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

[Twinkletoes]

There's a s**t load of posters on here, on a lot of player threads saying pretty much the same things about said players, why are they getting a game, good last year or good in their first year, now going backwards, this can't be a coincidence, we all had high hopes for LMac, he showed signs, now he's lucky to spell his own name, Ahern started with a blaze of glory, no wandering around with vertigo it seems, there's others of course, surely, this dickhead coach is messing with their heads, it's happened/happening with far too many of our list over his tenure, this twit has got to go

That's a bloody long sentence considering the last six words said enough.

 

[Shermanator]

I've already seen a 37 possession/22 contested possession/10 clearance game from Paul when allowed to hunt the ball.

On SM-G965F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Against the Premiers too

 

[Falkroo]

That's a bloody long sentence considering the last six words said enough.

Gee, i wonder which 6 they were?

 

[Caracas]

When all is said and done, Ahern was crap on Friday. Only he can rectify that. He’s not alone by any means. There was no excuse for the midfield to go to water like we did late in the second. Up until then, the game was tracking exactly like the Adelaide match.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[scottywiper]

He did the same to Pruess and was a whisker away from doing it to Daw.

Ryan Clarke says hi.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

When all is said and done, Ahern was crap on Friday. Only he can rectify that. He’s not alone by any means. There was no excuse for the midfield to go to water like we did late in the second. Up until then, the game was tracking exactly like the Adelaide match.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

* were far cleaner than Adelaide and it was only their set-shot kicking that even had it close at that point. Bar about ten minutes in the first, we were never in Friday's match.

 

[guapo]

When all is said and done, Ahern was crap on Friday. Only he can rectify that. He’s not alone by any means. There was no excuse for the midfield to go to water like we did late in the second. Up until then, the game was tracking exactly like the Adelaide match.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Absolutely right, he may be much loved but he has to keep his part of the bargain


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Masked Avenger]

Ahern was not great but he has 7 senior teammates who've made an art form (and a tidy living) out of doing very little often. He's been pretty good over his brief career and unlike the Bermuda Triangle 7 - the kid has genuine talent and will be a player.

 

[The Y Factor]

That’s an opinion not a fact.

Good luck finding any facts around here

 

[Psychic Roo]

Anyone who has seen the huge discrepancy between our 'outside' and 'inside' midfield players, and then watches how he has played since his return, can postulate that his sitting off the contest is coming from instruction. We have one of the biggest discrepancies in the league in this regard and I don't think that that is a natural development for most players. Some are more outside than inside and vice versa, but it's rare to have FT mids so consistently and exclusively one or the other - at least not for the best the sides.

Other teams have worked it out, so I'm not going to pot a bloke for being away from the contest (and thus finding it difficult to get near enough to tackle, especially when Essendon took control from 2nd possession after the stoppage) when my reasonable guess is that this is his 'role'.

Anyone who has played knows that it's hard to lay a tackle when you're nowhere near the contest.

I saw it the first game back. Its not just sitting off the contest - he doesnt go when the ball is in a disputed contest near him unlike cunington who is elite obviously Looks like he is avoiding body contact ? Injured. This spills over into no tackles. He picks and chooses badly. Nick ds copped criticism for the same thing but he had ither elite attributes. Its fixable but needs to happen fast. The problem is that other guys who play like that keep getting games so just dropping him until he does it sends a terrible message to him and all the other players. Ie its non negotiable except if you are player x

 

[Thewlis Dish]

He had no problem winning contested ball last year though. It just looks like a player whose brain is a bit scrambled and feels he can't play on instinct.

 

[Black2Blue]

He had no problem winning contested ball last year though. It just looks like a player whose brain is a bit scrambled and feels he can't play on instinct.

Was going to say the same thing. A viewing of the West Coast game last year and even the JLT against Port dispels that notion that he isn't a contested ball winner. He is obviously an instinctual player who has been clearly instructed to change his game. No doubt he needs to add tackling to his game, but I can't believe the way he will be managed so carefully through his rehab only to have his talent stifled by this bizarre coaching.

 

[ferball]

He had no problem winning contested ball last year though. It just looks like a player whose brain is a bit scrambled and feels he can't play on instinct.

Was going to say the same thing. A viewing of the West Coast game last year and even the JLT against Port dispels that notion that he isn't a contested ball winner. He is obviously an instinctual player who has been clearly instructed to change his game. No doubt he needs to add tackling to his game, but I can't believe the way he will be managed so carefully through his rehab only to have his talent stifled by this bizarre coaching.

Are you sure that is whats happening tho?

In the Adelaide game he was okay. Played as well as LDU did even tho it was a low stat game by our expectations.

Last year he had periods where he played multiple games in a row with similar performances to the last 2 weeks. No one was saying anything about the coaching wrecking him as a player then. His first game was a good one then he had two quiet games and he only had more clearances than the Adelaide game twice last year.

 

[Smoocher]

Problem is we can’t play them all in one team.

LDU, Cunnington, Dumont, Ahern.

One has to go.

Cunnington is a no brainer.
LDU has a bit more pace. Has just as much poise and skills.
Dumont can play a variety of roles.

For mine Ahern has to be dropped for team balance.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Black2Blue]

Are you sure that is whats happening tho?

In the Adelaide game he was okay. Played as well as LDU did even tho it was a low stat game by our expectations.

Last year he had periods where he played multiple games in a row with similar performances to the last 2 weeks. No one was saying anything about the coaching wrecking him as a player then. His first game was a good one then he had two quiet games and he only had more clearances than the Adelaide game twice last year.

Last year he had trouble running out games. His tank wasn't up to it. But he appeared to be attacking contests with more confidence. It's just my observation and trying to understand what's pushed him from being one of our most exciting prospects in pre-season and JLT to a shadow of where he was at then.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Are you sure that is whats happening tho?

Just an observation having watched him in the last two games, might be off the mark but it's troubling that he looked so good in the JLT and is now looking well off the pace.

 

[Grogg]

Of course it's bizarre coaching.

You have 20+ and 3 goals in a tackle free (38) JLT, but you're the one player dropped for poor defence.

In a side that is about as potent as a 93yr old eunich.

FMD.

 

[ferball]

Last year he had trouble running out games. His tank wasn't up to it. But he appeared to be attacking contests with more confidence. It's just my observation and trying to understand what's pushed him from being one of our most exciting prospects in pre-season and JLT to a shadow of where he was at then.

Just an observation having watched him in the last two games, might be off the mark but it's troubling that he looked so good in the JLT and is now looking well off the pace.

Last year he had a pattern of playing some good games then some poor ones then a string of good ones then some poor ones.

Here's his stats and the individual games from last year.

If you compare then he's following a similar pattern. Good games in the JLT, 2 average to poor ones till GF vs * and he should follow up with a string of 20+ disposal, good mix of inside and outside games over the next few weeks.

If he doesn't follow that pattern then there could be something in what youse are saying. If he does then I think its all good with him.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Last year he had a pattern of playing some good games then some poor ones then a string of good ones then some poor ones.

Here's his stats and the individual games from last year.

If you compare then he's following a similar pattern. Good games in the JLT, 2 average to poor ones till GF vs * and he should follow up with a string of 20+ disposal, good mix of inside and outside games over the next few weeks.

If he doesn't follow that pattern then there could be something in what youse are saying. If he does then I think its all good with him.

You reckon he's overdue?

 

[ferball]

You reckon he's overdue?

If he doesn't play significantly better this week than last I'd be a bit more worried about his form and what's going on with him. Closer to 20 possessions and some good use of the ball is probably the minimum but really 20 - 25, good mix of contested and uncontested, a few clearances, tackles and 5 or more i50s is kind of what I'd hope for.

I think he's got a long way to go endurance wise but in that Adelaide game I though he hunted the ball and the opposition well especially early and got 6 inside 50s. One of his best i50 performances, his best last year were 6 and 7 and thats what we need him for too. So I thought he played okay in Adelaide as if he was building for something. Last week was a drop off tho. Probably his worst senior game. Every time he's had a similar game he's improved immediately. He has only had 2 games with less than 15 disposals and he's had low figures for clearances and i50s in those games too.

So it seems he doesn't have many poor games in a row. And when he does have a couple he returns to a level of consistent good form quickly. Of course that's based on half a season give or take so who knows what'll happen long term. But its looks like the start of a pattern early in his career and fits with a good player who has had a lot of interruption on his way to playing seniors, is still not really match fit and has played just over 10 games.

Its not surprise about the endurance either is it? Missing so much footy - he's miles behind on match fitness (no matter how much weight he's lost). He's effectively missed 3 to 3 1/2 seasons. I'm sure I heard once that it takes two or three years of full seasons of matches to develop proper AFL level match fitness. Dunno how true that is but it rings true. Its a demanding sport, you have to be able to run and wrestle/fight for over two hours. So he's a long way behind the 8 ball being finally in his second real season after missing so much and having played less than 15 games, especially if he needs 50 in 3 seasons to really build a game day tank.

 

[Falkroo]

If i were him, i'd say fyou Brad, i'm doing it my way, ballsy i know, but what argument can the coach put up if you're collecting high 27-35 possessions.

 

[groo]

If i were him, i'd say fyou Brad, i'm doing it my way, ballsy i know, but what argument can the coach put up if you're collecting high 27-35 possessions.

I think a lot of teams would have a game plan that compliments an onballer that can get 22 contested possessions against a top team in only their 7 th or 8th game. Especially a club that hasn't churned out an elite onballer for more than 10 yrs.

Not this club.

 

[big_e]

Has played 13 games. Far from being someone I'm worried about.

 

[the flying ham]

Has played 13 games. Far from being someone I'm worried about.

Exactly. Doesn't lay a heap of tackles or apply much pressure. Not new, didn't lay many either compared to some of the other mids last year.

Not concerned however, will naturally build that area up as he matures and seasons his body further.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Dingster]

Last year he had a pattern of playing some good games then some poor ones then a string of good ones then some poor ones.

Here's his stats and the individual games from last year.

If you compare then he's following a similar pattern. Good games in the JLT, 2 average to poor ones till GF vs * and he should follow up with a string of 20+ disposal, good mix of inside and outside games over the next few weeks.

If he doesn't follow that pattern then there could be something in what youse are saying. If he does then I think its all good with him.

Is that 63% game time he's been playing?