Bigman’s Training Reports
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Kane McGoodwin
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- May 21, 2001
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Yeah, reckon half back flank/wing to start with.
We need round 1 to start , we are literally jumping at shadows on here
- Aug 30, 2021
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Who was hysterical?
Edwards was a half back last year before moving into midfield mid-season-ish.
I'd expect him to be played as a mid in SANFL, but probably starts as a half back with stints in the middle at AFL level.
- Sep 28, 2016
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I'd like to see him play mid in the Magoos straight away. Only seen him in limited action, but he moves unbelievably well for his size, and that 55-60m kick was an added bonus.
Give him all the CBAs to work on his craft!
- Sep 28, 2016
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I love Pedlar as a player, but admit im not loving the Bigman report that Pedlar is noticeably missing his targets at training. That turnover in the Port game was forgiveable in a trial, but also looked like a bad option and a very lazy kick.
In games for points he's gonna need to tighten it up. Can't have him giving the ball back in super dangerous places during the season!
In games for points he's gonna need to tighten it up. Can't have him giving the ball back in super dangerous places during the season!
I really hope he is not following the same path as Shoenberg after t a promising start to his career. Pedlar was one I had hoped would really kick on this year and go take his game to the next level.
Van Berlo said it was only really the back end of last year he started playing in the middle. I think I'd prefer he learn and play inside mid in the SANFL rather than a different position in the AFL.
Excited to see what sort of potential he has. Great size, great athletic attributes and looks to have real sharp hands.
- Sep 28, 2016
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I still think he will. It's just important he stays switched on mentally.
He's gone from Fringe out of the team to best 22 with midfield potential last year. This year he needs to lock his spot away and not let the next wave of Mid/forwards get a sniff.
Like you alluded to, Schoenberg might not get another solid look. Very unfortunate injury timing
Is this anything of substance or just this guy saying whatever for clicks?
- Sep 28, 2016
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Might be nice to see Laird go forward a bit more. He can certainly tackle, and is usually first to any ground ball, 2 skills that are known to generate opportunistic goals in a forward line!
I'm not against seeing more of it. Especially if it leads to Rankine getting more CBA's
That goal he kicked to draw the game with seconds to go from 60m was clutch though
Yep agree, definitely a better option than resting him at HB
Would certainly allow us to give greater opportunity to all of Ranks/Rash/Soli, tbh
What about his 55m bomb in the last few seconds to tie the trial game up?
dogs105
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Wasn't last few seconds, was only 2/3 time...
- Sep 28, 2016
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Yep, upside is tremendous. He's just gotta keep focused when executing the easy stuff, particularly for next season to make him a lock player
- Sep 28, 2016
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Loved it, but the reality is he might tee off on a shot like that 3-4 times a season. Where-as he could take 25m squaring kicks 5+ times a game.
If he misses a 55m shot from the boundary no-one is critical. If he misses the crossers and hits a streaming oppo player on the chest 60m from their goal while our players are running forward of the ball, its a goal the other way more times then not.
That's when questions get asked of young mids. The kind of questions I don't want asked of Luke Pedlar.
I want him to make sure he does the easy stuff well. And let the special stuff flow off that!
That’s the main part
Is Rory Laird’s future up forward as the next generation of Crows rise?
The younger brigade will be featured heavily in the Crows’ midfield in 2024, so what does that mean for the veterans, and in particular their most consistent midfield star?
Simeon Thomas-WilsonAdelaide wants to add some unpredictability to its midfield as the next phase of the rebuild under Matthew Nicks takes shape.
But what does that mean for the most consistent Crow over the last four years, Rory Laird?
The Crows have hardly made their desire to get Izak Rankine into more centre bounces in 2024, as evident by the star’s time in the middle during their match simulation against Port Adelaide last Friday.
While the Crows’ first three midfielders looks likely to be captain Jordan Dawson, the ultra-consistent Rory Laird and the reborn Matt Crouch, get ready for a lot more other Adelaide players to be thrown into the midfield.
Forwards Josh Rachele and Luke Pedlar, as well as the highly rated Jake Soligo are set to also get thrown around the ball a lot more in 2024 – as the Crows seek to emulate dominant sides such as the 2010s Hawthorn outfit that had unpredictability in its midfield.
“It is a bit about some unsettlement for the opposition but it is also around being able to get guys around the footy based on where the game is at,” Crows midfield coach Nathan van Berlo said.
“If we are getting beaten on the outside, we have guys who can play in and out so we can put those guys in there.
“If need a bit of a spark with some leg speed we have some guys up forward that we can put in there and give us a chop out and if we are getting beaten on the inside we have guys who can get around the ball and do what they do best.
“It is a bit around what the game presents and we will roll guys through there based on that.”
But if there are more midfield rotations for the likes of Rankine, Rachele, Pedlar and Soligo, what does it mean for the three top dogs of the Crows on-ball brigade?
On Wednesday van Berlo said versatility would be key for the Crows going forward.
“We value guys with versatility in the team, there wouldn’t be many at all who can’t play dual positions,” he said.
“It is definitely a key pillar of the modern game … the more players we can get to do that means we can get different looks at the footy, different looks ahead of the ball and keep guys involved in the game more so because we have guys at half-back who can play significant wing minutes for us as well.
“We are trying to build that versatility so we get different looks and guys get different opportunities to play different roles at AFL level.”
Dawson has been a Swiss Army knife for the Crows, but is the big-bodied midfielder they lack.
Crouch and Laird provide the inside work, getting their hands on the footy.
But while Laird was twice named an All-Australian when he played as a defender, could more time ahead of the ball be in store in 2024?
He has been working significantly on his goal scoring this pre-season after just three goals and 10 behinds in 2023, with his 0.1 goal per game ranked below average for a midfielder.
But his 6.7 score involvements is considered above average for midfielders and there is a belief that his great ability when the ball hits the deck could help the Crows when they go forward.
If more time forward for Laird does eventuate this season some of it will be down to the desire to get guys like Rankine into the middle more.
But it could also be with an eye to keeping Laird, now 30, fresh as the Crows push for finals.
“Lairdy has played across half-forward at times. We have done that in the past when he gets close attention and he may well spend some stints ahead of the ball if we are exposing Izak like we have been doing,” van Berlo said.
“The mids are really clear on why that is happening and how that compliments our system and how we balance out our look ahead of the footy, they are all on board.
“He finds the footy wherever he goes. He was an All-Australian defender, I’m not too sure of his defensive capability
but he found the ball and he does that week-in-week out as a midfielder.
“Some guys just have an innate ability to find the footy, as does Crouchy.”Over the last three seasons Laird has averaged 31.3 disposals a season.
He has been ultra consistent, but how will that fit in with the Crows desire to become a bit more unpredictable and unsettle opponents?
It was right before the 4th period siren.
- Feb 8, 2013
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“He finds the footy wherever he goes. He was an All-Australian defender, I’m not too sure of his defensive capability
Didn't he set the record for number of tackles in a game? Him and Berry were going toe to toe for tackle numbers in the same game. May have been superseded by now.
Was listening to Skipworth talk about where Pies are at and also last year. He said that they're always developing, looking for improvement, how we play round 1 won't be how we play round 11 and tyat won't be how we play finals. I recall McCrae saying the same midway through last year, they were 'still working out who fits where and how they play' to be their best. So depending on who's available and in what level of form, it's fluid.
Our core strategy is continuity. Continuity in terms of the 23 selected, continuity within game day roles, and continuity in game style. We believe that we need to keep the same people on the park and performing the exact same role for as long as possible to be at our best. And that's why Worrell doesn't play 7ntil Dood is totally shot. If it's a choice between wearing continued poor form from an injured player against bringing in a fit replacement for a couple of games, we choose continuity. And we've been doing this for years.
And Hayden Skipworth is about the most boring sounding person I've ever listened to. No doubt he's good at his job though.
And we're denying the player the opportunity to return to a less injured state.
