Roast Mitch Duncan, time to step up

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Dec 10, 2003
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The one thing id say when rating the difficulty of position ... its different for different players. One set of skills fits nicely into the requirements for a role.

Id say a lot of players would say they would struggle to play in the ruck, or on the big powee forward.

Stewart and Duncan play the roles they are suited for ..and probably neither would be as good if they swapped roles.
 

standupand

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The one thing id say when rating the difficulty of position ... its different for different players. One set of skills fits nicely into the requirements for a role.

Id say a lot of players would say they would struggle to play in the ruck, or on the big powee forward.

Stewart and Duncan play the roles they are suited for ..and probably neither would be as good if they swapped roles.
That was - I think - at least half proven to be correct in the QF loss this year. Duncan played in the back-half, got a lot of the ball but was not nearly as effective as Stewart normally is in that position.
 
Nov 12, 2002
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That was - I think - at least half proven to be correct in the QF loss this year. Duncan played in the back-half, got a lot of the ball but was not nearly as effective as Stewart normally is in that position.

But was still close to our best player.

Duncan on a half back flank would get a mountain of the ball. And use it well. Just we need him further up the ground.
 
But was still close to our best player.

Duncan on a half back flank would get a mountain of the ball. And use it well. Just we need him further up the ground.

Correct...and this Board thought so as well....at least those who voted for MVP that week....

Top 3.......Henry 97.....Duncan 67.....Close 41

No-one else attracted more than 20 votes.
 

standupand

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Correct...and this Board thought so as well....at least those who voted for MVP that week....

Top 3.......Henry 97.....Duncan 67.....Close 41

No-one else attracted more than 20 votes.
From memory I think I may have left him out of the votes for the reason that sometimes the player who racks up the touches in a bad loss shows you where things are going wrong. Stewart straightens us up and I just recall Duncan mostly moving it around chess-like in the backline - all fine disposal, but at a time when we just badly needed something more adventurous. Things like that show to me how experience playing in a position counts for a lot.
 
Correct...and this Board thought so as well....at least those who voted for MVP that week....

Top 3.......Henry 97.....Duncan 67.....Close 41

No-one else attracted more than 20 votes.
Can we possibly look at that?
 
I'm surprised Parfitt didn't on the night,he worked hard for 4 quarters the rest were dross.

My mistake...after the top 3 mentioned, Smith polled 26, followed by Parfitt with 11 votes.

Sometimes the workhorse efforts are overlooked, I guess.
 
Nov 12, 2002
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It’s sad. You turn 30 and all of a sudden you’re a “veteran”. We need to come up with a new word/term that doesn’t have such a negative connotation, like “accomplished” midfielder...

Still true though. If you've been playing the game for 10 years or more, you really are a veteran. Duncan debuted in 2010 so this is season number 13; he's definitely a veteran.
 
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Sep 15, 2005
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Turned out to have a pretty damn fine career. Was consistent from literally his first year of footy.

I was praising Peter Riccardi in another thread recently; Duncan's career is roughly equivalent imo - both are/were midfielders, both a bit outside-ish - both very skillful by foot. Neither particularly threatening aerially, neither really have a defining Finals moment; Duncan has of course 1x Premiership medal (and a goal in the 2011 GF).

In my personal heirachy of best Cats I've seen they're difficult to split; others might not think the comparison appropriate no doubt.
 
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Dunno if I'd call "Line Coaches" old-fashioned; the term probably didn't exist ten years ago.
I'm certain I heard the expression used well before that, though you may be right.
There is no problem with allocating coaches to teach/coach in specific parts of the game, eg how to defend, how to play in attack; and more importantly, when and how to do it, and how to transition from one role to another according to the game plan and state of play, etc.
But that's something to be done at training.
What is outdated, is match-day allocation of coaches to specific "lines", because it is simply out of synch with the way the game is actually played, as most players constantly transition from one role to another, be it attack, defence or in-between.
There has to be a better way of ensuring that the blokes in the box are all primarily concentrating on the whole team and game, and only secondarily on how individual players are performing their roles as part of that greater scheme of things.
 
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Dec 10, 2003
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I was praising Peter Riccardi in another thread recently; Duncan's career is roughly equivalent imo - both are/were midfielders, both a bit outside-ish - both very skillful by foot. Neither particularly threatening aerially, neither really have a defining Finals moment; Duncan has of course 1x Premiership medal (and a goal in the 2011 GF).

In my personal heirachy of best Cats I've seen they're difficult to split; others might not think the comparison appropriate no doubt.

An interesting comparison. Id say Ricco was more x citing. More pace. He had more X factor. Did he play better in finals? It was a shame that he missed out in 07... but footy is littered with stories that would make great country songs. Hard luck and bad outcomes etc.
 
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An interesting comparison. Id say Ricco was more x citing. More pace. He had more X factor. Did he play better in finals? It was a shame that he missed out in 07... but footy is littered with stories that would make great country songs. Hard luck and bad outcomes etc.

Both could roost a torp when push came to shove - agree that Riccardi was a bit quicker and more exciting - also, Riccardi played maybe his best couple of seasons as an inside mid late in his career, Duncan can play inside if needed but Riccardi really started getting the knack of it (and became a harder edged player as a result).
 
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Both could roost a torp when push came to shove - agree that Riccardi was a bit quicker and more exciting - also, Riccardi played maybe his best couple of seasons as an inside mid late in his career, Duncan can play inside if needed but Riccardi really started getting the knack of it (and became a harder edged player as a result).

I remember one game where Ricc tore up it up against matera in geelong...early in 97 at KP. 3 voter. Handed it to him big time. I cant remember Duncan having that sort of game.. If players were paint..Ricco was gloss and Duncan is matt. Xcel player though, just doesnt have the flash of PR
 
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I remember one game where Ricc tore up it up against matera in geelong...early in 97 at KP. 3 voter. Handed it to him big time. I cant remember Duncan having that sort of game.. If players were paint..Ricco was gloss and Duncan is matt. Xcel player though, just doesnt have the flash of PR
Riccardi did it more then once against matera too.
 
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