Analysis Defence

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fpm84 said:
Equal top on the ladder with the three best defenders, the best key forward and the best midfielder (in Ablett's absence).

Yet we're considered a long shot to win anything this year....
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Well we don't have the second best midfielder, but he's probably in the top five.

A few things we don't have that are extremely typical of a premiership side:
- two good or better key position forwards
- three or four A grade midfielders
- depth in the list down to about 26
 
SJ said:
Well we don't have the second best midfielder, but he's probably in the top five.

A few things we don't have that are extremely typical of a premiership side:
- two good or better key position forwards
- three or four A grade midfielders
- depth in the list down to about 26
Click to expand...
Reality check complete.
 

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SJ said:
Well we don't have the second best midfielder, but he's probably in the top five.

A few things we don't have that are extremely typical of a premiership side:
- two good or better key position forwards
- three or four A grade midfielders
- depth in the list down to about 26
Click to expand...

Selwood, Johnson and Stokes are A grade mids, if you are going by this years statistics. He (Stokes) may not be as flashy as others but he still gathers 25 disposals per game, along with 1 goal assist per game.
I'd argue he may not have been A grade last year but he's shown it wasn't a one off and carried that form into 2014.

Christensen, Motlop and Duncan are closing in on that weekly consistency. If they can elevate their games to where Stokes took his, I think we all of a sudden have a formidable midfield once more.

I'd also argue our depth is almost as good as any in the league. The very definition of poor depth is that of Fremantle as we have seen how they cope when you take away 2, 3 or 4 starters.
Guys like Thurlow, Bews, Schroder, Walker or Smedts could realistically be walk up starters in teams outside the 8.
 
LifeSpan-Void said:
Also shows that some people still don't give Lonergan the credit he deserves, you never hear him mentioned in "Who is the best defender?" discussions when he can wipe an opponent completely out of a game when he's on.
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I've heard him mentioned in a few shows over the past few months. Garry Lyon was giving him great wraps.
 
Was arguing the point of Harry Taylor vs. Cale Hooker for the CHB All Australian spot. Check this out...

Disposals Avg:
Taylor 16.3
Hooker 19.0

Marks Avg:
Taylor 7.1
Hooker 7.7

Intercept Marks Avg:
Taylor 2.4
Hooker ??? (not in the top 5 in the comp)

Contested Marks Avg:
Taylor 1.5
Hooker 1.0

Disposal efficiency:
Taylor 82.9%
Hooker 81.1%

Contested Possessions Avg:
Taylor 6.7
Hooker 6.0

One percenters Avg:
Taylor 6.4
Hooker 5.5

Tackles Avg:
Taylor 2.1
Hooker 1.5

Rebound fifties Avg.
Taylor 3.2
Hooker 3.1

Inside fifties Avg:
Taylor 1.2
Hooker 0.8

% of 1v1 contests lost:
Taylor 10% (1st in the comp)
Hooker ??? (Not in the top 5 in the comp)

Clangers:
Taylor 1.3
Hooker 2.1
 
NSFB said:
Say what you want about Taylor but that also shows Hooker is having a fine year also.
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Oh of course. But I've seen far too many suggesting Hooker has had the better season, when these stats suggest quite the opposite. Still has Mackenzie and Talia to contend with of course.
 
Gysenn said:
Oh of course. But I've seen far too many suggesting Hooker has had the better season, when these stats suggest quite the opposite. Still has Mackenzie and Talia to contend with of course.
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It's all subjective, and in my nearly 2 years on bigfooty, rose coloured glasses is quite common.

Last years AA for example many on this board were rapt that Mackie was given AA honours... Head over to the hawk board and they were outraged. So people see what they want to see I guess.

I believe that Taylor would be very close to AA CHB this year, but that being said he isn't even our best tall defender this year imo (not that that is a relevant point in the CHB discussions)
 
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Would really like a pacey lock down back to take on the opposition small forward. I like Bews - but how do we fit him in the team ? Who goes out ?

Maybe Mackie to a HFF - but that just gives a position for Bews but does not answer who goes out of the 22 to fit him in ?

I suspect only injury will get Bews into the team.

PS. Like his dare and pace - and seems to have some strength - not sure about his kicking yet.
 
Gysenn said:
Was arguing the point of Harry Taylor vs. Cale Hooker for the CHB All Australian spot. Check this out...

Disposals Avg:
Taylor 16.3
Hooker 19.0

Marks Avg:
Taylor 7.1
Hooker 7.7

Intercept Marks Avg:
Taylor 2.4
Hooker ??? (not in the top 5 in the comp)

Contested Marks Avg:
Taylor 1.5
Hooker 1.0

Disposal efficiency:
Taylor 82.9%
Hooker 81.1%

Contested Possessions Avg:
Taylor 6.7
Hooker 6.0

One percenters Avg:
Taylor 6.4
Hooker 5.5

Tackles Avg:
Taylor 2.1
Hooker 1.5

Rebound fifties Avg.
Taylor 3.2
Hooker 3.1

Inside fifties Avg:
Taylor 1.2
Hooker 0.8

% of 1v1 contests lost:
Taylor 10% (1st in the comp)
Hooker ??? (Not in the top 5 in the comp)

Clangers:
Taylor 1.3
Hooker 2.1
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I doubt Taylor will make All Australian. He's been easily the best KPD in the comp since about the midpoint of the season, but I fear the 'early season form slump' narrative has already been accepted and written in to the historical record books, despite the fact that during the first half of the year Pavlich was the only forward to really get a hold of him. Of course, technically his direct opponent kicked goals on him in the Sydney debacle, but that result was almost entirely down to our midfield being utterly annihilated by Kennedy et al. Even KPDs as good as Rivers and Taylor struggle when faced with an almost non-stop barrage of inside 50s.
 

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SJ said:
Well we don't have the second best midfielder, but he's probably in the top five.

A few things we don't have that are extremely typical of a premiership side:
- two good or better key position forwards
- three or four A grade midfielders
- depth in the list down to about 26
Click to expand...

I reckon most premiership sides bat down to about 20. Nathan Ablett has a medal, as does Mark Blake and Trent West. Shannon Byrnes has two.

Having said that I think we are only batting down to the 16 to 18 range at the moment.
 
Lester Burnham said:
I reckon most premiership sides bat down to about 20. Nathan Ablett has a medal, as does Mark Blake and Trent West. Shannon Byrnes has two.

Having said that I think we are only batting down to the 16 to 18 range at the moment.
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All very decent footballers who played huge roles in their premiership seasons.
 
SJ said:
Well we don't have the second best midfielder, but he's probably in the top five.

A few things we don't have that are extremely typical of a premiership side:
- two good or better key position forwards
- three or four A grade midfielders
- depth in the list down to about 26
Click to expand...

Add to what SJ said and I sound like a broken record, but until we sort the clearance problem, we can't win a flag. And I also believe while we have quality in our midfield, it isn't good enough to take us all the way.

And which I started the clearance midfield thread earlier on, because we need it. Selwood leads anyone else in our team by 40 clearances this year, he can't do it alone.

We really lack someone that can clunk a mark overhead in the fwd line on a consistent basis, only Bartel, but he isn't there all the time.
 
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SJ said:
Well we don't have the second best midfielder, but he's probably in the top five.

A few things we don't have that are extremely typical of a premiership side:
- two good or better key position forwards
- three or four A grade midfielders
- depth in the list down to about 26
Click to expand...

And one good crumming small forward.
 
SJ said:
All very decent footballers who played huge roles in their premiership seasons.
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I'm not bagging any of these players, they made valuable contributions.

Just saying the 'contributors' in our current list are comparable in standard to those in premiership seasons.

N. Ablett - Kersten/Walker/Brown
Byrnes - Murdoch
Blake - Blicavs
 
Partridge said:
He needs to. Gets an awful lot of praise for someone who hasn't actually done much yet.
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I like McCarthy too.

But I agree with you sentiment. He had a number of games in the forward line and could not hit the scoreboard. He needs to string some big games together in the VFL or next preseason before being selected and then he actually needs to have some impact on the game.
 
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