Barlow

[AG]

I agree with what you're saying (incl. Tambling), but I am still no closer to working out whether he'll be given another year or not? I mean, will the club give him another year? I suspect so, and good luck to him if he gets another year. But IF he gets another year, he better start tackling, backing into trouble and breaking a few ribs (his own or others, I don't care!)...

That's where I don't agree. If he doesn't have the skill to be courageous then I don't want him to be payed to get injured all the time. Not many players can do it. Archer, Brown, Carey etc., where all awesome at turning their bodies with the flight of the ball. Barlow probaby can't do it naturally. If that's the case then he needs to be become a damn good receiver.

 

[db swannie]

That's where I don't agree. If he doesn't have the skill to be courageous then I don't want him to be payed to get injured all the time. Not many players can do it. Archer, Brown, Carey etc., where all awesome at turning their bodies with the flight of the ball. Barlow probaby can't do it naturally. If that's the case then he needs to be become a damn good receiver.

I was being metaphorical, to an extent. I'd just like to see him be more accountable. I don't expect to see him at the bottom of every contest, scrapping it out. But there's been times this year when he's pulled out of contests, and it has looked bad. I don't want him to get injured, but I do want to see him go in a bit harder, that's all.

 

[Swanee]

That's where I don't agree. If he doesn't have the skill to be courageous then I don't want him to be payed to get injured all the time. Not many players can do it. Archer, Brown, Carey etc., where all awesome at turning their bodies with the flight of the ball. Barlow probaby can't do it naturally. If that's the case then he needs to be become a damn good receiver.

I swore I wouldnt post on this thread again as I am copping a lot of criticism, and I dont like it, ha ha.

I dont expect him to be at the bottom of the pack, I understand he's not that type of player. I dont expect him to be putting his body totally on the line, not yet anyway, and I dont want him getting injured. I just wanted to see some determination when the ball is there to be got. He doesn need to go around breaking bones, his or anyones, he just needs to show desire for the ball. The way Hanners has, the way Meredith did, and Smith, and White.

My last post here, I agree enough has been said about it. The club will make a decision soo I expect.

Go Bloods, for this weekend, and show up tough and hungry for 2010.

 

[smasher]

What do we pay Ed to rock up each year.
Jarred Moore and Ted Richards have recently put their bodies on the line for their club and payed a heavy price with rib and lung injuries.I bet they both would do it again if necessary.These are typical of a Swan player.We don't really need players who wont give 110% for their club.

 

[bedford]

Richards and Moore only did what you would expect from an AFL player

 

[vonn]

I disagree with half the posts said. Courage is something you can work on and I know that for a fact from experience. It's not something that happens overnight it's somethig that you work on and build.

Yes his paid to be an AFL footballer and for whoever said they would be unemployed now whatever who cares, be unemployed but all I'm saying is the abuse in this thread is ****ing outrageous. Even If you were unemployed you wouldn't get like 10 people criticizing you and second guessing your efforts... Because what half of you guys is giving isnt opinionn it's just straight out ****ing abuse.

All the crap that you need courage to succed in footy.. Makes me wonder if you guys have ever played it yourself. Ive played footy before and I can tell you being brave or courageous isn't as easy as it looks from an outsiders point of view.

I don't understand the venom, sounds like half the people don't even want him to succeed , bu just get off the team.

 

[db swannie]

I've said my piece (maybe just one more) on this thread, but good luck Ed. If you get another year, go hard, we'll be there to cheer you and the boys on.

p.s. Please get rid of the curly locks. They make you look a bit effete

 

[MF]

I disagree with half the posts said. Courage is something you can work on and I know that for a fact from experience. It's not something that happens overnight it's somethig that you work on and build.

Yes his paid to be an AFL footballer and for whoever said they would be unemployed now whatever who cares, be unemployed but all I'm saying is the abuse in this thread is ****ing outrageous. Even If you were unemployed you wouldn't get like 10 people criticizing you and second guessing your efforts... Because what half of you guys is giving isnt opinionn it's just straight out ****ing abuse.

All the crap that you need courage to succed in footy.. Makes me wonder if you guys have ever played it yourself. Ive played footy before and I can tell you being brave or courageous isn't as easy as it looks from an outsiders point of view.

I don't understand the venom, sounds like half the people don't even want him to succeed , bu just get off the team.

I agree with all of this post.

I'm not exactly wrapt with how he's been going about his footy but some of the garbage in here is pretty low. I'm ashamed of my association to some of you as swans supporters. Although, "supporters" probably isn't a very apt word to describe many of you.

 

[Swanee]

I disagree with half the posts said. Courage is something you can work on and I know that for a fact from experience. It's not something that happens overnight it's somethig that you work on and build.

Yes his paid to be an AFL footballer and for whoever said they would be unemployed now whatever who cares, be unemployed but all I'm saying is the abuse in this thread is ****ing outrageous. Even If you were unemployed you wouldn't get like 10 people criticizing you and second guessing your efforts... Because what half of you guys is giving isnt opinionn it's just straight out ****ing abuse.

All the crap that you need courage to succed in footy.. Makes me wonder if you guys have ever played it yourself. Ive played footy before and I can tell you being brave or courageous isn't as easy as it looks from an outsiders point of view.

I don't understand the venom, sounds like half the people don't even want him to succeed , bu just get off the team.

No venom here, I just believe he has been given all the opportunity and hasn't preformed, in fact not only hasn't performed, but has looked totally out of place on the football field. The more you try to push your point, the more I will push mine. If you would accept most of what has been said and stop supporting him, then maybe a few of us will stop bagging him. We have our right of opinion as much as you do. This is a forum, where there is more than one view expressed. Stop accepting his lack of desire, thats not the bloods spirit. If he can't hack it, get him off the team.

 

[Swanee]

I agree with all of this post.

I'm not exactly wrapt with how he's been going about his footy but some of the garbage in here is pretty low. I'm ashamed of my association to some of you as swans supporters. Although, "supporters" probably isn't a very apt word to describe many of you.

This is a vicious circle. The more you support him, the more I criticise him, the more I criticise him, the more you support him.

We all want our team to be doing well, we all want our players playing at their best, and I'm sure we are all excited about some of the new players coming through.

I'm not against him, I just dont think he should be getting a game over some of the other players after some of his performances. He's still young, and hopefully he will improve, there's obviously lots of room for improvement. But some of the other young players have come into the team and made a mark, have fitted in. I just think Barlow should have been sent back to the ressies earlier to get his confidence back and get him up to standard there. Thats not venomous, it's not garbage, thats just my opinion.

 

[vonn]

No venom here, I just believe he has been given all the opportunity and hasn't preformed, in fact not only hasn't performed, but has looked totally out of place on the football field. The more you try to push your point, the more I will push mine. If you would accept most of what has been said and stop supporting him, then maybe a few of us will stop bagging him. We have our right of opinion as much as you do. This is a forum, where there is more than one view expressed. Stop accepting his lack of desire, thats not the bloods spirit. If he can't hack it, get him off the team.

All the oppurtunity?!!!!! His had injuries, interrupted pre-season, his a youngster of course his inconsistent, and his had ridiculous expectation placed upon him.

Looked out of place on the field... I presume you haven't seen him play forward? He was a ball magnet. In fact he blew so many shots on goal. But he created them. And I also remember one game when he passed a low shot to Barry Hall (against col?) with pinpoint accuracy, under enormous pressure and the commentators were singing his praises.
I've also remembered seeing him take the game on along the wing of the Gabba in his debut and do it well.

That's not lost on a footy field.
But the person we are seeing now?
That's a person who's lost their confidence on a footy field.

Their is a HUGE difference between the two. The guy has ENORMOUS upside and RIDICULOUS potential.

As for what I've bolded I'm not even goin to bother replyin to that as it has nothing to do with Barlow.

The bloods spirit. The bloods spirit is not being 22xKirk on the field. In fact a footy team needs a balance between talent and heart. So does each individual player. And you can't presume that just because he doesn't go and knock everyone out, knock himself out, be at the bottom of the pack, get his head knocked open, that he has got no bloods spirit.

The spirit isn't something someone can externally exhibit. It's an internal instinct that drives the players and causes them to act- and that is something which comes from experience.

God this is what happens when I have to write a serious speech and post on bigfooty at the same time - I actually make sense.

 

[Tedeski]

I had a quick chat to Ed Barlow at the end of the Hall Of Fame dinner. He seemed quite happy to be part of this club mentioning how great it was to be amongst the legends.
It was only a quick chat but from what I gathered, he seemed to love the place!

But....................who really knows!

 

[RobbieK]

I don't think he has played particularly well, but I thoroughly disagree with those that say he has had the opportunity.

He need to be given a set position, almost definitely on the full forward line, and he needs to be given the time to find confidence in that position.

He has been playing with no real position (just wandering the wings/half forward line) which hasn't helped him at all, he is understandably low on confidence and a player low on confidence is one that simply isn't going to be courageous and put everything on the line, they will be tentative and second guess themselves.

Stick him in the forward line, make him lead and present himself as a second option. If he fails after getting a real opportunity doing that, sure, bag him. Until then it makes little sense to judge him.

 

[barry fu]

Geez, there are some ruthless Swans supporters. Not every player is gifted with thoughness and courage.

Yes AG that's because to be a Swans supporter on big Footy one of the joining up requirements or tasks to gain membership is to run through a paper wall. Nude.
Hence why some of our Blood Brothers require a badly wronged Jean- Claude Van Damme like commitment from our players at all times. Otherwise surely you must be a ladyboy if you do not finnish each match with the opposing team players ears for a necklace. Like a Gurkha does.
Perhaps that is a clue to where our next international rookie could be found. Does any club have a Gurkha other than KIRK.

 

[Swanee]

Yes AG that's because to be a Swans supporter on big Footy one of the joining up requirements or tasks to gain membership is to run through a paper wall. Nude.
Hence why some of our Blood Brothers require a badly wronged Jean- Claude Van Damme like commitment from our players at all times. Otherwise surely you must be a ladyboy if you do not finnish each match with the opposing team players ears for a necklace. Like a Gurkha does.
Perhaps that is a clue to where our next international rookie could be found. Does any club have a Gurkha other than KIRK.

You're the f----wits that are keeping this thread going. I'm not talking about his lack of courage, just about his lack of desire for the ball. And seeming to have no idea what to do when
A, he has the ball, or
B. the ball is there to be had and he looks like he's unable to make a decision about what to do to get it.

The last four posts here were supporting him, but you want to keep bagging the supporters who want more from him. It's up to you, I was prepared to let it lie, enough said, but if you want to keep keep it going, I will continue to bag him.

 

[barry fu]

You're the f----wits that are keeping this thread going. I'm not talking about his lack of courage, just about his lack of desire for the ball. And seeming to have no idea what to do when
A, he has the ball, or
B. the ball is there to be had and he looks like he's unable to make a decision about what to do to get it.

The last four posts here were supporting him, but you want to keep bagging the supporters who want more from him. It's up to you, I was prepared to let it lie, enough said, but if you want to keep keep it going, I will continue to bag him.

Dear Swanee

Hahaha, oh dear. Sorry didn't realise that you were mentioned in that post. But you must have felt you were, and why was that ?
You talk of the Cheese and his lack of desire. Yet on the other hand you claim to have made your last post here and then get hot and bothered if someone else disagrees with yourself or is of a pro Cheese standing. That too also shows a lack of desire. And to bag him simply because someone disagrees with you, yes that should work.

Yours Sincerely

F----wit

P.S I cannot talk for any of the other F----wits

 

[TheMase]

If Barlow goes I will be shocked. He has some much upside it is ridiculous.

He, like any young inexperienced player has shown us glimpses of talent... but is incredibly inconsistent (normal).

I would be giving him 1 year minimum. Players of his size, shape and speed do not grow on trees.

The decision now needs to be made as to whether he is developed as a midfielder, defender or forward... (to start with at least). He then needs to be backed in.

I think he has looked good as a forward, but needs to be told not to blaze. Has briefly played down back and looked OK. Midfield looks lost at this stage, but that can come later.

 

[Dangas]

More (of) Cheese, yes please

 

[BarneyBent]

And seeming to have no idea what to do when
A, he has the ball,

I think that's bullshit. He is quite a good decision maker when he actually has the ball, and usually creates something.

or
B. the ball is there to be had and he looks like he's unable to make a decision about what to do to get it.

This I agree with. When he backs himself in to get the ball, he uses it, but too often he hangs back from a pack to make position, or opts to corral an opponent rather than try to win the ball himself. I don't know whether it's just that he shies away from physical contact, or if he just doesn't want to commit to the ball.

 

[MF]

I'm going to let you in on a secret....

Roos and the swans will not be shopping Barlow around at the end of the year and will not consider de-listing him.

Let's put things in perspective......

While he debuted at an early age, Barlow has still only played 25 games of football and is still 22 years old. Roos has commented many times, and I completely agree with this, that you don't really start to see what a player can offer until around the 40-50 games mark.

For the sake of comparison, we were having this very same discussion about Grundy when he was at the same stage of development Barlow is currently in. Grundy has just reached 45 games of senior football, and it's probably only been the past 10 games or so that we've seen what he can offer. For a little more perspective... There are currently blokes in our reserves who are the same age or older and can't crack a senior game..... Laidlaw, Schmidt (a year older than Ed), Brabazon etc.

Barlow will be given at least another season to develop and show us what he has, and rightly so. I've been critical of him and still am, but I'm also realistic in that he's very young and as Mase pointed out... has a huge upside. Let's just put the knives away until this time next year.