Macrae & Stringer vs Martin & Anderson

[ManOfClay]

Stringer doesn't look great..

You've let GrandBlue get to you too easily

 

[Ambrosia]

Stringer doesn't look great.

Agreed. I doubt Stringer will ever be a star forward as he just doesn't have the size or athleticism unless he can become a big bodied mid I don't see him developing into a great player.

 

[timtamWB]

Stringer doesn't look great.

Macrae and Martin could be equal but Jed Anderson once he actually plays a bit should overtake stirnger quite quickly.

So which Bulldogs player shagged your mum?

Stringer played pretty damn well yesterday, 4 goals the other week. Coming back from a broken leg as well mind you.

 

[ManOfClay]

Agreed. I doubt Stringer will ever be a star forward as he just doesn't have the size or athleticism unless he can become a big bodied mid I don't see him developing into a great player.

I respectfully disagree. It's pure stupidity to write off a 20 year old after 22 games. Paul Chapman didn't have the size or athleticism and he still managed to be a very handy midfielder/forward. Stringer plays much the same except Chapman is 13cms shorter. And at the same stage of their careers he has kicked the same amount of goals as Joe Daniher, despite being played in defence and in the midfield too.

 

[Ambrosia]

I respectfully disagree. It's pure stupidity to write off a 20 year old after 22 games. Paul Chapman didn't have the size or athleticism and he still managed to be a very handy midfielder/forward. Stringer plays much the same except Chapman is 13cms shorter. And at the same stage of their careers he has kicked the same amount of goals as Joe Daniher, despite being played in defence and in the midfield too.

Not sure Chapman is comparable to Stringer at all. Chappy was an excellent goal kicking midfielder and Stringer has shown nothing as a midfielder at AFL level.

Unless he does make a move to the midfield I doubt he'll ever get close to fulfilling his predraft hype.

 

[ManOfClay]

Not sure Chapman is comparable to Stringer at all. Chappy was an excellent goal kicking midfielder and Stringer has shown nothing as a midfielder at AFL level.

Unless he does make a move to the midfield I doubt he'll ever get close to fulfilling his predraft hype.

He's played 20 games and is coming off a broken leg ffs.

 

[Ambrosia]

He's played 20 games and is coming off a broken leg ffs.

That's why I have reserved judgement until he gets a go in thee midfield. Which may or may not happen. I don't understand why you can't handle someone not rating Stringer as a future A grade forward.

 

[ManOfClay]

That's why I have reserved judgement until he gets a go in thee midfield. Which may or may not happen. I don't understand why you can't handle someone not rating Stringer as a future A grade forward.

Because I can't understand how you can't acknowledge I'm not saying Stringer is going to be purely a future A grade forward. Everything from the club and from his pre-draft descriptions suggest midfield/forward and he is tracking very nicely all things considered (what was a 20 year old Jobe Watson doing?). You are acting like we expect him to be a coleman-medal winning full forward.

 

[doggies ftw]

Not sure Chapman is comparable to Stringer at all. Chappy was an excellent goal kicking midfielder and Stringer has shown nothing as a midfielder at AFL level.

Unless he does make a move to the midfield I doubt he'll ever get close to fulfilling his predraft hype.

Sure he hasn't shown anything at AFL level as a midfielder because he hasn't played there (but he has shown plenty with his work around the ground), only need to look to his brutal dominations in the guts at VFL level to see how he will play when he gets his tank up to scratch.

 

[Ambrosia]

Because I can't understand how you can't acknowledge I'm not saying Stringer is going to be purely a future A grade forward. Everything from the club and from his pre-draft descriptions suggest midfield/forward and he is tracking very nicely all things considered (what was a 20 year old Jobe Watson doing?). You are acting like we expect him to be a coleman-medal winning full forward.

I'm just saying I'm not sure that he'll ever make the transition to the midfield and I don't think he has the attributes of A-grade forward.

I'm more than happy to concede that time is on his side and that barring injury his tank will improve massively over the next couple of years.

 

[timtamWB]

I'm just saying I'm not sure that he'll ever make the transition to the midfield and I don't think he has the attributes of A-grade forward.

I'm more than happy to concede that time is on his side and that barring injury his tank will improve massively over the next couple of years.

Why do you think he doesn't? You mentioned he doesn't have the speed or athleticism, but he does have strength, a great footy brain, good ability to read the flight of the ball and a pretty good goal sense. If he were to continue playing forward, then he will only get better and could make it as an A-grade forward in my mind. As others have said the plan is for him to make the transition to the midfield, but like you said it's impossible to tell how that will happen since we haven't actually seen any glimpses of it yet in his young career.

 

[doggies ftw]

Why do you think he doesn't? You mentioned he doesn't have the speed or athleticism, but he does have strength, a great footy brain, good ability to read the flight of the ball and a pretty good goal sense. If he were to continue playing forward, then he will only get better and could make it as an A-grade forward in my mind. As others have said the plan is for him to make the transition to the midfield, but like you said it's impossible to tell how that will happen since we haven't actually seen any glimpses of it yet in his young career.

He really does have speed and athleticism though, has a fantastic burst of speed and we've seen how he can dance around players and is so hard to tackle. He hasn't actually played in the guts in the AFL but he has shown plenty of times either up forward or down back that his work around the stoppages and contested situations is first class and has fantastic skills, even when he plays at FF I've always said that he looks like a midfielder.

 

[timtamWB]

He really does have speed and athleticism though, has a fantastic burst of speed and we've seen how he can dance around players and is so hard to tackle. He hasn't actually played in the guts in the AFL but he has shown plenty of times either up forward or down back that his work around the stoppages and contested situations is first class, even when he plays at FF I've always said that he looks like a midfielder.

I agree, I just wanted to see what paddy love's reasons were beyond apparently not having speed and athleticism, which I think he does. Because paddy love is one of the best posters on BF in my mind and always has a reason for everything and isn't biased so I like to see his insights.

 

[Ambrosia]

I agree, I just wanted to see what paddy love's reasons were beyond apparently not having speed and athleticism, which I think he does. Because paddy love is one of the best posters on BF in my mind and always has a reason for everything and isn't biased so I like to see his insights.

Bullshit to the bolded.

There is a fair chance I just haven't seen enough of Stringer to pass good judgement on him.

Why do you think he doesn't? You mentioned he doesn't have the speed or athleticism, but he does have strength, a great footy brain, good ability to read the flight of the ball and a pretty good goal sense. If he were to continue playing forward, then he will only get better and could make it as an A-grade forward in my mind. As others have said the plan is for him to make the transition to the midfield, but like you said it's impossible to tell how that will happen since we haven't actually seen any glimpses of it yet in his young career.

To explain my thinking further. I see Jack Darling as better athlete than Stringer and for me the only thing holding Darling back from being a star of the comp is his lack of size. So if Darling can't do it I struggle to see how Stringer will be able too.

 

[ManOfClay]

To explain my thinking further. I see Jack Darling as better athlete than Stringer and for me the only thing holding Darling back from being a star of the comp is his lack of size. So if Darling can't do it I struggle to see how Stringer will be able too.

The difference here is throughout junior footy (and VFL footy since before he was drafted) Stringer played midfield as well. Darling was always an undersized KPF from what I've gathered. If Stringer didn't have that leg break at a crucial point of his development he'd be playing midfield in the AFL already. He plays midfield in the VFL where it shows that being a natural footballer trumps being athletic. Also helps that despite being young he's stronger than most of the midfielders at that level.

This year he has started to regain some of that burst speed too which is promising.

 

[ManOfClay]

paddy love FYI - most of the highlights in this draft video are midfield highlights (Seemed he played a lot forward for the Pioneers in the TAC cup but 90% of his Bendigo Gold/Vic Country highlights are from the midfield). Bearing in mind this was just after the comeback from the broken leg so he's built up fitness from this point.

 

[Dazb86]

I can´t wait to see Stringer played through the midfield if he ever builds a large enough tank. Rips it up at VFL level through there.

 

[doggies ftw]

Yeah don't think anyone could argue against Macrae and Stringer at this stage. Sure might end up different but these guys are already performing.

 

[AjsGuns]

Stringer with 5 goals yesterday, wait until he gets another pre-season under his belt.
Macrae a casual 43 possies and 2 goals last week, followed up by 32 possies and a goal this week.

 

[eth-dog]

Stringer killed us. Shows that we lack a Laidler/Rampe/Stratton/Mackie/Ibbotson/Jonas type of defender

 

[Cudi]

Stringer doesn't look great.

Macrae and Martin could be equal but Jed Anderson once he actually plays a bit should overtake stirnger quite quickly.

What don't you rate about Stringer.

I think he's looked great in the games he's played so far. Looks good as a forward but the midfield is where he will perform the best when is fitness improves.

 

[ManOfClay]

I'm just saying I'm not sure that he'll ever make the transition to the midfield and I don't think he has the attributes of A-grade forward.

I'm more than happy to concede that time is on his side and that barring injury his tank will improve massively over the next couple of years.

Not trying to be a smartarse, I was out of the country for our game. Any change to your opinion on Stringer following his performance?

 

[Donakebab]

Not trying to be a smartarse, I was out of the country for our game. Any change to your opinion on Stringer following his performance?

Ummm, his comment was spot on. Stringer did all his damage as a forward, not a midfielder.

 

[ManOfClay]

Ummm, his comment was spot on. Stringer did all his damage as a forward, not a midfielder.

Not just that comment I posted. Another comment was not having the size or athleticism to be a star forward.

Would have thought given his highlight reel those are two attributes he does have

 

[Ambrosia]

Not trying to be a smartarse, I was out of the country for our game. Any change to your opinion on Stringer following his performance?

It's funny despite kicking 5 goals I actually came away being confident that Stringer does have the tools to become a midfielder. He definitely moves better than I thought he did.

Still don't think he'll ever be a star forward.