News 2018 Pre-season, huff, puff, houses-trained-down and NEWS

[David the Cat]

DE for inside mids is usually low....in particular for players with less than 40 games experience at AFL level.

Some posters are very harsh on Menegola...

 

[Catdog]

DE for inside mids is usually low....in particular for players with less than 40 games experience at AFL level.

Some posters are very harsh on Menegola...

+1

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

DE for inside mids is usually low....in particular for players with less than 40 games experience at AFL level.

Some posters are very harsh on Menegola...

I may sound harsh but if you watch those Finals again I think you'll find he shirked one or two issues.

 

[dazbroncos]

Hope so, he may well be. But has there ever been surgery that wasn't reported as a complete success?

I'm waiting for the "his <insert body part> is actually better now than before surgery"* line next.

(* Pioneered first with Menzel, and since perfected with Cowan and his "surgically repaired Achilles" that mysteriously snapped again last year.)

Sorry mate but the BS meter tripped here.

I completely agree with the sentiment that every surgery is classed “successful” upon completion ... and Cowan did have further Achilles complaints post his corrective surgery but the assertion that they snapped is totally incorrect and over the top.
I get he’s gone - but no need for the over the top rubbish.

Go Catters

 

[Willo_]

Crameri is a big unit isn't he..

Also fwiw if fit i expect him to play rd 1

 

[manboob]

Crameri is a big unit isn't he..

190cm and 98kg.

 

[Cool Cat]

Steven King was a premiership player and duel best and fairest winner too.

Broke my heart when they shunted Barnesy for a young king.

 

[Cool Cat]

Your opinion, fair enough. I'd love him as a Cat. Sheer gun, imo.

I’ve always liked what stringer brought to the table more than bont, but would readily concede that bont is by far the more likely to get the most out of himself (and has done so so far). Both are terrifically gifted. If only...

 

[Ratcat]

What was his disposal efficiency? Cause from what i can remember it was woeful. He got enough of the ball but continually coughed it up.

IRated 101.5 fantasy, 3rd in both semi and prelim don't know DE.

 

[Seeds]

Bont is not in the best 10% of midfielders but Sam is in the best 10% of half-forward flankers?

The irony being that menegola only plays well when he is put in the middle.

 

[Pollywaffle]

I think the Menzel contract and interest shows he’s not elite

There are probably some inside medical aspects to the lack of interest in Menzel. hard to keep stuff like that secret these days. Still a magical player when he is on.

 

[Seeds]

And all Australian. And our last gutless club captain. Could play though.

I love how king ran his body into the ground for the club destroying it by 26 as a single ruckman and we now call him gutless.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Crameri is a big unit isn't he..

Also fwiw if fit i expect him to play rd 1

As CHF and Hawk as FF or vice versa?

 

[catempire]

The irony being that menegola only plays well when he is put in the middle.

Best footy in 2017 was high half forward.

 

[Rondog]

Broke my heart when they shunted Barnesy for a young king.

King playing in the 2007 premiership was another great fairytale that day.

 

[thejester]

The irony being that menegola only plays well when he is put in the middle.

I'll have to dig up the post but I don't think this is true - his best games last season he barely started at any centre bounces. I think his best position is starting at half forward where he can push up into contests in midfield but also gets hit up on transition and is a marking target forward.

 

[Seeds]

Best footy in 2017 was high half forward.

best games were the gws and hawthorn games where he spent the whole game as a mid. Games he spends most of the time at half forward, like the final series, he does very little. His only good attribute as a forward is his marking ability. He is hopeless at roving the pack, has a poor turning circle and is not quick off the mark and thus never provides a leading option. Plus he gets the yips kicking for goal. Menegola is a pure mid fielder. Completely mismanaged in the finals.

 

[Partridge]

DE for inside mids is usually low....in particular for players with less than 40 games experience at AFL level.

Some posters are very harsh on Menegola...

In what way? Because some of us don’t think he’s elite?

Right now he’s shown to be a good player during home and away, but he’s struggled mightily when the pressure goes up in finals. Don’t see what’s harsh about that.

 

[thejester]

best games were the gws and hawthorn games where he spent the whole game as a mid. Games he spends most of the time at half forward, like the final series, he does very little. His only good attribute as a forward is his marking ability. He is hopeless at roving the pack, has a poor turning circle and is not quick off the mark and thus never provides a leading option. Plus he gets the yips kicking for goal. Menegola is a pure mid fielder. Completely mismanaged in the finals.

Menegola centre bounce stats (courtesy of Baudolino):

Round 23 against GWS: 3/27
Round 21 against Collingwood: 1/23
SF against Sydney: 5/24
Round 20 against Sydney: 7/27
Round 17 against Hawthorn: 10/29 (by comparison Selwood started 27, Duncan 23 and Blicavs 17).

Certainly played some good games when he had to spend more time in the middle due to injuries but definitely best footy at half forward.

 

[dazbroncos]

In what way? Because some of us don’t think he’s elite?

Right now he’s shown to be a good player during home and away, but he’s struggled mightily when the pressure goes up in finals. Don’t see what’s harsh about that.

I dont think he's elite - nor should he be classed such IMO.

Elite has become an overused moniker - it also probably does not help we have PFD, Sel and GAJ now all in that category with Duncan full on A grade

( I use Elite, A,B,C grade - and elite counts about 7 players in the game)

Menegola is solid an has the potential to be very good - but Elite is not clsoe to him now. That said, I think he's better than the wrap he gets on here.
but Elite - no ******* way.

Go Catters

 

[lionbear]

In what way? Because some of us don’t think he’s elite?

Right now he’s shown to be a good player during home and away, but he’s struggled mightily when the pressure goes up in finals. Don’t see what’s harsh about that.

I thought his qualifying final against Hawthorn in 16 and his Semi final against the Swans in 17 were both very good games.

So don’t agree with the when the heat goes up he struggles, does need to work on his consistency in Finals, but the ability to be a big game player is there.

 

[catempire]

best games were the gws and hawthorn games where he spent the whole game as a mid. Games he spends most of the time at half forward, like the final series, he does very little. His only good attribute as a forward is his marking ability. He is hopeless at roving the pack, has a poor turning circle and is not quick off the mark and thus never provides a leading option. Plus he gets the yips kicking for goal. Menegola is a pure mid fielder. Completely mismanaged in the finals.

Completely disagree. Struggled as a mid frankly after everyone thought that was his go. Found his niche as a high half forward. To the extent that he was very handy and quite dangerous in that role. Pointing out finals is pointless given how the team performed there.

 

[Willo_]

As CHF and Hawk as FF or vice versa?

He's probably suited to working up the ground. But I believe he mentioned in an interview playing deep?
Hawk working up the ground makes him dangerous and gets him in the game... Crameri sharp off the mark and a big body could be handy leading from deep. And normally a good set shot .

 

[Boxhead_31]

He's probably suited to working up the ground. But I believe he mentioned in an interview playing deep?
Hawk working up the ground makes him dangerous and gets him in the game... Crameri sharp off the mark and a big body could be handy leading from deep. And normally a good set shot .

Wouldn't mind seeing the Crameri deep Hawkins high set up myself.

Makes it harder for Hawkins to be double teamed while also taking away the tendency to "Bomb it long to Tom" that we sometimes fall into with our forward entries, having Stewart and Menzel working as deep options out of the square would make us a lot more unpredictable for teams to match up on with the bonus of both of them being good finishers.

My ideal forward line would be something like this:

HF: Menegola, Hawkins, McCarthy
FF: Menzel, Crameri, Gregson

Dangerfield/Ablett can swap with Menegola and when they do Gregson or Menzel to push up to HF

 

[Hamingja]

God I wish we would have the most powerful forward line in the comp. Channel 7