Past #5: Ben Jacobs - delisted after 64 NM games/10 NM goals - thanks Benny

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Might be going in for more foot surgery as they found another hot spot after his first game when he pulled up sore from what I've been told.

Going to see how he progresses with conservative approach during the off period, if he doesnt come good he'll be going under the knife again. Not the best news I've heard all day.
 

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The Big H said:
Not so sure about him to be honest. Limited player with average skills and pace. Not sure he fits our reboot model?
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Mate we have midfielders who are off the ground for a third of the game.
Ben can run. He can hunt the footy and the man.
He is so valuable right now. We wouldn't have got anywhere near a prelim last year without him.
 
roos_fanatic08 said:
Elite Tagger. Yes.
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A couple of years ago i would have put Liam Picken in that category, have to admit he has developed pretty well since then, i wonder if Benny's career can follow a similar trajectory ?
 
Ben is a very good footballer. He has his limitations but when given a role and an oppurtunity to play that role he usually makes it work.

People wee very critical of him when he was playing off half back, but he was doing okay on his opponents while actually showing some drive off half back. Few deer in headlight moments but you are kidding yourself if you think Atley is any better...

Anyway he is an elite Tagger who can win the footy and run. He does it bloody well, no one else (other than swallow who can't run) has the defensive capabilities of him through the midfield.

Will be a very welcome return next year, I'm sure if he played this year we would have won a few more games such is his ability to stop the best.
 
roos_fanatic08 said:
Ben is a very good footballer. He has his limitations but when given a role and an oppurtunity to play that role he usually makes it work.

People wee very critical of him when he was playing off half back, but he was doing okay on his opponents while actually showing some drive off half back. Few deer in headlight moments but you are kidding yourself if you think Atley is any better...

Anyway he is an elite Tagger who can win the footy and run. He does it bloody well, no one else (other than swallow who can't run) has the defensive capabilities of him through the midfield.

Will be a very welcome return next year, I'm sure if he played this year we would have won a few more games such is his ability to stop the best.
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Stay fit Jacob. North need you next year, I'm counting on it.
 
Also, Ben knows the structures and way to play. He does a lot of blocking and setup work at stoppages that goes unnoticed - also a lot of little things to assist getting the ball moving to our midfielders way.

With a lot of experience going in the midfield, I think his knowledge, smarts and ability to play a defined role well for the duration of the game will be missed more than just the sum of his disposals.
 
Big worry - thought he was the missing link last year. I hope this is just being cautious. We really need Ben back on the field.
 

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roos_fanatic08 said:
Not looking good. I doubt his capacity to play much next year if he doesn't get a full pre-season. Would be So hard for him toget match fitness with the amount of running he is expected to do while tAgging
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No it's not. It's one week till breakup.
He has done minimal sessions for a midfielder before Christmas.
Not banking on him being in our preparations for round 1 now.
 
Only Forwards said:
Will he be able to come in and release Atley into the middle?
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We are adorable, how we keep asking the same question every year about a new midfielder. (Not at you OF, we all do it.)
 
tazaa said:
No it's not. It's one week till breakup.
He has done minimal sessions for a midfielder before Christmas.
Not banking on him being in our preparations for round 1 now.
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Have to have learnt their lesson after last year. He should never have played early on. Particularly given how we were travelling. A worry for him longterm though now.
 
Hearts to hearts said:
We are adorable, how we keep asking the same question every year about a new midfielder. (Not at you OF, we all do it.)
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I think its just that we clearly have the appearance of missing speed in the midfield and we do have players with speed being used elsewhere.

TBH I have given up on Shaun ever moving to the midfield.

But we need one of our high draft picks to.

Luke, Garner, Simpkin, one of these players needs to become a midfielder.

I mean otherwise what are we actually doing? Trying to build an elite midfield with 2 or third round picks?

I have really liked Atley, but he needs to mature as a player and deliver more, if he isn't going into the midfield, he needs to become one of the best running defenders in the game.

I really like Jack, but he needs to mature as a player more and have less of a gap between his good and bad games.

I really like Cunners, but he needs to mature as a player more and become the man who runs the middle.

High end talent needs to deliver more on potential in order to move us forward, especially now.

As for Blowie, foot injuries can GAGF, how long has he been out now? Maybe its chronic? If it is, is he done? Is it forking time?
 
Only Forwards said:
I think its just that we clearly have the appearance of missing speed in the midfield and we do have players with speed being used elsewhere.

TBH I have given up on Shaun ever moving to the midfield.

But we need one of our high draft picks to.

Luke, Garner, Simpkin, one of these players needs to become a midfielder.

I mean otherwise what are we actually doing? Trying to build an elite midfield with 2 or third round picks?

I have really liked Atley, but he needs to mature as a player and deliver more, if he isn't going into the midfield, he needs to become one of the best running defenders in the game.

I really like Jack, but he needs to mature as a player more and have less of a gap between his good and bad games.

I really like Cunners, but he needs to mature as a player more and become the man who runs the middle.

High end talent needs to deliver more on potential in order to move us forward, especially now.

As for Blowie, foot injuries can GAGF, how long has he been out now? Maybe its chronic? If it is, is he done? Is it forking time?
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Top post.

I reckon Garner will only ever be impact in the middle (if he ever stops breaking). Luke is doable, I'd be surprised if he doesn't move there although I have a feeling that maybe he will end up being more of a utility type. Mid, HB, float wherever Hodge style. Simpkin looks 100% an attacking midfielder to me. Exactly the type we've needed for a while.

Atley, who knows. Apparently he can't midfield... seemed okay as a young player though. From memory a few track watchers suggested he was training with the mids this pre season again. If we're resetting and willing to take a bit of pain to test things out we'll follow through with this for at least the majority of the season. We'll know one way or another whether he's capable after that. There's also the fact that we have been one paced and predictable (bar Wells) in the middle. Atley might not have to get his own ball all the time. Just zipping around the packs might be enough for him to draw players, open up others or get handed the ball a bit and cause damage. Good one on one too, with huge question marks on Jacobs for 2017 already we could consider him doing some defensive work in there as well.
 
Heaps of fun said:
Wright's smarts in defence make up for his speed when compared to Jacobs. Would rather Jacobs on the HFF than that close to our defensive goal.
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I'd like him to go back into defense and use his uber tagger skills to shut down small forwards, a la Rawlings later in his career.

Williams takes the other small forward/creates run off half back (depending on who he is playing against.

E.g against Freo - Jacobs on Ballantyne, Williams on Walters. Against Adelaide - Jacobs on Betts, Williams on fire running the ball out of defence. If Betts gets on top of Jacobs, then they swap.

LMac in the middle, same as Atley. If there's not room for either/both/anyone else, then they get to enjoy life at Werribee. If Jacobs or Williams suffers injury/form/suspension then they're ready made to fill that hole and we shuffle the team around a little.

Turn Swallow into our #1 midfield tagger.

And I know this is Durdin's thread, but stuff him. What's he ever done for me?
 
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