VFL 2024 VFL Thread

[_Cerberus_]

I think Cody only averages around 10 disposals a match. Charlie Cameron probably the best small forward in the game averages just over 11.

Kick a couple, have a GA or two and put in some sustained defensive efforts and you’ve done your job as a small forward, even with only 6-10 disposals.

That said I don’t think Arty is quite there yet. His 3 goals was a good return but I’m not yet convinced he’ll make it. Fingers crossed for him.

The issue is, those gun small players, when the ball isn't coming to them. In the sense that we are burning Arty by choosing to play favorites and go long to a tall contest each time. They have the ability to bring the game to them, move up the ground, find some of the ball. Arty just doesn't seem to be able to find a way to get himself more involved when the game isn't coming to him. Whether that is poor coaching from us, or Arty just lacks the natural positioning instincts, who knows?

Any one know his disposal averages playing for his local club, and WA? I think he was used as a wing a few times if I recall some postings.

 

[cherrypie]

Any one know his disposal averages playing for his local club, and WA? I think he was used as a wing a few times if I recall some postings.

12.4 disposals, 0.9 tackles and 0.2 goals per game for Claremont Colts in his draft year. Mostly playing on the wing

 

[GetDimmaBack]

I think Cody only averages around 10 disposals a match. Charlie Cameron probably the best small forward in the game averages just over 11.

Kick a couple, have a GA or two and put in some sustained defensive efforts and you’ve done your job as a small forward, even with only 6-10 disposals.

That said I don’t think Arty is quite there yet. His 3 goals was a good return but I’m not yet convinced he’ll make it. Fingers crossed for him.

I seem to recall Cyril winning a Norm Smith with 15 disposals a few years back.

 

[stefoid]

IS that his position then? small forward? I thought we had designs on him for the wing or high half forward

 

[_Cerberus_]

12.4 disposals, 0.9 tackles and 0.2 goals per game for Claremont Colts in his draft year. Mostly playing on the wing

That is probably below average for an outside / wing role. Have a feeling consistency would have been an issue for him back then as well.

 

[dogwatch]

I seem to recall Cyril winning a Norm Smith with 15 disposals a few years back.

And Bobby Hill won it with 18 disposals last year (including 4 goals) but over his 70 game career has averaged only about 9.5 disposals per game (10.4 in 2023) and 1.07 goals (1.4 in 2023).


Here's a table of some notable small forwards in recent times. Cyril retired in 2018 but all the others are current players. Cody measures up pretty well but could do better in tackles and probably pressure acts too (I don't have those stats).

I've included Cyril as the best in our era, and Arty as he was the player in question at the start of this discussion. However I should emphasise it's early in the careers of Hill and Weightman and even earlier still in Arty's career so comparisons with great players like Cameron and Rioli are a bit unfair. They are really only there as a benchmark of where the best are at.

We can reasonably assume that none of Hill, Jones or Weightman have reached their career peak yet so their career averages will continue to climb gradually.

	C Cameron	B Hill	C Weightman	C Rioli	A Jones
Games	207	70	64	189	13
Disposals	11.40	9.53	9.66	15.06	7.62
Goals	1.78	1.07	1.72	1.46	0.31
Tackles	2.98	2.43	2.25	4.55	2.69
Marks	3.32	2.50	2.84	3.77	1.31

 

[Bulldogs85]

VFL player summary: Round 3 v Essendon

Development coach Alex Johnson reviews the 16 AFL-listed players who featured in Footscray’s round three win.

www.westernbulldogs.com.au

Jedd Busslinger
21 disposals, seven marks

“It was probably Jedd’s best game that I’ve seen him play since I’ve been here this year, and speaking to the other coaches probably the best game he's played for the club which is really pleasing. We've been working on a lot of the contested stuff, and just being free when he jumps and goes at the ball and his opponent a bit. I don't think he got out-marked - he was able to halve or win most contests and then have a bit of the ball on the offensive side too. He seemed pretty happy with this game so I’m rapt.


Rory Lobb
Eight disposals, six marks, 10 hit-outs, one goal

Lobby started really well. He ended up tweaking his ankle so finished the game a little bit early in the third but seems to have come through fine. He had some real presence down forward – it’s always nice having a big target like that to kick to, and then for the smaller forwards to be able to work off his positioning. He’s been playing some pretty good footy at the moment.


Charlie Clarke
12 disposals, six marks, five tackles, one goal

Charlie was good. He was probably a similar case to Arty Jones and Lachie McNeil who had their chances – I think Arty kicked a couple in the end – but Charlie probably should’ve kicked three in the end. There were just some opportunities that we probably wasted a little bit, but his pressure around the ball was good and his pattern stuff he's getting more confident with as a small forward. He just brings a lot of energy – it’s always good to have a player like that in the team.



Jordan Croft
12 disposals, four marks, four clearances

Crofty was good in his second game for the club. He’s still on restricted minutes, obviously with a limited pre-season and a bit of an interrupted last month or two, but he was good. He played as a defender for the first half and then we swung him forward and in the ruck, and he competed really well. He ended up having three shots at goal which we'll do some work on because it’s not something that he's focused on over the pre-season. Getting that confidence and realising that he can compete at the level I think is the biggest thing for Jordan, and putting games together is great.


James Harmes
34 disposals, six marks, six clearances, one goal

James was really impressive. Him and Riley Garcia led the midfield stuff and the contested ball. He's a great offensive runner, really gets out of the stoppage quickly – he probably gave away a couple of goals as well to his teammates which is nice to see, but it was just a huge game from Harmesy that puts himself right into the selection frame.




Caleb Poulter
22 disposals, 10 marks, two tackles

Caleb played on the wing for majority of the day. He probably hasn't had some continuity in his footy - he played against Gold Coast, played as a sub and then got dropped so he probably has only played a solid game in a month. He used the ball really well by foot, probably squandered some opportunities in front of goal but he was pleasing. His field kicking was elite on the day. and he really set us up with his offensive use of the ball.


Dom Bedendo
14 disposals, three marks, one goal

Similar to the other forwards, I suppose there were some opportunities there which Dommy could have probably capitalised on a little bit more but he looks lively when he flies into the contest. It’s just about getting that consistency, getting to as many contests as he can, winning or halving them and then being lively when the ball hits the ground. He’s showing some good signs.


Joel Freijah
20 disposals, five marks, three tackles

Defensively he’s playing that more mid-pillar defender, so getting exposed to a few more aerial contests and those types of things and he's getting better. There's improvement every week with him – he’s really receptive to what we're trying to do during the week. The offensive side of the game comes really naturally to him as a winger and half-forward growing up. He’s a great user and we're just continuing to work on the defensive side and getting that balance right.


Anthony Scott
Five disposals, one mark

Scotty did his ankle early in the in the first and it blew up pretty quickly, so he was he was pretty much out of the game by quarter-time which was disappointing for him. Hopefully he doesn't miss this week, but if he does it should only be one week before he’s back


Lachie McNeil
17 disposals, four marks, three tackles, one goal

Lachie was good. He probably got into the game in the second-half a little bit more, but again similar story to Arty and Charlie - there were probably three opportunities he’d like back in front of goal, just with live play and whether he could have used different options instead or just finished his work which would’ve been more pleasing. But he’s definitely continuing to get back to the sort of form that we saw in pre-season. Confidence is a big thing for him so he’ll just continue to build on those things and string games together with consistency.



Arthur Jones
Eight disposals, two marks, three goals

It was great to see Arty get on the scoreboard to kick three. He was probably in and out of the game a little bit in terms of momentum swings for him, so that's probably his biggest challenge - just staying in the game for longer periods of time. The source pressure side of things is what’s creating his opportunities - staying involved in the contest when the ball hits the ground. To finish with three goals is really pleasing so if he can build on that and get the defensive side right, he’ll see rewards on the scoreboard.



Caleb Daniel
26 disposals, four marks, three tackles

It’s great to have Caleb and it was a pleasure for me to coach him down in the back-half. He wouldn't have played there (at VFL) for a long time, but to come back, he had a great attitude. The way he went about it – he was really invested in the younger guys and wanted to help them, build their games. His direction out there was awesome. It probably took him a little bit of time to adjust to the VFL – it’s quite a different speed to AFL and isn’t as predictable – but his second-half was really good. He got on the receiving end of a lot of ball as well and was really important to our ball movement, in terms of changing the angles and unlocking us in his defence really.



Luke Cleary
18 disposals, eight marks

Clizz is continually getting back to the form he's had previously, in terms of being really hard defensively to play on, and then getting involved with possession game stuff and using his legs. He's a really good ball user when he does the simple things really well – when he takes the first option. It’s pleasing to see Clizz just put some consistent games together.



Riley Garcia
35 disposals, seven marks, five tackles, five clearances, one goal

Riley was impressive. As I said before with James Harmes

22

James Harmes

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.4

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

10.0

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.4

4star

D

16.3

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

8.9

4star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.6

3star

CL

1.9

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

0.2

2star

, they really set the tone in there and the two of them together dominated that midfield. Essendon have a pretty good ruckman and we were probably limited in that space with a couple of guys rolling through who probably haven't played that much of that position but Riley was impressive to get on the scoreboard as well. The offensive side of his game was good and again similar to Harmes really puts himself in that frame for selection, which is great to see.



Alex Keath
18 disposals, nine marks

Chief was good down back. He's always pretty solid and wins or halves most of the contests that he goes into. It’s just continuing to get involved in terms of the offensive side of the game as well. I’m big on all the defenders back there having a say in what our ball movement is doing and getting on the end of it, but it's pleasing that he commands the guys back there. He's obviously really experienced in what he does, but that's the way he plays. Other guys feed off that which is awesome to see.



Ryan Gardner
11 disposals, two marks, four tackles, 16 hit-outs

It was probably a different one for Gardy playing ruck, with Lobby obviously doing his ankle reasonably early and Lachie Smith not being available this week as well. For Gardy it was a great opportunity to get him back in his first game for a little while after his layoff with his foot, and he embraced (the new role). He loved the opportunity and the challenge to play ruck and a little bit forward as well. His attitude was unbelievable - he embraced the challenge really well and I thought the guys fed off that a lot. It’s good to see he got through unscathed and felt really good about it.”

Bulldogs Media | Western Bulldogs

Watch the latest videos from the Western Bulldogs

www.westernbulldogs.com.au

 

[dogwatch]

I don't know if that's the first report from Alex Johnson

Alex Johnson

Age

34

Ht

194cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.6

3star

K

8.7

3star

HB

4.8

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.2

4star

MG

111.5

2star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

8.2

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.6

4star

but it's the first of his I can remember reading. I like the nuance. Instead of just saying every player "had a really good game" and one or two had "great" games he still praises them all in some way (which is necessary for a public statement that his charges will read) but he also sneaks in the weaknesses and areas for improvement. So reading between the lines you can readily see who dominated, who is starting to show good signs and who still has a way to go before they'll be considered.

Specifically, the ones who are not pushing for a senior spot at the moment appear to be:

Croft (understandably)​

Bedendo​

Scott (due to injury)​

McNeil​

Jones​

Cleary​

Gardner (just back from injury)​

​

The ones just in front of them - unlikely this week but maybe soon - are:

Busslinger​

Lobb (again, being held back by injury)​

Clarke​

Poulter​

Freijah​

Keath​

(Cleary is close to being in this group I suspect)​

​

And the ones on the cusp of selection would be:

Harmes​

Daniel​

Garcia​

(Maybe Lobb as well if fully fit)​

​

No surprises in any of that but it's good to see that the coach's impressions align largely with our own, and to see what he thinks are areas for improvement.

 

[Mr. Walker]

I am not sure if it is this mood of pessimism resulting from the teams poor performances so far this year but my belief in Bedendo is wavering. I understand injuries in past years have limited his continuity but the lack of a breakout VFL game and continuing low possession games has me concerned. How long do you give a player?

 

[Mojorisin]

I am not sure if it is this mood of pessimism resulting from the teams poor performances so far this year but my belief in Bedendo is wavering. I understand injuries in past years have limited his continuity but the lack of a breakout VFL game and continuing low possession games has me concerned. How long do you give a player?

He is playing more time close to goal this year which naturally means less possessions.

 

[PocketRocket08]

I am not sure if it is this mood of pessimism resulting from the teams poor performances so far this year but my belief in Bedendo is wavering. I understand injuries in past years have limited his continuity but the lack of a breakout VFL game and continuing low possession games has me concerned. How long do you give a player?

High possession games are not the be all. Look at Cyril. Do you know if you have the ball 30 times a game it’s in your hands for around 2minutes. So it’s more important what your doing without the ball especially defensively

 

[Testekill]

He is playing more time close to goal this year which naturally means less possessions.

Even then Jones, McNeil, Clarke and Spicer are all having more impact. He's not getting very much and he's not making the most of his touches with scores or score assists.

 

[goodcop badcop]

Even then Jones, McNeil, Clarke and Spicer are all having more impact. He's not getting very much and he's not making the most of his touches with scores or score assists.

Has he ever been tried down back? He was basically drafted on the back of his end of year form as an intercepting back. Bit strange if he hasn't.

 

[dergert]

Has he ever been tried down back? He was basically drafted on the back of his end of year form as an intercepting back. Bit strange if he hasn't.

I can only remember a small sample size.

He's looked his best on a wing. I don't know why he isn't being played there.

 

[VitalDread]

 

[Testekill]

Has he ever been tried down back? He was basically drafted on the back of his end of year form as an intercepting back. Bit strange if he hasn't.

I think he has only ever cameoed down back to fill a spot due to an injury, when we recruited him initially I thought that the intention was for him to be the long term Wood replacement.

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

Has he ever been tried down back? He was basically drafted on the back of his end of year form as an intercepting back. Bit strange if he hasn't.

He actually never played defence as a draftee. It was the plan, but then covid happened.

 

[goodcop badcop]

He actually never played defence as a draftee. It was the plan, but then covid happened.

Ah right thats what it was. Thought maybe he had a couple good trial games or something.

 

[Bulldogs85]

VFL Team | Round 4

Footscray has made four changes to its round four team ahead of a double-header with Williamstown on Saturday afternoon.

www.westernbulldogs.com.au

Footscray has made four changes to its round four team ahead of a double-header with Williamstown on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Bulldog Oskar Baker has been included, as has Jarrod Gilbee, Kai Stretton and debutant Connor Watson.

Rory Lobb

7

Rory Lobb

Age

33

Ht

207cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.4

4star

MG

174.6

3star

D

11.3

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

MG

228.6

3star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

MG

133.0

3star

, James Harmes

22

James Harmes

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.4

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

10.0

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.4

4star

D

16.3

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

8.9

4star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.6

3star

CL

1.9

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

0.2

2star

and Riley Garcia earned AFL selection – playing in last night’s 60-point win.
Tristan Maple also makes way.

The first bounce will be 3.05pm at DSV Stadium tomorrow afternoon, with the ‘Scray looking to continue their unbeaten streak this season.

The match will also be live-streamed via afl.com.au/vfl/ for those who can’t make it, with game-day updates also available via @FootscrayVFL on X (Twitter).

Prior to the VFL, the VFLW Bulldogs will play at the same venue. The first bounce will be at 10am AEST.

VFL Team | Round 4​

Williamstown v Footscray
Saturday 20 April, 3.05pm AEST
DSV Stadium, Williamstown (Bunurong)

B: Keath, Busslinger, Cleary
HB: Poulter, Daniel, Hunt
C: Scott, Orgill, Freijah
HF: Baker, Clarke, McNeil
F: Croft, Bedendo, A. Jones
R: Gardner, Craig-Peters, Bianco
IC: Willoughby, Spicer, Gilbee, Stretton, Watson
EMG: Kellett, Montgomerie, Maple, C. Smith

In: Baker, Gilbee, Stretton, Watson
Out: Lobb (AFL), Garcia (AFL), Harmes (AFL), Maple

 

[dogwatch]

Hoping Freijah actually plays wing (where he is named) having had a few weeks to learn the defensive side of the game.

If he can make the wing his own, a place in the seniors beckons.

 

[dergert]

Interesting how Montgomerie isn't getting a game. Thought he might've been a MSD chance for us.

 

[hatescaptcha]

Hoping Freijah actually plays wing (where he is named) having had a few weeks to learn the defensive side of the game.

If he can make the wing his own, a place in the seniors beckons.

Could definitely see us sending Williams back (where he plays his best footy) and slotting Freijah on the wing.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[dergert]

Hoping Freijah actually plays wing (where he is named) having had a few weeks to learn the defensive side of the game.

If he can make the wing his own, a place in the seniors beckons.

Same as Caleb Daniel listed at CHB. He could really make that position his own.

 

[dogwatch]

Same as Caleb Daniel listed at CHB. He could really make that position his own.

And Clarke & Bedendo as the KPFs!

Yeah, I know. That's why I'm a bit sceptical about any named position. Especially in the VFL.

 

[Ghenghis]

Same as Caleb Daniel listed at CHB. He could really make that position his own.

Is Gardner actually playing forward for Footscray? Surely there is no chance of him ever playing there in the seniors