Chris Mayne, a liability?

[couldhavebeen]

The only reason I lumped Mayne and Clarke together was to demonstrate that 1/3rd of our forward line only kicked 25 goals in a season which puts pressure on the rest of the team to score goals, so say when Walters or Ballas are injured it's even harder for us to score goals!! This is something that needs remedying.

You table proves my point more than it proves yours.

Mayne being a better forward than Clarke isn't something to write home about. Clarke is a s**t forward, he is a tap ruckman who happens to be in a team with the No1 tap ruckman in the competition.

So nine players have a higher average goals per game then Mayne including D Pearce! Danyle also had more assists. Chris' stats are more in line with an average midfielder rather than a third tall. Compare his stats against 'third talls' from other teams or against his own stats from previous years.

My main gripe is just how often we look completely ineffective up forward. Mayne (and Clarke) need to bear some of the blame for that. Both of these guys were apparently hampered by injuries and I think both were at times liabilities to the team. Yes both offered something else to the team, Mayne more so than Clarke but that is hardly a ringing endorsement. They should have been rested if unfit or dropped to WAFL if it was just a form thing.

Both Clarke and Mayne are best 22 but both played well below the standard that they are capable of producing and that is why I think they were liabilities (at times).

Clarke and Mayne were injured at the beginning of the preseason so both started of on the wrong foot to have an improved season .
Clark played WAFL for most of the first half of the season
Mayne was still trying to get match fit when he injured his ankle the first time and then reinjured it again the second time hence the moon boot .
Yes you are right they needed time to get over their injuries but RTB ,BOND and the MATCH COMMITTE said they MUST PLAY .
I take my hat off to the boys for the courage shown but I'm feed up with POOR PLAYER MANAGEMENT .
The Claytons Finals campaign of 2014 is a prime example .
We played Johnson with his back against Sydney ,Taberner was playing sore and couldn't run
We played Clarke against Port with cracked ribs and a punctured lung
The list went on and on . WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT and not play fit young players . Fit players will beat injured players every time and the experience of finals footy invaluable .
Kevin Sheedy always played young players against the best teams so they got to learn very quickly what level they needed to attain to play AFL footy

 

[pokerspiv]

You realize those three were in the same team towards the end of the year? There is room for the three of them, you'll see when round one comes.

Actually in Round 23 and in our first final against Sydney, Crozier was the sub. In our second final against Port, Crozier came in for Ballantyne who missed with a broken jaw.


In round 22, Pavlich didn't play, so Taberner and Mayne were our 2 key forwards. In round 21, Ballantyne missed again. In Round 20, Taberner wasn't picked. So they actually weren't all playing together in our best 22 at any stage.

At no stage last year did we have a forward line that included all 6 of Pavlich, Walters, Ballantyne, Taberner, Crozier and Mayne. Taberner did not have a permanent spot in the side until round 21, and Crozier was still being named as the sub even into the finals.

 

[mike91]

Actually in Round 23 and in our first final against Sydney, Crozier was the sub. In our second final against Port, Crozier came in for Ballantyne who missed with a broken jaw.


In round 22, Pavlich didn't play, so Taberner and Mayne were our 2 key forwards. In round 21, Ballantyne missed again. In Round 20, Taberner wasn't picked. So they actually weren't all playing together in our best 22 at any stage.

At no stage last year did we have a forward line that included all 6 of Pavlich, Walters, Ballantyne, Taberner, Crozier and Mayne. Taberner did not have a permanent spot in the side until round 21, and Crozier was still being named as the sub even into the finals.

You got me there, but to me it just says Crozier goes from best 22 to best 21. I highly doubt that's at the expense of Mayne, just me personally.

 

[clogged]

You got me there, but to me it just says Crozier goes from best 22 to best 21. I highly doubt that's at the expense of Mayne, just me personally.

Sub is such a useless roe that a player named in it may as well be considered 'not picked'. At least when you're rating them against players who are picked.

 

[pokerspiv]

You got me there, but to me it just says Crozier goes from best 22 to best 21. I highly doubt that's at the expense of Mayne, just me personally.

Who else in the forward line gets dropped then? Walters? Ballantyne?

 

[yoong]

I am just basing on our nab game vs Melbourne.
The crazy forward pressure thing ballas is so good at last year, sonson looks like he is doing it as well. Crozier seems to be going hard to provide forward pressure as well.
My point is, I am thinking there is a shift where our small/medium forwards are all expected to contribute to forward pressure, so do we still need a specialize forward just for it?
I'm guessing deBoar's defensive forward role is gone. If Mayne wants a spot in the forward line he'll need to contribute more offensively. Agree with other posters he is most likely competing with crozier for the last spot. It'll goes down to who is better overall (offensive + forward pressure).

 

[mike91]

Who else in the forward line gets dropped then? Walters? Ballantyne?

No one from the forward line gets dropped. Pav/Tabs/Mayne/Ballas/Walters/Crozier with Clarke obviously drifting in and out of there. That will be our forward line come Round One.

 

[pokerspiv]

So a 7 man forward line then?

 

[jusjoshin]

So a 7 man forward line then?

Tabs/Crozier will spend some time pushing up the wing, and Walters is touted as spending some time in the middle. Some of them may even spend a little time on the pine. It will still be a 6 man forward line most of the time.

 

[pokerspiv]

Tabs/Crozier will spend some time pushing up the wing, and Walters is touted as spending some time in the middle. Some of them may even spend a little time on the pine. It will still be a 6 man forward line most of the time.

So you think we are going to play an extra forward on the bench and go with 1 less midfield rotation? You need post a best 22 in the best 22 thread to understand just how difficult it is to fit all 7 forwards into a team. Someone will miss out. If all 7 forwards play, then we have to drop someone like Mzungu or Neale. So you can't just hand-wave and say "oh everyone will rotate through the midfield so there's no need to make a choice".

 

[mike91]

So a 7 man forward line then?

*facepalm*

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Tabs/Crozier will spend some time pushing up the wing, and Walters is touted as spending some time in the middle. Some of them may even spend a little time on the pine. It will still be a 6 man forward line most of the time.

Mobility is Taberner's strength; We could expect him to roam far and wide.

 

[Nickos66]

Half the forwards will rotate through the mid, likewise vice versa with the mids rotating forward. Pretty much all the bench will also do one or the other. I don't think the person Crozier pushes out neccesarily originates from a set position. Additionally, what are the chances of our best 22 actually being fit all at once...

 

[pokerspiv]

Additionally, what are the chances of our best 22 actually being fit all at once...

Irrelevant, that's why it's called a best 22, not "the 22 best players who are fit this week".

 

[Unique Name]

*facepalm*

Mike,
Can you put your best 22 up please. I'd like to see who you would leave out.

 

[jusjoshin]

So you think we are going to play an extra forward on the bench and go with 1 less midfield rotation? You need post a best 22 in the best 22 thread to understand just how difficult it is to fit all 7 forwards into a team. Someone will miss out. If all 7 forwards play, then we have to drop someone like Mzungu or Neale. So you can't just hand-wave and say "oh everyone will rotate through the midfield so there's no need to make a choice".

I think we'll see 2 mids, and a swingman(F/B) on the starting bench. Chopper seems tailor made for this spot. Can play forward or back, medium sized but is used to having to play tall.

 

[pokerspiv]

I think we'll see 2 mids, and a swingman(F/B) on the starting bench..

The bench is for midfield rotations, there won't be any non-mids on the bench.

 

[thefreodockers]

Mayne could easily be a bench player if he is used to free a mid capable forward or back to move into the midfield as part of the rotations.

If he moved forward and Walters/Ballaz/Crozier moved into the mids or if he moved back and hill/sutcliff/Mundy moved off half back into the mids he is effectively part of the midfield rotations. This is why as a swing man he becomes such an asset.

 

[theGav56]

I think the idea of a best 22 is a little old fashioned. I like things a little old fashioned so there is no problem with that per se, but, it just does not reflect how football actually works. For sure we have some players who are "locked" in. I think that at the moment there are probably around 18 players who would be in that category. Then there are a few who are in flux so to speak. not necessarily fringe players, but I am also not sure of a better word.

Is Suban in another league from Clancee Pearce? I don't think so. Things could change here.
Is Danyle Pearce an irreplaceable part of the Freo machine? Nup. Sheridan could have a break out year or Weller may be a big surprise packet. Perhaps this is where Crozier's destiny lies?
Ibbotson versus Spurr isn't simply a question of who is best, it is more a question of who is best suited to which opposition.
Has Crozier edged out Mayne? It is all about the goals for me at the moment, and that is unclear at this stage of the year.
Has the Crowley Clamp past it's use-by date and is Mzungu up to the task, or is has de Boer got a role to play?

A large number of questions, even before you get to the complexities available once travel, opposition etc are factored in.

 

[clogged]

Lyon seems to go for consistency over flexibility.

 

[theGav56]

Lyon seems to go for consistency over flexibility.

Yes that is true, and Mayne last year is evidence of that. At the same time I don't see him losing any sleep over which of our players in the range from 16-25+ are actually going to be lining up. There may well be a notional tussle in his head about choosing Suban over C Pearce, but he will be confident either way. They will all be experienced, fit and clear about their role.

 

[clogged]

Yes that is true, and Mayne last year is evidence of that. At the same time I don't see him losing any sleep over which of our players in the range from 16-25+ are actually going to be lining up. There may well be a notional tussle in his head about choosing Suban over C Pearce, but he will be confident either way. They will all be experienced, fit and clear about their role.

I think injuries and (players returning from injury) will dictate who is in the team each week. If a player is already in the side they won't be dropped, unless they are in woeful form. The choice between Suban and Pearce will be based on which of them is already in the team.

Whoever is in the side round 1 will likely play for most of the year.

 

[Bicco]

Does the posting of this thread mean that Mayne will win the Brownlow this year?

 

[Freomaniac]

Mayne at his best is a key player to freo. I am hoping he goes back to his 2012 form when he kicked 39 goals and 7 behinds from 23 games. Hell I would demand at least 30 goals and set up another 30 if he plays all 22 games. That's not a lot to ask...

 

[mike91]

Mike,
Can you put your best 22 up please. I'd like to see who you would leave out.

Sure, but how about we wait until the nab challenge has finished and we find out who's actually available first?