Analysis Naitanui - someone taught him how to take a mark!

[tesseract]

Wrestle in a marking contest being basically exactly what you describe.

A one on one wrestle isn't the context of the discussion. Such is hardly a concern give that he'll win one on one's far more often than not. He's got the strength to wrestle, the height and leap to dominate the air, and the agility and smarts to win it on the ground. It's Naitanui's penchant for hovering around the back of a pack so as to get a running start at taking a screamer upside someone's head which is the issue. It's this mindset of his that he needs to modify in order to become a more effective player.

 

[bodazoka]

A one on one wrestle isn't the context of the discussion. Such is hardly a concern give that he'll win one on one's far more often than not. He's got the strength to wrestle, the height and leap to dominate the air, and the agility and smarts to win it on the ground. It's Naitanui's penchant for hovering around the back of a pack so as to get a running start at taking a screamer upside someone's head is the issue. It's this mindset of his that he needs to modify in order to become more effective player.

Ok... I don't literally mean wrestle, I mean compete in a one on one marking contest by standing your ground, taking front position and beating your opponent in a test of strength. Which I phrased as "wrestling" and which back in the 80's may of also been phrased as wrestling before rules started to change.

I'd like to see him work his way to the front of a contest, where possible, and force opponents to push him in the back, chop his arms and scrag his jumper unless they give away an uncontested mark, for their aren't many opponents that can out leap and out muscle Naitanui once he gets in front.

Basically what I meant when I said "wrestle" is what you have written here.

 

[WCEbrody]

His contested marking will come back, but its his uncontested game in general that he lacks..not just with his marks.

A lot of ruckmen will get their disposals and marks in link up play or helping out in defence. Something Nic doesn't do yet.

 

[MaxHunt]

Is Longmuir ruck coach or Coxy?

 

[The_Eagles]

Get whoever taught Lynch to mark.

Yeah he was abysmal and became dece

 

[neng]

Quite frankly, I won't care what he does if he has another year similar to 2012.

 

[West123]

He has a stupidly high % of contested marks.

You can't divide zero by zero.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

He is as good a mark as just about any other ruckman - his issue is finding the cheap mark out wide

For some reason if he picked up 3 cheap marks on a back flank - no one would give a s**t about his marking. But * me I could take those

In 2012 he lead ruckmen for contested marks - what more does he have to show?

Even last year, statistically he was the best one on one player in the league, losing a ridiculously low % of contests

 

[Balance]

He needs to learn where to find the drop of the ball is and get under it. Too many times he's jumping forward with hands outreached, running forward off balance jumping diagonally. Majak Daw often makes the same mistake. Very tall guys like him often spill these marks.

He needs to get under the ball and jump vertically, and if he doesn't have to jump, don't jump at all!. It's his lunging forward action that puts him off balance spilling the mark. This is not a problem for regular sized blokes, but for ruckmen, jumping diagonally usually is.

 

[Jed Clampet]

Thumbs behind the ball Nic, that's all you have to do.
Nic Nat gets bagged for not taking marks, Sandilands the 7' giant didn't start taking marks until 3 years ago.

 

[Macca81]

Same old naitanui. Getting behind and trying to jump over the top

 

[rEALdEAL86]

Surely this mark against carlton last week is worthy enough for mark of the year








what was that? 4 years ago? bullshit?! you serious?...well f### me

 

[Dark Sharks]

He annoyed me today TBH.

He'll be COMPLETELY in space and our midfielders will be wetting there pants and looking for an option, and he simply will not call for the ball. He could be in a perfect position to link up or give them a get out kick, but he just stands there ball watching and refuses to demand the pill.

I'm not sure this will ever change. It's frustrating as hell. His tapwork was decent as always though, and he did help spark our turn around in the 2nd half.

 

[Macca81]

He annoyed me today TBH.

He'll be COMPLETELY in space and our midfielders will be wetting there pants and looking for an option, and he simply will not call for the ball. He could be in a perfect position to link up or give them a get out kick, but he just stands there ball watching and refuses to demand the pill.

I'm not sure this will ever change. It's frustrating as hell. His tapwork was decent as always though, and he did help spark our turn around in the 2nd half.

i saw that as well. A few times around the southern side of the ground our mids were rebounding off half back and got the ball to the wing. Naitanui would be floating across half forward and in perfect position to lead hard and demand the footy, but he just hangs around the back of another contest and offers nothing, forcing our mids to kick sideways or backwards.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Is the issue that he can't take a mark? Or that he never takes makes in and around the middle of the ground that sets up disposal chains for scores like every other ruckman in the comp does.

 

[Macca81]

Is the issue that he can't take a mark? Or that he never takes makes in and around the middle of the ground that sets up disposal chains for scores like every other ruckman in the comp does.

he cant take a mark, because he thinks he is still at high school playing kick to kick at lunch time. Always wants to run and jump from behind, rather than get front position for a mark. Im sure if he got in front that he could hold his own strength wise and take some grabs. Heck at one boundary throw in today he had position and actually ran away from the boundary line to get behind sandilands when the ball was already in the air. Bloke has no idea about where to position himself at stock standard stuff.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Same old naitanui. Getting behind and trying to jump over the top

Was that you on 6PR after the game?

 

[Macca81]

Was that you on 6PR after the game?

haha yep. I was on once last year too, but every time they go down to the *ingg coaches conference instead of answering my question!!

 

[EagleEgo]

It is a non-issue.
At least compare to other bigger team problem; such as slower defensive action, low intensity, poor structure.

 

[Wet Toast Rule]

Surely Coxy can teach him how to get cheap possessions????

I bet they're all just sitting there saying "let him play his natural game - hunt the ball" or whatever

 

[Masto]

Honestly, if the season goes to s**t they should try him again as an inside midfielder later in the year.

 

[Macca81]

Honestly, if the season goes to s**t they should try him again as an inside midfielder later in the year.

Im sorry, what is that "If" doing in your sentence? We have no Mckenzie, Brown or McGovern now. Today I saw Hurn man up Zac Clarke at full back, and Schofield on Pavlich. This season is right up the shitter without a fog light.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

David Schwarz having a big pop -

Nic Naitanui is lost on the football field, cannot read the play and must quickly learn how to impact a game beyond the centre bounce, says David Schwarz.

The athletic big man will be 25-years-old next month and the critics are starting to line up as his productivity levels continue to lag.

Schwarz even suggested the underdeveloped and unpopular Jack Watts might prove to be the better choice by Melbourne as the number one pick in the 2008 national draft.

“He doesn’t understand the game because he jumps higher than anyone else, runs as fast as anybody and is more agile than most yet has taken one mark this year,” said Schwarz on SEN radio.

“His output is so underwhelming in terms of what he can bring in other areas.”

http://www.sen.com.au/news/04-15/naitanui-doesn-t-understand-the-game-schwarz

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au...han-nic-naitanui/story-fnjuhrq4-1227315878170

But at this stage maybe Melbourne has got more out of Jack Watts, who was taken at No. 1, than the Eagles have out of Naitanui.

Pretty big 'maybe' there Schwarta.

 

[liam123]

Seriously *ed how people make such big statements so early in a season...if for some reason they are ever right they are so called experts but if they are proven wrong everyone forgets they even said it basically