A Critique by Curto

[Curto]

This will be long winded, I'll put into 2 parts.

It was great to see the kids run around.

When you have a team full of kids you have no composure. Wakes, Burns, Johnson and ... hang on no others are experienced...all of a sudden Heater, Lonie (from 50), Thomas, Cloke and Egan are the ones to provide game plan, composure, stability and experience. Hmmmm.

This team has never played together and never will. Throw in a Licker/Obes, Pebbles and Clement and all of a sudden the mids, forwards and backs have some composure.

What i got out of tonight is:
POSITIVES
- Thomas has everything. Wow.
- Pendles plays b'ball on a football field, which is great, always stand and deliver, a shake here, and give to a teamate....he will be great. Williams style (Greg).
- Lonie is cream not cake.
- Johnson, Heater, Maxwell and Thomas are leaders of this club (clap clap).
- Medhurst is Didak, Davis, Holland and Egan. Great forward pockets...good job...who will step up to the midfield. Congrats Brodie. Next?
- All the kids showed a bit...good for the future, insert 9 or 10 seasoned campaigners and it's promising, they can show more without the pressure.
- I like Dhick, he has "class". A word lacking in previous years.
- Wakes is Wakes, Burnsy is Burnsy and Heater, Johhno and Maxwell will have big consistent years.
- Fought it out well, Willy vs Kangas, good effort guys. The "never say die the mighty magpie" and Mick Malthouse spirit lives. I predicted 10 goal margin.

NEGATIVES
- Richards...hmmm...always looks at the man.
- Rhyce has always and still plays "panic(/rush)" football (just like his father). He is not scared, he just plays panic football (ie 2002 Grand final, handball to Davis), his actions go before his head, and then he tries 110% after his "rush" and generally gives away a free (tip from Curto...play 110% and learn composure). He should learn from his younger brother.
- Lonie is cream not cake
- A lot of our kids are the same ie. "good average" players. Who is the superstar? Didn't see it.

NEUTRALS
- Cloke won't be a superstar in '07....but '08 onwards...look out.
- Reid, Toovey, Nicholls, Cook and Iles (again) plus 3 or 4 ohers had a taste....who liked it? Who didn't?
- NAB Cup...23rd Feb. I'll have money on them round 1 (at better odds now ).
- Rusling, is not our forward line (ala Tarrant). Add Rocca, Bucks and hopefully Frase and let's assess.

 

[Curto]

"No Fraser, Buckley, Rocca, Lockyer, Didak, Holland, Clement, Swan, O'Bree, Licuria or Presty. Nine of these 11 will play round 1. Roos are near full strength.

We will get thumped by 10 goals but I'm glad to see all the kids running around."

I said that on Thursday...and I stand by it tonight.

Give us 5 or 6 (even 3 or 4) of them tonight and it's a different ball game. Anyway the club decided NAB Cup isn't important (obviously) , I trust thier judgement. It's a long season after all.

I reiterate, it's hard to judge kids, when the side is only kids. Does Medhurst know that Heater runs, does Toovey know that Iles looks short, does Nicholls know that Pendles feeds out the quick handball, etc etc. Enthuisiasm and skill does not beat experience and composure. I hope the coaching staff got more out of the game than us fans.

The future is still great. Tonight was never about winning the game...it was about winning more games.

 

[ant22]

I wouldn't be too carried away about anything you saw out there cutro

Its impossible to tell what is going to happen from that game. The forwards where always going to struggle because there was no one to kick it to them.

The mids where going to struggle because the rucks where smashed-this actually made pendles performance even more impressive as he won alot of the footy himself.

The back where always going to struggle because the ball came in so often and so fast-although maxwell(in the first half before going forward) and wakelin where outstanding.

IT was nothing more than a hit out for the senior players and experience for the kids

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Reid didn't get a taste, because he didn't play.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Clarke would have bagged 26 if he had of played. And that's before Malthouse decides to take him of at quarter time to give the Kangas a chance.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Ok my thoughts. Pleased with the way they ran it out, and pleased with a number of young players dpoing some nice things.

Thomas was good, Pendlebury sensational. His hands in heavy traffic are very clean for a young player. I still have some concerns about Thomas's footskills - his kicking is inconsistent.

Heath Shaw was along with BJ our best player. Definitely has captaincy written over him, although he gave away a few frees. Rhyce was also very encouraging, a couple of clangers notwithstanding.

Dikk did enough to prove he'll definitely be a player. Behaved like he belonged out there.

Brown will be a player. Not sure what his stats were (bugger all) but he just looked good. Same too with Cloke, but should have expected more out of him considering he's three years older.

Davies Toovey and Cook were poo, and Iles not much better, although Cook improved in the second half.

Medhurst and Bryan were ok first up. Bryan cant ruck, and Richards cant play around the ground, so between the two of them we have one ruckman. Richards was poor but he needs game time and plenty of it.

Egan started poorly like many others but played well in the second half.

Rusling has a lot to learn although the midfield getting belted had a lot to do with his poor game. Got a few touches and more importantly won a few contests when the Collingwood mids started winning a few possessions.

Lonie was one of our few senior players out there but did not play like one. I probably would have started him in the ground not on the bench, as MM really threw the skinny runts to the wolves and gave North too big of a headstart.

 

[yeah-nah]

Apart from Pendlebury our kids were garbage.

As were some supposedly semi senior players (Lonie, Davis, Richards, etc) - they continued to serve up the same rubbish they have for years. Worried. Very.

 

[ROWDY26]

Davies Toovey and Cook were poo, and Iles not much better, although Cook improved in the second half.

Davies was ordinary, appears to have lost confidence or just lacks confidence. He can play, ive seen him dominate at vfl level he just needs to take the next step, although i believe this year will be his last chance.

Toovey. Dont write him off after one game, his disposal was poor, but most likely attributed to first game jitters. Has been critisised for his disposal in the past but he also works hard and i believe his disposal will improve with experience and practice, he can play but needs to create a place for himself, hes too short to be a tall defender and probably not skillful enough to be a small defender. i would like to see him tried as a forward, would be interesting.

Cook, i havent seen much of. i was of the opinion he was a goal sneak, Milne like when he was first drafted.But he reminds me of Scott Russell for some reason. He did find the ball a bit more in the last half, but i will hold off on my opinion of him untill ive seen more.

Iles, looked good imo, he is composed and appears to have taken the next step. Looks like he belongs out there. I dont know why many posters are unconvinced on him, he has good pace, good at ground level, he tackles hard is tenacious and his skills are among the best at the club. For me it was like watching a young Scott Burns out there. Did anyone notice what happened to him he had blood allover his face at one stage and then later in the game his face was bandaged?

I wouldnt judge the young blokes to harshly on their performance, they were on and off the ground all night, it just looked like the whole team lacked direction, with many players running around unmaned, put a few more leaders in that team and we will turn it around round 1.

 

[Jabso]

Iles looks like Santa's Little Helper when he runs.

I don't think there was much to take out the game apart from Pendlebury showed what he can do with game time in the middle, Cloke looked aggressive, Asterix looked promising and Maxwell may have a break out season.