Analysis Clarko in 2019 “We’re a middle of the road team”

[grumbleguts]

...?

Both you and TheFourPillars are swimming in Kool-aid at the moment. All this “there is a reason, but we are not wise enough to know” caper. Clarkson is pretty frank about it all publicly. He is at odds with himself and the words he spoke 2 years ago “we will make the necessary changes and won’t spend too long around the middle part of the ladder”.

We can’t keep accepting mediocre performances from our senior players, and we can’t keep denying chances to those who might improve the team.

Yay! Finally, the straw that broke the camel's back. The last post of yours I'll ever read.

 

[TooOldTooSlowTooGood]

No one is discounting burgers ability and how good he was.

It’s just unfortunate Father Time has caught up with him. I’m happy that we are getting him to 400. But he’s not playing well. Last few years he’s really slowed down.

Burgs hasn’t been getting best on votes but he’s been far from a liability. Only time he’s been bad is when the disposal before he got it put him under pressure or he’s looked up and had nothing down field to kick too.

Nothing unfortunate about father time catching up with someone in their late 30s with 3 or 4 kids at home, I hope I’m that lucky. If you are happy he is getting to 400 then, why type it?

 

[H00t]

Burgs hasn’t been getting best on votes but he’s been far from a liability. Only time he’s been bad is when the disposal before he got it put him under pressure or he’s looked up and had nothing down field to kick too.

Nothing unfortunate about father time catching up with someone in their late 30s with 3 or 4 kids at home, I hope I’m that lucky. If you are happy he is getting to 400 then, why type it?

He’s good by foot, always will be. But he’s become a non-event around the ground. Pretty much unable to make any impact at all. He’s a spectator more often than not.

To still be playing at his age is incredible. And I’m glad that he’s getting to 400 games but it looks to me like we are absolutely carrying him to 400. Got a few players like greaves that would probably benefit from playing some 1’s.

 

[TooOldTooSlowTooGood]

He’s good by foot, always will be. But he’s become a non-event around the ground. Pretty much unable to make any impact at all. He’s a spectator more often than not.

To still be playing at his age is incredible. And I’m glad that he’s getting to 400 games but it looks to me like we are absolutely carrying him to 400. Got a few players like greaves that would probably benefit from playing some 1’s.

I disagree, but will watch a lot closer today. Maybe I have rose coloured glasses on. Has only looked bad in the forward pocket in my memory, but who hasn’t..

 

[cryptor]

Why is it bad for development for players to play in the vfl? Doesn’t it tell you where reeves is at as a player if he can’t get a game ahead of O’Brien as a secondary ruckman?

have you actually noticed that wingard, Phillips, Morrison, Howe and Breust (with cameos from Ollie when in the team) run through the middle? Yes it is the same core plus wingard. Have you not noticed wingard?

Exactly. Playing players at AFL level before they're ready would be a bit like giving primary school kids high schoolers work and expecting that would accelerate their development. You'd have one or two brilliant kids who would pick it up well (your Worpel and Day players) but the vast majority wouldn't cope with it and ultimately you probably end up doing more harm than good by shattering their confidence and not giving them the opportunity to apply their learnings because they can't keep up with it.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I wonder why grumbleguts feels the need to tell everyone when he's blocking them, are they supposed to feel bad about this?

Also it's been a few days since he's told us all how intelligent he is. We're overdue a reminder.

 

[TooOldTooSlowTooGood]

I wonder why grumbleguts feels the need to tell everyone when he's blocking them, are they supposed to feel bad about this?

Also it's been a few days since he's told us all how intelligent he is. We're overdue a reminder.

I tell everyone about everything when I’m being a Grumble Guts...

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I tell everyone about everything when I’m being a Grumble Guts...

But (based on your posting history) you're not a condescending campaigner that has no concept of what irony is. And you don't hide when challenged.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

He’s good by foot, always will be. But he’s become a non-event around the ground. Pretty much unable to make any impact at all. He’s a spectator more often than not.

To still be playing at his age is incredible. And I’m glad that he’s getting to 400 games but it looks to me like we are absolutely carrying him to 400. Got a few players like greaves that would probably benefit from playing some 1’s.

Miers had his best game in a while (since R16 last year) against Burgoyne, he found too much space.

Greaves could play this role and keep up with the likes if Miers, IMO.

Again, it's a head v heart thing when it comes to Burgoyne.

 

[TooOldTooSlowTooGood]

Miers had his best game in a while (since R16 last year) against Burgoyne, he found too much space.

Greaves could play this role and keep up with the likes if Miers, IMO.

Again, it's a head v heart thing when it comes to Burgoyne.

If it’s a 1 kick game in the last 5 minutes I know who I want in the team.
Loved Greaves late last year but his pre season games weren’t as good and don’t get to watch match VFL so can’t comment on form since then...

 

[Judd2Sewell]

If it’s a 1 kick game in the last 5 minutes I know who I want in the team.
Loved Greaves late last year but his pre season games weren’t as good and don’t get to watch match VFL so can’t comment on form since then...

He was getting plenty of touches and was efficient by foot. He had one blunder in the goal square in the preseason which stood out. But that game was a game of two halves - first half average, second half he was excellent.

Granted he's probably the #1 player you'd want with the ball in a close match with moments to go - but that's not a reason to keep him in the team over someone like Greaves, who has been good at VFL level so far based on Mitchell's assessments.

Maybe the club just doesn't rate Greaves like we (I) do.

 

[TylerDurden]

He was getting plenty of touches and was efficient by foot. He had one blunder in the goal square in the preseason which stood out. But that game was a game of two halves - first half average, second half he was excellent.

Granted he's probably the #1 player you'd want with the ball in a close match with moments to go - but that's not a reason to keep him in the team over someone like Greaves, who has been good at VFL level so far based on Mitchell's assessments.

Maybe the club just doesn't rate Greaves like we (I) do.

Finds it and makes good decisions, but apparently not great defensively. Otherwise he would've played by now, especially with Day injured.

 

[TooOldTooSlowTooGood]

He was getting plenty of touches and was efficient by foot. He had one blunder in the goal square in the preseason which stood out. But that game was a game of two halves - first half average, second half he was excellent.

Granted he's probably the #1 player you'd want with the ball in a close match with moments to go - but that's not a reason to keep him in the team over someone like Greaves, who has been good at VFL level so far based on Mitchell's assessments.

Maybe the club just doesn't rate Greaves like we (I) do.

I thought he panicked a few more times than that in that game and a half he got, but young player, that’s fine.
Long term Scrimmers, Day, CJ, Dimma, Impey, Greaves, DGB until he is ‘massive’ and plays tall...
We are spoilt in the mid/small backs, maybe the coaches don’t see any of them as mids /forward/wings.. might have to go past one of them?

 

[LMGjr]

I don't get this thread - we are almost exactly 2 season on from Clarko saying that, and 1 of those seasons should have just been called off, to actually be fair to the entire comp.

At the end of 2019 we did the pivot at the draft, the same year Clarko said we're a middle of the road team - so we are really only at the start of the 2nd season since Clarkson was totally frank, if I may use that word, about it, considering the username of threads creator.

I guess we need somewhere to vent about a 4 time premiership coach thread?

We haven't been rebuilding for 4 decades like Snithcmond (1980), the handbags (1963), Throwdogs, (that long ago I can't remember).........

I say we are spoiled. And I love it.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Wonder how many times we will kick 10 goals in a game this season. I'm tipping 4 times.

 

[Lickmesocks]

Such a shame we have copped a flogging but we spent so much energy hanging on in the second and third qtr we are completely cooked.

 

[Cleavy]

We’re the roadkill in the middle of the road.

 

[The Chad and I]

We're just not that good.
We need Sicily, Gunston and Day to be competitive with the best teams - and play near our best form.
We just don't have the depth and much of the talent coming through have glaring deficiencies to work on without any standout elite qualities.

 

[PhatHQ]

Sicily Gunston and Day will not improve the W/L ratio that much. The trouble runs a lot deeper than that.
Mitchell has 0 hurt factor
Shiels is my new Smith and has to go

4/21- W/L..... that is astounding.
“Middle of the road” is flattering statement and out dated.

 

[HAWKSBESTEVA]

We can’t improve by just hitting the draft. Offer kelly and Merrett massive deals, get 1 or both across and use our first for 2 top 10 picks and take the best available key fwd with one of them.

 

[LMGjr]

Such a shame we have copped a flogging but we spent so much energy hanging on in the second and third qtr we are completely cooked.

How many changes were there this week? And the week before?

Interesting, maybe.

 

[PhatHQ]

2021 and 2022 contract status.
List cull this season.
Free agency will be our friend in 2022.
No player on the list is signed past 2023.... not 1.
This seasons list management is critical to get righ in the off season and extend those who will be here in 4 years time. Everyone else should be on the table or swept out the door.

 

[Bardo State]

At the end of 2019 we did the pivot at the draft, the same year Clarko said we're a middle of the road team -

I've seen this said a few times but it's just not true. In 2019 we took one first round selection at 13 and one second round selection at 29. No other picks in the top 50. Then in 2020 we took one first round pick and 2 (very late) second round picks. That's barely above what we'd be expected to take, especially given the extra second pick we took last year was a Downie match.

We haven't pivoted to the draft at all. We've taken 2 top 25 picks over 2 years and just haven't traded out our early picks.

We should have pivoted to the draft. But we haven't.

 

[Brishawk]

I've seen this said a few times but it's just not true. In 2019 we took one first round selection at 13 and one second round selection at 29. No other picks in the top 50. Then in 2020 we took one first round pick and 2 (very late) second round picks. That's barely above what we'd be expected to take, especially given the extra second pick we took last year was a Downie match.

We haven't pivoted to the draft at all. We've taken 2 top 25 picks over 2 years and just haven't traded out our early picks.

We should have pivoted to the draft. But we haven't.

You dont think the last two drafts are different from the few before hand? In any case, last year was not the best year to throw the sink at the draft given so many players had not played at all and there were so many academy players. But we did make moves to add depth plus add an extra second round pick which gives us three inside the top 30 on current ladder positions. Whether we trade out players and picks for another first round pick this year will be interesting.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

It's really astounding to think how much Clarko overestimated the list, compared to where we actually are right now.