5 POINTS that unnerve me about the 2010 Crows

[CrowCro]

Point 1- Lets get this straight- Rutten has been one of our better players. when he is one on one rarely beaten. I would hate to be a defender in this team at the moment with the ball coming in so easy without any leg speed pressure from our midfield or defense . Teams are coming in as they like.

Point two- Davis has been so overated on these forums for the last few weeks its not funny. I go to all games and watch him carefully. He is always hiding in the back pocket and getting cheap uncontested posessions from the ball going sideways. He plays the third tall very poorly. Otten would get the ball around the fifty ark and penetrate though the midfield. Davis gives us no drive. I can't believe we used a pick ten for him. Is already slow for this league and will not get quicker with age.

Point 3- I cannot believe we have used so may pick on players of the small ruckmen ilk. 196cm and no real position. Sellar, Davis, Smack, Craig, plus we have Griffin, Moran and Maric. A team of wannabe ruckmen. Ok we have a few ok ones in that list but no list can carry so many mid talls like this.

Point 4- Davis needs to be replaced with Sellar. Has more body and can also give Maric a spell in the ruck. Sloane to get back in the middle. reilly looks awfully slow. Now lets not forget he is not 30+ yet either. One can forgive Mcleod, Go0odwin Edwards and co. they are 34. reilly is only 28.

Point 5- Why are we using Reilly as a tagger. He coudn't even tag Ken McGreggor. A tagger need to have an extra pace of speed and normally close to the ground. I think Cooky could do it and it would lead him to the ball. Also Doughty is best when he is following a player. His is so bad offensively at the moment he is not worth using as a running player. Watch him carefully live and his eyes always look sideways first.

 

[Vader]

Point 3- I cannot believe we have used so may pick on players of the small ruckmen ilk. 196cm and no real position. Sellar, Davis, Smack, Craig, plus we have Griffin, Moran and Maric. A team of wannabe ruckmen. Ok we have a few ok ones in that list but no list can carry so many mid talls like this.

You do realise that only 2 of the players named actually played tonight - and one of them (Davis) doesn't even belong on your list. Davis isn't an undersized ruckman, he's a KPP pure and simple. Nobody is trying to pretend that he's a ruckman, so why have you included him with this lot? Oh, that's right - it's just another excuse to bag him out (like the rest of your post).

 

[King Elvis]

Point 3 does concern me; have we loaded up on undersized KPPs that we're going to struggle to find positions for?

Did we do that assuming we'd find a few more Mackay/Knights/Johncock style diamonds late in the draft?

 

[CrowCro]

You do realise that only 2 of the players named actually played tonight - and one of them (Davis) doesn't even belong on your list. Davis isn't an undersized ruckman, he's a KPP pure and simple. Nobody is trying to pretend that he's a ruckman, so why have you included him with this lot? Oh, that's right - it's just another excuse to bag him out (like the rest of your post).

mate- point 3 is a tongue in cheek type of comment. By that I meant is a 196cm player that wont really have a position anywhere. 3rd tall need to be no more than 194cm. Davis is our third tall but is taller than all our backmen. This player is supposed to give you run and drive

 

[neddy36]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I disagree with about 90% of what you have posted here.

Point 1 - As people have said in the past Rutten circa 2005/2006 was a product of the system. I think he has been shown up with his lack of footspeed on the counter-attack, which has happened often with our turnovers.

Point 2 - Davis will be a very good player at either end of the ground. Will play 200+ games and hopefully be a premiership player (oh to dream). Bookmark it.

Point 3 - Disregarding what has been occurring onfield this season, our list has been very balanced in regards to its replenishment through the draft. Apart from a hole at small forward (mainly due to Jacky busting) and another inside mid, we have had the luxury of taking best player available (BPA). I have faith in these selections.

Point 4 - Yes, Sellar in but with Bock to move or play a more attacking role. Sloane isn't that pacy. Footspeed has never been a Reilly strength.

Point 5 - It's Reilly's last chance at it and doesn't look capable of doing the job. I don't think Cook would be suitable. I think Reilly will be a stopgap until Sloane is ready. Can I borrow your binoculars? Your ability to watch players eye movement live is impressive.

 

[cmndstab]

Nobody is talking up Davis because he is getting lots of possessions. We're talking him up because of the smart things he does. He has a great ability to legally harrass, which is a forgotten art, and he makes clever decisions at the right moment. A number of decisions today were lovely, like when the ball bounced oddly for him, and so he quickly swatted it to the ground knowing the support was there. Of course, his blatant holding free was an ugly moment. Still, I'm quite happy with what I'm seeing from Davis.

I agree the complete lack of midfield pressure is exposing Rutten. Not really fair to judge him given the midfield's lack of functioning, just as it's hard to blame a forward for not firing when nobody is feeding them the ball.


Point 3 is an interesting point, but has nothing to do with the form we've seen this year. Way too early to make the call on most of the players you've mentioned, and given the current AFL style we're seeing, smaller athletic players may well become the norm. If not, well, they make good tradebait.

I agree that Sellar will help out side out. Is Davis the one to go out, though? He may well be. It probably comes down to Stevens or Davis.

Doughty tagged tonight. He got cut to ribbons, so we looked to Reilly instead. If we hadn't made a move, people would have criticised Craig for being stubborn. The fact is, however, you're right, Reilly does look slow and is not really a tagger.

 

[Vader]

mate- point 3 is a tongue in cheek type of comment. By that I meant is a 196cm player that wont really have a position anywhere. 3rd tall need to be no more than 194cm. Davis is our third tall but is taller than all our backmen. This player is supposed to give you run and drive

He's a 3rd tall now.. in his first AFL season, with just 5 games under his belt, learning his craft surrounded by AA players like Bock & Rutten... He wasn't recruited to be a 3rd tall though, he was recruited to be our CHF or CHB - a destiny which may or may not work out, it's way too early in his career to tell. 196cm for a CHF or CHB is just fine.

 

[cmndstab]

neddy - I don't think Rutten was a product of the system at all in 05/06. He was helped by the system, but was every bit the player he was revered as being.

He's lost a yard of pace, and the AFL has gained several. Take away the defensive pressure from the midfield and he's going to struggle.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

Nobody is talking up Davis because he is getting lots of possessions. We're talking him up because of the smart things he does. He has a great ability to legally harrass, which is a forgotten art, and he makes clever decisions at the right moment. A number of decisions today were lovely, like when the ball bounced oddly for him, and so he quickly swatted it to the ground knowing the support was there. Of course, his blatant holding free was an ugly moment. Still, I'm quite happy with what I'm seeing from Davis.

I agree the complete lack of midfield pressure is exposing Rutten. Not really fair to judge him given the midfield's lack of functioning, just as it's hard to blame a forward for not firing when nobody is feeding them the ball.

Point 3 is an interesting point, but has nothing to do with the form we've seen this year. Way too early to make the call on most of the players you've mentioned, and given the current AFL style we're seeing, smaller athletic players may well become the norm. If not, well, they make good tradebait.

I agree that Sellar will help out side out. Is Davis the one to go out, though? He may well be. It probably comes down to Stevens or Davis.

Doughty tagged tonight. He got cut to ribbons, so we looked to Reilly instead. If we hadn't made a move, people would have criticised Craig for being stubborn. The fact is, however, you're right, Reilly does look slow and is not really a tagger.

actually Radar started as the tag and got cut up by Bomber, than Doughty got the job and did a slightly better job

 

[Vader]

Rutten was probably unlucky that his natural opponent (Hale) went off injured early in the game. Hale is exactly the type of player against whom Rutten excels. With Hale out of the game, Rutten was forced to play on a smaller/quicker opponent - of the type he's inherently unsuited to.

 

[dplggr47]

Point two- Davis has been so overated on these forums for the last few weeks its not funny. I go to all games and watch him carefully. He is always hiding in the back pocket and getting cheap uncontested posessions from the ball going sideways. He plays the third tall very poorly. Otten would get the ball around the fifty ark and penetrate though the midfield. Davis gives us no drive. I can't believe we used a pick ten for him. Is already slow for this league and will not get quicker with age.

Point 4- Davis needs to be replaced with Sellar. Has more body and can also give Maric a spell in the ruck. Sloane to get back in the middle. reilly looks awfully slow. Now lets not forget he is not 30+ yet either. One can forgive Mcleod, Go0odwin Edwards and co. they are 34. reilly is only 28.

Point 5- Why are we using Reilly as a tagger. He coudn't even tag Ken McGreggor. A tagger need to have an extra pace of speed and normally close to the ground. I think Cooky could do it and it would lead him to the ball. Also Doughty is best when he is following a player. His is so bad offensively at the moment he is not worth using as a running player. Watch him carefully live and his eyes always look sideways first.

Point 2 - Davis is a bit overrated, but he's still young. he's playing his first AFL season. he is skinny, slow, can't really hold a tackle and doesn't show a lot of intensity, but i'm not sure if that's the type of player he is supposed to be? he is pretty good under pressure, has pretty good disposal and some slight evasiveness about him. of course he is no comparison to Otten...Otten is gold! esp for his pick.

Point 4 - i'm more tempted to throw Davis up forward and replace Stevens with Sellar. we do need Sellar back, but he is slower than Davis and the only thing he has on Davis is intensity.

Point 5 - yes, Reilly has no positive attributes. i don't think the club really knows what to do with him. we picked him up in the superdraft, at a high pick, and he's remained loyal to Adelaide, but what now...he's performances are below par and may have peaked years ago. every year, it's going to be the same old 'this is Reilly's year - surely he has to step up this year'...him and Douglas (both first rounders) are in the same boat, though Douglas seems to have surpassed Reilly slightly.

 

[King Elvis]

neddy - I don't think Rutten was a product of the system at all in 05/06. He was helped by the system, but was every bit the player he was revered as being.

He's lost a yard of pace, and the AFL has gained several. Take away the defensive pressure from the midfield and he's going to struggle.

True, but bring back the defensive pressure in the middle, a fit and in form Bock, and a good third tall (Otten/Bassett type), and he'll dominate again.

 

[neddy36]

neddy - I don't think Rutten was a product of the system at all in 05/06. He was helped by the system, but was every bit the player he was revered as being.

He's lost a yard of pace, and the AFL has gained several. Take away the defensive pressure from the midfield and he's going to struggle.

Teams have wised up in regards to Rutten. His only real strength is the one on one contest with the ball bombed in. Teams have worked that quick ball movement and having Rutten defending running back to goal is the best way to expose him. He has also shown vulnerability defending a leading forward.

The lack of true gorillas and goal square style FF's in the AFL nowadays has affected him as well as a decline in footspeed. He just looks very heavy through the quads and buttocks.

 

[CroCop]

You do realise that only 2 of the players named actually played tonight - and one of them (Davis) doesn't even belong on your list. Davis isn't an undersized ruckman, he's a KPP pure and simple. Nobody is trying to pretend that he's a ruckman, so why have you included him with this lot? Oh, that's right - it's just another excuse to bag him out (like the rest of your post).

Vader what do you see in him. Open your eyes . This thread makes a good point . Seriously mate you have no idea of what players are needed to make a premiership winning team.

 

[CroCop]

Point 2 - Davis is a bit overrated, but he's still young. he's playing his first AFL season. he is skinny, slow, can't really hold a tackle and doesn't show a lot of intensity, but i'm not sure if that's the type of player he is supposed to be? he is pretty good under pressure, has pretty good disposal and some slight evasiveness about him. of course he is no comparison to Otten...Otten is gold! esp for his pick.

Point 4 - i'm more tempted to throw Davis up forward and replace Stevens with Sellar. we do need Sellar back, but he is slower than Davis and the only thing he has on Davis is intensity.

Point 5 - yes, Reilly has no positive attributes. i don't think the club really knows what to do with him. we picked him up in the superdraft, at a high pick, and he's remained loyal to Adelaide, but what now...he's performances are below par and may have peaked years ago. every year, it's going to be the same old 'this is Reilly's year - surely he has to step up this year'...him and Douglas (both first rounders) are in the same boat, though Douglas seems to have surpassed Reilly slightly.

Sellar slower than Davis, dont think so mate. Maybe in a sprint but not on the ground , Davis just goes sideways all the time. Watch him really closely next week and youll see what I mean

 

[King Elvis]

Davis is already better than Jack Watts; give him some time.

He isn't awesome yet by any stretch, but people are excited because of his composure when he has the ball, and his normally excellent decision making.

He's undersized at present, when he puts on some muscle and increases his pace/strength, he looks like he'll be a very good player.

 

[Vader]

Vader what do you see in him. Open your eyes . This thread makes a good point . Seriously mate you have no idea of what players are needed to make a premiership winning team.

I acknowledge that he's not overly quick and right now he's about as thin as a twig. Unlike you though, I can also see his positives - he's incredibly well composed in even the most pressurised situations. He's very good at contesting the ball without giving away a critical free kick.

He's a kid who is still learning the game, just 5 games into his AFL career. Give him a break - he doesn't deserve the abuse you're hurling in his direction.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Seriously mate you have no idea of what players are needed to make a premiership winning team.

The implication being that you do.

Care to demonstrate?

 

[Cap]

I can't believe we are bagging Davis

holy crap that lad has shown more in his few games than many of our reruits do in 50

 

[King Elvis]

To be fair, I think 'we' is only one person.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I can't believe we are bagging Davis

holy crap that lad has shown more in his few games than many of our reruits do in 50

Itd be funny except the guy is serious.

 

[Cap]

its going to be a very long year

 

[Allefgib]

Davis in the few short games he has played has shown both natural footy smarts and tactical smarts as well. He has shown incredible composure and ability to make good decisions and execute cleanly.

He's a player that I believe will be at our club for many many years.

 

[Crow-mo]

neddy - I don't think Rutten was a product of the system at all in 05/06. He was helped by the system, but was every bit the player he was revered as being.

He's lost a yard of pace, and the AFL has gained several. Take away the defensive pressure from the midfield and he's going to struggle.

this

 

[Crow-mo]

Vader what do you see in him. Open your eyes . This thread makes a good point . Seriously mate you have no idea of what players are needed to make a premiership winning team.

why do I have the sneaking suspicion you started this thread with a different account?