Retired #12: Mark Baguley - Will retire at seasons end - 27/8

naraku

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Definitely deserved to go around again based on what he contributed during the second part of the season. Plus, Bags seems like a good guy to have around the club and his attitude will no doubt help with the younger players too.
 
Looked good today, my whipping boy, no?

I take it that we all know why he's in the side?
Bbbbaaaagggssssss!!!!!!
you should’ve saved this gloat for later. probably would’ve been more effective when everyone in the team wasn’t a big steaming pile of dog s**t
 
The alternatives, excluding injuries, are Mitch Brown (196cm), James Stewart (198cm), Noah Gown (194cm), Jordan Houlahan (185cm), and Irving Mosquito (176cm). Which of those would you like to play as a defensive small forward? Alternatively you push someone like Smith forward and give Langford, D.Clarke, Mynott or Ham a run in the midfield. The midfield would be poorer for it though.

I really think he's keeping Laverde/Begley's seat warm and setting a benchmark that they have to hit to make that spot in the 22 their own.
 
The alternatives, excluding injuries, are Mitch Brown (196cm), James Stewart (198cm), Noah Gown (194cm), Jordan Houlahan (185cm), and Irving Mosquito (176cm). Which of those would you like to play as a defensive small forward? Alternatively you push someone like Smith forward and give Langford, D.Clarke, Mynott or Ham a run in the midfield. The midfield would be poorer for it though.

I really think he's keeping Laverde/Begley's seat warm and setting a benchmark that they have to hit to make that spot in the 22 their own.
I still don't see how his role is a thing in and of itself either. It should be a teamwide standard. I'd rather give Hoops or even Ham a game if the role has to be a thin.
 
I still don't see how his role is a thing in and of itself either. It should be a teamwide standard. I'd rather give Hoops or even Ham a game if the role has to be a thin.
Well if the rest of the team isn't doing it, and you take Baguley out, I suspect our scoring would be even more atrocious and the ball would get out of our forward line a bit more easily and frequently than it currently does.

He's also kicked a goal both this week and last. Only other person in the team that can say the same is Jake Stringer.

Considering the complaints about team defence, consistency, effort and output, Bags is one of the most consistent players we have, gives effort at AFL standard every week, and has the defensive mindset we're all asking for. Dropping him is exactly the wrong kind of statement to be making, if the team announcements are about making statements.
 
Well if the rest of the team isn't doing it, and you take Baguley out, I suspect our scoring would be even more atrocious and the ball would get out of our forward line a bit more easily and frequently than it currently does.

He's also kicked a goal both this week and last. Only other person in the team that can say the same is Jake Stringer.

Considering the complaints about team defence, consistency, effort and output, Bags is one of the most consistent players we have, gives effort at AFL standard every week, and has the defensive mindset we're all asking for. Dropping him is exactly the wrong kind of statement to be making, if the team announcements are about making statements.
He's been terrible, let's not sugarcoat it. Dropping him is the right statement, he's 32 in a month and a half, and the "pressure" he brings? 5 tackles in 2 games, only one inside 50 and only two 1%ers. Walla, who everyone agrees has been down in the first 2 games, has doubled the tackles Bags has, has 8 tackles inside 50. Admittedly has only the two 1%ers as well. There are 6 Essendon players with more TI50 than Baguley and 11 blokes with more tackles.
 

Seb78

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The alternatives, excluding injuries, are Mitch Brown (196cm), James Stewart (198cm), Noah Gown (194cm), Jordan Houlahan (185cm), and Irving Mosquito (176cm). Which of those would you like to play as a defensive small forward? Alternatively you push someone like Smith forward and give Langford, D.Clarke, Mynott or Ham a run in the midfield. The midfield would be poorer for it though.

I really think he's keeping Laverde/Begley's seat warm and setting a benchmark that they have to hit to make that spot in the 22 their own.
True, but just because we dont have a like for like replacement for him doesn't necessarily mean he should be gifted games. Every memeber of that forward line should apply some sort of defensive pressure shouldn't just be one bloke, if that's the case we wont be kicking to many scores this year. Both Tippa & Raz are clearly out of form atm which isn't helping but having 3 small forwards basically doing nothing is hurting us in a big way. Bags has been a great servant but his time was up end of last year. Is more of a liability than anything too slow both in leg speed and reaction time.
 
He's been terrible, let's not sugarcoat it. Dropping him is the right statement, he's 32 in a month and a half, and the "pressure" he brings? 5 tackles in 2 games, only one inside 50 and only two 1%ers. Walla, who everyone agrees has been down in the first 2 games, has doubled the tackles Bags has, has 8 tackles inside 50. Admittedly has only the two 1%ers as well. There are 6 Essendon players with more TI50 than Baguley and 11 blokes with more tackles.
11 blokes with more tackles means 10 blokes with less. And the alternative is to drop Bags and put in someone who would also have Bags ahead of them in all those categories. Assuming of course that those stats are the only KPIs - we don't know what the KPIs are.
 
True, but just because we dont have a like for like replacement for him doesn't necessarily mean he should be gifted games. Every memeber of that forward line should apply some sort of defensive pressure shouldn't just be one bloke, if that's the case we wont be kicking to many scores this year. Both Tippa & Raz are clearly out of form atm which isn't helping but having 3 small forwards basically doing nothing is hurting us in a big way. Bags has been a great servant but his time was up end of last year. Is more of a liability than anything too slow both in leg speed and reaction time.
At this point pretty much everyone in the team is being gifted games. We can't go in with 6 guys over 195cm in the forward line any more than we can go in with 6 smalls, unless those 6 all happen to be athletic freaks that can play tall and small, run all day, outmark/crumb/kick straight/provide leads/tackle etc. It's about having the right mix, and seemingly Baguley is in that mix. Given the alternatives, it's hardly surprising. Most of our injuries are to middle-ranking players in each part of the ground, so you drop the best 22 and all you have available is rookies and 19 year olds.
 
11 blokes with more tackles means 10 blokes with less. And the alternative is to drop Bags and put in someone who would also have Bags ahead of them in all those categories. Assuming of course that those stats are the only KPIs - we don't know what the KPIs are.
If his thing is pressure then there shouldn't be half the team ahead of him. There should only be 3 or 4 at most. And FWIW, only 9 of the 23 have less, Langford and Raz have the same amount.
 
Jul 16, 2013
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The alternatives, excluding injuries, are Mitch Brown (196cm), James Stewart (198cm), Noah Gown (194cm), Jordan Houlahan (185cm), and Irving Mosquito (176cm). Which of those would you like to play as a defensive small forward? Alternatively you push someone like Smith forward and give Langford, D.Clarke, Mynott or Ham a run in the midfield. The midfield would be poorer for it though.

I really think he's keeping Laverde/Begley's seat warm and setting a benchmark that they have to hit to make that spot in the 22 their own.

The answer is playing in the back pocket.

McKenna should be kicking goals. Too creative to be in the back half.

McKenna forward, McGrath back, Baguley out.
 
Time has a way of catching up with you. Not everyone has Fletcher DNA & this bloke most certainly doesn't. He gets one more game to show he has value. If he fails yet again drop him tot he twos for the year. Play Begley up forward.
Begley is on limited minutes in the VFL recovering from his ACL injury.
The answer is playing in the back pocket.

McKenna should be kicking goals. Too creative to be in the back half.

McKenna forward, McGrath back, Baguley out.
Who will be breaking lines and running down the wings then? Just Saad by himself?
 
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