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

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Snake_Baker said:
You need 20 others like him, and it doesn't win premierships any more.
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2018 Eagles won with a ball control game. High pressure, rolling maul, forward half football is in vogue at the moment but these sort of trends seem to go in circles a bit.

Agree that you need 20 of them though lol. That's not us and Pauly needs to learn to play with some edge.
 
Heaps of fun said:
2018 Eagles won with a ball control game. High pressure, rolling maul, forward half football is in vogue at the moment but these sort of trends seem to go in circles a bit.

Agree that you need 20 of them though lol. That's not us and Pauly needs to learn to play with some edge.
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Eagles won the 2018 grand final with the closest thing resembling football for 15 years, but if you are suggesting that Hawthorn plays the same way then we're going to disagree.
 
Snake_Baker said:
Eagles won the 2018 grand final with the closest thing resembling football for 15 years, but if you are suggesting that Hawthorn plays the same way then we're going to disagree.
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Not current Hawthorn but when their forward line was actually worth getting the footy to it wasn't too different. They have a hell of a lot more in common with each other than other recent flag teams like the '16 Bulldogs or the '17 & '19 Tigers. Biggest difference is Eagles had a lot more marking power and so they preferred long-kicking down the line footy rather than spreading zone defences with short passes like a Clarkson side.
 
Heaps of fun said:
Not current Hawthorn but when their forward line was actually worth getting the footy to it wasn't too different. T
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They still won premierships by playing keepings off. This is right up Ahern's alley.
 
King Corey said:
I thought the cats sides played a reasonable brand too.
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They'd be next best after Brisbane & WCE 2018.

7 in 20 years with the remainder being rubbish football.
 
Snake_Baker said:
They'd be next best after Brisbane & WCE 2018.

7 in 20 years with the remainder being rubbish football.
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Absolutely agree.

I just appreciate that in 2011 Geelong and especially Hawkins in a short burst rescued football from the stodgy isotype that was forming out of Roos, Malthouse and Lyon.

West Coast in 2018 did similar when players like McGovern and Kennedy showed pure fat talent could still beat a team of shitmen.

I also always quietly enjoy Kennedy sticking it up the arse of the Judd trade.
 
Billy Not Really said:
We've seen what he's capable of in that West Coast game in Tassie, he's capable of some very unbelievable skill.

Defence wise he's had alot to improve on. I'm hoping for a new kind of Ahern this weekend.
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I was at that game. Seeing what he was able to do within the contest was truly special that day. BUT, I reckon he was played in a preferred position to where he has been played in the subsequent years. Now I'm not going to argue on his defensive deficiencies - they're there, we can see them. Instead, I'm going to discuss his 'more ideal' position.

Personally I think Paul is somewhere between Cunners and Higgo - not in stature or experience, but his skills AND his deficiencies.
Cunners - not quick, but a beautiful decision maker in close (especially by hand, but underrated by foot), but not a huge tackler by the numbers
Higgo - a quite pacey, smooth mover whose ball use is his most dangerous attribute, but also not a huge tackler by the numbers.

Where does Paul fit in here? Well he's not quick (Cunners), but he's a great decision maker in close (Cunners) and on the outside (Higgo). We know his history with tackling, so I'll move on :p

I honestly think the Sydney game was a perfect opportunity to see if he could replicate that in a preferred position - i.e. slotting him straight into a version of Cunners role (I say "a version" because you can't find another Cunners :p) for extended periods rather than shorter stints slightly off the contest.

Now I know I'm going to get some backlash on this opinion - I actually welcome it as I love a good debate :), but I think having Paul in a position where he's going to see a hell of a lot of the ball might actually prove to be a bit of a motivating factor for him, it might actually extract performances closer to that against WC than what we've seen since then. But I guess we'll never know...

Debut

I couldn't find any extended highlights of the WC game, so linked his debut highlights (where he's probably more "overweight"/less match-fit than now), but if you have some time, go back and watch some of his work in tight both by hand and by foot in both games and even a few others in 2018. He has a composure in tight is something that you don't see too often.

At the moment it is looking more and more likely we won't see him in there as Simpkin is coming on at a rate of knots now, LDU will make is mark at some point and TT will only fill out and get more midfield time (not to mention Higgo has a few more years left in him - as does Cunners, so he may just run out of time at North), but I hope we do get to see him show us what he CAN do again rather than what he can't.

Keep working hard Paul!
 
roos_tt29 said:
I was at that game. Seeing what he was able to do within the contest was truly special that day. BUT, I reckon he was played in a preferred position to where he has been played in the subsequent years. Now I'm not going to argue on his defensive deficiencies - they're there, we can see them. Instead, I'm going to discuss his 'more ideal' position.

Personally I think Paul is somewhere between Cunners and Higgo - not in stature or experience, but his skills AND his deficiencies.
Cunners - not quick, but a beautiful decision maker in close (especially by hand, but underrated by foot), but not a huge tackler by the numbers
Higgo - a quite pacey, smooth mover whose ball use is his most dangerous attribute, but also not a huge tackler by the numbers.

Where does Paul fit in here? Well he's not quick (Cunners), but he's a great decision maker in close (Cunners) and on the outside (Higgo). We know his history with tackling, so I'll move on :p

I honestly think the Sydney game was a perfect opportunity to see if he could replicate that in a preferred position - i.e. slotting him straight into a version of Cunners role (I say "a version" because you can't find another Cunners :p) for extended periods rather than shorter stints slightly off the contest.

Now I know I'm going to get some backlash on this opinion - I actually welcome it as I love a good debate :), but I think having Paul in a position where he's going to see a hell of a lot of the ball might actually prove to be a bit of a motivating factor for him, it might actually extract performances closer to that against WC than what we've seen since then. But I guess we'll never know...

Debut

I couldn't find any extended highlights of the WC game, so linked his debut highlights (where he's probably more "overweight"/less match-fit than now), but if you have some time, go back and watch some of his work in tight both by hand and by foot in both games and even a few others in 2018. He has a composure in tight is something that you don't see too often.

At the moment it is looking more and more likely we won't see him in there as Simpkin is coming on at a rate of knots now, LDU will make is mark at some point and TT will only fill out and get more midfield time (not to mention Higgo has a few more years left in him - as does Cunners, so he may just run out of time at North), but I hope we do get to see him show us what he CAN do again rather than what he can't.

Keep working hard Paul!
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Is it just me or does he remind you of an unfit Daniel Wells..
Don’t get me wrong I really like both players, but hopefully he can get his running patterns up, so he be active in more play/overlap. He has got a lethal boot, we need him creeping around the 45m mark, as an option so when ever one of our guys with a dodgy conversion rate can offload.
 
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DesertRoo said:
Is it just me or does he remind you of an unfit Daniel Wells..
Don’t get me wrong I really like both players, but hopefully he can get his running patterns up, so he be active in more play/overlap. He has got a lethal boot, we need him creeping around the 45m mark, as an option so when ever one of our guys with a dodgy conversation rate can offload.
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He looked sharper when he was just back from the knee. He moved really smoothly.

He's just plodding at the moment.

There's no questioning his footskills. And * me, we could do with them. He's just got to get himself into spots where he can unleash them.

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roos_tt29 said:
I was at that game. Seeing what he was able to do within the contest was truly special that day. BUT, I reckon he was played in a preferred position to where he has been played in the subsequent years. Now I'm not going to argue on his defensive deficiencies - they're there, we can see them. Instead, I'm going to discuss his 'more ideal' position.

Personally I think Paul is somewhere between Cunners and Higgo - not in stature or experience, but his skills AND his deficiencies.
Cunners - not quick, but a beautiful decision maker in close (especially by hand, but underrated by foot), but not a huge tackler by the numbers
Higgo - a quite pacey, smooth mover whose ball use is his most dangerous attribute, but also not a huge tackler by the numbers.

Where does Paul fit in here? Well he's not quick (Cunners), but he's a great decision maker in close (Cunners) and on the outside (Higgo). We know his history with tackling, so I'll move on :p

I honestly think the Sydney game was a perfect opportunity to see if he could replicate that in a preferred position - i.e. slotting him straight into a version of Cunners role (I say "a version" because you can't find another Cunners :p) for extended periods rather than shorter stints slightly off the contest.

Now I know I'm going to get some backlash on this opinion - I actually welcome it as I love a good debate :), but I think having Paul in a position where he's going to see a hell of a lot of the ball might actually prove to be a bit of a motivating factor for him, it might actually extract performances closer to that against WC than what we've seen since then. But I guess we'll never know...

Debut

I couldn't find any extended highlights of the WC game, so linked his debut highlights (where he's probably more "overweight"/less match-fit than now), but if you have some time, go back and watch some of his work in tight both by hand and by foot in both games and even a few others in 2018. He has a composure in tight is something that you don't see too often.

At the moment it is looking more and more likely we won't see him in there as Simpkin is coming on at a rate of knots now, LDU will make is mark at some point and TT will only fill out and get more midfield time (not to mention Higgo has a few more years left in him - as does Cunners, so he may just run out of time at North), but I hope we do get to see him show us what he CAN do again rather than what he can't.

Keep working hard Paul!
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100%

i thought with cunners being out last week they'd bring Paul into the midfield to see what he could do.

This 'playing him at half back to use his skill' strategy is giving me nightmares of when Brad began playing Ryan Clarke across half back because of 'his ability to accumulate'...
 
Mcarcherey said:
100%

i thought with cunners being out last week they'd bring Paul into the midfield to see what he could do.

This 'playing him at half back to use his skill' strategy is giving me nightmares of when Brad began playing Ryan Clarke across half back because of 'his ability to accumulate'...
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Difference is I’d prefer the ball in Aherns hands rather then Clarke’s. You know he’ll use it well..

Although I’m not sure some of our players are smart enough to offfload constantly to better ball users. I’m also not sure enough about Aherns workrate to get in space. Hopefully he can build up work rate and on his endurance with the anglers.
 
Mcarcherey said:
100%

i thought with cunners being out last week they'd bring Paul into the midfield to see what he could do.

This 'playing him at half back to use his skill' strategy is giving me nightmares of when Brad began playing Ryan Clarke across half back because of 'his ability to accumulate'...
Click to expand...
He accumulated a hell of a lot of turnovers.
 
Where did he actually play on Saturday?

Like what was his role?

I'm not watching the replay and I can't recall it being evident.
 
roos_tt29 said:
I was at that game. Seeing what he was able to do within the contest was truly special that day. BUT, I reckon he was played in a preferred position to where he has been played in the subsequent years. Now I'm not going to argue on his defensive deficiencies - they're there, we can see them. Instead, I'm going to discuss his 'more ideal' position.

Personally I think Paul is somewhere between Cunners and Higgo - not in stature or experience, but his skills AND his deficiencies.
Cunners - not quick, but a beautiful decision maker in close (especially by hand, but underrated by foot), but not a huge tackler by the numbers
Higgo - a quite pacey, smooth mover whose ball use is his most dangerous attribute, but also not a huge tackler by the numbers.

Where does Paul fit in here? Well he's not quick (Cunners), but he's a great decision maker in close (Cunners) and on the outside (Higgo). We know his history with tackling, so I'll move on :p

I honestly think the Sydney game was a perfect opportunity to see if he could replicate that in a preferred position - i.e. slotting him straight into a version of Cunners role (I say "a version" because you can't find another Cunners :p) for extended periods rather than shorter stints slightly off the contest.

Now I know I'm going to get some backlash on this opinion - I actually welcome it as I love a good debate :), but I think having Paul in a position where he's going to see a hell of a lot of the ball might actually prove to be a bit of a motivating factor for him, it might actually extract performances closer to that against WC than what we've seen since then. But I guess we'll never know...

Debut

I couldn't find any extended highlights of the WC game, so linked his debut highlights (where he's probably more "overweight"/less match-fit than now), but if you have some time, go back and watch some of his work in tight both by hand and by foot in both games and even a few others in 2018. He has a composure in tight is something that you don't see too often.

At the moment it is looking more and more likely we won't see him in there as Simpkin is coming on at a rate of knots now, LDU will make is mark at some point and TT will only fill out and get more midfield time (not to mention Higgo has a few more years left in him - as does Cunners, so he may just run out of time at North), but I hope we do get to see him show us what he CAN do again rather than what he can't.

Keep working hard Paul!
Click to expand...

Yep he’s a mid. He needs to work out some techniques that keep him from being found out when the opposition spread.

I really like Paul. He’s not anything like what I though he would be. But I’m happy to have a bloke with good skills who can play inside.
 
Only Forwards said:
Where did he actually play on Saturday?

Like what was his role?

I'm not watching the replay and I can't recall it being evident.
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1) Half coast flank.

2) Skirting the contests for possessions.
 
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