Opinion Ants Rant round 2

[ant555]

Really hate to say this but Carlton are a couple of spots better than i rated them. Good balanced side with pretty good foot skills and pace out of the back half. Looking forward to seeing how they line up against the better sides as they have beaten nothing yet.
With the Pies not looking too convincing other than 10 minutes in the third quarter the Blues could be in with a big chance.

Essendon two from two yet lots to work on. At least we are winning
Too many midfield turnovers from poor handballs that miss targets.


Too much ****ing around inside 50. FFS someone just kick the bloody goal !!
Poor kicking both in field play and at goal. I will be insane by the end of the year if they persist with these loopy 25 meter Tom Hislop specials that almost get the target killed.
I got belted for suggesting the skills where no good in round 1 of the NAB. Well the problems are still there for all to see.
Thank god our pressure and tackling is a heap better.

Port where much cleaner at ground level than us, we fumbled a lot. Heaps of times we could have had a clear run from a stoppage but fumbled the ball.

Not sure what to think of umpiring in general and this is not an Essednon whinge. I am seeing decisions in all games and both ways that are just making supporters angry and bemused.
The first free against Melksham and the explanation from the ump was a joke.
The 50 against McVeigh was rubbish as well as he entered the 5 meter area while following an opponent. Funny that later in the game we had a free and a Port player comes off the bench into the 5 meter zone and no 50 ?

The fat controller and his stupid side kick have managed to **** the holding the ball rule and have turned stoppages into an ugly 20 second rolling maul. It was a better when players where allowed to drag the ball in and the umpire just blew the whistle and we had another bounce.

I hate going home from winning games and still being left wondering what the hell a few of our blokes where doing decision making wise.
We will not be a top 4 side until our team defense improves. We do not roll over defensively, not everyone works as a team, too often we guard a spot in the zone rather than a man in the zone and we do not listen to each other.
Classic example Hibberd comes off his man to man to block the pathway so Port could not play on, he is screaming to Carmeri to push up and take his man which Crameri does not, he keeps coming towards Hibberd and the player with the ball which allows the Port player to simply chip the ball over the top and Port score a goal. If Crameri runs the 15 meters to Hibberd's man Port have to kick backwards or long to a contest.

Thumbs up to our tackling and pressure as it caused a lot of Port turnovers.

I guess if you keep hammering the ball inside 50 you should win most games but would like to see a better scoring percentage.

Stanton Fletcher Ryder for having to go it alone. Jetta

Big dog fight looming for 5th to 8th spot by the looks. Sydney, Freo us, North and the Crows looking possibles at the moment.

Have Melbourne got the most over rated bunch of early draft picks at any club ? Seems they are either injured or too outside and lack leadership( with a few exceptions of course). Can they get a worse start to the year ? loose a game at the G against a week side then smashed by the Eagles by over 100. Looks like there is much to do.

Can Voss survive the 2 years rebuilding that Brisbane need. Pressure will be on as they need another couple of drafts.

Can the Fat Controller get into any more trouble with Mifsud and their Indigenous program ? seems to me there is too much ducking and weaving and not enough sitting down with all sides and genuinely working out some answers to a problem that is there even if the AFL do not want to see it. Too much Ostrich factor involved.
Plenty more to be said on this and i may get time to give an extended opinion on some of the issues from a recruiting view point in the future.

Myers hammy injury Started the game in the middle and i was hoping to get a good look at him as a mid but he had to go back because of Hille's calf injury. Now he will be out for 3 or 4 weeks.

Good game between the Crows and Bulldogs. Thought the Dogs where gone several times but they showed a bit of fight. Maybe we saw a bit of a realistic form line for the Crows, they will be improved but they have their issues like a lot of the mid range clubs.
Dogs have the Saints, GC and GWS in the next 3 weeks so would want to be 3-2. Still think they may be a few wins short of the 8.

Some quick TAC news. Northern Knights have a super impressive bottom age tall in Cameron Conlan. Should be a cult figure with his bright red hair and the freakish things he does around goal. Can take a spekky and kick running goals from the boundary but can also miss from in front. One to watch for next years draft.
Form is a bit hard to read at the moment other than Sandy, last years premiers have begun well.
The Jets have a couple of good tall defenders in Harley Walshe and Sam Critchly. Really like the look of Critchly although his kicking at goal as a forward is nothing to write home about.
Tom Boyd from Eastern has kicked a few goals but he is one of very few shining lights for the Ranges who look like spooners this year.
The mids have been an even bunch so far with a few sides having some promising players. Will get to a few of them soon and discuss the early form.

More TAC to come possibly tomorrow night.

Off to the Gold Coast next week to see us make it 3 from 3 whoo hooo.

 

[Burzum]

Is Joe Daniher playing in the TAC Cup or has the club put him in cotton wool for the season?

 

[yaco55]

Ant

How are the key position players shaping up for the 2012 ND ?

Imagine that EFC will look at least one tall in this draft.

 

[ant555]

Is Joe Daniher playing in the TAC Cup or has the club put him in cotton wool for the season?

Joe will be playing, currently he is away with the AIS squad. Played in the game against Box Hill a couple of weeks ago and looked good.

 

[ant555]

Ant

How are the key position players shaping up for the 2012 ND ?

Imagine that EFC will look at least one tall in this draft.

Seems to be an interesting mix although it is a few of the bottom age boys who seem to have the form at the moment.

Will be interesting to see what we do given we take Joe with our first pick. One would think we need to find another developing ruck as Hille has limited years left so we will need Daniher and ?

Will list a few players later today who should be watched.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Carlton where my pick at the end of last year to go all the way this year. Seem to have a well balanced side. Only injuries will stop them from being top 4 and having a crack.

They've added some good VFL types down back like we have and filled their list with hardened bodies who can stand up.

Will be a good test against us in a few weeks.

I think where they get us at the moment is the extra bit of pace they have with guys like Yarran, Garlett. If Davey was Garlett like then we'd be almost there but alas he is not.

 

[eth-dog]

I disagree. The big thing stopping them becoming top 4 is that there are 4 sides better than them. They've shown that they can beat up on two teams that are either borderline top 8 or borderline bottom 4. Collingwood, Hawthorn, West Coast and Geelong are all still better than them.

West Coast's defence and forward lines are borderline elite with the way they work- Glass, McKenzie, Schofield, Hurn, Smith and Butler is the equal of any back 6 in the AFL IMO. Their forward line even without their two best small forwards is bloody good- Darling, Lynch, Kennedy, Hams, Hill (much better since going west), even players like Gaff, Kerr, Rosa, Naitanui and Cox rotating through there makes it look elite with one of the best CHF's in the game, with speed and power inside that forward 50. Their midfield isn't quite as good as Carltons, but have them covered at the bookends

The rest are a class above those two, but there's no doubt in my mind that West Coast are better

 

[Summer Nights]

Were* ffs

 

[morebeer]

Nice OP. Great broad rant, keep them coming. Maybe some suggested changes next week? Do you see Fletch, Hooker, Pears and Carlisle in the one backline?

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Love the term, "Tom Hislop specials."

 

[Hoffinator]

Have Melbourne got the most over rated bunch of early draft picks at any club ? Seems they are either injured or too outside and lack leadership( with a few exceptions of course ).

2004
Matthew Bate
Lyndon Dunn
2005
Nathan jones
2006
James Frawley
2007
Cale Morton
Jack Grimes
2008
Jack Watts
Sam Blease
James Strauss
2009
Tom Scully
Jack Trengove
Jordan Gysberts
Luke Tapscott
2010
Lucas Cook
2011
No first Round Selection (Mitch Clark deal?)

Melbourne last played finals in 2006. Looking back at their first round draft selections (that you would hope to keep them up from 2007 onwards) you do wonder how much their lack of leadership has hurt them. But i do also agree with you that they've had some bad luck

Scully leaving obviously hurts. But (maybe) Jones, Frawley and Trengove at their best would get a game at most clubs. Despite the Big Footy lol's, Watts will eventually be a solid player. Grimes, Gysberts and Tapscott are quality, but injury prone. I can't say I've seen enough of Blease, Strauss and Cook. Morton was a mistake. Bate and Dunn have shown glimpses of talent throughout their careers, but are bit players at best.

For mine, it can't just be as simple as poor selections. I think back to my first job out of high school. My work ethic was really moulded by the people around me. From day one, I was basically shown bad work habits and disrespect towards my employers, so that's how I worked. It took me a change of career to actually learn a good work ethic, respect for my employer and responsibility.

There is obvious talent in all first round selections, but it's what the player does and how the club helps said player harness that talent that can make or break the player. We are talking about young impressionable men, after all.

 

[ant555]

I agree there is talent amongst the group but the two things that stand out for mine are one that they may have no control over and that is injury, several of their good picks have been dogged with injury and the second one is leadership.
Apart from Trengove and having known a lot about all of the player listed, i think they really struggle for on field leaders and they have limited players who can turn a game.

I agree when you say Scully is a huge loss as he would have given them another general on field but if you believe the story's floating around the back rooms of AFL clubs part of the reason he left was the poor level of leadership across the whole club.

They have been unlucky with Strauss he was a very good TAC player who has been dogged with injury, Blease is also injury prone but was always an outside player who was very good when his midfield was up and running but could be a bit cold when they struggled.

I think Watts will make it at AFL level but not as what people expected. Will always be a flanker or winger and not a KP forward. He was a super talent at under 18 level but he lacks that Hurley type will to want to crash into packs.
He is a kid with great skill and ability and has shown a few times he can find it 25 or so times and kick a goal or two when allowed to play that outside role. It is too bad Melbourne are screeming out for a a Hurley type forward which was supposed to be Watts.

The inconsistency of Bate and Dunn must frustrate their supporters.

 

[ant555]

Nick Vlastuin from Northern has looked pretty good early on, 187cm midfield with a strong build, pretty clean hands at ground level and his rebound run has stood out.

As mention Cameron Conlan a bottom age kid for Northen has been really impressive, good hand eye coordination and reads the play very well. Can take a big grab and kick a freakish goal.

Darcy Bailey, son of Dean Baily goes alright. He is a bit rough around the edges and his kicking can be scrappy but he finds a lot of the ball and goes in hard as well as providing run.

Lachlan Plowman is a 192cm defender with a bit of dash and a strong mark.

 

[Burzum]

Thoughts on Lachie Whitfield?

 

[ant555]

Thoughts on Lachie Whitfield?

Skilled smart Jet

 

[Burzum]

It's the Mount Martha in him tbh

 

[The Prosecutor]

Melbourne as a whole just strike me as a band club.

No senior leaders.

No real big game players.

No player you would pay money to watch.

No atmosphere at games.

I look at Richmond, at least there I see players like Martin, Riewoldt, Delidio and Cotchin who can turn it on and get Richmond places.

I just don't see that at Melbourne and can not see them achieving success any time in the foreseeable future.

 

[Darealrath]

Richmond have a great fan base too, both in terms of numbers and passion/atmosphere. Melbourne have neither.

 

[BrunoV]

I underdstand the rationale applied to give Carlton its reputation and yet all the results tell me is that Melbourne is even worse than their own results indicate they are (belted by Brisbane which is 100 points behind Carlton at the Gabba). Obviously this week against the Filth will be the true test for Carlton.

You cannot underestimate the extent to which a lack of leadership, both on and off field, at Melbourne influenced Scully's decision to leave. There are more stories of playing choosing to stay with their club than not. It is therefore too simple to say that Scully just wanted the money, there were quite clearly other significant motivating factors.

Don't discount the butchering of the in the back rule in addition to holding the ball.

I'd still like an opinion on the extent to which poor decision making is the result of the system not working/still being in its infancy. It is too difficult to accept (because it means that we are too far away) that our players' decision making skills are either not up to scratch or are not improving with experience.

Are we still a key forward short? I have not watched the Port game yet but, following the North match, it seems that we are still breaking down a between the wing and half forward where a true CHF would be patroling. There seems to be a lack of method when going forward which is resulting in high numbers of weak entries into the forward 50. We also need to do more to draw key defenders up the ground and away from Hurley who is going to monster anyone he faces when one on one.

While I am much happier with the tall forward set up featuring the Hurley and Ryder/Hille combination it still seems as though we are a player short. I don't want Crameri to be that player because he has other roles to play (e.g. adding forward pressure) and is going to do more damage when he is not the focal point.

Collingwood (Cloke, Dawes & new kid/Jolly), Geelong (Hawkins, Pods and West/Ottens), Hawthorn (Franklin, Hale & Gunston/Roughead) and West Coast (Kennedy, Lynch, Darling & NicNat/Cox) all go into games with as many as 3 key forward targets in each game they play. The difficulty we have is reducing the run in our side to bring in the extra tall.

We may just need to bite the bullet and put Carlisle, and when possible he who should not be named, in each side for the sake of properly developing the forwardline. With a properly balanced side, including at least two of the Winderlich, Reimers, Kav or Merrett ilk, the run of the side should correct itself.

 

[Yoda_]

Skilled smart Stingray

edited for accuracy

 

[Smokin]

Are we still a key forward short?

well, we definitley were against Port. Playing the 2nd Ruck as the 2nd key forward dies when one of them goes down in the first 15 mintues.

We tried to swing Carlisle at both ends, really needed down back but also needed him forward. We got over the line in the end, but hardly impressively.

We arent flying, but have pretty much dominated 2 poor to middle of the road teams (also our bogey sides which is nice), but really our forward-use and retention for want of a better term is really limiting us putting the dominance on the scoreboard.

We obviously need to seriously look at the structure, personnel and not only are we not scoring as much as we should, we are getting extremely noticeably destroyed on the counter and giving these teams their scoring opportunities.

Port got players back, the first time I have noticed a flood which is my prediction will return over the course of the season. Just too much free flowing, scoring.

In a flood situation, you have to be smarter and we werent. Just bombed to pretty ordinary positions. In a way it was fine, but crumbers were nowhere to be seen.

If we dont address this crumbing situation, it is going to be a frustrating year I reckon.

It was noticeable last year, RIchmond and Melb did this all night, and we havnt addressed it at all this year.

What McVeigh is doing playing forward, I have absolutely no idea.