Gaff and Shuey

[Rowan18]

I honestly wonder how Gaff was good at any point? He has no good points to his game other than 30-40m kick when he's got heaps of time on his left foot, which wouldn't happen often

He was an excellent reader of the play and his endurance meant he would regularly get back to be an outlet mark from defence, then run the length of the field and end up receiving and kicking into 50. He was awesome to watch and a key component in us moving the ball forward

 

[Rowan18]

For those at games (I’m in NSW) - is Gaff actually playing more on the outside now? I think I remember reading his CBAs were down last week.

I also wonder how much of his issues are down to our bizzaro tactics earlier in the year, when we had him in the guts and the 193 cm tackling machine we drafted from the WAFL guarding space on a wing. We were setting him up to fail getting smashed on the inside. I hope it’s a confidence/fitness thing, like Yeo before we shifted him back, not something more permanent. I looked up his draft profile tonight, and he’s pretty much played his career with the exact same strengths and weaknesses he had at 17 - if his running capacity’s gone for good, we lose any net gain he gives against his lack of physical pressure.

He was playing predominantly outside today. He looked quite proppy too - I suspect he still has a leg injury and is not exactly fit. I got pretty annoyed with him today, but I would back him to get fit in offseason and be a decent wing next year. His inside mid days should be done though.

 

[kaiserchief13]

He was an excellent reader of the play and his endurance meant he would regularly get back to be an outlet mark from defence, then run the length of the field and end up receiving and kicking into 50. He was awesome to watch and a key component in us moving the ball forward

And he isn't able to do that anymore because?

 

[Schtinker]

And he isn't able to do that anymore because?

Because his eyes are too squinty.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Centre bounce attendances vs Carlton (total 29).

Kelly - 27
Shuey - 18
Naitanui - 17
Redden - 14
Trew - 11
Williams - 11
Rioli - 8
Clark - 6
Petch - 3
Waterman - 1 (ruck interchange stuff up)
Gaff - 0

Gaff’s CBAs since the bye: 3, 4, 3, 0.

10 centre bounces of 124 post bye. He’s almost exclusively playing wing, with Hough opposite.

 

[Truckosaurus]

Also any suggestion from posters that Gaff lacks courage can be cut right out. He's never been afraid to stand under a high ball or put his fairly lightly built body on the line. He gets crunched and he gets right back up.

 

[KERRPOW]

Im just gonna say it.

One of Shuey and redden needs to be let go at the end of the year and do our best to offload gaff. Whoever out of these three need to know that the youngsters will take precedence over them on the field...i.e they will be playing off the HFF.

Go chips in on XON, culley and chesser. We still have senior players in sheed and kelly in there.

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

Shuey would be on much, much more money than Redden. Doesn't have much leadership ability either as he has been one the most senior figures at the club during this period of complete attitudinal malaise and collapse of our playing list and doesn't appear to be trying to contribute to righting the ship in terms of attitude and fight of the list in any meaningful way. I would tap him on the shoulder and tell him to retire.

Gaff is now totally useless. It seems that loyalty and credits in the bank are what is keeping him in the 22. It will be hard to offload him because of the money he is on. But i would have the frank and brutal conversation with him and tell him he is not an AFL quality player anymore and he will have to play out his contract in the WAFL if he stays with us, or if he thinks he can still get a game at another club he is welcome to explore his options and we will trade him to any club he finds that wants to take him on. I don't think that that would be being unfair or treating a long term servant poorly because it is true. And as much as you have to treat your playing list with respect you also have to be honest with them and when you are not good enough to justify your spot anymore then the club needs to tell you.

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

Gaff is one of those guys that the stat sheet suggests had 35 touches but you can't remember a single one of them. Always presenting, rarely turns deadly.

Exactly

 

[Rowan18]

And he isn't able to do that anymore because?

He is playing injured and is not fit.

 

[RookiePick]

He is playing injured and is not fit.

He looks miserable the entire time. I think the bloke has lost his passion, on top of having some physical issues to deal with.

 

[Ishmael_]

With hindsight and only with hindsight re-signing Gaff was a bigger list management error than the Kelly trade (or what we paid in the Kelly trade).

Could have used the compensation pick/trade pick in the Kelly trade or at the draft and would have saved us a heap of cap space for another target.

North Melbourne and arguably Gaff dodged a bullet there.

 

[SloppyJoe]

Was watching him at the ground yesterday and he definitely looks to be carrying something the way he was plodding along. Was offering very little run.

And when he did get it, he took an age to decide what to do with it. Partly because he can't run and receive in space with time like he used to, partly because we aren't spreading and creating options and partly because he's lacking confidence like most of the team.

 

[Deepthroat]

Xavier O'Neill needs to be afforded priority centre square minutes over either of these two for the remainder of the year.

Both need to learn a new role (if they can).

I think Shuey would have a great future as another dynamic small defender who can provide run and linkage from the back line. (Yeo, Shuey, Jones) would bring some dynamic run.

Gaff.... I'm struggling to work that one out.

Neither bloke should be a part of our 5 centre line small plans for 2023. We have Kelly, Redden, O'Neill, Sheed, Hough, Clark, Culley to look to, plus whoever we can nab as a FA, plus whichever gun mid we get at Pick 2.

 

[langdon19]

The problem with this role for Gaff is the salary he is commanding. He’d be on big money and offers very little.

His contract should be renegotiated or he should be moved on via a cheap trade.

Lol, he signed a contract.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

IMO Gaff has put on weird muscle. Body shape just so awkward for his run all day game style. It's slightly bulky in the wrong areas without any definition. The only way I see him retaining half decent form is reshaping his body in the preseason to be leaner.

It so frustrating at the moment because when he does work hard to get an uncontested mark, his possessions are slow and kill the ball movement then add in his lack of willingness to tackle.

 

[RookiePick]

IMO Gaff has put on weird muscle. Body shape just so awkward for his run all day game style. It's slightly bulky in the wrong areas without any definition. The only way I see him retaining half decent form is reshaping his body in the preseason to be leaner.

It so frustrating at the moment because when he does work hard to get an uncontested mark, his possessions are slow and kill the ball movement then add in his lack of willingness to tackle.

He looks all weirdo hunch-backy.

Not sexy hunch-backy like Embers.

 

[DanWCE]

Guey

 

[wce4premiership]

Not defending Gaff as he is now but back in the day he was every bit the best winger for 3 years or thereabouts. He used to be a very good kick, was rare for him to not hit JK or Darling when going inside 50.

Also outside of what's been mentioned about his running, he was one of our smartest players. The amount of kicks that Gaff stood under in defence outnumbers any other fo our mids. That's a combination of being fit enough to get there, being smart enough to know when to go, where to go, and brave enough to stand under the ball coming in.

He's not strong, but he's as courageous as they come under the high ball.

I really wish he could watch tape of himself from before and see what could be. I feel like his strengths won't have disappeared as he was never too quick, but his kicking has turned into a weakness, he often just bombs it now.

As for Shuey, I honestly thought he was getting better as the season wore on, he's crippled now but still shows class above what others show throughout the game. Needs to be used sparingly but still a good footballer. Granted though I didn't see all of the last game so not sure how he went.

 

[RookiePick]

Not defending Gaff as he is now but back in the day he was every bit the best winger for 3 years or thereabouts. He used to be a very good kick, was rare for him to not hit JK or Darling when going inside 50.

Also outside of what's been mentioned about his running, he was one of our smartest players. The amount of kicks that Gaff stood under in defence outnumbers any other fo our mids. That's a combination of being fit enough to get there, being smart enough to know when to go, where to go, and brave enough to stand under the ball coming in.

He's not strong, but he's as courageous as they come under the high ball.

I really wish he could watch tape of himself from before and see what could be. I feel like his strengths won't have disappeared as he was never too quick, but his kicking has turned into a weakness, he often just bombs it now.

As for Shuey, I honestly thought he was getting better as the season wore on, he's crippled now but still shows class above what others show throughout the game. Needs to be used sparingly but still a good footballer. Granted though I didn't see all of the last game so not sure how he went.

I think his body is letting him down tbh. It's not flat out snapping like Shuey but he just can't seem to cover the ground anywhere as easily as he used to.

 

[KERRPOW]

I cant see gaff surviving another 2 in years on the list without some form reversal.

 

[mattyc75]

I hope the talk on here about smitchell wanting gaff is true.
He's been a champ but our new gameplan and his declining form are going to clash,
If hough and chesser can fill in wing spots then gaff will beba very expensive wafl player/backup

On SM-G973F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[flamingEMBERS]

That rove by Shuey in the first shows that we should have and should play him more forward in the future

 

[wce4premiership]

Would like Shuey to be the "break glass in case of emergency" type midfielder that just goes through on occasion. Good goal sense today, 10 tackles as well. Some good tackle numbers from a few players today.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Would like Shuey to be the "break glass in case of emergency" type midfielder that just goes through on occasion. Good goal sense today, 10 tackles as well. Some good tackle numbers from a few players today.

Really enjoyed his physicality in there suits a pressure forward well