Training 2020 Pre-Season

[mightymalaka]

I think we are more unbalanced. They got Bruce and Keath which fills massive holes. The midfield they have and a lot of in betweenness should see them rise. Might take 12 months to settle but they look good for another tilt. We are way to heavily invested in defenders and light on mids. We are also basing our elite forward line on unproven players at the moment. Hannerbury and Hill re our most important players IMO. They could be game changers if they play 23 games each.

Yeah...No doubt on the surface it may appear that way, and no question they have recruited well again!
Though their hunger has been a question mark since the unlikely triumph a few seasons back! An area i'm expecting our lads to have an edge in!

I think with us though i'm banking on the hope that we have more players with a real scope to improve markedly!
Our improvement will have to come from within, together with the blokes we have brought in.
And no question like most sides we will need our share of luck, which i figure we are more than overdue in!

But those factors all going well. Their is no reason why we cannot mix it with pretty much anyone this year
With what appears to be a more dynamic and versatile squad than we have had for some time!
I'm actually quite bullish that we can find a few players from within to really step up a notch now and give
Us the spark our previously workmanlike but very vanilla formation has shown!

 

[Ads734]

Disagree - will not be a matter of trying push games in Hunter Clark by playing in the centre - rather it will be a matter of it being a total waste of talent by playing him of HBF.

Gun!!! Bookmark it!!!

Look I have no doubt that he will a gun mid I just think that his progression into the idfield will be better if he spends a a few months contuining his form at HB and then he can move into the midifield with serious confidence.

 

[Mowman]

I think we are more unbalanced. They got Bruce and Keath which fills massive holes. The midfield they have and a lot of in betweenness should see them rise. Might take 12 months to settle but they look good for another tilt. We are way to heavily invested in defenders and light on mids. We are also basing our elite forward line on unproven players at the moment. Hannerbury and Hill re our most important players IMO. They could be game changers if they play 23 games each.

If Hannerbury and Hill can play 18 + games, I think we will improve a fair bit in the midfield. Hill & Hannerbury playing will make players like Ross and Billings much better players by spreading the load. I also think we have addressed the unbalance of the list a bit with Hill - Jones and even Butler all have good speed plus much needed experience

And with Howard watch the game against us in China, he SHOULD be a great pick up

 

[Mowman]

Thats fair, but i think Members agility is pretty good. With King not sure but by his height and build i would assume he wouldnt be very agile, but could be wrong too

King just glides across the ground its quite good to watch, his agility is fine

 

[plugger66]

Current form is not completely relevant as the midfield will be appreciably different in 2020.

Hill and Jones are both new and quite different to our other mids. Having good outside mids should improve our inside mids and I believe for example will make players like Ross more effective. Having 3 outside mids the quality of Hill, Billings and Jones will make it easier for our inside mids to be more effective.

Hanners is quality and so IF he stays on the park for the season he will make a difference.

Yes we lost Steven, but in terms of comparing 2019 to 2020, Jack was not really there last season.


Bytel is completely unkown and lacks recent games. Could be anything or nothing. Most likely will be a development year with some senior games.

Hunter however looks ready to take some midfield time.


Ryder will be interesting. Is he past it, or does e have two good years left? If he can play near his old level then in terms of midfield (ie ignoring the possible negative re forward play) then having at all times Marshall or Ryder in the ruck should help to improve the midfield.

What you are saying could come true this year. Obviously hill is proven outside but none of the others are yet proven as true mids. Like I said it could happen this year but as I type it’s only guess work. We do not have one starting insiDe centre player that is close to a grade. That is what we need to recruit or hope they are in the our system. As for Ryder I agree he helps the midfield for 5 minutes a quarter but if he plays longer there the midfield is hurt compared to last year because Marshall was a star for 25 minutes a quarter

 

[plugger66]

King just glides across the ground its quite good to watch, his agility is fine

It’s great for a guy his size but if you have to many similar to him compared to smaller players then that’s when the forward as a group lack agility and pace.

 

[jwikked]

Kane Cornes publicly saying Howard was the steal of the draft period and will come back to haunt PA. I have to agree, although I can't stand Kornes clickbait media spin.

This kid is going to be very good for us. What a pickup. Double bookmark this bloke.

The best thing was he was melting down before the trade even happened lol.

 

[bird_man]

That crows kid ruckman (name?) took it up to, and probably beat roma when we played them last year.
Only other bloke that did that last year was gawn.

Marshall actually beat O'Brien when they went head to head.

But he does look a good prospect.

 

[Mowman]

It’s great for a guy his size but if you have to many similar to him compared to smaller players then that’s when the forward as a group lack agility and pace.

Name one other player we have that is similar in size and agility to king

 

[plugger66]

Name one other player we have that is similar in size and agility to king

There isn’t. That’s my point. Ryder is the same height but no agility. Until king proves himself his agility will mean nothing. If we have to play 3 marking forward which no would this year it would battle king and membery.

 

[gringo2011]

That crows kid ruckman (name?) took it up to, and probably beat roma when we played them last year.
Only other bloke that did that last year was gawn.

It would have been O'Brien and Himmelberg as the forward ruck. They did a job on us alright. We couldn't get first use.

 

[plugger66]

It would have been O'Brien and Himmelberg as the forward ruck. They did a job on us alright. We couldn't get first use.

That was longer playing not Marshall. When Marshall played we won the clearances easily

 

[gringo2011]

Yeah...No doubt on the surface it may appear that way, and no question they have recruited well again!
Though their hunger has been a question mark since the unlikely triumph a few seasons back! An area i'm expecting our lads to have an edge in!

I think with us though i'm banking on the hope that we have more players with a real scope to improve markedly!
Our improvement will have to come from within, together with the blokes we have brought in.
And no question like most sides we will need our share of luck, which i figure we are more than overdue in!

But those factors all going well. Their is no reason why we cannot mix it with pretty much anyone this year
With what appears to be a more dynamic and versatile squad than we have had for some time!
I'm actually quite bullish that we can find a few players from within to really step up a notch now and give
Us the spark our previously workmanlike but very vanilla formation has shown!

I know Melbourne fell in a massive hole last year, but they were similar to us in that they just couldn't draft anyone and then all of a sudden over a few years started nailing heaps. I think it's looking like it's turned around. We have actual output to base hope on now, not just hope. Marshall, Battle and Clark look like the best 3 draft picks we've had since Stuv. Gresham and Billings are good but not quite top shelf yet.

 

[BrutThough]

Disagree - will not be a matter of trying push games in Hunter Clark by playing in the centre - rather it will be a matter of it being a total waste of talent by playing him of HBF.

Gun!!! Bookmark it!!!

If Hunter is playing off half back and excelling like he did at the end of last season, then we aren't wasting his talent at all.

 

[gringo2011]

What you are saying could come true this year. Obviously hill is proven outside but none of the others are yet proven as true mids. Like I said it could happen this year but as I type it’s only guess work. We do not have one starting insiDe centre player that is close to a grade. That is what we need to recruit or hope they are in the our system. As for Ryder I agree he helps the midfield for 5 minutes a quarter but if he plays longer there the midfield is hurt compared to last year because Marshall was a star for 25 minutes a quarter

Hanners is inside outside and on 2016 form he's true elite. The trick will be getting him back to that form. Didn't he come runner up in a couple of AFLPA MVP awards?

 

[gringo2011]

The best thing was he was melting down before the trade even happened lol.

I see that as a very admirable quality.

 

[Mowman]

There isn’t. That’s my point. Ryder is the same height but no agility. Until king proves himself his agility will mean nothing. If we have to play 3 marking forward which no would this year it would battle king and membery.

No you said if we have to many like king our forward line won’t function as a group. I pointed out we don’t have anyone else like King

 

[plugger66]

Hanners is inside outside and on 2016 form he's true elite. The trick will be getting him back to that form. Didn't he come runner up in a couple of AFLPA MVP awards?

Yep but Robert Harvey won a couple. It’s a long way back for hanners. If he gets to 2017 form it would be a feat but he would still only be B grade on that form.

 

[plugger66]

No you said if we have to many like king our forward line won’t function as a group. I pointed out we don’t have anyone else like King

Left out the word height.

 

[mightymalaka]

I personally see no problem with playing 3 talls at a particular time given the opposition!
We know Membrey and King are very agile, with only possibly Ryder when playing fwd as the less mobile.
They would certainly stretch the opposition back half, providing we can deliver some decent service!
Surround them with guys like Butler, Leonie and a Billings or Gresham and Long types and we have one
Dynamic and multi faceted forward line!

I'd be expecting guys to rotate fwd as much as they do onball such as Ryder, Gresham, Billings, Marshall
With Battle as an ideal swingman thrown in!

 

[plugger66]

I personally see no problem with playing 3 talls at a particular time given the opposition!
We know Membrey and King are very agile, with only possibly Ryder when playing fwd as the less mobile.
They would certainly stretch the opposition back half, providing we can deliver some decent service!
Surround them with guys like Butler, Leonie and a Billings or Gresham and Long types and we have one
Dynamic and multi faceted forward line!

I'd be expecting guys to rotate fwd as much as they do onball such as Ryder, Gresham, Billings, Marshall
With Battle as an ideal swingman thrown in!

I never understand why talls who haven’t proven a thing would stretch back lines. To me that is a 1980’s thing. It’s team defence now and with the lack of contested marking it doesn’t really matter about height but more about ability. If you are tall and good then fine. If you are short and good then fine. At the moment the only player the opposition would be really worried about in that group is membery. King hasn’t hardly played a game for 2 years so no matter how good he is it will take time. Ryder has never proven himself as a forward and due to age is past making that a position to scare the opposition. If we play 3 talls I would play battle at least he had very good year as a back so the opposition know he can play. King should play as much as possible for experience but it won’t be to stretch the opposition this year.

 

[The_Steadier]

That was longer playing not Marshall. When Marshall played we won the clearances easily

Im talking about the game late in the season.

Obrien caused roma more headaches around the ground and in the ruck all night than anyone bar gawn did all year I think.

Roma didnt play poorly, but obrien played better in my opinion- or at least as equally as well... which is no small feat given how good marshall was last year.

Since when were you a convert to the wacky church of clearances = good ruckmen pluggs?

 

[plugger66]

Im talking about the game late in the season.

Obrien caused roma more headaches around the ground and in the ruck all night than anyone bar gawn did all year I think.

Roma didnt play poorly, but obrien played better in my opinion- or at least as equally as well... which is no small feat given how good marshall was last year.

Since when were you a convert to the wacky church of clearances = good ruckmen pluggs?

I remember the game well. Thought Marshall won easily and looking at stats just to refresh it looks like he won easily. I only used clearances because even though I remember it well I needed stats to be sure. There isn’t a stat to suggest O’Brien won.

 

[mightymalaka]

I never understand why talls who haven’t proven a thing would stretch back lines. To me that is a 1980’s thing. It’s team defence now and with the lack of contested marking it doesn’t really matter about height but more about ability. If you are tall and good then fine. If you are short and good then fine. At the moment the only player the opposition would be really worried about in that group is membery. King hasn’t hardly played a game for 2 years so no matter how good he is it will take time. Ryder has never proven himself as a forward and due to age is past making that a position to scare the opposition. If we play 3 talls I would play battle at least he had very good year as a back so the opposition know he can play. King should play as much as possible for experience but it won’t be to stretch the opposition this year.

I wouldn't sell the lad too short just yet....Having the 3 of them fwd at one given time has to stretch the opposition back half
Not too many sides with 3 strong tall defenders! It's not something you would do all the time! But gives us a fresh option at different times!
Then like you said add Battle to the mix and some pretty clever and classy crumbers and away we go!

There is no doubting the trick will be to get the balance right week in week out depending on match ups
But King wouldn't be the first young player to have a big impact if he did! And based on what i have seen
Of him he is a very special talent.....Make no mistake he will have the opposition scratching their heads what to do about him
Given some luck body wise and continuity! And even if Ryder is not a noted big goalkicker fwd, he could well get off the chain
Being the 3rd banana up there at times or even Marshall when he has a spell!
I just think all round it makes us a lot more unpredictable and seriously dangerous if it can all click!

 

[plugger66]

I wouldn't sell the lad too short just yet....Having the 3 of them fwd at one given time has to stretch the opposition back half
Not too many sides with 3 strong tall defenders! It's not something you would do all the time! But gives us a fresh option at different times!
Then like you said add Battle to the mix and some pretty clever and classy crumbers and away we go!

There is no doubting the trick will be to get the balance right week in week out depending on match ups
But King wouldn't be the first young player to have a big impact if he did! And based on what i have seen
Of him he is a very special talent.....Make no mistake he will have the opposition scratching their heads what to do about him
Given some luck body wise and continuity! And even if Ryder is not a noted big goalkicker fwd, he could well get off the chain
Being the 3rd banana up there at times or even Marshall when he has a spell!
I just think all round it makes us a lot more unpredictable and seriously dangerous if it can all click!

As I said with team defence I don’t think unproven or average talls stretch anyone these days. Certainly not good sides. And to expect more than a goal a game on average out of king is expecting far to much especially for guy who has hardly played for 2 years. Good players stretch sides not average tall players