Beerfish
Fat Side Winger
- Jan 20, 2008
- 60,344
- 100,678
- AFL Club
- Essendon
- Other Teams
- Nic Martin
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Missed targets have such an incredible knock on effect. A bad kick is not just about us not scoring - it usually opens us up to massive defensive pain where we waste energy racing back the other way... when that energy could otherwise be used to pressure like hell and not let the opponent out of our forward 50.It may also be symptomatic of having a forward line that is bush league.
No target puts pressure on the kicker to dispose of the ball, no one demanding it.
Too much is being made about our players inability to hit targets. The teams skill level is down yes and it will need to be turned around to get to where we want to but if you look around the league the skills are in the toilet.
A case study would also be the pies, their skills going inside 50 were atrocious up until they werent and became one of the best teams in the comp.
We have had a league where the entire plan has been create the loose and then work it down the field hitting open targets. Now we have a league where it's largely one on one and teams don't train skills. Recipe for some very poor displays right there.
It also seems pretty miserable to focus on nothing but some missed targets instead of being happy we have some speed away from clearance we haven't had in a decade.
Guys remember that he's Shane's new Stanton
RubbishThat’s pretty unfair to keep bringing up the Stanton thing. Serves no purpose and just says to me you haven’t got anything constructive to say other than antagonistic retorts.
Its as plain as day the guy is a big disappointment as a top line, experienced midfielder recruit.
He’s played more than enough games with this team now to expect him to be in some kind of elite form.
But week after week he displays mediocre skills especially with his atrocious kicking and it’s incredibly frustrating to watch considering we all had such high hopes on how much value he would add.
I’ve already accepted he’s not going to be some kind of new bomber superstar.
He’s basically just going to be a hard working foot soldier who runs really fast with average kicking skills.
That’s just the way it is.
And people can defend him and try to cut down anyone who criticises him but the evidence is undeniable and right there in front of us.
He’s pretty average. That’s a fact.
Rubbish
Look, his disposal could be better but his ability to break away from the contest is elite. To say he is average is unfair.Why?
No, that’s your opinion. You should learn the difference.That’s pretty unfair to keep bringing up the Stanton thing. Serves no purpose and just says to me you haven’t got anything constructive to say other than antagonistic retorts.
Its as plain as day the guy is a big disappointment as a top line, experienced midfielder recruit.
He’s played more than enough games with this team now to expect him to be in some kind of elite form.
But week after week he displays mediocre skills especially with his atrocious kicking and it’s incredibly frustrating to watch considering we all had such high hopes on how much value he would add.
I’ve already accepted he’s not going to be some kind of new bomber superstar.
He’s basically just going to be a hard working foot soldier who runs really fast with average kicking skills.
That’s just the way it is.
And people can defend him and try to cut down anyone who criticises him but the evidence is undeniable and right there in front of us.
He’s pretty average. That’s a fact.
Stats say otherwise. Is he elite? No. But he is above average.That’s pretty unfair to keep bringing up the Stanton thing. Serves no purpose and just says to me you haven’t got anything constructive to say other than antagonistic retorts.
Its as plain as day the guy is a big disappointment as a top line, experienced midfielder recruit.
He’s played more than enough games with this team now to expect him to be in some kind of elite form.
But week after week he displays mediocre skills especially with his atrocious kicking and it’s incredibly frustrating to watch considering we all had such high hopes on how much value he would add.
I’ve already accepted he’s not going to be some kind of new bomber superstar.
He’s basically just going to be a hard working foot soldier who runs really fast with average kicking skills.
That’s just the way it is.
And people can defend him and try to cut down anyone who criticises him but the evidence is undeniable and right there in front of us.
He’s pretty average. That’s a fact.
Most of our best field kickers are in the forward line. We may need to get Tippa playing off half back more or Fantasia as they are better than anyone we have in the middle at creating with the football. i'd add Stringer and Daniher to that list as well but we need forwards of course.
I've got Shiel mid-table in terms of disposal in our best 22. You would probably want your new gun recruit to sit higher than that, especially when this was already a problem area for us through the middle of the ground.
Look, his disposal could be better but his ability to break away from the contest is elite. To say he is average is unfair.
He hit targets at GWS but they have smart forwards.
His hand balling has been pretty average as well as his kicking. It definitely has been frustrating but I’m optimistic he can improve.
Yeah ok, dumb statement re GWS Fwds. We just don't have good forward craft which doesn't help our mids.But they have smart forwards? That’s a ridiculous statement...seriously.
Anyway, the goal posts never move and all one has to do is put it through the space in between.
We paid an absolute fortune for this guy in wages and draft picks used...thinking he’d use his supposedly elite kicking skills to drill passes to our forwards and mids.
But it’s not happening. It’s all very average disposals by hand and foot.
Yes he breaks lines, runs fast and carries the ball..that’s great...good stuff.
But any decent mid does that.
Seeing McGrath weave his way through traffic and creating opportunities with his A grade handpasses and kicks at full speed is what it’s all about. Compare him to Shiel and i feel disappointed in what we gave up to get him.
Doesn’t mean I don’t think he adds value to our team.
I just expected more that’s all. But it’s not to be. At his age and level of experience, this is how he is.
Yeah ok, dumb statement re GWS Fwds. We just don't have good forward craft which doesn't help our mids.
Certainly needs to improve disposal, but has been good on the whole imo.
Yeah it seems like the whole teams skills are pretty average... maybe we’ll do some skills training over summerI watched him very closely during that WC game the other week. Seats I had were 10 rows back from fence, dead in line with the centre circle..so as good as it gets when watching everything that goes on out on the field.
There was a moment in play on the Eagles half forward line near boundary where Shiel tried to panic hand pass out of trouble in congestion and delivered it straight to a West Coast player’s hands and off he went banging down to his forwardline for an eventual goal.
It was embarrassing.
Spent the whole game listening to various Eagles fans around me laughing at our prized recruit.
That doesn’t happen for no good reason.
All the footy world knows we have givin up a hell of a lot for this guy expecting him to be out best player week after week by now.
But that’s footy sometimes.
Agreed. Lack of confidence a big factor.Yes, our forwardline is a 3 ring circus of blokes running around waving arms and indecisive leading patterns that don’t make it easy for a mid as he looks up to deliver by foot.
We really are a mess of a team in general.
Winging it qrt by qrt and basic skill errors are killing us at times.
The players obviously have an all round lack of confidence in our structure as a side.
Hurley’s brief interview after the game in the rooms told the story of this lack of belief.
We have a fair way to go as a side before we look like a genuine top 4 team.
Yeah it seems like the whole teams skills are pretty average... maybe we’ll do some skills training over summer
Agreed. Lack of confidence a big factor.
Skill level across the AFL as bad as I have seen. The Pies/Hawks game similar to ours. I think it is a result of defensive pressure.
It may also be symptomatic of having a forward line that is bush league.
No target puts pressure on the kicker to dispose of the ball, no one demanding it.
Too much is being made about our players inability to hit targets. The teams skill level is down yes and it will need to be turned around to get to where we want to but if you look around the league the skills are in the toilet.
A case study would also be the pies, their skills going inside 50 were atrocious up until they werent and became one of the best teams in the comp.
We have had a league where the entire plan has been create the loose and then work it down the field hitting open targets. Now we have a league where it's largely one on one and teams don't train skills. Recipe for some very poor displays right there.
It also seems pretty miserable to focus on nothing but some missed targets instead of being happy we have some speed away from clearance we haven't had in a decade.
2015 - 75% disposal efficiency
2016 - 72%
2017 - 71%
2018 - 69%
2019 - 65%
but he can turn it around... right guys....? i hope he just needs some focused training but thats a worrying trend.
2015 - 75% disposal efficiency
2016 - 72%
2017 - 71%
2018 - 69%
2019 - 65%
but he can turn it around... right guys....? i hope he just needs some focused training but thats a worrying trend.
That’s pretty unfair to keep bringing up the Stanton thing. Serves no purpose and just says to me you haven’t got anything constructive to say other than antagonistic retorts.
Its as plain as day the guy is a big disappointment as a top line, experienced midfielder recruit.
He’s played more than enough games with this team now to expect him to be in some kind of elite form.
But week after week he displays mediocre skills especially with his atrocious kicking and it’s incredibly frustrating to watch considering we all had such high hopes on how much value he would add.
I’ve already accepted he’s not going to be some kind of new bomber superstar.
He’s basically just going to be a hard working foot soldier who runs really fast with average kicking skills.
That’s just the way it is.
And people can defend him and try to cut down anyone who criticises him but the evidence is undeniable and right there in front of us.
He’s pretty average. That’s a fact.