Past #15: Paul Ahern - delisted after 24 NM games/6 NM goals - thanks Pauly

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TennisPlayerAndy said:
Playing as a loose HBF is about damage with ball in hand, ala Whitfield.

I highly doubt GWS bemoan the lack of defensive accountabilty shown by him when hes creating a metric fu**oad of goals through his quality ball use.
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The best thing about Ahern playing behind the ball is, he could be 80m out from goal with everyone flooding back and I’d still put money on him hitting up a target on the chest.
 

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I am betwixt and between with Paul in the backline.

As others have said, it relies on others performing well defensively in the middle and around him. He’s great with ball in hand, but seems at sea without it, in positioning and use of his body. 1 tackle?!

The likes of Jmac need to step up in this regard if he’s to be effective down back.
 
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Snake_Baker said:
I wouldn't go to that extent, I am just reinforcing that he is ALL offence, which is great if your midfield is breaking even or dominating, but it's seriously detrimental if the blokes around him aren't doing the blue collar work, as we saw last week.

Based on last nights match, he was our version of Shaun Burgoyne, and head to head, he probably shaded him.
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Honestly not super fussed at this point how his defence or CP% is travelling. With the messed up headspace he'd got himself into, job one was getting the ball into his hands, not coming up for a 15-18 disposal game in the midfield then getting dropped again. As long as his defensive effort is baseline acceptable, running him through to the end of the season racking up touches off HB with stints through the guts is good coaching. Long view.
 
Kimbo said:
It’s actually what he does with limited time that is his USP for mine.
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Oh $DEITY yeah, that quick release by foot. Have to see it up close to truly appreciate it.
 
Pykie said:
Which is actually higher than the AFL average for an elite HBF'r?

I'm not sure you really understand the role and what Ahern has been playing, contested possessions are fairly meaningless in his role.

The below are the last 6 AA half back flankers and their AA years.

Ahern has a higher contested possession ratio than all of them and the rest of his stats are pretty much bang on with all the other best ones in the game, if not better.

I'm not sure what your expectations are.....

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To quote another Pauly... ie ex PM Keating... that's a beautiful set of numbers.
 
Best kick with space and time we've had at the club since Daniel Wells. And my oh my, we knew it already how quickly does he take and release possession?!

Going to need the people who captured a praying mantis strike for Planet Earth to film this bloke executing a kick.
 

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Pykie said:
Which is actually higher than the AFL average for an elite HBF'r?
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I see, now he's not a midfielder, he's "an elite HBF'r", based upon a sample size of ..............TWO, and after getting at east 6 goals kicked on him last week.

You simply can't see past the numbers.

Reach any further and your arms will snap off at the shoulder.
 
Snake_Baker said:
I see, now he's not a midfielder, he's "an elite HBF'r", based upon a sample size of ..............TWO, and after getting at east 6 goals kicked on him last week.

You simply can't see past the numbers.

Reach any further and your arms will snap off at the shoulder.
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Are you talking 6 goals after the last 2 weeks?

6 of Hawthorns 9 goals from Ahern's direct opponent would be a bit of a eyebrow raiser.
 
SlyCunnington said:
Are you talking 6 goals after the last 2 weeks?

6 of Hawthorns 9 goals from Ahern's direct opponent would be a bit of a eyebrow raiser.
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Six of them came from Lewis, Gunston and OBrien and another from Birchall.

Macmillan was on Breust who only kicked one and Williams was on Puopolo who kicked one.
 
I was referring to the West Coast game, where I made pointed comments about his complete lack of defensive accountability..

I assumed people hadn't forgotten it yet. They probably never even noticed.
 
Snake_Baker said:
I was referring to the West Coast game, where I made pointed comments about his complete lack of defensive accountability..

I assumed people hadn't forgotten it yet. They probably never even noticed.
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Robbie Tarrant also had 7 goals kicked on him against West Coast. Want him moved out of the backline too?
 
roos_fanatic08 said:
Robbie Tarrant also had 7 goals kicked on him against West Coast. Want him moved out of the backline too?
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An absurd comparison and incorrect also.

Drop the fanboi crap, try to be a warts and all analyst, and one day you might be as good as me.
 
Paul Ahern has had 2 games as a HBFer and has accumulated some great numbers and provided some real polish coming out of the back half. Something that we have severely lacked for a long time.

How posters can conclude that after 2 games in a new position (which he has been fantastic at offensively) that he isn’t up to it defensively, is nothing short of stupidity.

I’m ecstatic at how Paul has handled the new position and hope he keeps giving us the Classy HBFer we have been desperate for.
 
Snake_Baker said:
An absurd comparison and incorrect also.

Drop the fanboi crap, try to be a warts and all analyst, and one day you might be as good as me.
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Why is that incorrect? If we are talking responsibility for opposition goals kicked then everything I’ve said was factual. Robbie had his colours lowered for only the second time this season. Kennedy was his direct opponent for 6 of the 7 goals he kicked.

Against wet toast our midfield got completely capitulated putting every single one of our defenders under duress. Williams was about the only one who broke even.

It’s all about symbiosis..you should know that...funny how when the midfield lifted its weight Ahern’s accountability improved. Your the one who is always going on about it as if your analytical expert.

Your critiques of Ahern and Dumont prove that your footballing IQ is limited.
 
Kennedy kicked 3 on Tarrant and 1 from a relayed free kick.

Go back and watch the tape again.

Also, comparing someone with as many credits in the bank as Tarrant, with Ahern, is downright ****ing absurd.
 
roos_fanatic08 said:
Why is that incorrect? If we are talking responsibility for opposition goals kicked then everything I’ve said was factual. Robbie had his colours lowered for only the second time this season. Kennedy was his direct opponent for 6 of the 7 goals he kicked.

Against wet toast our midfield got completely capitulated putting every single one of our defenders under duress. Williams was about the only one who broke even.

It’s all about symbiosis..you should know that...funny how when the midfield lifted its weight Ahern’s accountability improved. Your the one who is always going on about it as if your analytical expert.

Your critiques of Ahern and Dumont prove that your footballing IQ is limited.
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Limited Football IQ but he can write angry words on his keyboard ...

Is Christian Salem (considered one of best young attacking HBFers) a defensive star?
 
Snake_Baker said:
Kennedy kicked 3 on Tarrant and 1 from a relayed free kick.

Go back and watch the tape again.

Also, comparing someone with as many credits in the bank as Tarrant, with Ahern, is downright ****ing absurd.
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It’s not as absurd as you are calling out Ahern’s failures in his first ******* game across half back.

For the records then who did Kennedy kick the other 3 on then? Tazz was on him practically the whole game.

I’m not comparing the two of them directly as positional players....I’m simply highlighting that when the midfield lifts its weight there is no reason why Ahern can’t play as a damaging half back... surely you can see that. He was arguably the most damaging player by foot against the Hawks.

You always carry on about midfield accountability when Mcdonald or McMillan (or any other defender for that matter) get goals kicked in them, yet you adjust your criteria to suit your agenda with Ahern? Seems like he is on your WBC list....
 
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