO while he's a great kick, he's never going to be a KF. He's not big enough so we need to play him as a utility up the ground.

Think Nigel Smart, but a better kick.
 
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I agree. But he seems to lack awareness. Hopefully it's something he will develop with more afl game time. But definitely love some of his hand balls.
 
Crowked said:
Personally I'm hoping it's LJ.

I hope we play him further up the ground where he can use that leg to hit targets and kick long goals. I haven't seen him yet this season, I hope like others he's dropped a couple of KG's and improved his speed and agility as a result. I saw him coming though the grades at North and hope he lives up to the huge potential he had then. No shortage of natural talent that's for sure. IMO while he's a great kick, he's never going to be a KF. He's not big enough so we need to play him as a utility up the ground.

Think Nigel Smart, but a better kick.
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I've tried valiantly to keep faith with LJ, but a lack lustre performance against Ports B grade when it was all on the line, left me very disappointed. He looks to be a long way back in the queue now.
 
Peter J said:
I've tried valiantly to keep faith with LJ, but a lack lustre performance against Ports B grade when it was all on the line, left me very disappointed. He looks to be a long way back in the queue now.
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Doubly so with Smack having delivered in spades last night. Smack was the only one with massive question marks hanging over his head, who might have been back there with LJ. Smack is now light years ahead of LJ, leaving LJ very much at the back end of a long queue.
 
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