Player Review vs Hawks

[Snoop Dog]

Well nice to have footy back and what a great ground they have down there. Anyway terrific to grab a win but truly we should have won by the margin we did with the amount they had out.

Overall observations;

• Kids have improved
• We may have quite a few v good inside mids
• Small medium forwards were impressive
• Still not sure who partners Cloke
• Where does PK play

Anyway my thoughts on the players were (sorry if missed one doing from memory);

Fasolo - Played like a bloke who doesn't want to kick the dew off the grass all winter which was pleasing. Laden with talent and showed it tonight. Played on Duryea to for a lot of the game so his results were very good. Showed good hands, led well and went nicely at the footy. He's in the 22 for mine and tonight showed why.

Dwyer - Started as a sub and was v good in the last. Nice run and link up. I didn't have him near the 22 but he's closer than I give him credit for.

Grundy - One of the shining lights of the night. Thought he competed really well at the centre bounce and all the stoppages. Moved really well and just thought a huge positive.

Elliott - Was good without standing out. Showed his class couple of times.

Goldsack - He is playing forward all year assuming the back half can stick it out. If stays fit might make a massive difference bc his pressure sets the tone for us.

Kennedy - I thought he was terrific. He copped some knocks but he kept on going and was generally very good I thought. He is not a penetrating kick and he isn't super quick but has footy smarts. I have him in the 22 but he is going to be marginal. I love his intensity.

Langdon - Was good. Don't appear to be any 2nd year blues and looks like he has the kick ins.

White - Started well and should as was playing on kids. I thought was ok but has a way to go. His best spot is FF where he can lead at the ball and if he shows the same intensity he did tonight then the '15 version looks better but jury is out and expected to be out for a while.

Adams - Seemed to be on and off a bit. His ball use looks to have improved marginally which is pleasing but he still made some mistakes. Anyway he is hard as a cats head and he wants the footy so is going to make mistakes. Important for us this year and liked the way he presented in game 1. Thought he got on the outside at times and was a nice link player.

Brown - Gee got belted early but then decided to play off McEvoy and get a run at him and the contest. That worked. Has a tendency to play behind. Don't like that. Forwards rarely kick big bags ducking out the back week in week out.

Varcoe - Got better as the game went on. To be fair had a couple of ordinary calls against him. But look he finished up ok and you can see the value. LEts remember was game 1 and he will need some time.

Greenwood - Bit like Varcoe. Took his time getting into it but gee when he got going he really did some nice things in that 2nd half. We actually seem to have a good group of inside ball winners

Freeman - Was slow to get going and not sure touched it in first qtr but got going and showed why they are excited by him. Was in and out of the contest and was quite creative. He is a player.

Sidebottom - Well done Capt.

Thomas - One of the blokes was most keen to see as we need him to step up. Looked in great nick and started really well. Seemingly rested a bit in 2nd half but overall was pretty happy with him and his work in close. Looks fit and strong and worked hard

Crisp - Was pleased with him and thought was terrific in first half. Clearly Brown rates him and his trajectory as well. He looks like could play a few roles and whilst I keep hearing his kicking is no good it looked ok to me. Granted there is a low bar at Collingwood but he seems fine. Nice size.

Williams - was quiet and whereas had him in 22 thought Ramsay and Sinclair were better.

Sinclair - Thought he was good. Nice run and carry and his ball use v good for game 1. He'd be in the mix for sure.

Broomhead - probably another was real keen on seeing. Very quiet start but worked into with a couple of really nice passages. Didn't win heaps of footy but what he does is smart.

Ramsay - I don't have him in the 22 but he made me think closely about him. Clear Buckley rates him from his comments and couple more good games and could be in the mix. Is he strong enough?

PK - Was v good all night. Ball use is elite and seems to get to really good places. Not sure where he fits but he can play. Only issue is he doesn't look quick enough to be in the middle of the ground at AFL level. Thoughts?

Toovey - Excellent.

De Goey - Outstanding. Along with PK and Grundy was the player of the night. 12 -14 touches but wow everyone of them was class and he did something special. Works hard off the footy. Could be this years Ollie Wines. He is a player.

Oxley - couple of nice things but was a sub and was quiet. Just good to see him back

Gault - had a pretty good game but was beaten in the ruck a lot so not sure his scope there. For me its as a forward and he is 4 years in so its time to start clunking them. Clearly behind White and Keefe.

 

[Smoky]

fasolo's 1%ers were the highlight from a great all round performance.

varcoe needs confidence.

 

[TradeDraft]

Agree - With all you said.

De Goey and Grundy where the 2 most Pleasing things to come out of Tonight’s game

 

[mike123]

Thoughts on Frost?

 

[TradeDraft]

PK - Was v good all night. Ball use is elite and seems to get to really good places. Not sure where he fits but he can play. Only issue is he doesn't look quick enough to be in the middle of the ground at AFL level. Thoughts?

Play him up forward as he can Finish around the Goal’s is Top Notch

 

[Apex36]

PK - Was v good all night. Ball use is elite and seems to get to really good places. Not sure where he fits but he can play. Only issue is he doesn't look quick enough to be in the middle of the ground at AFL level. Thoughts?

Many would say Pendles isn't very quick, but he seems to do ok

 

[lenny20]

Bugger it, let's get carried away. I know it was a NAB challenge game against a neutered and understrength opposition, and I know it means precisely nothing in the scheme of things. But you know what? We were neutered and understrength without our four best players in Pendles, Swan, Cloke and Reid. And I still enjoyed beating the Hawks and the smug grins of Langford, Mitchell and Gunston.

So bugger it, let's get carried away! Go pies! That was great fun!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

We structured up well, locking them down for large portions of the game, and a lot of the time their goals came not as a result of being outstructured, outworked or outcoached, but rather as a result of the undeniable individual class that so many of the reigning premiers possess. Mitchell especially. Unfortunately for us he doesn't look like slowing down any time soon. What a gun. Hate his guts, but what a gun. It was the skill of players like him that set them away more often than not, which you're never going to be able to shut down completely. But outside of those flashes of brilliance, we were better across the field and our stronger depth really put the squeeze on them for long periods. It was great to see.

We looked fast. Additions like Varcoe and Crisp really covered the ground well. Both found themselves in space quite often which was a testament to their workrate and speed. Players like Sinclair, Ramsay, Williams, White and De Goey all showed some serious toe and we just looked much quicker than a Hawks team with some serious speedsters kicking about as well. In addition we looked fit, and it was good to see us run out the game so strongly, albeit against a Hawks side that looked underdone.

But importantly - and I feared this wouldn't be the case if we focused on recruiting for speed as much as we clearly have been these last few years - we still looked strong. We were really tough and hard at the footy and the man and the number of contests we won was in stark contrast to the last season or two, where we've been struggling to win one-on-ones all over the park (save for a few players). This game, we saw Greenwood, Adams, De Goey, Crisp, White, Williams and Langdon (and I'm sure quite a few others I'm forgetting about) really throw their weight around and impose themselves on the contest.

And this leads into the tackling, which was excellent. We tackled really strongly all game. Special mention should go to first-gamer De Goey here who was super impressive in this regard. He made mistakes but if desperation and effort can get you a place in this team (and I think we've seen it can, Jarryd Blair) then he's going to give round 1 a genuine push. Others usual suspects like Sinclair, Williams, Adams, Goldsack et al were in the thick of the tackling and pressure acts action too, which was heartening to see - but perhaps even more heartening was the contested effort of players like Kennedy and Karnezis who really hit the man hard with 5 tackles a piece.

Finally, it was great to see such an even spread of contribution. Ten goalkickers, possessions spread really evenly across the board, and you'd have to say we didn't have any real superstars tonight - just a great team effort where almost every player played their role. This is what we were so good at in 2010/11, and it's what dropped away over the last two seasons - we've been relying on star power from Pendles, Cloke, Swan and Beams to get us over the line. We need that even spread back, and tonight we saw it.

Anyway, onto the players:

THE VOTES

To pick a top five is really hard considering the even spread. Still, here goes:

5: Tom Langdon
4: Alex Fasolo
3: Marley Williams
2: Patty Karnezis
1: Jesse White, Brodie Grundy, Ben Kennedy, Travis Varcoe, Ben Sinclair, Taylor Adams, Levi Greenwood, Jack Crisp, Corey Gault, throw a blanket over them.

THE PLAYERS

Tom Langdon - Smooth as silk. Intercepted, mopped up time and time again, shut down his man, won the contested ball and used it beautifully on all bar one occasion. He racked up the rebounds as is his speciality and he looks to have taken another step forward this year after a superb first season. I didn't realise he was that fast, or strong for that matter. If he was a year older than the rest of the draftees then does this mean we get to avoid the second year blues with this kid? Touch wood. Super talented and just screams 200 game player. Could be a future captain. Can you tell I'm in love all over again?

Alex Fasolo - He's been the source of great debate on our board for a while now. Is he a flash-in-the-pan first year star who only looked good cos he was in a gun team? Or is a future star who has been cruelled by injury these past few years? Tonight he certainly looked more the latter than the former. He was great at the contest, took a couple of great contested grabs, and used his elite kicking skills beautifully by slotting four goals straight. Barring the one mistake early where he selfishly blazed at goal from 55, he chose the right option all night, and his two late goals were just reward for a strong performance over the course of the game.

Marley Williams - Marley understandably dropped off the pace last year after a magnificent 2013, but tonight he looked back to his best. He made the odd skill error which is something we're always going to get from him, but he destroyed whichever opponent he was on at the time (he had heaps as the rotations were going crazy) and he rebounded strongly. And obviously, since we're talking about Marley here, he won an unfair amount of contested footy. That just goes without saying. If there's a loose ball and a fifty-fifty contest, Marley is going to win it every time. Did he lose one tonight? I can't remember it.

Patty K - That was a sight for sore eyes. This kid has got some serious skill. Kicked a beauty from the boundary with a checkside, plucked a couple of cheeky contested grabs, and didn't show any of the laziness I've heard can infiltrate his game - after all, he finished with a team-high 5 tackles. And his ball use. Oh God, his ball use. There was a passage in the third where he picked up on the wing and hit the left nipple of our leading flanker fifty metres away. I think he can really find a niche as a wingman/high half forward who can mark, run, and really hit the scoreboard. Three goals was a great reward for effort.

Jesse White - Trying not to get carried away since White's got form here. He's looked great early in the year for a while now only to drop off the longer the season goes. But tonight's performance was a bit different from the Geelong game in last year's NAB where he kicked all his goals as a crumber. Tonight he kicked big man goals. Lead, mark, kick straight. Break the contest open and hit the ball and man hard. Even took a great overhead mark under pressure which isn't a trademark of his which was good to see. And he did all this against the "best" defender on the ground in Spud Frawley - who lived up to his nickname tonight, by the way. He was terrible. I'm still outraged that Melbourne got PICK FREAKIN THREE for that useless waste of space. On the bright side, in retrospect, it allowed us to use our bumped-down-the-order pick #5 on...

Jordan De Goey - You can see why Hine and co rated him, and why Bucks from all reports is nursing a semi for this boy. He made errors - a couple actually - but he gave us a glimpse that he's going to be capable of some very special things, too. To start off with, he gifted Sidey an early goal with his relentless attack on man and ball, culminating in a crunching tackle inside 50 and an easy dribble goal to the captain. Then there was a special centre clearance where he was one-on-one with Sam Mitchell, won the ball cleanly in a body-on-body contest, then put on the afterburners and powered away. Then there was the fearless use of his non-preferred - I actually thought he was a left footer for a large proportion of that game. And then a really classy finish to score a long goal and put the icing on the cake for the team in a strong last quarter. I'm excited. He looks ready to play now. Bring on Round 1, I reckon he'll be there. Also, just realised, 91% efficiency. Makes smart choices and executes well.

Brodie Grundy - Looked fitter, stronger, and perhaps most importantly, smarter than he has at any time thus far in his career - there were no stupid free kicks or reckless tackles all night, in fact he even won a couple of frees from the ruck contest himself. This is absolutely unheard of for a Collingwood ruckman. Competed strongly in the ruck and worked hard up and down the ground, harder than I've seen him do before. And finished off a great piece of play with a rover's goal that was dedication to that improved workrate.

Ben Kennedy - I really like this kid. His kicking can be a bit iffy at times but he seemed to keep that under control tonight and used it really well. There were no really hard kicks he had to pull off, but that was due to his smart decision making. More importantly, he has an appetite for the contest and a sticky pair of hands - on multiple occasions he hit the awkward groundball at top speed tonight and somehow clunked it instantly where other players were fumbling all over the place. He was another to tackle strongly with five over the evening.

Travis Varcoe - his touch wasn't quite there tonight but he covered the ground as nicely as I've ever seen him do. He found acres of space everywhere and worked tirelessly up and down the wing. And his kicking is seriously sexy. That bullet from the top of the fifty to hit Sidebum on the chest in the forward pocket was emblematic of a guy who knows he has a sweet right peg and isn't afraid to use it. That's something we've been severely lacking. The guy he'll be replacing on the wing - Harry O - used to bomb it for distance more than accuracy, often to our detriment. If Varcs can keep going like he did tonight, choosing hard options and executing at 85% efficiency, we'll go a long way towards improving our transition which was struggling big time last season.

Ben Sinclair - he's much better as a backman than a forward. He looked composed, sharp and... dare I say it... damaging by foot? No. No, I won't say that. Doesn't sound quite right just yet. But I was thoroughly impressed with his lightning speed, willingness to take the game on with quick chains of handballs and line breaking runs, and yes, even his delivery by foot tonight. If he makes it as a small defender it frees up someone like Marley who I think could be a really dangerous weapon as an in-and-under mid. EDIT: I wasn't imagining it. HE WENT AT 92% EFFICIENCY TONIGHT! Well done Ben!

Taylor Adams - he's going to cause us all heartache at times with his decision making, which is still a little behind the rest of his game. And he is prone to the occasional shank. That being said, he's a contested beast and will be a Luke Ball replacement in a season or two. He racked it up on the inside of packs, had six clearances which was a game-high, and when he found space - which he did on more occasions than he managed last year - he executed a couple of really nice passes by foot. There was the one glaring mistake where he chose to kick into the centre of the ground where Varcoe was outnumbered three to one, but outside that and a notable mongrel clanger, he was really solid. Looks better than last year.

Levi Greenwood - started slowly but worked his way into it and covered the kilometres better than just about anyone else I reckon. Showed intelligence around the pack, knowing when to finesse and handball to a clear teammate and when to relieve the pressure with a thumping kick forward to nothing in particular. That's a skill we need to have - too often around the packs we try one handball too many and cough it up in dangerous areas. He won lots of hard ball and most importantly knew when it was time to just bang it forward rather than fluff about with it.

Jack Crisp - did one or two things that made me think we might have a player on our hands here. He started a lot stronger than he finished, showing in the first half great pace, great evasiveness, and most impressively, great strength. There was an instance where he was sold into trouble by a hospital handpass but was able to stand firm and put the Hawthorn tackler on his arse before breaking clear and retaining possession for us. There was another moment where he sold some Pendles-esque candy to clear the congestion, which had me double taking for a second. And he tackles like a beast - Goldsack-esque in that regard. Let's see if I can fit any more -esque's into his review... hmm. His first name is Anthony-esque, but let's not hold that against him. He's a great size, has great physical attributes, and his kicking wasn't nearly as poor as we'd been led to believe. Could he be a cheeky chance for round one?

Corey Gault - I'll admit to not being Corey's biggest fan. He got plaudits for his game against the Hawks in Rd 23 last year but I think he really lucked out in that game with two flukey goals and didn't really provide much in the way of a genuine tall target. Tonight was a different story. His big pack mark and goal was the evening's highlight, and moreso than that, his ruck presence was also pretty impressive, given the Hawks played their best two rucks all night in Ceglar and McEvoy. Has a great leap and is beginning to show some sticky hands, plus some smart decision making and neat disposal when thrown onto the ball. He might not be done with yet. Jesse White would want to stay on his game.

Steele Sidebottom - typical game from the captain where he racked it up and led the midfield. Should probably have thrown him in the votes somewhere. Nothing special, just a solid contributor who also happened to top our possession list. Kicked a nice goal then robbed Crispy of a set shot dead in front by taking the advantage and butchering it. I think this will be a big year for Steele. He looked good all game without ever really breaking out of second gear.

Josh Thomas - another who could have been in the votes but his ball use let him down. Still, he did some really nice things, taking a great gutsy mark backing into fast-moving traffic and imposing himself nicely on a few clearances. Showed some serious toe at points, too. Still, going at 42% efficiency isn't going to do him any favours. Needs to tidy that aspect of his game up considerably if he's to get games ahead of the glut of first round draft picks that are coming up around him.

Jackson Ramsay - started really slowly with a few errors and then got better and better as the game wore on, culminating in one of the highlights of the night when he received a handpass at half back, burst away from his opponent (the very quick indigenous kid Miller-Lewis), then steadied and delivered the pass of the evening into forward fifty for a mark and goal to... I've forgotten. Karnezis? White? Fasolo? Someone like that. Anyway, showed some real turns of speed, won a few nice hard balls and used the footy pretty well I've got to say. Wasn't big on him last year but he showed a bit tonight. Well done to him.

Tim Broomhead - I didn't notice him heaps tonight but the stats say he got a bit of it. He set us away with a really nice contested grab and smart, quick handball to give us one of our first goals of the evening, and he had that general silky aura that he possesses when near the ball - he just seems to make the right choice and execute nicely each time. A real player. A real classy player. We need players like that.

Nathan Freeman - much like the intraclub, he started slowly before getting better as the game went on. This is probably due to his elite endurance. But to be honest, he didn't show a heap tonight, I don't think he'll be thrilled with his game. He monged a couple of passes that should have been pretty easy and didn't really impose himself on the game, and I'm not sure he'll be the walk-up start to round one that many were suggesting. Still, I like the kid a lot and considering the amount of footy he missed I think there's every chance his development will go through the roof this year.

Nathan Brown - I didn't think he'd be playing this game but it was good to see him out there again. He's just a truck of a human being. He got caught out once or twice by McEvoy I think but generally had the better of whoever he was on with real body strength and positional awareness. He was waxing nicely with Williams, Langdon and Sinclair as the go-to team who were linking up beautifully with strings of slick handballs to clear our defensive lines. I prefer him to both Keeffe and Frosty and I think there's only room for two of those three in the best 22 most weeks.

Jamie Elliott - quiet game from the new #5 but that's actually a promising sign considering we still managed to put a score on the board without him or Cloke contributing. Last year, if it wasn't those two, we were toast. This year, it looks like we've got a handful of players who can fill their stead and kick a bag if we need them to. We all know what Jamie's capable of and I'm backing him to have a huge year. His set shot in the last showed that his accuracy hasn't deserted him over summer.

Alan Toovey - strong defensively and struggled on the rebound. So a typical Tooves game really. But in a backline where Langdon, Sinclair, Ramsay and Williams were all hitting targets on the way out, the couple of times where he missed his mark really stood out. I think he'll start the year as the go-to back pocket because his defensive side is so strong, but it will be interesting to see whether we'll start to prefer the more offensively dangerous options as the season progresses.

Adam Oxley - came on in the second half and struggled to pick up the pace of the game. Made one or two errors which cost the team but stabilised and provided neat skills of a back flank for the last quarter-and-a-bit. Hard to make an impact off the bench like that, so I won't judge him too harshly; but that season-ending injury at the start of last year was really cruel for his development.

Jack Frost - kept Gunston fairly quiet all night which is no mean feat. I reckon he'll be a really good match up for Gunston in the season proper, since he has the aerial strength but also the speed and agility to go with him. Put on a couple of nice bumps and made a clanger, so it was typical Frosty fare! I like him. Physical beast. Ahead of Keeffe at this stage for mine.

Sam Dwyer - subbed on late and got a little bit of it and used it well as we know he can. Hope he can get over his constant niggling injuries of last season because I reckon his debut year was fantastic and I think he's still got something really unique and special to bring to the team if he can get it right this season. Makes great decisions and is one of the best weighted passers we've got. Needs to work on his defensive side a bit though.

Tyson Goldsack - subbed off I think and didn't do a heap when he was on, save for an early tackle on the Spud which gave us a free and goal inside 50. Brought the tackling pressure but he's going to need to do more offensively and start winning more football if he's going to play up front this year you'd say.

Go pies! God it's good to have footy back again!

 

[TradeDraft]

Fantastic Write Up.

Great Call that Grundy seems Smarter with his Ruck Techniques as with not getting Pinned for Free Kicks

 

[TradeDraft]

Also Agree that De Goey is a Right Foot but watching tonight you thought he was a Left Footer

 

[lenny20]

Fantastic Write Up.

Great Call that Grundy seems Smarter with his Ruck Techniques as with not getting Pinned for Free Kicks

Yeah, he looked much improved in that regard, didn't he? I just checked the stats and he had zero frees against. I'm not even sure if I'm joking when I say I don't think I've ever seen that happen for a Collingwood ruckman.

 

[The Magnificent Seven]

Bugger it, let's get carried away....

Being in love is a good thing

 

[TradeDraft]

Yeah, he looked much improved in that regard, didn't he? I just checked the stats and he had zero frees against. I'm not even sure if I'm joking when I say I don't think I've ever seen that happen for a Collingwood ruckman.

Yeah - Even Grundy had 1 or 2 paid for him.

Grundy looked like he has hopefully taken the next step. Endurance also looked better

 

[Vicky Park]

Bugger it, let's get carried away. I know it was a NAB challenge game against a neutered and understrength opposition, and I know it means precisely nothing in the scheme of things. But you know what? We were neutered and understrength without our four best players in Pendles, Swan, Cloke and Reid. And I still enjoyed beating the Hawks and the smug grins of Langford, Mitchell and Gunston.

So bugger it, let's get carried away! Go pies! That was great fun!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

We structured up well, locking them down for large portions of the game, and a lot of the time their goals came not as a result of being outstructured, outworked or outcoached, but rather as a result of the undeniable individual class that so many of the reigning premiers possess. Mitchell especially. Unfortunately for us he doesn't look like slowing down any time soon. What a gun. Hate his guts, but what a gun. It was the skill of players like him that set them away more often than not, which you're never going to be able to shut down completely. But outside of those flashes of brilliance, we were better across the field and our stronger depth really put the squeeze on them for long periods. It was great to see.

We looked fast. Additions like Varcoe and Crisp really covered the ground well. Both found themselves in space quite often which was a testament to their workrate and speed. Players like Sinclair, Ramsay, Williams, White and De Goey all showed some serious toe and we just looked much quicker than a Hawks team with some serious speedsters kicking about as well. In addition we looked fit, and it was good to see us run out the game so strongly, albeit against a Hawks side that looked underdone.

But importantly - and I feared this wouldn't be the case if we focused on recruiting for speed as much as we clearly have been these last few years - we still looked strong. We were really tough and hard at the footy and the man and the number of contests we won was in stark contrast to the last season or two, where we've been struggling to win one-on-ones all over the park (save for a few players). This game, we saw Greenwood, Adams, De Goey, Crisp, White, Williams and Langdon (and I'm sure quite a few others I'm forgetting about) really throw their weight around and impose themselves on the contest.

And this leads into the tackling, which was excellent. We tackled really strongly all game. Special mention should go to first-gamer De Goey here who was super impressive in this regard. He made mistakes but if desperation and effort can get you a place in this team (and I think we've seen it can, Jarryd Blair) then he's going to give round 1 a genuine push. Others usual suspects like Sinclair, Williams, Adams, Goldsack et al were in the thick of the tackling and pressure acts action too, which was heartening to see - but perhaps even more heartening was the contested effort of players like Kennedy and Karnezis who really hit the man hard with 5 tackles a piece.

Finally, it was great to see such an even spread of contribution. Ten goalkickers, possessions spread really evenly across the board, and you'd have to say we didn't have any real superstars tonight - just a great team effort where almost every player played their role. This is what we were so good at in 2010/11, and it's what dropped away over the last two seasons - we've been relying on star power from Pendles, Cloke, Swan and Beams to get us over the line. We need that even spread back, and tonight we saw it.

Anyway, onto the players:

THE VOTES

To pick a top five is really hard considering the even spread. Still, here goes:

5: Tom Langdon
4: Alex Fasolo
3: Marley Williams
2: Patty Karnezis
1: Jesse White, Brodie Grundy, Ben Kennedy, Travis Varcoe, Ben Sinclair, Taylor Adams, Levi Greenwood, Jack Crisp, Corey Gault, throw a blanket over them.

THE PLAYERS

Tom Langdon - Smooth as silk. Intercepted, mopped up time and time again, shut down his man, won the contested ball and used it beautifully on all bar one occasion. He racked up the rebounds as is his speciality and he looks to have taken another step forward this year after a superb first season. I didn't realise he was that fast, or strong for that matter. If he was a year older than the rest of the draftees then does this mean we get to avoid the second year blues with this kid? Touch wood. Super talented and just screams 200 game player. Could be a future captain. Can you tell I'm in love all over again?

Alex Fasolo - He's been the source of great debate on our board for a while now. Is he a flash-in-the-pan first year star who only looked good cos he was in a gun team? Or is a future star who has been cruelled by injury these past few years? Tonight he certainly looked more the latter than the former. He was great at the contest, took a couple of great contested grabs, and used his elite kicking skills beautifully by slotting four goals straight. Barring the one mistake early where he selfishly blazed at goal from 55, he chose the right option all night, and his two late goals were just reward for a strong performance over the course of the game.

Marley Williams - Marley understandably dropped off the pace last year after a magnificent 2013, but tonight he looked back to his best. He made the odd skill error which is something we're always going to get from him, but he destroyed whichever opponent he was on at the time (he had heaps as the rotations were going crazy) and he rebounded strongly. And obviously, since we're talking about Marley here, he won an unfair amount of contested footy. That just goes without saying. If there's a loose ball and a fifty-fifty contest, Marley is going to win it every time. Did he lose one tonight? I can't remember it.

Patty K - That was a sight for sore eyes. This kid has got some serious skill. Kicked a beauty from the boundary with a checkside, plucked a couple of cheeky contested grabs, and didn't show any of the laziness I've heard can infiltrate his game - after all, he finished with a team-high 5 tackles. And his ball use. Oh God, his ball use. There was a passage in the third where he picked up on the wing and hit the left nipple of our leading flanker fifty metres away. I think he can really find a niche as a wingman/high half forward who can mark, run, and really hit the scoreboard. Three goals was a great reward for effort.

Jesse White - Trying not to get carried away since White's got form here. He's looked great early in the year for a while now only to drop off the longer the season goes. But tonight's performance was a bit different from the Geelong game in last year's NAB where he kicked all his goals as a crumber. Tonight he kicked big man goals. Lead, mark, kick straight. Break the contest open and hit the ball and man hard. Even took a great overhead mark under pressure which isn't a trademark of his which was good to see. And he did all this against the "best" defender on the ground in Spud Frawley - who lived up to his nickname tonight, by the way. He was terrible. I'm still outraged that Melbourne got PICK FREAKIN THREE for that useless waste of space. On the bright side, in retrospect, it allowed us to use our bumped-down-the-order pick #5 on...

Jordan De Goey - You can see why Hine and co rated him, and why Bucks from all reports is nursing a semi for this boy. He made errors - a couple actually - but he gave us a glimpse that he's going to be capable of some very special things, too. To start off with, he gifted Sidey an early goal with his relentless attack on man and ball, culminating in a crunching tackle inside 50 and an easy dribble goal to the captain. Then there was a special centre clearance where he was one-on-one with Sam Mitchell, won the ball cleanly in a body-on-body contest, then put on the afterburners and powered away. Then there was the fearless use of his non-preferred - I actually thought he was a left footer for a large proportion of that game. And then a really classy finish to score a long goal and put the icing on the cake for the team in a strong last quarter. I'm excited. He looks ready to play now. Bring on Round 1, I reckon he'll be there. Also, just realised, 91% efficiency. Makes smart choices and executes well.

Brodie Grundy - Looked fitter, stronger, and perhaps most importantly, smarter than he has at any time thus far in his career - there were no stupid free kicks or reckless tackles all night, in fact he even won a couple of frees from the ruck contest himself. This is absolutely unheard of for a Collingwood ruckman. Competed strongly in the ruck and worked hard up and down the ground, harder than I've seen him do before. And finished off a great piece of play with a rover's goal that was dedication to that improved workrate.

Ben Kennedy - I really like this kid. His kicking can be a bit iffy at times but he seemed to keep that under control tonight and used it really well. There were no really hard kicks he had to pull off, but that was due to his smart decision making. More importantly, he has an appetite for the contest and a sticky pair of hands - on multiple occasions he hit the awkward groundball at top speed tonight and somehow clunked it instantly where other players were fumbling all over the place. He was another to tackle strongly with five over the evening.

Travis Varcoe - his touch wasn't quite there tonight but he covered the ground as nicely as I've ever seen him do. He found acres of space everywhere and worked tirelessly up and down the wing. And his kicking is seriously sexy. That bullet from the top of the fifty to hit Sidebum on the chest in the forward pocket was emblematic of a guy who knows he has a sweet right peg and isn't afraid to use it. That's something we've been severely lacking. The guy he'll be replacing on the wing - Harry O - used to bomb it for distance more than accuracy, often to our detriment. If Varcs can keep going like he did tonight, choosing hard options and executing at 85% efficiency, we'll go a long way towards improving our transition which was struggling big time last season.

Ben Sinclair - he's much better as a backman than a forward. He looked composed, sharp and... dare I say it... damaging by foot? No. No, I won't say that. Doesn't sound quite right just yet. But I was thoroughly impressed with his lightning speed, willingness to take the game on with quick chains of handballs and line breaking runs, and yes, even his delivery by foot tonight. If he makes it as a small defender it frees up someone like Marley who I think could be a really dangerous weapon as an in-and-under mid. EDIT: I wasn't imagining it. HE WENT AT 92% EFFICIENCY TONIGHT! Well done Ben!

Taylor Adams - he's going to cause us all heartache at times with his decision making, which is still a little behind the rest of his game. And he is prone to the occasional shank. That being said, he's a contested beast and will be a Luke Ball replacement in a season or two. He racked it up on the inside of packs, had six clearances which was a game-high, and when he found space - which he did on more occasions than he managed last year - he executed a couple of really nice passes by foot. There was the one glaring mistake where he chose to kick into the centre of the ground where Varcoe was outnumbered three to one, but outside that and a notable mongrel clanger, he was really solid. Looks better than last year.

Levi Greenwood - started slowly but worked his way into it and covered the kilometres better than just about anyone else I reckon. Showed intelligence around the pack, knowing when to finesse and handball to a clear teammate and when to relieve the pressure with a thumping kick forward to nothing in particular. That's a skill we need to have - too often around the packs we try one handball too many and cough it up in dangerous areas. He won lots of hard ball and most importantly knew when it was time to just bang it forward rather than fluff about with it.

Jack Crisp - did one or two things that made me think we might have a player on our hands here. He started a lot stronger than he finished, showing in the first half great pace, great evasiveness, and most impressively, great strength. There was an instance where he was sold into trouble by a hospital handpass but was able to stand firm and put the Hawthorn tackler on his arse before breaking clear and retaining possession for us. There was another moment where he sold some Pendles-esque candy to clear the congestion, which had me double taking for a second. And he tackles like a beast - Goldsack-esque in that regard. Let's see if I can fit any more -esque's into his review... hmm. His first name is Anthony-esque, but let's not hold that against him. He's a great size, has great physical attributes, and his kicking wasn't nearly as poor as we'd been led to believe. Could he be a cheeky chance for round one?

Corey Gault - I'll admit to not being Corey's biggest fan. He got plaudits for his game against the Hawks in Rd 23 last year but I think he really lucked out in that game with two flukey goals and didn't really provide much in the way of a genuine tall target. Tonight was a different story. His big pack mark and goal was the evening's highlight, and moreso than that, his ruck presence was also pretty impressive, given the Hawks played their best two rucks all night in Ceglar and McEvoy. Has a great leap and is beginning to show some sticky hands, plus some smart decision making and neat disposal when thrown onto the ball. He might not be done with yet. Jesse White would want to stay on his game.

Steele Sidebottom - typical game from the captain where he racked it up and led the midfield. Should probably have thrown him in the votes somewhere. Nothing special, just a solid contributor who also happened to top our possession list. Kicked a nice goal then robbed Crispy of a set shot dead in front by taking the advantage and butchering it. I think this will be a big year for Steele. He looked good all game without ever really breaking out of second gear.

Josh Thomas - another who could have been in the votes but his ball use let him down. Still, he did some really nice things, taking a great gutsy mark backing into fast-moving traffic and imposing himself nicely on a few clearances. Showed some serious toe at points, too. Still, going at 42% efficiency isn't going to do him any favours. Needs to tidy that aspect of his game up considerably if he's to get games ahead of the glut of first round draft picks that are coming up around him.

Jackson Ramsay - started really slowly with a few errors and then got better and better as the game wore on, culminating in one of the highlights of the night when he received a handpass at half back, burst away from his opponent (the very quick indigenous kid Miller-Lewis), then steadied and delivered the pass of the evening into forward fifty for a mark and goal to... I've forgotten. Karnezis? White? Fasolo? Someone like that. Anyway, showed some real turns of speed, won a few nice hard balls and used the footy pretty well I've got to say. Wasn't big on him last year but he showed a bit tonight. Well done to him.

Tim Broomhead - I didn't notice him heaps tonight but the stats say he got a bit of it. He set us away with a really nice contested grab and smart, quick handball to give us one of our first goals of the evening, and he had that general silky aura that he possesses when near the ball - he just seems to make the right choice and execute nicely each time. A real player. A real classy player. We need players like that.

Nathan Freeman - much like the intraclub, he started slowly before getting better as the game went on. This is probably due to his elite endurance. But to be honest, he didn't show a heap tonight, I don't think he'll be thrilled with his game. He monged a couple of passes that should have been pretty easy and didn't really impose himself on the game, and I'm not sure he'll be the walk-up start to round one that many were suggesting. Still, I like the kid a lot and considering the amount of footy he missed I think there's every chance his development will go through the roof this year.

Nathan Brown - I didn't think he'd be playing this game but it was good to see him out there again. He's just a truck of a human being. He got caught out once or twice by McEvoy I think but generally had the better of whoever he was on with real body strength and positional awareness. He was waxing nicely with Williams, Langdon and Sinclair as the go-to team who were linking up beautifully with strings of slick handballs to clear our defensive lines. I prefer him to both Keeffe and Frosty and I think there's only room for two of those three in the best 22 most weeks.

Jamie Elliott - quiet game from the new #5 but that's actually a promising sign considering we still managed to put a score on the board without him or Cloke contributing. Last year, if it wasn't those two, we were toast. This year, it looks like we've got a handful of players who can fill their stead and kick a bag if we need them to. We all know what Jamie's capable of and I'm backing him to have a huge year. His set shot in the last showed that his accuracy hasn't deserted him over summer.

Alan Toovey - strong defensively and struggled on the rebound. So a typical Tooves game really. But in a backline where Langdon, Sinclair, Ramsay and Williams were all hitting targets on the way out, the couple of times where he missed his mark really stood out. I think he'll start the year as the go-to back pocket because his defensive side is so strong, but it will be interesting to see whether we'll start to prefer the more offensively dangerous options as the season progresses.

Adam Oxley - came on in the second half and struggled to pick up the pace of the game. Made one or two errors which cost the team but stabilised and provided neat skills of a back flank for the last quarter-and-a-bit. Hard to make an impact off the bench like that, so I won't judge him too harshly; but that season-ending injury at the start of last year was really cruel for his development.

Jack Frost - kept Gunston fairly quiet all night which is no mean feat. I reckon he'll be a really good match up for Gunston in the season proper, since he has the aerial strength but also the speed and agility to go with him. Put on a couple of nice bumps and made a clanger, so it was typical Frosty fare! I like him. Physical beast. Ahead of Keeffe at this stage for mine.

Sam Dwyer - subbed on late and got a little bit of it and used it well as we know he can. Hope he can get over his constant niggling injuries of last season because I reckon his debut year was fantastic and I think he's still got something really unique and special to bring to the team if he can get it right this season. Makes great decisions and is one of the best weighted passers we've got. Needs to work on his defensive side a bit though.

Tyson Goldsack - subbed off I think and didn't do a heap when he was on, save for an early tackle on the Spud which gave us a free and goal inside 50. Brought the tackling pressure but he's going to need to do more offensively and start winning more football if he's going to play up front this year you'd say.

Go pies! God it's good to have footy back again!

Lenny, great review, but had to merge your thread into this one, which was started earlier.

 

[lenny20]

Lenny, great review, but had to merge your thread into this one, which was started earlier.

No problem, must have popped up in the hour or so it took to write! My apologies!

 

[TradeDraft]

• Still not sure who partners Cloke

Have not seen Moore Yet

 

[MarkT2]

• Still not sure who partners Cloke

Gault - had a pretty good game but was beaten in the ruck a lot so not sure his scope there. For me its as a forward and he is 4 years in so its time to start clunking them. Clearly behind White and Keefe.

Not sure how Gault is behind Keeffe as a forward and Keeffe can't ruck. I thought some of Gault's ruckwork in the second half was good. He has a way to go but for me he's the second tall forward we should go with. He won't always do a lot but get games into him. White isn't a KP forward. He's a 3rd tall who can run up the ground. The only option is Witts and on last year's evidence he and Grundy are ruckmen not forwards who can ruck. We have to make a choice.

 

[HappyRed]

Well nice to have footy back and what a great ground they have down there. Anyway terrific to grab a win but truly we should have won by the margin we did with the amount they had out.

Overall observations;

• Kids have improved
• We may have quite a few v good inside mids
• Small medium forwards were impressive
• Still not sure who partners Cloke
• Where does PK play

Anyway my thoughts on the players were (sorry if missed one doing from memory);

Fasolo - Played like a bloke who doesn't want to kick the dew off the grass all winter which was pleasing. Laden with talent and showed it tonight. Played on Duryea to for a lot of the game so his results were very good. Showed good hands, led well and went nicely at the footy. He's in the 22 for mine and tonight showed why.

Dwyer - Started as a sub and was v good in the last. Nice run and link up. I didn't have him near the 22 but he's closer than I give him credit for.

Grundy - One of the shining lights of the night. Thought he competed really well at the centre bounce and all the stoppages. Moved really well and just thought a huge positive.

Elliott - Was good without standing out. Showed his class couple of times.

Goldsack - He is playing forward all year assuming the back half can stick it out. If stays fit might make a massive difference bc his pressure sets the tone for us.

Kennedy - I thought he was terrific. He copped some knocks but he kept on going and was generally very good I thought. He is not a penetrating kick and he isn't super quick but has footy smarts. I have him in the 22 but he is going to be marginal. I love his intensity.

Langdon - Was good. Don't appear to be any 2nd year blues and looks like he has the kick ins.

White - Started well and should as was playing on kids. I thought was ok but has a way to go. His best spot is FF where he can lead at the ball and if he shows the same intensity he did tonight then the '15 version looks better but jury is out and expected to be out for a while.

Adams - Seemed to be on and off a bit. His ball use looks to have improved marginally which is pleasing but he still made some mistakes. Anyway he is hard as a cats head and he wants the footy so is going to make mistakes. Important for us this year and liked the way he presented in game 1. Thought he got on the outside at times and was a nice link player.
ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC

Good review mate, I actually have De Goey as a big chance for Rising Star Award.

Not sure i agree on Kennedy, and i expected a bit more from Toovey imo.

Otherwise agree.

 

[loki04]

Freeman a fair way off it from tonight's showing imo, seems to be another that doesn't use his pace in game hopefully he can develop it further in VFL.

Had him in the starting 22 as fresh blood but I think he needs to go back and get a kick at VFL level put in some consistant good games there first. All well and good being a track athlete but if you can't convert it on game day then...

I also must have much higher expectations for Grundys 3rd year he was up against Ceglar and competed but I expect him and Witts to start grabbing games by the scruff of the neck over the next 2-3 years especially vs the Ceglar types. Shown some improvement but I want to see more think Witts will be our preferred.

 

[loki04]

Have not seen Moore Yet

Playing in the backline in 15.

 

[SApies]

White - Started well and should as was playing on kids. I thought was ok but has a way to go. His best spot is FF where he can lead at the ball and if he shows the same intensity he did tonight then the '15 version looks better but jury is out and expected to be out for a while.

White was on Frawley most the night? Hardly a kid...

 

[Fruit]

What I liked about last night is that you can see our list profile changing for the better. We are slowly introducing a bit more height in our midfield/forward line and the skill level of our recruits and kids seems to be raised.

 

[Vicky Park]

What I liked about last night is that you can see our list profile changing for the better. We are slowly introducing a bit more height in our midfield/forward line and the skill level of our recruits and kids seems to be raised.

We are starting to see the benefit of several years access to higher draft picks.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

You know, Greenwood is going to be compatred directly to Beams all year (wrongly), but honestly? Based on tonight only of course, I think Greenwood will actually suit our midfield more. I just think he'll complement Pendlebury and Swan better than Beams. I"m not saying he's a better player than Beams, I just think he'll complement our main mids better.

 

[Gone Critical]

Freeman a fair way off it from tonight's showing imo, seems to be another that doesn't use his pace in game hopefully he can develop it further in VFL.

Had him in the starting 22 as fresh blood but I think he needs to go back and get a kick at VFL level put in some consistant good games there first. All well and good being a track athlete but if you can't convert it on game day then...

I also must have much higher expectations for Grundys 3rd year he was up against Ceglar and competed but I expect him and Witts to start grabbing games by the scruff of the neck over the next 2-3 years especially vs the Ceglar types. Shown some improvement but I want to see more think Witts will be our preferred.

I have always thought Freeman will need plenty of time in the VFL in 2015. That's no problem. Miss a year of footy in your 1st year in the system and I think you regress from the player you were when you arrived at the club. As such he is a project that will take time. 12 months of no footy at that stage of his career has to be a hinderance but something he will readily make up if he stays fit. Just needs time and realistic expectation.

 

[loki04]

You know, Greenwood is going to be compatred directly to Beams all year (wrongly), but honestly? Based on tonight only of course, I think Greenwood will actually suit our midfield more. I just think he'll complement Pendlebury and Swan better than Beams. I"m not saying he's a better player than Beams, I just think he'll complement our main mids better.

Not sure Greenwood will be compared by many to Beams different players and Greenwood is only 1/3 of the deal anyway.

We have easily come out in front with the beams trade imo.

Greenwood has a bit of Luke Ball about his attack on the footy very kamikaze loved it.