Big! Big Man Probs

[ONE EYE]

In the Eagles v Carlton game I saw nothing to avail my concerns about our Key Position problems. This was disguised by Carltons ineptness, our great midfield and their decision to go in very tall. They just did not have the ball carriers to expose us.

Woosha played Doogs at CHF briefly and CHB briefly. But mostly off the bench. How is he to learn from there? He gave Cox game time up forward. I understand that he was giving him experience and more game time at this level.

I could see that we were getting the ball out of the middle and running it through CHF. But when we were bringing the ball from defence we were found out badly when we were looking for a tall option. Except when Doogs or Jako was presenting.

Carroll and Glass were only serviceable. Haynes was great and must be presisted with at FF.

Unless we can fix up CHF and key defensive posts we will not last long in the finals. Look for this when we play Port this week. The last time we played and beat Port was Gaspar at CHF. He is a big difference to us.

But our key defensive posts are just a worry that I dont see that we have the personel to fix right now.

Your views please>

GO EAGLES!

 

[Au_Blue#24]

We need a true tall CHB - we should try gaspar, johnson, lynch in that order.

Doogs at CHF is a goer !!

 

[ozzult]

I was glad to see Doogs at CHB. When he was playing at CHF, he didn't chase hard at one point, and I thought to myself, seeing as this game is pretty much wound up, we should send Doogs to CHB, to mould his defensive game when he is a permanent forward.

Doogs can play, that is for sure. If injuries aren't a problem, our big man stocks are in good hands.

Glass, McDougall, Embley (who took some really strong marks up forward), Gaspar etc.

 

[Frodo]

I think we have two great options at CHF. Jako has been brilliant and Gaspar when fit is a natural.

It is the defensive spine that is the problem. I took great heart in Doogs effort in defence yesterday and he could be our answer. Certainly Polak has done well for Freo in defence and Doogs is not unlike him. Glass is progressing well but Carroll I have big doubts about

 

[Voice of Reason]

If history is your guide, then you are right, we have big man problems.

But history may not be right for the revolutionary Woosha. Footy today is a different game, where pace and endurance and hand and foot skills are the key.

The other thing that gives me comfort is that people complain about individual players (eg Carroll or Glass, though he's done well in the last few games), but all Premiership teams have ordinary players. You don't need 22 brilliant players to win a flag.

 

[Sera]

McDougal did some alright things at CHB last night. I sat near his parents during the game and they went nuts after he kicked the first goal.

We have a number of developing tall players that aren't naturally defenders... Hansen, Seaby, Lynch, Beeck... I would try them all in key defensive posts all through next pre-season in a bid to turn one of them into a defender. I'm sure we can convert one of them...

 

[The Passenger]

I don't have any problems with us playing as a small team.

results wil dictate what a team requires on their playing list, and at the moment the only thing we need to do is keep deveoping our guys cause they'll only get better when they hit their prime.

we have glass who looks like he will be a comptent FB, and same goes for Carroll/Staker/Lynch across the halfback line.

while Gaspar/Doogs/Haynes through FF and CHF looks to be developing well.

and we have competent back ups in Hansen, Seaby and Johnson.

They'll come along in the future, and we will be very strong i reckon.

we are good enough to win a premiership on the back of our young midfield group this year.

imagine what we're going to be like when that group develops into a group of prime age footballers, and mixes in with some very good key position players

it will all happen in time.

 

[Mead]

I'm happy with our forward line. McDougall/Jakovich combo is good enough at CHF, with Doogs improving every week. Haynes, whilst not a conventional FF, suits our team structure to a T.

At the other end, I'm beginning to think Glass is finally becoming a quality FB- he's put in some pretty good performances over the last few weeks- I get the feeling he has turned the corner, and is now showing real promise. Another solid six weeks of footy, a finals campaign, and a heap of work in the gym during the off season could be the making of him
CHB is a knottier proposition. Personally I don't think Carroll should be getting a game. He's probably had his best ever season this year, and it still really isn't good enough. At this stage of his career, I don't think he's going to improve much, so if we're going to get towelled in defence, we might as well at least play somebody with raw promise so there is some chance they'll learn. Staker could be an option, although for now he'll always be outmuscled. Gaspar is another, and imo, our best hope. If he can shake the injury worries, he has everything necessary to be an excellent CHB- Imo, Glass/Gaspar/Cousins/McDougall/Haynes makes for a promising albeit untried centre line, with the like of Lynch, Hansen and Cox pinch hitting up and down the line when needed.

 

[The Passenger]

also i'd like to add playing such a small team has made for the most attractive football i've ever seen, whether we are winning or losing.

we are a great team to watch.

 

[Sera]

Speaking of Gaspar, does anyone know where he is at? We heard he would be out for 6 weeks and that was about 5 weeks ago...

 

[Captain Random]

They said on the wireless that Doogs was practically being trained as a CHB as the game progressed. We could do a lot worse, that's for damn sure. His game was great.

It'd be great to see Gas back, but how realistic is it to expect anything from him?

 

[The Passenger]

Originally posted by carneagles
Gas back, but how realistic is it to expect anything from him?

I think we have to plan for a future with Travis Gaspar, but if he does happen to overcome his injuries and play a vital hand for us, it'll be a bonus.

 

[ozzult]

Gaspar was in the Bill Walker room last night and said he is about two weeks away.

He also said he doesn't really have a preference of playing forward or back.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

As it stands, we may well be flooded with KPP in the next 2 years as draftees of the last 3 years come of age.

I think what Woosha is doing is letting these guys develop in the WAFL, rather than throw them in the deep end and hope they can swim. So long as we're winning though, i've got no complaints.

 

[alstar562]

Who cares if we have a lack off KPP as long as we are winning im happy

And anyway if quality KPP are so important why are we higher on the ladder then St Kilda

 

[The Passenger]

Originally posted by alstar562


And anyway if quality KPP are so important why are we higher on the ladder then St Kilda

exactly, quality key positions players are simply icing. the midfield is the cake.

have you ever had to much icing with any cake?? Makes you sick pretty quickly.

 

[alstar562]

Originally posted by Black Thunder
exactly, quality key positions players are simply icing. the midfield is the cake.

have you ever had to much icing with any cake?? Makes you sick pretty quickly.

In that case i would rather have a large cake with just the right amout of icing, not to little and not to much, just enough to make the perfect cake.

Thats what i think the eagles have and anyway dont they say games are won in the midfield.

 

[Frodo]

It's okay to say 'as long as we're winning' but we aint gonna win a flag with a defense like we had last night. In finals footy players raise their game. The midfielders are hit by pumped up players who know that if they lose then they are out. So the pressure is on our midfielders to deliver high quality ball to the forwards.
However, the opposition can just pump balls into our 50 all game knowing we are deficient in our defensive spine.
That's why I don't give us much chance of a flag this year and that's why we must be developing kpp now for those positions. Glass is doing okay but we need another. Doogs may be the one.

Otherwise we trade..say for Hay....what would we need to give up? Judd, Fletcher, Cuz, Kerr ? I don't want to lose any.

 

[alstar562]

Otherwise we trade..say for Hay....what would we need to give up? Judd, Fletcher, Cuz, Kerr ? I don't want to lose any. [/B][/QUOTE]


Cox maybe and a first round draft pick.

 

[ozzult]

I don't think we need to trade for a superstar defender. We have never traded for young superstars, and I don't think that will change this year.

I'm pretty confident that our defensive spine is in good hands with for the time being with Gaspar, McDougall (who proved last night he can play defense), Glass and a myriad of other options who are performing in the WAFL.


Alternatively we also have a strong tall forward line in my opinion. McDougall and Gaspar can both play forward (possibly we could see them rotating between CHF and CHB, depending on matchups). Embley also showed he can take some strong grabs. Haynes also lead well all night.

 

[The Passenger]

i like the positive thinking and focusing on strengthing our midfield and attack.

people keep saying that players are going to step up and make it hard for us. but don't you think we'll step up likewise and put equally as much pressure on their defence.

at the end of the day, the better team wins the match, whether its round 1, round 14, qualifying final or the grand final.

and this season i reckon we can knock any team off their perch at any ground in Australia.

 

[jod23]

I dont think we have any real problems. Gaspar, McDougall and Glass have all showed real promise and we have a ton of KPP waiting for their chance in the WAFL. This myth about needing a great spine to win premierships is crap. What you need is a ruckmen and a quality midfield.

We have the Fantastic 5 so we are set. We only really need competent players in the KP spots. The game is changing and we are changing with it.

 

[noodle]

i don't think that we need a superstar defender but i do think that we need a ggod negator. that said of course i would want to get the best available but i don't think we have much chance of getting the leagues best. i think we should try to get somebody like robert haddril from fremantle.