Toast Matthew Suckling

Mar 21, 2007
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That 20m of space is valuable. What's not is the ridiculous turnovers in defensive 50 because he tries the stupid cute kick.

Also just because he is an outside runner doesn't let him off his lack of tackling ability or defensive pressure.

Takes a mix of players... next thread there will be blokes roasting Hallahan because of his lack of speed!!
 
Oct 9, 2006
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He has always been prone to turning it over, but some of the howlers yesterday were the stuff of amateurs.
I hope for his sake he can tun it around otherwise some one will take his spot.

In terms of his DE%, any stats from when he is taking the kick out are not included in this number.
I cant remember if he took many kick-ins but most of his turn overs I can recall were in general play.

That said, Mitch had 7 turn overs yesterday so he wasn't alone.
Yesterdays first half was pitiful from both clubs, rotten looking football, they were playing football I take it?
 
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Haven't seen that many of his giant lefties lately , must be getting ready to break out though.
Just an addition to that comment , Clarko perhaps should think about creating a set up whereby players are fast breaking or actually down in the forward line for players like Suckling to kick to. Poppy did the one fast break I saw,and succeeded , nothing is more frustrating than a player with the ball totally undecided as to where to put the ball because he has no one there, it looks like indecision and maybe it is, this is not the positive way Hawthorn usually behave and take risks and flow,.
I saw the Geelong game at the MCG, being there you can see half the ground empty and the other half full , then visa versa , it was awful. On TV the camera shows only the play area and as you watch the screen a player you think is about to drop an Abomb into the forward line stops and looks, has to make one two or three mind changes , its a s**t way to play Aussie rules, have some guts take a chance winning GF's is a result of that GET INTO THE FORWARD LINE OR STAY IN THE FORWARD LINE OR FAST BREAK BUT PLAN IT. If you have to play basketball style do it properly., I don't understand how this year we have gone back to the flood and scrum again. SHOCKING. At least the second half was better yesterday. The flood and scrum destroyed Melb v Syd I turned it off.
 

PenAndPaper

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Takes a mix of players... next thread there will be blokes roasting Hallahan because of his lack of speed!!
It does take a mix of players but what your saying is Suckling should be in there for his speed. He still needs to be able to wor defensively and not consistently hurt us with bad turnovers. Not just a turnover but ones that really hurt us which he has been doing this year and he needs to be able to tackle.

We need a mix of players but we don't need one trick ponies like him
 
Mar 21, 2007
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It does take a mix of players but what your saying is Suckling should be in there for his speed. He still needs to be able to wor defensively and not consistently hurt us with bad turnovers. Not just a turnover but ones that really hurt us which he has been doing this year and he needs to be able to tackle.

We need a mix of players but we don't need one trick ponies like him

Puopolo is a one trick pony shitcan him as well?
 
Mar 21, 2007
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Exactly. Not everyone can be a Cyril.

One step further not everyone is going to be..

Fast and agile like Cyril
Hard and tough like Hodge and Lewis
fast and aerobic like Smith and Hill
smooth and skilled like Burgoyne, Breust
dual sided like Mitchell
versatile like Rough
Great overhead like Lake
Amazing readers of the play like Gibbo
Manic as Puopolo

etc
 

SNAITHY

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I like him and will back him in to come good. He brings another dimension to our side, something that few other teams have and something that is very difficult for other teams to counter. The Essendon game is proof enough.

Mitchell's miss from directly in front from 30 under no pressure from a set shot yesterday cost us a goal. Suckers missing a target 20 metres away, in play under a little pressure in a congested back line yesterday cost us a goal. Which is a worse skill error?

That said, he does need to get tougher and harder and eliminate the really 'horrible' turnover. He needs to be more consistent, yes. I hope these things happen and think they will. For me what he brings outweighs his supposed deficiencies. He can get physically stronger, he can get more aggressive through training and coaching. Twenty years of training couldn't get me to hit a running target 70 meters away across my body 8 times out of ten.

I hope we persist.
 

PenAndPaper

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Puopolo is a one trick pony shitcan him as well?
Not really, his kicking is good, rarely makes clangers, provides a lot of run and link up in attack and pressures the opposition and can win his own ball.
Suckling has severely overrated kicking which is average, can provide run occasionally, can't win his own ball and has no pressure whatsoever.

Suckling is definitely trade bait for mine. He is not best 22
 
Mar 21, 2007
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Not really, his kicking is good, rarely makes clangers, provides a lot of run and link up in attack and pressures the opposition and can win his own ball.
Suckling has severely overrated kicking which is average, can provide run occasionally, can't win his own ball and has no pressure whatsoever.

Suckling is definitely trade bait for mine. He is not best 22

Way to underrate one of the best 2-3 kicks in the comp... just watched the replay Mitch and Hodge both came up with shocking turnovers as bad as Sucklings.. one of Sucko's clangers was a forward may have been Breust who stopped mid lead to double back..

Did you hate Suckling this much prior to his last 2 games? I thought his first 4 games coming off a knee reco were amazing...
 
Feb 13, 2010
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One step further not everyone is going to be..


smooth and skilled like Burgoyne, Breust
dual sided like Mitchell
versatile like Rough
Great overhead like Lake
Amazing readers of the play like Gibbo


etc
He's playing all three of his roles s**t at the moment so I'm not letting you get away with that analogy! :p
 

dipper86

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Can we rely on Suckling to win contested football in a grand final......a one on one. I don't have that faith.
Sure he has a nice left foot, but without the space to use it, his strength is negated. So other than his left foot what does he provide? two way running, carry ?
 

PenAndPaper

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Way to underrate one of the best 2-3 kicks in the comp... just watched the replay Mitch and Hodge both came up with shocking turnovers as bad as Sucklings.. one of Sucko's clangers was a forward may have been Breust who stopped mid lead to double back..

Did you hate Suckling this much prior to his last 2 games? I thought his first 4 games coming off a knee reco were amazing...
Way to overrate a severely average kick in the comp. If you have read any of my messages from past years you will see I have never been a fan of his, not just because of these two games.
 

PenAndPaper

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Who would you like to see replace him?
I'd be happy with anyone really, from Cheney to Schoenamkers, Hartung even. Someone that isn't afraid of the contest ball yet still uses the ball well consistently.
Run and carry and the best left leg in the comp... yes I think its pretty handy, especially 6 games off a knee reco!

Many regarded Birch as Soft a couple of years into his career.. look at him now
Birchall is a better kick than Suckling. He's not even the best at our club. I don't know who regarded Birch as soft, I certainly never did
 
Mar 21, 2007
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I'd be happy with anyone really, from Cheney to Schoenamkers, Hartung even. Someone that isn't afraid of the contest ball yet still uses the ball well consistently.

Birchall is a better kick than Suckling. He's not even the best at our club. I don't know who regarded Birch as soft, I certainly never did

Birch is a great kick but doesnt often go for much.. Hodge and Sucko are the two guys we have that can bust it open with long flat spears... thankfully Clarko sees the value in that.
 

dipper86

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Run and carry and the best left leg in the comp... yes I think its pretty handy, especially 6 games off a knee reco!

Many regarded Birch as Soft a couple of years into his career.. look at him now

In a hot contested finals like contested game his run and carry like his left foot are void, he isn't a Smith nor a Hill. He doesn't have the speed two way running nor the stamina of those two.

I'm not calling him soft, no one at our football club is soft. I'm talking about his ability to win a contested football in a one on one. Being pushed around, out bodied, holding your ground, keeping your feet etc.
He has been found wanting in the past two games when the heat was on, Sydney GF and the Geelong game this year. Both Young and Suckling let us down at important times of the game in contested situations in 2012.....it haunts me. Our players dropped their heads whilst our opponents walked taller.
 
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PenAndPaper

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Birch is a great kick but doesnt often go for much.. Hodge and Sucko are the two guys we have that can bust it open with long flat spears... thankfully Clarko sees the value in that.
Birchall is a better kick than both Hodge and Suckling. He can do the same kick, the difference is he makes it hit more often than Hodge or Suckling do and without the severe shanks which hurt us the other way.
 
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